Background of Feng Shui

Feng Shui Compass

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging the two separate portions of life, heaven and earth, in a way that harmonizes the world. Heaven stands for astronomy, and earth stands for geography. The old traditional beliefs for feng shui living were not so much the arrangement of things for prosperity as people didn't have very many things to arrange back then. It was more of a decision of where to live location wise, and where to be buried, as well as the best planting areas for crops. The modern image of feng shui is more focused on arranging what someone has into the greatest harmony between astrological and geological forces so that goals are easier to reach.

[edit] Feng shui secrets- the early years

Feng shui secrets go back as far as 3,500 years before the invention of the compass. In those early years, navigation was run by the stars, as well as many other processes. The stars were seen as a prophecy as to what would come on earth. Supposedly, one of the first feng shui instruments was the gnomon, which helped them find the north-south axis of the landscape. This is probably the reason that Chinese buildings were far in advance of most other cultures of the day. They simply had better measuring and surveying tools. liuren astrolabe was another one of the ancient feng shui tools. It was used to predict the appearance of stars, the rotation of the moon and planets, and other similar tasks. In fact, the compass was first used as a feng shui instrument, as well. It is easy to see the impact feng shui secrets have had on the modern world.

[edit] Traditional feng shui arrangements

Feng shui has a complicated and elaborate structure. It could take years to study all the different forms and structures. However, there are some basic forms to most feug shui practices. All feng shui living practices are based around the idea of placing a home, or other dwelling spot, on areas of the earth with good qi. Qi usually means air or energy, and the basic of feng shui is to build on those areas, so that there is no deterrent to life. Another main concept in feng shui is the idea of polarity. This is dealing with the yin and yang theories. It is used in conjunction with the five element theory (water, earth, wood, metal, and fire) to create a perfect balance.

There is also the bagua that plays a major roll in feng shui. This has to do with astrological predictions and calendars, and is considered by some to be the pivotal system in proper feng shui. The bagua is linked with the four directions and constellations called the four celestial animals. These are: spring and the blue green dragon from the east, summer and the red bird from the south, autumn and the white tiger from the west, and winter and the dark turtle from the north.

[edit] Modern feng shui living

Feng shui in the modern world is not as astrological as the original. Modern methods focus more on the manipulation of objects rather than the placement of buildings that line up with the astrological and geographical worlds. There are many different sects to feng shui. Many people practice small feng shui ideas and placements with their objects even if they don't really believe in it.