Article Sample : Origins of Feng Shui

ORIGINS OF FENG SHUI and THE SPIRIT OF OUR TIME

Feng Shui (meaning Wind, Water in Chinese) is more than just a system of where to place things in your home. It encompasses a whole philosophy of life and how to live a life that is in harmony with nature. Feng Shui principals are very much focused on balance in all things, and as such, have a commonality with the ancient Greeks, who were also concerned with balance in all aspects of life.

Feng Shui is a Taoist art that can be traced back to the shamans of ancient China at around 300 B.C. It evolved from the observation that people are affected, for good or evil, by their surroundings. It was thought that if you change your surroundings then it will have an effect on you and also change your life. Attitude is everything. This buys into today’s renewed interest in the Law of Attraction and that you bring to you what you think about most. Like attracts like.

There are many different school of Feng Shui. The original version is called the Landform School and is concerned with the shapes of landforms and how they may affect “chi” or the flow of energy. Landform Feng Shui is the most intuitive approach and is concerned with shapes and directions of land and water masses. Mountains are said to resemble dragons or other animals. Dragons are a frequent metaphor for mountains. The ridges leading to the summit link the backbone. Ridges on either side of the backbone are arms and legs. Streams and springs running down the mountain are the veins and arteries of the dragon. Mist is the dragon breath.

Originally these matters were simply to do with farmers wanting to place their fields in spots that were the most likely to yield good crops, with minimum interference by floods, drought or strong winds. The shaman was consulted as to the best location – this would most likely be in a protected valley with the fields located in a South-facing manner well out of the flood plane of any river and out of the reach of destructive winds. Farmers would more likely prosper in their work in such a good Chi location.

The Tibetan Tantric Black Hat school of Feng Shui is a hybrid of many customs. It changed and acquired new aspects as it made its way from Tibet, thru India, to China. The Tibetan influence is in the charms (or cures) and chants or setting of intentions. The idea of karma – that you get back what you put out into the world – is from India. The theory of Yin and Yang (balance of light and dark) is Chinese in origin. Intuition and mystical knowledge is also incorporated with the use of astrology and divining the future.
No aspect of life is left unexamined.

Chi is the most important thing in Feng Shui. Chi is energy or life force. Feng Shui can be used to untangle knots in chi that block happiness and attainment of one’s goals and hopes. Energy that moves is nourishing and beneficial to life. However, the energy flow must be moderate and not too violent. Many of the Feng Shui “cures” are designed to modulate the energy flow so that it is just right. Stagnant energy is destructive – Feng Shui focuses on bringing movement to this still pool and the ability to embrace change.


Tao – reflects the natural way, the eternal rhythm of the universe and the place of man within the balanced system. Out of Tao, comes Yin and Yang – complimentary opposites necessary for balance and harmony.

With global warming now an acknowledged threat to our planet’s health, more and more people are taking note of the planetary impact of their personal habits and lifestyle. It is now becoming less and less acceptable to live in a way that threatens the overall good. People want to do the right thing and live in harmony with nature. It feeds our need to be good stewards of our homes and communities.

In a spirit of play, ascribing mystical powers to animals, plants and landforms leads to a more connected feeling with the earth and a more meaningful daily life. A childlike happiness in greeting a beautiful tree as you walk by it each day adds richness to life and a deep appreciation of what we already have right in front of us. The desire for beauty in our homes and balance in our lives by employing techniques that have been used for thousands of years by other humans weaves a thread of connection and universal understanding.

Arrange for a Feng Shui reading of your home with a local Feng Shui practitioner. To experience the benefits, pick one area to work on with good intention and see what happens. It is said that the life we experience is a reflection of how we think – so paying attention to surroundings that make us feel better can only have a positive and uplifting effect.
Article Written by: Suzanne Elliott - Copyright 2009