The land we walk upon tells a story. Just as the land surrounding us holds the records of history. When we are born we become an apart of this land. We weave into this world and in this way we become connected with the energies of Earth.
Whether your Taoist, or just someone who wants to live in harmony within the weaving of life, it’s time to pull out this wonderful tool….
Feng Shui: “The way of water and wind.” “The energetic influence of your environment with the purpose of harmonizing you with your home.”
What is Feng Shui?
We live in homes. But what identifies them as a home, is not the four walls or the shelter, but the energy we feel when we walk inside and set our bag down.
A house has four walls, a shelter has a roof. But a home is a place where we feel safe. Where love, rest, fun, and sanctuary are common components.
The components that go into building a home starts with family and friends, and then it moves onto location. That’s where Feng Shui comes into play.
Feng Shui seeks to harmonize the various energies of your home with you and your family. In this way we not only improve the conditions of our life, but this sends a ripple effect throughout our environment.
The History of Feng Shui:
Six Thousand years ago, a group of people set about to improve their lives. These Taoists spent their time watching the world and the way we interact with her. In this way they were able to observe patters and influences.
Through this knowledge tools were built, and a culture was built. One tool originated through the ideologies of geomancy. Built from this foundation, Taoists started out utilizing this Earth based tool to pick ideal graves for important Chinese officials.
But in true Taoist tradition they didn’t stop there. They applied this tool of geomancy to not only graves but homes and in doing so created Feng Shui. Which is a tool we still use today, two hundred years later.
My Connection with Feng Shui:
When I was four my mother and I moved. Our new home not only came with new neighbors, but also came with new energies. Instead of entering this new terrain blindly, we hired a Feng Shui Master.
Through a compass reading and calculations, he was able to tell us…
- What rooms had what type of energies.
- Which room was best suited for my mother, and which one was best for me.
- What we could do to promote the auspicious (good) energies.
- What we could do to help sooth and reduce the inauspicious energies.
In this way my mother and I were provided the information we needed so that we could live most happily in the new address we called home.
My mother loved the wisdom found within this tool so much, that she worked with our Feng Shui Master and became his apprentice. As the one who held the flashcards, I spent my childhood learning the ins and outs to this form of geomancy.
Now years later, my family has one Feng Shui Practitioner, and I am here sharing with you some of what I know.
The Different Schools of Feng Shui:
After six thousand years, Feng Shui has grown and shifted, with different sects or schools of thought existing today. These two schools differ on some pretty big levels.
Due to this, there is only one school of Feng Shui that I advocate. That being said, I will introduce both schools to you here. This way you will be able to identify the proper Feng Shui Master or Practitioner if you ever choose to Feng Shui your home.
Black Hat Sect:
This Tibetan Buddhist based Ba Gua Feng Shui has become the most commonly known and utilized sect in the western world. By placing a chart over the blueprint of your home, this sect identifies energies.
Sadly, despite being the most widely known sect, the Black Hat school of Feng Shui is highly inaccurate and violates many of the rudimentary principles of geomancy and Taoist Feng Shui.
Due to these reasons, I strongly encourage you to avoid this sect. Even if they are “easier.”
Flying Star Compass Reading:
The more complicated and accurate school of Feng Shui requires more pieces of information. As a result, it is more difficult to master, yet the rewards are massive. The information and guidance achieved through this older, ancient school of Feng Shui surpasses all other forms in existence.
The Components of Flying Star Feng Shui:
A Feng Shui Master who practices the Flying Star school of though analyzes your home based upon many factors…
- Compass reading of your home. (By facing outwards at the front of your home, discovering the latitude and longitude of your home is a key component to Feng Shui.)
- The year your home was built. (By placing the roof onto your home, you have trapped the energy of the time your home was built. This energy will be influenced as the years go by, but it will also influence your home as time goes by.)
- The birth dates of those living in the home. (Your energy plays a part in the results of the Feng Shui reading. Just as your home influences you, you influence your home.)
With these three components, the Master will calculate and discover all the information I discussed above and then some.
Feng Shui is an effective tool, because it utilizes the Three Treasures or energies in Taoist philosophy.
- Earth’s energy- The energy in your home. (Which can be enhanced through the use of Feng Shui.)
- Man’s energy- The energy you have to influence your home. (This is what you do, the energy and activity you use to keep your home clean and cared for.)
- Heaven’s energy- The luck you are born with. (The stars in the sky at the time of your birth.)
Examples of Flying Star Feng Shui:
Up until this point, we’ve covered the basics in Feng Shui. Now I want to take the abstract and provide you some real-life examples I have encountered in the homes I have lived in, and the readings of other homes. Because a lot of Feng Shui comes down to practical and common sense.
The Armchair.
When you analyze the building of your home, you want it to be supported on a physical level. This is the Armchair component. When you look at your home, or the building you want your home to be supported in the back and sides.
Look for buildings, trees, shrubs, and even fences to support you home.
Energy is a River.
As you gaze around your home image energy as a river. Just like water, energy will find the smoothest path throughout your home. If you stub your toe on piles of clutter or furniture, the energy in your home is doing to same thing.
A simple way to help promote a smoother energy in your home, would be basic house cleaning or moving that piece of furniture. Another example would be multi-story buildings. Water would need to fill the entire first floor before moving upwards, the energy needs to do the same. So, while tall buildings are architecturally cool, on a Feng Shui level I would recommend a single story.
You & Your Room.
We’ve taken a look at the building and surrounding environment, but you also play a factor in Feng Shui. For example, your date of birth will provide insight into your energy (your Ba Zi).
There was a home where a young boy was sick. Upon the reading of the home, it was discovered that the boys room held energy too powerful for his young self. This powerful energy was more than his body could take and his sickness was unending. A simple change in rooms helped to rest rather than toss and turn.
This simple example demonstrates the impact the energy of a room has on the quality of your life. Stick to the money star energy when doing your bills rather than the bankruptcy room. Study in the room with proper energy and sleep where there’s the Mountain 8 energy.
These simple ways will help you live in harmony within the world around you.
The Elements.
A major component of Feng Shui ties in the five elements (fire, water, earth, air, & metal). Each room will have a dominant element, and the nature of the element (yin or yang) will help us determine if the energy is one we want to prosper or calm.
We are able to influence the energy of the room/element by the colors we choose, the paintings, and even the furniture. When we want more fire energy we can choose a red bedspread, or if we want to sooth the fire, we can pick a blue (water) bedspread.
While there will be energies and even houses beyond your influence. Most houses in the world all have the potential for great harmonious homes. The way we can ensure harmony is through the use of Feng Shui.
Final Thoughts:
We are a part of the land we walk on. From the birds to the buildings, the environment we live in, is the result of the environment we create. The energy of the earth paired with our own unique energies plays a role in the condition of our life.
If we choose to live in squalor or in harmony. Thankfully, we have tools at our disposal to influence the condition of our home. To learn and decipher the unseen energies within our home.
For myself, when I look at my home and the buildings around me, I look for the energy. It has become a lifestyle to see potential and obligation. This land has the potential for great wealth in spirit and we also have an obligation to honor the energy and part earth plays in our lives. For we are woven together. We support each other.
Challenge:
This week take a look at your home. Close your eyes and see how it feels. Then take a walk through and imagine yourself as water. Where do you get tripped up, how do you travel?
Much of Feng Shui is common sense and practical thinking. I encourage you to Feng Shui your home, but in the meantime what can you do, to help harmonize your home? Can you move some clutter? Build a stronger armchair to protect your home?
Tools:
- Stone: Blue Fluorite.
This calm stone helps the user with rational thought and influences the surrounding area to promote calm and collective energy. Often used by those who wish to recover from obsessive behavior or great disappointment this stone triggers our sense of right and wrong. Emphasizing the desire for honesty and justice in one’s life. Blue Fluorite is a great stone to pull out when we need a helping hand to approach a situation calmly, clearly, and from our best possible place.
- Affirmations:
- “I open myself up to the energies in my home.”
- “I find harmony with my home; I am safe.”
- “I instill my home with calming energy.”