Is your life at a standstill? Do the walls seem to be closing in around you? You want to break free but you have no idea what it is that's binding you. You try to think positively. Your heart is in the right place. You are a good person. You eat right and exercise. You're doing all the things that modern society tells you to do and still, you live under a cloud. Maybe it's time to stop beating your head against the brick wall of Western thought and look to the philosophies of the East. Maybe you need to see your home or workplace through different eyes - through ancient eyes. Let go of your clutter and align your Chi. Embrace the time-honored philosophy of Feng Shui.
Pronounced "fûng shway", the words (translated from Chinese) mean, "wind and water". While we in the western world know the term in reference to home design, the concept is ancient. Many early civilizations and cultures depended on the stars and mankind's relationship to them. Instead of looking at the heavens and seeing the gods, early Chinese philosophers and mathematicians saw a grand, revolving order. The universe was in essence, a map of the world and a reference resource for destiny. A crop would fail if planted in defiance of the planets. A cite would not be built until the stars aligned in a specific order. For many thousands of years, people in the Asian world have lived their lives and planned their futures based on the concepts found in Feng Shui. It's not such a silly way to look at things considering that the sun and the seasons do indeed, determine whether we feast or starve. Despite the Maoist revolution of the 1960's, Feng Shui has survived and since the late 1990's, has taken hold in the western world.
To fully explain Feng Shui would require enough text to fill several books. Instead, we shall provide a basic overview of the philosophy. The primary points you need to remember are these: Five elements, fire, earth, wood, water and metal. The Bagua. And the concept of Chi. We'll begin with and explanation of Chi.
Chi (or Qi) is life energy.
We are surrounded by energy even if we cannot see it. Think of atoms and how they are constantly in motion. While a rock appears immovable, on a microscopic level, that rock is composed of densely packed atoms in motion. Literally everything gives off energy, even you. Different objects give off different energies and interact with other objects, elements and bodies in either a constructive way or a destructive way. Chi is not about good or bad energy. It is about making sure the energies around you complement each other, instead of opposing each other. The way to personal peace is by aligning your Chi so that the energies in your environment are working together. If something in your home is blocking your Chi, it is blocking your journey towards harmony. In relevance to Feng Shui - water and air - Chi is air. All the rest is symbolized by water. In other words, you and your Chi are the air that flows. The objects around you are the elements that will either speed your journey or slow it down.
The Elements. Fire, Earth, Wood, Water and Metal.
If you know a little something about astrology, these elements will sound familiar. Aries is a Fire sign. Capricorn is an Earth sign. Fire cannot spark without an earthly element. Earth is not harmed by fire. The two elements compliment each other. On the other hand, Pisces is a water sign. Water quashes fire. Water and fire are elements that do not complement each other. This is the perspective you need to take when cataloging and placing elemental objects in your home. What elements will complement each other? What elements will compliment your personal Chi? You may absolutely love that wood desk but if it sits next to something made from an opposing element, it might block the flow of energy you need to get your work done.
* The Five Elements: Colors and Objects
In Feng Shui, each Element is symbolized by color and object. Here are some examples;
| Elements | Colors | Objects |
| Fire | Red & Orange | Lamps, burnings Candles |
| Earth | Yellow | Plants |
| Water | Blue & Black | Indoor fountains, Water-filled Vases |
| Metal | White | Silver trays & Brass figurines |
| Wood | Green | Anything made from Wood |
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In simpler terms, the elements in your home either generate energy from each other or overcome energies from each other. A burning candle (fire) placed inside a silver (metal) holder symbolically melts the energy of the silver. That same candle (fire) inside a glass (earth) holder adds to the energy of the fire. In order to balance your Chi, you need to incorporate all the elements into your home. In addition, colors also represent elements. Red = Fire. Yellow = Earth. White = Metal. Blue/Black = Water. Green = Wood. Red and Blue are a classic western example of complimentary colors. Not so much when it comes to Feng Shui. In Feng Shui, all colors have a particular purpose and position. Your home and/or office must incorporate all colors - all the elements, so that your Chi may flow.
For example, Yellow is an excellent color for the bedroom because it it symbolizes the steady earth below your feet. A red vase or figuring on your office desk might inspire you with the energy
of fire.
A Bagua is a map in the shape of an octagon. At the center of the Bagua is an open space, symbolized by the color yellow and the element of earth. This area is the center of your home, your health and your Chi. The center is surrounded by an eight-sided ring, sectioned off according to the categories of: Career, Wisdom, Family, Prosperity, Reputation, Relationships, Creativity and Travel. The entrance to your home is always symbolized by the color Black and the element of Water. If you hold the Feng Shui "compass" in your hand and stand at the entrance, you can see your space as it is mapped out in the Bagua.
Mirrors & Feng Shui
When it comes to mirrors, there is a rift among practitioners of Feng Shui. One side sees them as having curative powers. The other sides claim this is mere superstition.
In an article for Green Living author Sally Fretwell writes: "A mirror is ideal when you can see yourself clearly in it. It is the only time you see yourself, and it is best that it be a true reflection. A mirror that encompasses more than just a bit of an image, in other words a full picture, reflects balance and allows the brain to integrate...Have you ever walked by a mirror and felt spooked, as if you had seen a ghost? Well, certain arrangements of mirrors can be shocking. For example, two mirrors placed on opposite walls facing each other can be disconcerting and make you feel ungrounded, because when you look in the mirror you could see your reflection ad infinitum. This tends to bring up insecurities, as well as ancestral memories. The author saw this once in a place where two large mirrors faced each other, creating a whirlwind of subconscious issues."
On the opposite side, 168 Feng Shui Advisors blogs: "Let me first start out with saying that 168 Feng Shui Advisors recommends the use of mirrors as a bathroom tool to comb your hair by. Beyond that, mirrors only serve a visual or artistic effect. Mirrors have been misrepresented as a Feng Shui "cure" by a lot of practitioners. Here in this country, these practitioners claim that mirrors will reflect negative Chi and spirits. Have you ever tried to reflect heat with a mirror, or perhaps x-rays? Mirrors only reflect light, a narrow area of the energetic spectrum. Chi, defined as "life energy," flows around and through each of us, is not diverted by a four inch, eight edged mirror...Traditional Feng Shui utilizes only the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water as remedies to energetic issues in a house or building. Mirrors do not play any part as a remedy. Often you will see mirrored baguas opposing each other on two houses that face each other. Sometimes there will be a bagua feud - the bigger bagua wins. This is not Feng Shui, but rather superstition mixed with egotism. Traditional Feng Shui does not subscribe to mysticism, superstition, or religion."
Which side do you belong to? Should you fill your home with strategically-placed mirrors or should you decorate with them sparsely and use them only when appropriate for seeing your image? Regardless of which side you're on, do remember to always purchase high-quality mirrors made with glass. Plastic is most definitely not Feng Shui.
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You can determine what locations in a room, office or house, are best suited to different aspects of your life by standing at the entrance with your Bagua. For instance, the middle of your living room should be clutter-free so that your personal Chi will flow freely. If in your bedroom, your bed is placed opposite to the entrance you risk losing sleep as that is where the element of fire resides. If you wish to enhance the chances of having children, your bed should be on the right-middle wall of the bedroom, as that is where the energy for children is. If you wish to increase your financial prosperity, decorate the room located in the upper left section of your home in colors of blue, purple and red.
Throughout each section of your room, home or office, resides a specific area that aligns with a specific type of energy. The Bagua is your guide to arranging your space so that your Chi flows in the directions you need and desire.
In the Far East, the philosophies of Feng Shui, the Bagua and the Elements have influenced culture for centuries. Kingdoms were built on these philosophies. Destinies were fated by them. Even today, members of high government in China still consult their Baguas when making choices about architecture and design.
Today, the western world is finally catching up to the wisdom of the East. You will find many designers, web sites and consultants that are knowledgeable in the philosophy of Feng Shui. If your life is going nowhere or you are living with an ever-present feeling of stagnation, the problem may not be with you but with the arrangement and placement of objects in your space. Maybe all you need is to add a good, heavy-potted plant in each room. Could be that, the color green is the wrong wall shade for your home office. Perhaps it is time to clear out the clutter that is blocking the center of your world.
Regardless of your beliefs, Feng Shui design will open up your home and balance the furniture and knick-knacks that occupy it. You mind will feel clearer in a Feng Shui office. A Feng Shui bedroom will be more conducive to rest. Even your bathroom will seem refreshing, decorated in colors of blue and gray. You don't have to become a Feng Shui fanatic. All you have to do is open your mind to an ancient way of harmonizing your life by harmonizing your environment.