Feng Shui is known as the art of placement. It is an ancient art and science that was first developed over 3000 years ago in China.
It involves the placement of objects in such a way that it is harmonious to the environment you are living in. It is closely linked to Taoism, with a strong belief that land or nature has certain energies and creating a balance of these energies can lead to prosperity.
In modern times, Feng Shui is often associated with interior design and architecture. Feng Shui experts are often hired when people are moving into a new home, a new office, or a business establishment.
But genuine Feng Shui is more than just moving furniture in the right space, or placing windows in a strategic way. It is a complex system that involves many different factors.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui literally means “wind-water” in English. It is in line with Chinese culture wherein they associate wind and water with good health. It is believed that those who practice Feng Shui drive away bad luck and attract good luck into their lives, improving their relationships, health, and careers.
In imperial China, Feng Shui was considered to be a royal secret that only a small handful of people knew. The secrets of Feng Shui were said to be only limited to astronomers and scientists who were assigned the duty of maintaining the power, health, and wealth of the royal court.
In fact, imperial palaces and cities were planned in great length according to Feng Shui, as evident with the Forbidden City, which is one of China’s most visited tourist spots today.
Why Use Feng Shui?
Everyone can benefit from improvements in different aspects of their lives. Today, as society and especially Western cultures are becoming more and more hectic and toxic, applying Feng Shui is more than needed to eliminate negativity in people’s lives.
The practice of good Feng Shui involves not just creating a pleasant atmosphere but to create a harmonious and balanced living or working space for improved relationships and productivity.
If you want to attract love in your life, you can use the principles of Feng Shui to bring in a new love or improve the status of a current relationship. If you are stuck in an unfulfilling job, you can arrange your desk or office in such a way to welcome changes in your career, and if you want to improve your health, and other areas of your life you can change the placement of your furniture at home to eliminate bad luck or toxins.
Feng Shui allows you to use nature’s energies or Chi to improve different aspects of your life.
Is Feng Shui Superstition?
Many people are skeptical about the workings of Feng Shui and often believe the Chinese system is purely based on superstition. While Feng Shui did develop in ancient China and is deeply rooted in Chinese folklore, over 3000 years of development have proven the many benefits of using the system.
Operating on a theoretical framework based on Chinese metaphysics, Feng Shui is considered to be both superstition and a science.
For example, Feng Shui’s use of colors coincide with scientific theories on color therapy, as well as its principles of using natural light coinciding with the psychological benefits of sun exposure.
While Feng Shui benefits on career, money, and relationships are hard or impossible to quantify, it is hard to deny its many associations with scientifically proven psychological findings.
How to Use Feng Shui
The Feng Shui Bagua is one of the major tools that is used to determine the positive energy flow of a particular space. This octagon mirror consists of 8 different sides that consist of 8 different directions that correspond with 8 different areas, which are:
- Health and Family – East
- Wealth and Abundance – Southeast
- Fame and Reputation – South
- Love and Marriage – Southwest
- Creativity and Children – West
- Helpful People and Blessings – Northwest
- Career and Path in Life – North
- Spiritual Growth and Cultivation – Northeast
| Element | Colors | Brings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North: | Water | Blue, Black | Career Luck |
| North – East: | Earth | Brown, Yellow, Pink | Educatonal Luck |
| East: | Wood | Green | Family & Health |
| South – East: | Wood | Green | Wealth |
| South: | Fire | Red | Name &Fame |
| South – West | Earth | Brown, Yellow, Pink | Romance Luck |
| West: | Metal | White, Gold, Silver | Creativity & Kids Luck |
| North – West: | Metal | White, Gold, Silver | Travel Luck & Helpful People |
| Center: | Earth | Orange, Yellow, Brown | Physical Health |
To determine these directions, you can use an actual compass (Classical Feng Shui), or divide the floor plan of your home into the 8 areas (BTB or Western Feng Shui).
So if you want to attract love into your life, you can place Feng Shui symbols in the Southwest area of your home.
Feng Shui symbols consist of animals and other objects that correspond to different meanings. Here are some of the Feng Shui symbols that you can use:
1. Mandarin Duck – The most popular and well-known symbol to attract love. Mandarin ducks in real life mate for life and are considered to be loyal and completely devoted to their partners.
2. Golden Toad – Considered to be the best magnet for business, as the symbol is believed to absorb, spit, and accumulate wealth.
3. Turtle – Considered to be the symbol of longevity.
4. Elephant – Considered to bring in wealth as the animal absorbs water well.
5. Horse – Believed to bring in success and promotion.
Feng Shui Principles for Placement of Furniture
Feng Shui employs the “Command Position.” This means that whatever room you are in, you must always face the door. This applies to bedrooms, offices, kitchens, and living rooms. Your back must never face the door since you are turning your back to opportunities or good luck.
If it is impossible for you to face the door, such as working in a cubicle, this can be remedied by placing a mirror in front of you so you can still “see” the blessings that walked into your life.
The command position involves having a good view of the entire room so you are “in command” of the things that are happening in your life.
This general rule applies to placement of furniture and objects in any space.
Determine your Kua Number
To have a more specific knowledge of placements, you must determine your Kua Number in Feng Shui. Your Kua Number determines your personal directions. To get your number, you must add the last two digits of your birth year until you get a single digit. If you are a female, add 5 to that number and minus 10 if you are male.
So for example, your Kua Number is 7. Based on Feng Shui direction charts, your direction for money and success is northwest, your direction for love and marriage is northeast, your direction for better health is southwest, and your direction for spiritual growth is west.
If you want to improve your health, you must place your desk in the southwest area of your office while still facing the front door.
If you want to have more money, you can place your bed on the northwest area of your bedroom but also still facing the door.
Feng Shui Colors
Feng Shui also uses colors to bring in good luck. You can paint your room’s walls with these colors, or have furniture in these colors, and you can even practice Feng Shui’s color theories on your clothes.
Here are some colors and their Feng Shui meanings:
- Yellow – believed to bring in cheerfulness
- Red – believed to bring joy, excitement, and sexual desire
- Green – believed to bring in renewal, regeneration, and fresh chi energy
- Orange – Feng Shui’s “social” color, it is believed to bring in good conversations
- White – believed to foster positive new beginnings
Using the proper colors and symbols in the designated directions will help to amplify the benefits that you are trying to achieve with traditional Feng Shui.
Feng Shui 101: Basic Feng Shui Tips
- Get rid of clutter in your home or office. Harmony can’t be achieved with a messy house or room.
- Get good quality air and light by opening windows and doors – letting natural light and air to come in.
- When your home or office space is located near the road, place plants to purify the air.
- Do not place your bed under a window because you are not protected and are vulnerable to evil spirits or bad luck. Your bed must be against a solid wall, and the direction of your feet must also face a solid wall and not a door or window.
- Do not place your bed in front of open shelves as this signifies acting as a knife. You can expect people to talk behind your back.
- Do not place your bed under a ceiling fan or beam. You can expect to have headaches, and if you’re married or sleeping on the same bed, you can expect to have many disagreements and arguments.
Feng Shui is very complex and many factors are taken into consideration when its principles are to be practiced in your home, office, or business space.
Hiring an expert would be ideal if you do not have the time to fully gain the proper knowledge in order to take full advantage of this ancient art and science.
