The ancient Chinese art of feng shui has been practiced for thousands of years, some say 5,000 years! Of course, it has changed and evolved over time. While there are many, many different schools of feng shui, the various practices generally fall into one of three broader categories: the form school of thought, the compass school, and the black hat tantric sect.
SCHOOL FORM – Keyword: VISUAL
The feng shui school of forms is an especially VISUAL form of practice. Professionals focus on the topographical features of the terrain on which your home sits and surrounds. They find great significance in the relationships between the positions of each area of your home and the terrain. Great emphasis is placed on animal symbolism. The topographical features are named after the four celestial animals, named after features such as dragon or tiger hills, turtle mountains, and phoenix stools. The five elements, fire, water, metal, earth and wood, also play an important role. Consultants can use a directional compass or no tools at all.
By studying feng shui, you will know that your learning is influenced by school in ways when you hear things like:
– A mountain (or tall building) should sit behind your house.
– Your main entrance must not be blocked.
– The floor on the left must be higher than the floor on the right of the house.
– Lands with slow, meandering rivers are especially auspicious.
COMPASS SCHOOL – Keyword: TECHNICAL or PRECISE
The Compass School of feng shui is a TECHNICAL form of practice. Practitioners use mathematics and a special feng shui compass called Luo Pan. Kua numbers, Flying Star feng shui, star numbers, Lo Shu grid, and Bagua are part of the Compass School practice. .
You will know that your learning is influenced by Compass School when you hear things like:
– Each individual has a Kua number that determines his auspicious and unfavorable directions.
– Your front door should face your right direction.
– Sleep with your head in the right direction.
– Work towards your auspicious direction.
– Disease stars change locations over time; taking steps to counter these stars is critical.
The shape and compass schools are sometimes referred to as classical Feng Shui.
BLACK HAT SECTION – Keyword: INTUITIVE
The Black Hat School of feng shui is based much more on INTUITION than precise measurements and locations and was only developed a couple of decades ago. The only tool used by practitioners of the Black Hat Sect is the Bagua map. Beyond that, practitioners rely heavily on intuition and maintain an attitude of if it feels good, it probably is, assuming the chi is flowing freely and positively. The Black Hat practice also incorporates the Buddhist practice of Zen meditation.
The Black Hat Sect borrows basic principles from each of the other schools, such as “a mountain should sit behind you” (sit in front of a plant, screen, or solid background rather than in front of a window) and “land with a rivers are conducive “(take steps to prevent chi from moving too slowly or too fast in and around your home). However, the practice is less precise and more subjective. The elements do not need a specific location, but a general location, based on a strong awareness of the changes in sentiment caused by changes in the environment.
PICK UP AT SCHOOL
The Black Hat Sect tantric method of feng shui may be the easiest for Westerners to learn, but it is important to learn about the practices of each of the schools as you will probably want to use ideas from all of them to design and perfect your own. space. . Consultants are likely to do this too, although their ideas will likely be based on a major school. Before a consultant analyzes your home, check the backgrounds of various consultants. The method used should be comfortable for you.
