Feng Shui - What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is an ancient art of placement based on logic, mathematics, balance, and the environment to keep a healthy flow of Chi (sometimes spelled Qi), or "energy." Feng Shui is literally translated as "wind water," wind being a powerful force that is invisible, water being a powerful force that is elusive.
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Agriculturally, gentle winds and good water are indicative of a good harvest, while rough winds and still water bring a bad harvest. Similarly, stagnant or fast-flowing Chi brings bad fortune, and gently flowing, good Chi brings good fortune.
There are two main branches of Feng Shui. The first is ti-li, the branch that studies the flow of Chi over landforms, such as rivers, roads, hills, and mountains. The second branch is chai-yun, which is the field that studies the flow of Chi within structures and the effect it has on the occupants. Both are important factors in Feng Shui home and design, and expert consultants should be trained in both practices.
Feng Shui has been studied and practiced for thousands of years, developing and changing over the course of centuries. Today, four main schools of Feng Shui are practiced. The oldest of these is the San-yüan school, which deals primarily with landscapes, but also applies these theories to the flow of Chi within buildings. Then, there is San-ho, which studies ti-li almost exclusively, especially the relationship between mountains and waterways. The third school is Hsüan-k'ung, which was developed about 800 years ago in order to supplement the San-yüan school. It focuses primarily on the flow of Chi in buildings. The youngest school of Feng Shui is Pa-chai, which was begun a mere 300 years ago. This school tailors its interpretations to the house and its occupants, basing its finding on such things as the direction of the main entrance, the guardian star of the occupant, and the side of the house with the most windows. There are many books and websites that discuss Feng Shui, some adhering to one or two schools, some giving a good overview of the practices and history of each.
Feng Shui was introduced in the West about 100 years ago, and has recently become one of the most popular techniques for designing and decorating homes. Unfortunately, this is not true in its country of origin. Many ancient Feng Shui practices and texts were destroyed by the People's Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution in the mid-1960s.Copyright 2004-2008 S&T US LLC
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