- Wood generates or produces Fire.
- Fire generates or produces Earth.
- Earth generates or produces Metal.
- Metal generates or produces Water.
- Water generates or produces Wood.
Feng Shui
What is Feng Shui?
The literal translation of Feng Shui is: Feng = Wind, Shui = Water
Qi energy is the metaphysical energy brought by wind and water to a building.
Active Qi is responsible for wealth which helps us to work and inactive Qi is responsible for health and harmony. Feng Shui can supply the necessary Qi (energy) to make wealth, health and happiness.
The intention is to allow the reader or potential client to take a brief glimpse into the fascinating field of study and provide a frame of reference into how a trained consultant using the art and scient of Classical Feng Shui in a modern world can improve your life.
Why Chose Feng Shui Research Centre – UAE ?
Not only do we have a wealth of experience (see a list of Our Clients on the About Us page) but we also have a unique way of dispensing with the “mystery” often used to shroud the subject. We have a straight talking approach and make access to the benefits of Feng Shui as “user friendly” as possible.
Feng Shui was practiced thousands of years ago by the ancient Chinese. It is an art which creates harmony and balance between us and our environment. Feng Shui International is one of the premier traditional Feng Shui center in Dubai offering the services of Feng Shui for business, health, Feng Shui for happiness and prosperity to individuals, families, business and corporates. We are one of the most trusted Feng Shui consultants in Dubai.
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The Taiji
embodies all potential things including time and space. It is seen as the perpetual cycle of yin and yang.
In the beginning there was Wuji which is Void or nothingness and the Taiji arose from Wuji. It is seen as the perpetual cycle of yin and yang . Yang which is depicted in white contains Yin represented by a small black dot and Yin depicted in black is shown to contain Yang by a small white dot. Yin and Yang illustrate the contrasting qualities within reality and experience. For example, light contrasts with darkness, heat with cold, life with death. The Taiji is not perceived as a simple list of all things but rather a complex interconnection of all things.
Yin and Yang cannot be separated from each other as each contains the other and changes into each other. All forces in nature can be seen as having Yin and Yang and the two are in movement rather than held in absolute stasis (refer to: Ziantian Bagua and Houtian Bagua). From the combination Yang qi from Heaven and Yin qi from Earth they give birth to five different types of qi (energy) called Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water; this is called Wuxing.
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The He Tu
The He Tu (River Chart)
It is said in a legend that Fu Xi received a gift from heaven when he saw a Qi Lin (dragon horse) coming out of the Yellow River which had a unique and highly symetrical pattern of black and white dots on it’s back. This pattern came to be known as the He Tu or River Chart.
The He Tu shows how the different types of qi originate from yin and yang:
White dots represent yang and black dots represent yin.
- 1-6 1 Heaven generates water, Earth 6 completes it.
The North (bottom) is assigned the Water element. - 2-7 2 Earth generates fire, Heaven 7 completes it.
The South (top) is assigned the Fire element. - 3-8 3 Heaven generates wood, Earth 8 completes it.
The East (left) is assigned the Wood element. - 4-9 4 Earth generates metal, Earth 9 completes it.
The West (right) is assigned the Metal element. - 5-10 5 Heaven generates water, Earth 6 completes it.
The North (bottom) is assigned the Water element.
One example of the perfect symmetry of The He Tu is that the totals of the yang (odd) numbers and the yin (even) numbers are each equal to 20.
Counting the dots while disregarding the central five white and surrounding 10 black dots, all of the yang (odd) numbers are perfectly balanced by an opposing yin (even) number directly across from it. This corresponds to the theory that everything possesses a positive male bright side (Yang) but at the same time has a negative female dark side (Yin). These aspects are complementary and integrate with each other, and it is believed that harmony can only be achieved with a balance between the two.
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Wuxing
Wuxing is explained as five different types of qi (energy):
- Wood – qi that is growing upward, can control earth or destroy earth.
- Fire – qi that is expanding, radiant, can give shape or destroy metal.
- Earth – qi that is stablizing, can control water or destroy water.
- Metal – qi that is contracting, condensing, pointing forward, can control or destroy wood.
- Water – qi that is flowing or spreading, can control or destroy fire.
Each of these is also known as a “phase”. The phases are in constant interaction with each other. These interactions are described as cycles. In the following, we will further examine the Generating (or production) Cycle, the Controlling Cycle and the Weakening Cycle. The Generating Cycle and associated phase interactions are currently shown. Use the selector to look at the Controlling and Weakening Cycle interactions.
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Xian Tian Bagua
Three of the energies/phases or different varieties of “Qi” discussed in the Wuxing overview are further divided. Earth is composed of “Mother” and “Mountain”. Metal becomes “Lake or Marsh” and “Heaven”. Wood becomes “Thunder” and “Wind”. Each “Qi” has its own trigram associated with it and the eight combined trigrams, their sequencing, and their interactions are known as a Bagua.
The Chinese term Xian Tian roughly translates to “Before Heaven”. This sequence denotes a world in perfect balance. The phases in this sequence are in stasis (motionless) with no movement, interaction, or transformation.
The trigram Qian (Metal/Heaven) is on top in the South with Kun (Mother/Earth) below in the North. Li (Fire) and Kan (Water) are on the left and right forming a pair. Zhen (Wood/Thunder) and Xun (Wood/Wind) communicate with one another forming a diagonal pair. Gen (Earth/Mountain) and Dui (Metal/Marsh or Lake) also form a diagonal pair. Each of these pairs are opposite seeking balance and harmony and making the arrangement of the trigram pairs fully symetrical.
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Hou Tian Bagua
The Houtian Bagua is also known as the “After Heaven” sequence. This sequence, although the diagram below too, is a snapshot depiction, takes into account the movement of the opposing energies of Qi (Yin and Yang) and the time (of day and seasons) involved.
You can consider that, in reality, all of the elements and energies (and their strengths) depicted in the diagram are in flux and the perfect lines drawn dividing them as you go around the compass and follow the time of day and the seasons are (like a clock’s second, minute, and hour hands) blurred either clockwise or counterclockwise as time progresses and the seasons pass into the next.
Your Feng Shui consultant has the knowledge and resources to determine exactly how all of these forces are interacting inside a structure using the facing direction of the structure, the period (in time) it was built, the current period (in time), and the layout/design of the exterior and interior. He or she can also help in the design construction phase of a structure to give it an auspicious beginning and/or ensure maximization of it’s potential as time progresses through it’s expected life-cycle.
The basic cycle shown in the diagram above shows the seasons and time of day progressing in a clockwise direction. The actual interpretations behind this movement can be found in more advanced articles and texts.
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Luo Shu
The Luo Shu is also known as “The Magic Square”. Click progressively (left to right) through the selections below to see the origin of the Luo Shu and why it is considered to be “magic”.
1. Magic Square
2. Houtian Numbers
3. Luo Shu
4. Combination
5. Development
6. Mathematical Relationships
7. Cyclic Nature
Magic Square
The Magic Square. Huh? What is magic about it?
Houtian Numbers
You may have wondered from where did the numbers, that were assigned to the trigrams, in the Houtian Diagram originate? And what happened to the five?
Luo Shu
Legend has it that, when sacrifices were being offered to the God of the Luo River during a time of great flooding to appease his anger, a turtle emerged from the water with a unique pattern on its shell. Similarly to the Hetu diagram discussed previously, the pattern of black (yin) and white (yang) dots was recorded, studied, and deemed a gift from heaven. The diagram, made from the dots, was named the Luo Shu and was ascribed to the Houtian (After Heaven) Bagua.
Combination
Removing the Taiji and comparing the Luo Shu to the Houtian Bagua, notice that there are 5 dots in the middle. The number FIVE is considered to be a very balanced number. The number ONE (the beginning of all things) and the number NINE (completion) located respectfully at the bottom and the top of the central column (North and South) are also considered to be very auspicious numbers.
Development
Creating a Three by Three square and removing the trigrams, we place the numbers into their corresponding boxes and the result is what has come to be known most familiarly as “The Magic Square”. The remaining selections illustrate why it is “indeed” considered to be “magical”.
Mathematical Relationships
Adding the numbers diagonally (2+5+8, 4+5+6), horizontally (4+9+2, 3+5+7, 8+1+6), and vertically (4+3+8, 9+5+1, 2+7+6) each add up to the number 15, which is the exact number of days in each of the 24 cycles of the Chinese Solar Year.
The four corners are all even numbers and the odd numbers form a cross in the center of the square.
With five in the center, opposite pairs of numbers (horizontally, vertically,diagonally) each add up to 20, which is the number that made the Hetu especially significant to ancient scholars.
Cyclic Nature
Like the Houtian, the Luo Shu is dynamic, symbolizing reality and a world in motion. As shown before where the sums of all the directly lined numbers was 15 and the opposing pairs sum was 10, these sums differ by a factor of 5, which is the value of the center square.
The sum of each of the arms forming the cross depicted here each total 25, which is evenly divisible by the center value of 5.
Finally, the central number 5 is the number that links extending pairs: 1 (North) & 6 (Northwest) 1+5=6, 3 (East) & 8 (Northeast) 3+5=8, 4 (Southeast) & 9 (South) 4+5=9, and 2 (Southwest) & 7 (West), 2+5=7.
These relationships and how they correspond to time and space are another basic building block in the complex analysis, performed by your consultant, of where the various types of energy are, how they are flowing/interacting AND what might be applied as enhancements and mitigations to maximize the potential of a property during your Feng Shui audit.
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9 Stars
Each of the numbers assigned to the Luo Shu (being associated with a different trigram) can be said to have it’s own type of qi. These numbers are also referred to as “stars”. The influential powers, strengths and weaknesses of each star are cyclic in nature. Although circumstances and the environment may differ and time inevitably continues on, the inherent natures of each of the stars and how they will interact with each other and affect the environment around them are a large part of the expertise a Feng Shui consultant brings to the table in evaluating a property for a client. Click through the selections below for more information on the stars.
Above are “some” of the basic traits for each of the stars.
Each star, in turn, comes into prominence for a 20 year period. The star before it is “retiring”, the star after it is “the heir”, and the following star is “in training or apprenticeship”. The remaining stars are inactive or weak (although they still have some effect on the environment).
This is a snapshot of a period when the Number 2 Star is “ruling” for a 20 year period. Its predecessor, number 1 is “waning”. Number 3 is “heir apparent”. Number 4 is the “apprentice”.
Each star also has a colour and name associated with it. These are shown in the table below:
| Number | Colour | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | Tan Lang | The Angel of Sheng Qi |
| 2 | Black | Ju Men | The Monarch of Sickness |
| 3 | Jade | Lu Cun | The Phantom of Misfortune |
| 4 | Green | Wen Qu | The Clever and Indecent Imp |
| 5 | Yellow | Lian Zhen | The Devil of Ferocity |
| 6 | White | Wu Qu | The Angel of Gallantry |
| 7 | Red | Po Jun | The Spirit of Destruction |
| 8 | White | Zuo Fu | The Angel of Wealth and Happiness |
| 9 | Purple | You Bi | The Angel of Vigour |
Time
A complete rotation of time is 180 years long. This is broken into three 60 year cycles which are called the “Upper Cycle”, “Middle Cycle”, and “Lower Cycle” respectively. Each of the cycles contains three of the periods (or stars), each lasting 20 years.
In the current rotation, we are now in the lower cycle, 8th period. Number 8 star rules, number 9 is heir apparent, number 1 is apprentice, and number 7 is retiring. The current rotation is shown in the table below:
| Period | Years | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1864 - 1883 | Upper |
| 2 | 1884 - 1903 | Upper |
| 3 | 1904 – 1923 | Upper |
| 4 | 1924 – 1943 | Middle |
| 5 | 1944 – 1963 | Middle |
| 6 | 1964 – 1983 | Middle |
| 7 | 1984 – 2003 | Lower |
| 8 | 2004 - 2023 | Lower |
| 9 | 2024 - 2043 | Lower |
As you can see, the “Feng Shui” of any given structure or property is going to evolve over time. The trained consultant has the knowledge at his or her fingertips to be able to assist in maximizing the positive energies in a property and mitigating the negative energies. For those “good” stars that are inactive or in remission during a given period, their energies can be enhanced and brought forward. On the flip-side of the coin, the energies of the more benevolent stars that are in prominence during a given period can be tempered to a certain degree. The consultant can analyze all of the factors and develop a plan to apply techniques that improve overall health, wealth and quality of life for a client.
The interpretations that can be made in analyzing a property are not just applicable in this day and age. Analysis of famous residences throughout history using these techniques can be made and compared to the lives of the famous people who resided in them, bearing evidence of the merit of utilizing this knowledge and technique in the present. Monica Hess has written a book that makes a detailed analysis of “Mount Vernon”, the residence of George Washington (first President of the United States of America) that illustrates how the stars affected the lives of Washington and his family. She has also done a condensed version for Mount Vernon and several smaller books on other Historical Landmark residences.
This brief overview of some of the basic precepts of “Feng Shui” has barely pierced the skin of all that lies beneath the surface. If it has piqued your interest towards learning more, contact Vicky for information about classes or what it will take to have one set up in your area. If she is unable to come to you, she will be able to assist you in locating a Feng Shui Research Center consultant near you who might be able to perform the service. Also, for more knowledge, there are several very good books on the subject listed in the Recommended Reading section of the Multimedia Link above. “The Idiots Guide to Feng Shui” 3rd Edition by Elizabeth Moran, Master Joseph Yu and Master Val Biktashev is an excellent starting point towards learning more about this fascinating subject.
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For more reading about Feng Shui click the “plus” (+) below to expand the section” to the Feng Shui page.
Recommended Reading - Reference Material
The Idiots’ Guide to Feng Shui (3rd Edition)
By Elizabeth Moran, Master Joseph Yu and Maser Val Biktashev
The Idiot’s Guide to I Ching
By Elizabeth Moran and Master Joseph Yu
The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation
By Master Alfred Huang
Feng Shui Handbook: How to Create a Healthier Living and Working Environment
By Master Lam Chuen
Feng Shui – The Ancient Wisdom of Harmonious Living for Modern Times
By Eva Wong
A Master Course in Feng Shui
By Eva Wong
Architect’s Guide to Feng Shui
By Cate Bramble
The Feng Shui of George Washington’s Mount Vernon
By Monica Hess
