Feng Shui and the Bagua

Posted on November 08, 2020 by Derelle Ball

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Posted in Bagua, Classical Feng Shui, feng shui and the bagua, feng shui health, feng shui tips, feng shui wealth, New Age Feng Shui

What is My 4 Pillars Birth Chart?

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Derelle Ball

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Posted in calculate your 4 pillars birth chart, chinese astrology, feng shui and 4 pillars

Feng Shui, Astrology and Your Health

Posted on December 04, 2019 by Derelle Ball

When examining the fei xing/flying stars feng shui of a residence or business, there are particular energy combinations that indicate the potential for a higher probability of certain health issues occurring in that location of the building (particularly if it is being used regularly as a bedroom or office).  

For example, from a general perspective, a 5 earth and 1 water combination can indicate issues connected with fluids, leaks, the bladder, kidneys and sexual organs.  When water and earth combine, what do you get?  Mud!  So in this case, the earth element is capable of clogging/contaminating the fluids via the urinary system, internal fluids and blood flow.  When 2 earth and 1 water energies combine, health issues connected with the stomach, intestinal tract, sexual organs and digestion problems are more likely to occur. 

When 5 earth and 4 wood combine, there is an indication of potential health issues connected with cyst-like growth round the chest area.  When 2 earth and 4 wood combine, the probability of stress and mental tension is increased.

When 5 earth and 7 metal combine, the probability of health issues connected with the mouth and teeth is increased.  This combination can also trigger skin conditions and issues connected with the lungs.  When 2 earth and 7 metal combine, they form a He-Tu combination for fire, which can increase fire hazard in that location of the building as well as stir up ‘heat’ (or inflammation) in the body.  When there is too much heat in the body, the kidneys are stressed and this in turn places more pressure on the heart.

The combination feng shui consultants tend to dread the most when examining a client’s bedroom for sickness qi is 2 earth and 5 earth.  This strong earth combination can be a potential indicator of growth inside the body (often in the form of tumors).  The element that feeds earth is fire, so if you find this energy combination in a bedroom which also contains sha qi in the external landform via a pylon, poison arrow feature, negative mountain, or triggered internally via a red feature wall for example, the probability increases.  The 9 energy is fire element, so for example, in a year when the annual 9 energy affects that particular room, the 2 and 5 earth energies will be even stronger.  

Of course, not every bedroom containing this combination will automatically result in the occupants getting sick or developing a tumor.  Remember, feng shui covers your 'earth luck' energy which is a third of your overall luck potential.  You also need to examine the surrounding landform to see if the energies are supported or weakened, the interaction of communication between the client’s Ming Gua and Day Master qi and current 4 Pillars astrology energy in relation to the energy in the bedroom and the energy being absorbed from the mountain star qi in the wall behind the bedhead while sleeping, the client's relationship to nutrition and exercise (ie do they live to eat or eat to live?), the current interplay of elements in the room itself according to the window location, general colour scheme, form, shapes and the effect of the annual energy influences currently in that location in conjunction with any renovation, construction or excavation that may be occurring in the same compass sector of the home or property or in a neighboring property.   

For example, a bedroom situated on the second level (or above) of a home constructed a couple of years ago will not necessarily feel the full impact of the mountain star 2 or 5 qi in the wall behind the bedhead due to the fact that mountain star energy (esp earth energy) is slow to move and takes its time to travel from ground level up a wall to the next level.  This is why people living high in the sky in apartment blocks tend to have limited access to mountain star qi inside the building, while the water star qi can be quite strong and/or dispersed in some locations due to the higher altitude and prevailing winds.  

You also need to take into consideration which mountain star qi is being drawn in by the occupants when they sleep.  Is their bedhead positioned against an external wall where the mountain star 2 or 5 qi is located or is the bedhead positioned against an internal wall drawing a totally different mountain star qi into the wall according to little taiji compass demarcation of the room itself.

For example, if there is mountain star 2 in the wall behind the bedhead, check to see if the water star 6 has access into this room (eg via an external window) to help tone down the earth qi of the 2.

OK, so now you may be thinking, well I have no idea if my bedroom or office has any of these combinations, and I can’t afford a feng shui consultation at present, so what can I do to help protect myself and my family?   

Before I answer this question, I should add that not all earth qi is automatically bad.  In fact, all the energies have positive and negative associations.  The 8 earth qi has very positive health and healing effects during this current Period of 8 (which will continue until 3 Feb 2024) and it is possible to align beds and regularly used chairs and lounges so that the occupants in your home are regularly able to tap into supportive positive health qi when sleeping and relaxing in these specific areas.  It’s like plugging in your internal batteries for a recharge.  

The individual's Kua (Ming Gua) must be able to communicate effectively with the energy residing in the wall behind their bedhead in order to absorb beneficial health energy, and this may entail adding a particular element between the client's head chakra and the wall behind the bedhead while sleeping, in order to facilitate positive communication of qi. 

You can locate positive health energy in your home and business according to the fei xing/flying star feng shui natal chart of the building which is ascertained according to the construction date and the precise compass orientation that it faces towards.  Each building has its own unique chart based on these 2 factors – there is no such thing as one natal chart fits all!  There are certain times when you are able to make positive use of the 2 and 5 earth energies as well, depending on the time period and how you tap into the inherent character of the qi in connection with where it is located.  For example, if you are able to remove the sickness qi that connects with the 2 Black, it becomes the 'living mother' qi and can be used to aid in frugal savings, meditation and spiritual awareness.

Many homes constructed during the current Period of 8 have sectors affected by a 2+5 or 5+2 energy flow.  If the ruling qi for this current Period of 8 Time Period (ie the water star 8) is able to freely enter the home via doors and windows in the location of the water star 8, and the home is open plan in design (thus allowing the ruling 8 water star qi to easily interact with the other sectors affected by the 2 and 5 energies), then the potential health issues from the other earth energies are greatly reduced.  Keep in mind, from 4 Feb 2024, we enter the Period of 9 when the water star 9 will become the ruling qi.  

Anyway, back to the question – what can I do about potential sickness qi?  From a general simplified feng shui perspective, the answer is metal element and gourds.  The sound and movement of metal helps drain negative earth energy because in the natural cycle of elements, earth feeds metal, so if there is a continued vibrational quality of metal (via sound and movement) in the home, then negative earth is kept occupied and thus partly subdued.  This can be in the form of a chiming pendulum clock, an anniversary clock with moving metallic spheres at the base, a solar powered golden Prayer Wheel placed on a window sill that catches light, regularly playing harmonious piano music in the home, regularly ringing a pleasant sounding metallic bell or singing bowl in the home.  Metal element colours and forms are white, gold, golden yellow, silver, brass, bronze and round, curved, spherical shapes.  

Space clearing uses the sound of metal to help disperse sha (stagnant/negative) qi and when you combine the sound of metal and the clearing qi from sage or sandalwood incense, you can re-energise positive energy in a home or business, especially if the clearing is conducted on an auspicious date according to Xuan Kong Da Gua or via the annual Sun/Moon Ceremony dates for the specific dwelling and its facing orientation.  It’s also possible to collect sha qi for removal while space clearing, via coarse rock salt, onion and various other herbal concoctions.  

I like to fine tune my own space clearing with tuning forks pitched according to the Solfeggio Frequencies.  These frequencies resonate at a deep vibrational level with the earth and can be found in ancient Gregorian chants.  A particularly good CD containing cleansing solfeggio frequencies via authentic Gregorian Chants for effective space clearing in your home is:

"National Public Radio Milestones of the Millennium: Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Chants, Hymns and Sequences"  

The sickness qi that attaches itself to the 2 earth energy is naturally attracted to the shape of gourds.  Gourds (also known as the wu lu or calabash) belong to the pumpkin family and in many parts of the world, they are grown and dried and hung as decoration in the home and restaurants, and used as a container to carry grain, water and medicine.   

When using an organic gourd, you should make sure it has been properly dried, and cut a hole into the top section of the gourd so the sickness qi can flow into the gourd where it will be partially transformed into a less harmful energy.  You can add clear lacquer to the gourd or paint it golden yellow, gold or silver.  If you can’t locate an organic dried gourd, then you can also get brass gourds or alternatively, look for a metallic vase in a gourd-shape (ie with a big belly, a narrow neck and an opening at the top).  Keep the gourd beside beds and near work desks (on the floor or on a shelf or table).

Note: those of you who are familiar with the new age ‘fixed bagua’ or simplified ‘8 aspirations compass method’ may say “well shouldn’t I just concentrate on adding a water feature or jade plant to the East sector to feed and nurture the wood qi of the Zhen Trigram or in the section of each room to the left when standing in the doorway looking into the room to feed the 'health' sector?”  I really wish it was that simple!  

Every building has a unique natal chart of energy flow according to the time period in which it was constructed and the precise compass direction it faces towards and in many cases, adding a water feature to an area (without knowing the actual flying stars natal chart of the building) can actually do more harm than good - esp if you are placing water on a favourable mountain energy, thus drowning the positive health and relationship qi in that location, or on a negative finance energy, thus increasing the probability of loss of finances due to illness, litigation or misfortune.

In 4 Pillars Astrology, the first port of call when looking specifically at health is to examine which elements are dominant, scarce, non-existent and where certain clashes of qi occur between the earthly branches and heavenly stems.  Your Resource element also resonates strongly with your health qi and if it is clashed or out of balance, then this too can be a key indicator.  

Yang earth corresponds to the stomach and chest and yin earth corresponds to the spleen and belly.  The Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog also connect to the earth element as they represent the end of the 4 seasons when earth is prevalent.   When the Ox, Dog and Goat combine together in an individual’s chart (in the 4 pillars and also in the time factor), this forms an ‘earth penalty’ which can indicate a higher probability of significant health issues emerging from hidden disease, and in some cases can also indicate issues connected with earth in the surrounding land form.  The Heavenly Stem sitting on an Earth Branch in your 4 Pillars astrology can help you identify which parts of your body are more susceptible to disease and illness in general. 

Hidden disease and tumours are more likely to occur when earth is unbalanced.   The types of growths connected with earth-related disease are most often in relation to oxidative stress via free radicals causing genetic damage to cells and in the process, altering the DNA which can then become cancer.  Earth element is slow to move, just like the hidden disease which can manifest and spread without the individual being aware of what is happening within. 

"The higher the level of oxidation, the more damage occurs to the glandular system which is highly sensitive to oxidative damage from internal toxins and environmental toxins. Hormone receptor sites are also damaged or affected further contributing to hormonal imbalances. Oxidation is a natural process in the body, however heightened through increased intake of processed foods, alcohol, smoking and saturated fats. Consuming a diet high in natural plant antioxidants such as fruits and vegetables reduces the levels of oxidation". (excerpt from Jeff Butterworth's 'Happy Hormones Happy Life').

One way to help protect against this type of earth imbalance in your system is to exercise regularly in order to oxygenate the blood and promote healthy muscles (which also relate to earth) and also go to the root cause of the problem and fight the free radicals with plenty of regular antioxidants in your diet. 

Too many free radicals in the body (via oxidation) can also lead to other health issues connected with the eyes, inflammation, nerve damage, accelerated ageing, heart disease, arthritis and alzheimers disease.  Good sources of antioxidants to fight free radicals can be found in the following foods:

Red and black beans: (kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils)

Berries: (amla, goji berry, acai berry, blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries)

Vegetables: (artichoke, leeks, garlic, onions, asparagus, carrots, red capsicum, broccoli, red cabbage, spinach, egg plant, pumpkin)

Fruit: (pomegranate, plums, mangoes, apricots, oranges, guava, dark grapes, red apples, cherries, raisons and prunes)

Fluids: (coffee, red wine, green tea)

Spices: (cloves, oregano, rosemary, turmeric, sage, cinnamon)

Nuts: (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios)

There are many similarities between east and west astrology when looking at the health qi of an individual.  For example, just as 4 Pillars (Bazi) astrology initially looks at the balance of elements, Western astrology does the same in regard to the balance of elements and the 3 modes.  The Ascendant and its relationship to the rest of the natal chart in Western astrology is also similar to looking at Resource and its relationship to the Day Master and its interaction with the other pillars in a 4 Pillars chart when ascertaining the overall long term physical side of an individual's health. 

The month pillar in 4 Pillars astrology helps us examine the interaction and routines connected with work, health/body and mind, while in Western astrology the 6th House position and interaction with the rest of the chart provides information on the health and work habits, routines and long term health issues more likely to crop up in regard to encountering obstacles and/or frustrating situations etc.

In 4 Pillars astrology we experience a set of Luck Pillars (which begin anywhere from age 1-11 yrs old depending on the individual's gender and birth details) and each Luck Pillar lasts approx 10 years each.  The 6th Luck Pillar brings clash energy to the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the month pillar of birth, which connects with the 'mid life crisis' concept when we find ourselves faced with inevitable change, often in connection with career and a different mindset.  The month pillar also connects most strongly with the chest and stomach area in the body.

If you've ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure or you tend to avoid drinking water every day, you should watch this video: 

The Importance of Salt and Water by Barbara O’Neill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm6fmiG4SAc 

A great book that can help you make full use of your Mankind Luck (ie by controlling what you put into your mouth) when looking after your health is: “How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease”, by Dr Michael Greger, with Gene Stone

If you have been diagnosed with a tumour or some other growth in your body, it's worth considering the reduction of sugar and dairy products in your diet.  There's a lot of potential hormonal growth stimulants in milk - whether it's cow's milk or goat's milk, and there is a large body of evidence that now links the consumption of dairy products in the diet to increased risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.  If you're interested in finding out more, I can recommend the book: "Your Life in Your Hands: Understand, Prevent and Overcome Beast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer" by Professor Jane Plant. 

Here's an excerpt from the book: "When I eliminated all dairy products from my diet, a large ''secondary'' tumour comprising cancer cells in the lymph nodes in my neck, which was thought to be incurable, disappeared in weeks.  For me, this is pretty compelling evidence.  But that's not all.  Since many of the powerful chemicals contained in milk are known to have an important role in the development of young mammals, including cell division, and milk is designed for this purpose, it is worth asking the question: what happens if the chemicals designed to stimulate cell growth in newly-born animals send similar signals to adult tissue?"

Here's a great book to read if you or a loved one has just been diagnosed with cancer: "Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds.  The 9 Key Factors that Can Make a Real Difference" by Kelly A Turner

If you are interested in understanding how food is viewed and utilized via Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I recommend you read "Food as Medicine" by Tracy Huang and "Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition" by Paul Pitchford.

If you are suffering from symptoms associated with auto-immune issues (eg arthritis, lupus etc), I recommend you read "Goodbye Lupus: How a Medical Doctor Healed Herself Naturally with Supermarket Foods" by Brooke Goldner, M.D

A simple question I often ask clients (especially those living in high rise apartments) is "when was the last time your bare feet connected with the earth?"  A great and cost effective way to help reduce built up anxiety and stress is to find a pleasant location in your back yard, in a park or at the beach where you can comfortably sit and place your bare feet on the ground for at least 30 minutes.  The more regularly you do this, the less stress build-up you will have in your body.  This process is called "earthing".  You can sit facing towards your personal Tian Yi/Heavenly Doctor direction (according 8 Mansions Feng Shui), or better yet, lay down on the grass, earth or sand with your head pointing towards a favourable direction according to your Kua (Ming Gua).  

Some people find themselves succumbing to a repetitive pattern of negative self talk or self belief/expectation (eg "I always miss out" "I'm not good enough" etc) and this ties in with your Mankind luck and programming your brain to only see the negatives.  If you find you are habitually falling into a negative pattern of thinking, it's worthwhile exploring the concept of the reticular activating system (RAS) and how your focus of attention can determine how you feel.  A good book to help reprogram your brain to focus on the positives is "The Winner's Bible: Rewire Your Brain for Permanent Change" by Dr Kerry Spackman

Posted in feng shui health

Where the Mind Goes, Qi Follows

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Derelle Ball

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Posted in Classical Feng Shui, feng shui, feng shui consultations

Don’t Underestimate the Effect of Landform on the Feng Shui of Your Property

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Derelle Ball

Lately I’ve noticed there are a lot of feng shui articles on the internet that place emphasis on the interior design, colour scheme and furniture layout of a dwelling, with little or no mention of the effect of the surrounding landform. In actual fact, at least 80% of the feng shui is governed by the influence of surrounding landform, so my advice is to always look at the surrounding landform first before you even start assessing the interior of a building.

When I say ‘surrounding landform’ I’m referring to the natural and man-made forms surrounding the building, whether it’s a lake, river, mountain, pool, freeway, roundabout, cul-der-sac, deep stormwater drain, a neighbouring building, power poles, driveway, trees, electricity pylon and so on.

The whole point of the exercise with feng shui is assessing the pathway and quality of Qi as it enters a property and affects the dwelling and occupants. The easiest definition of Qi is ‘living/transformative energy’ although this definition doesn’t really do justice to the highly complex wonder known as Qi. In reality it is the driving force for change (both the potential for change and the result of change) linking matter and spirit (form and the formless) in connection with the ever changing force of yin and yang.  

There are 4 main categories of Qi: Universal, Heaven, Earth and Human, with many off-shoots and definitions deriving from these main 4 labels. Qi is also made of up 2 main parts, the Hun (Yang Qi) and Po (Yin Qi) and these form the cycle of perpetual transformation. The process of this ever changing cycle is Spirit and the outcome of this ever changing cycle is Action.

So how does this relate to your house? Well think of it like this. The Po or Yin Qi affecting your home comes initially from the energy in the earth and the surrounding natural and man-made objects. Yang Qi comes to the facing side of the house (the Hun) via Water Star energy and how this affects your home (especially the finances of the occupants) depends on the character of the Water Star Qi, whether or not the facing side of the property allows you to collect and accumulate the Qi and how the occupants personally interact with this energy.

In some cases, the best Water Star energy to stimulate abundance opportunity for the occupants may enter your property from the side or rear of the block of land, so this is where you seek to capture and accumulate the Qi with a body of water strategically placed in the surrounding landform.

The whole concept of Yin and Yang can get pretty in depth and is relevant to whatever you are assessing and comparing. You can have a Yin mountain and a Yang river, but you can also have a Yin mountain and a Yang mountain or a Yin river and a Yang river. It all depends on what you are examining and comes back to the perpetual interaction and transformation of Yin and Yang.

Some people get too caught up in strict rules and definitions of Yin and Yang and thus miss the underlying beauty of perpetual cycles of transformative change. Yin Qi initiates the motion and calls out to the Yang Qi and the Yang Qi in turn responds with action.

Some feng shui professionals examine the Fei Xing/Flying Star Natal Chart of probability factors drawn over the floor plan of a home and automatically assume the energy on the chart is actually there in reality. In actual fact, the potential for the energy may be there however the reality may be that the energy trying to enter the property from that side is perpetually blocked or dispersed due to factors in the surrounding landform.

Sha Qi is when Yin and Yang Qi are in discord and thus create a state of disharmony. I had a fairly recent experience of Sha Qi generated via man-made landform and affecting the Water Star 9 Qi travelling towards the East facing orientation of an apartment on level 8 of the building. The facing side of the apartment contained 2 windows and a sliding door leading to a balcony attached to the living room.

There were 6 cranes located directly outside the balcony and at 7am each morning, 6 days a week, the main crane would start swinging and rotating randomly and very effectively dispersing the Qi of the Water Star 9. There’s a famous feng shui saying in regard to the Sha Qi effect of an object in the surrounding landform depending on its distance from the building being “within the distance of 1,000 horses”. So while not every sharp object in your surrounding landform is necessary cause for concern, the effect of the crane was actually very quick.  

I subsequently discovered the previous tenants of the apartment had happily lived there until the building works began and the crane was put into position, and within a short span of time the patriarch of the home suddenly developed health issues connected to the onset of vertigo which affected his ability to work or live in a high rise building and forced him to prematurely vacate the apartment.

We experienced a similar issue when we moved in (and no I had not had the luxury of viewing the apartment and its surrounding landform apart from google earth view, before signing the lease sight unseen – long story, plus the managers of the building had conveniently forgotten to mention the building works occurring directly outside the apartment). This is why when I do off-site consults for interstate and overseas clients, I make sure they take a plethora of photos of the surrounding landform from all angles around the building and I also ask them to write down what they see when looking out from the building towards the boundary lines of their property and beyond on all sides.

The upside is the fact that even though we were living away from our main home in QLD, I had tilted the main door of our QLD home to perpetually communicate with my husband's Tai Sui Hexagram (via Xuan Kong Da Gua application) and thus still offer him the benefit of the favourable feng shui there. So while one opportunity was dispersed very suddenly upon moving into the apartment opposite the crane, new opportunities simultaneously drew us back to our point of origin and supported us in the transition.

Interestingly this all occurred during a highly charged period within the Venus Retrograde when the rose coloured glasses definitely came off and we were able to see the reality of the situation and the inherent corruption brewing beneath the surface. Thank goodness for Xuan Kong Da Gua!

So, that was my experience with the crane. The effect can be even more devastating when a natural landform feature is somehow corrupted or put into Sha motion.

For example, I had a client who had enjoyed a high level of spiritual connectedness and nurturing health Qi drawn from a very well located benevolent mountain supporting the Mountain Star 8 energy in and around her home.   Her health recently deteriorated and when I spoke to her over the phone trying to work out if there was a feng shui connection, I asked her to look out towards the mountain and tell me what she sees. She described the way in which a new large estate development had taken over the side of the mountain facing towards her property and it was being significantly cleared, sliced and diced and was now very upsetting for her to look at. Coincidence? What do you think?

Posted in Feng Shui for Property Investors, feng shui health, feng shui landform