Feng Shui, Astrology and Your Health

Posted on August 16, 2016 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

Feng Shui Tips for Your Bedroom

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Derelle Ball

What’s Behind the Bedhead

Ideally, your bed should be placed in the bedroom so that both sides are accessible and there is a solid wall behind the bedhead.  If there is a window behind the bedhead and you are unable to shift the bed to an alternative location, then draw the blind or curtains while sleeping. 

From a psychological perspective, if your bedroom is located on the ground floor and you have an open window behind your bedhead, it places you in an uneasy position at night (esp if there is a road/walkway outside your window) where strangers could theoretically peak into your bedroom while you are sleeping.

Check for Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR) in the wall behind the bedhead if there is an electricity meter box or any other large electrical appliance on the other side of the wall adjoining your bedhead location.

Is the wall behind your bedhead adjoining a kitchen, laundry or bathroom?  If so, check not only for EMR but also for water pipes in the wall cavity behind the bedhead.  No matter how wonderful the mountain star qi may look on paper when you draw up a fei xing (flying stars) natal chart for your home and bedroom, if there is interference within the wall via EMR or water pipes, the mountain star qi is disturbed and not supportive for your health while sleeping. 

I once had a client whose elderly father had recently moved into her home and he was experiencing increased headaches and difficulty sleeping.  When I examined the location we discovered he was being affected by a significant amount of EMR from the transformer of a large aquarium positioned on the other side of the wall.  The only solution in this case was to relocate the bed away from that wall.

The mountain star qi residing in the wall behind your bedhead is very important from a feng shui perspective.  If your personal ming gua (also known as your kua) qi does not communicate well with the inherent mountain star qi in the wall, then you will not be nurtured and supported while sleeping.  If the mountain star qi you absorb from the wall behind the bedhead while sleeping is a negative (sha) qi and it also attacks your personal ming gua, then increased illness and misfortune in relationships is much more likely to manifest.

Your ming gua is calculated via your solar year of birth and gender and indicates which directions best support you in your work and study environment and which mountain star qi best supports your health and relationships while sleeping.  The mountain star qi in the wall behind your bedhead is determined via the surrounding landform, time period of construction and facing orientation of your home.

If you’re interested in learning more about your ming gua, mountain star qi and classical feng shui in general, I recommend reading: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Feng Shui – Third Edition”, by Elizabeth Moran, Master Joseph Yu and Master Val Biktashev.

Geopathic Stress

If after addressing all of the above, you still find you are not able to sleep properly, there is a possibility your bed may be affected by geopathic stress from underground water streams etc.  Often if this is the case, there will be indications in the surrounding landform via trees with cancerous growths, hedges and/or sections of flora that simply will not grow, unusual ant trails, cracks in the ground etc.  One thing you can try in this case (if you're not able to relocate the bed to another location) is to place cork tiles on the flooring under the bed to help insulate and reduce the effect felt when sleeping on the bed.

Mirrors

When asleep, your spiritual energy expands out from your head chakra and if confronted with the reflection from a mirror positioned on or near the bedhead you are more likely to experience disturbed sleep patterns and restlessness. 

If you sleep in a room where exterior street lights or a night light shines in your bedroom while sleeping and the light is reflected and amplified in mirrors, the energy becomes yang/active in nature and can make it more difficult for you to maintain regular, deep sleep patterns.  If this is the case, then relocate the mirror and/or close the curtain or blinds at night to make the room darker (more yin) while sleeping.

There is some conjecture that mirrors in the bedroom automatically equate to the risk of third party interference in the relationship.  Personally I do not subscribe to this superstition.  Strategically placed mirrors can open up a small room and give the illusion of additional space as well as reflecting aesthetically beautiful objects and interior design.

Overhead Beams

When lying in bed, look up and if you have a solid beam running across the bed on the ceiling above you, then the flow of qi above the bed is disrupted when it encounters the beam and this can affect relationship harmony over time.  The solution is to move the bed or if this is not possible, then cover the beam with a false/dropped ceiling or fabric.

Doors and Hallways

If when sleeping in bed, there is an open door directly opposite the foot of the bed or an open door opposite the side of the bed and a corridor or hallway beyond the door, your sleep patterns will be disturbed by the flow of qi (transformative energy) travelling in a straight line along the hallway or corridor and entering via the open door.  The simple solution is to close the door when sleeping.

Slanted Ceiling

If the ceiling above the bedhead is lower than the rest of the ceiling, then place lamps that shine light up towards the ceiling on either side of the bed and paint the ceiling a light white or cream colour to give the illusion of space and height.

Mould

Mould can trigger a wide variety of health issues ranging from sinus and respiratory concerns to inflammation, neurological issues and in some cases, chronic life-threatening illness through exposure to mycotoxins.  Prolonged moisture provides the perfect environment for mould to manifest, so it pays to check for condensation and leaks in the ceiling, under the floor, in the walls, near pipes and in wet areas such as your kitchen, laundry and bathroom. 

DO NOT try to remove mould with bleach because it doesn’t actually kill it – it only colours it.  For non-porous surfaces a combination of 80% white vinegar and 20% water in a spray bottle works best.  For further information on where to look for mould and if you find it, how to deal with it, I recommend you read this great article by Nicole Bijlsma:

http://www.buildingbiology.com.au/index.php/Hazards/Mould-the-next-asbestos.html

Advanced Feng Shui Formulae for the Bedroom

There are a variety of advanced feng shui formulae and applications to help attract romance, stimulate fertility and support health qi in the bedroom.  The key to all these applications is in the action, location and timing.  Sometimes it’s a simple matter of placing a wood and water combination within your personal Peach Blossom location and other times you may be required to position your bed against a particular section of wall and make the bed with fresh new bed linen during a very specific time frame on a specific day according to Xuan Kong Da Gua or Qi Men Dun Jia.

It’s important to remember that these types of advanced feng shui applications cover a third of your overall luck potential via your Earth Luck.  Many of these formulae also take into consideration another third of your overall luck potential which is your Destiny Luck. 

Your Destiny Luck (also known as Heaven Luck) refers to the time, place and circumstances of your birth which cannot be controlled.  That being said, by examining your personal 4 pillars astrology, you can determine your general life path, major energy influences that have a higher probability of affecting you at particular times, your likely strengths and potential weaknesses, favourable elements and their associated colours, forms and so on.  

The final third of your overall luck potential is known as your Mankind Luck.  It refers to your subconscious beliefs and expectations, your personal choices, skills, education, values and virtues.   

If you apply advanced feng shui formulae to increase the probability of attracting new love into your life, yet your subconscious beliefs and expectations around relationships is that all relationships are doomed, then you have in effect wiped out a third of your overall luck potential in this area.

If you are seeking significant change in your life and have struggled to successfully implement this change, then I recommend you read the following book: “The Winner’s Bible: Rewire your Brain for Permanent Change” by Dr Kerry Spackman.

Finally, for those of you who assume the Southwest sector of your home or bedroom automatically corresponds to the so called "love" sector and should therefore be decorated in reds and pinks to attract romance, be warned that painting a wall red without first knowing the inherent fei xing (flying stars) feng shui actually affecting the space and surrounding land form can be a potentially dangerous thing to do. 

The strongest health and relationship energy (from an authentic feng shui perspective) corresponds to the ruling mountain star energy during the current time period.  So for example, while we are in the current Period of 8 (until 3 Feb 2024) the ruling mountain star energy is the mountain star 8.  This will be located somewhere on your property depending on when the building was constructed and/or completely renovated and the compass orientation of the building.  For some it may well be located in the Southwest sector, however for many it is not. 

Posted in Classical Feng Shui, feng shui consultations, feng shui for your bedroom, feng shui health, feng shui tips

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

Posted on August 24, 2015 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

Feng Shui and the Ba Gua

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Derelle Ball

"The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.  The named is the mother of all things."  (Tao Te Ching - Lao Zi, Chapter 1)

The term ''Ba Gua'' means ''8 Symbols'' and refers to 8 Trigrams which are made up of sequences of three lines (solid and/or broken) placed in a vertical row, one on top of the other.  When the Trigrams are combined (ie doubled), they become 8 x 8 different combinations known as Hexagrams, which are explored in detail within the 'I-Ching' (also known as the 'Yijing' or 'Book of Changes'), which originated around 2205B.C.E.   The meanings associated with the 64 Hexagram combinations provide a blue print for exploring and understanding the various underlying patterns and cycles in nature and the unseen energy forces around us.

"The broken and unbroken lines correspond to the dots and dashes of the binary code exactly .... Scientists have also discovered that the 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching correspond to the 64 DNA genetic code that are the basis of all life on the planet.  It is thus possible that in the I Ching lie the hidden meanings to life's existence." (Flying Star Feng Shui for the Master Practitioner, 2002 by Lillian Too, p10)

Trigrams are the foundation of yin and yang philosophy with the Qian Trigram (made up of 3 solid lines) representing Heaven/Yang qi and the Kun Trigram (made up of 3 broken lines) representing Earth/Yin qi. 

There are 2 sequences of the 8 Trigrams used in xuan kong feng shui - the Xian Tian Ba Gua and the Hou Tian Ba Gua, which are used to observe the cyclic interaction of yin and yang qi and determine how the movement of qi affects people.

"When the world began, there was Heaven and Earth.  Heaven mated with the Earth and gave birth to everything in the world" (King Wen, Zhou Dynasty, 1122-256 BC).

For many people in the western world the term ''Bagua'' is known for having 8 specific Life Aspiration labels that correspond to various directions and elements.  This concept was invented in America around the late 1970's and has been simplified even further to a ''Fixed Bagua Map'' which no longer includes any actual directional aspect, other than being orientated from an external doorway leading into a building and/or the doorway leading into internal rooms.   

Many clutter busters, space clearers and interior designers incorporate this simplified 8 Aspiration Fixed Bagua concept into their work and automatically label it Feng Shui.  So, it is then assumed for example, the North sector and/or the front centre section of any home, business or internal room automatically corresponds to the "Career" location.  This method then automatically allocates the water element to this area and dictates you can improve your ''Career Luck'' by decorating with a water feature and also by nurturing the water element with metal element colours and forms in conjunction with placing a plethora of symbolic objects in this location to support  "Career Luck" for all the occupants living or working in the building. 

And here is the problem - you see this is not authentic Classical Feng Shui, but rather a fun, quick fix, easy to apply, one size fits all approach that corresponds very much to an individual's Mankind Luck (ie the individual's personal aspirations).  The westernized new age quick fix simplified Bagua approach does not address the inherent qi (living/transformative energy) of the surrounding land form, (which corresponds to your ''Earth Luck'' and has the greatest impact on the actual Feng Shui affecting any building) or the time period of construction and compass orientation of the building itself, which reveals the internal flow of qi affecting the occupants. 

Note: the concept of Qi itself is a very complicated and fascinating topic and while in this article I refer to Qi as 'living/transformative energy' this is the most simple identifier of Qi in the english language although in reality it falls far short of the myriad of complex meaning behind the multi-layered concept of Qi.  This link provides a more detailed description of Qi by Howard Choy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DlYfBAO8Tw&t=1s). 

While applying the new age 8 Aspiration Bagua Methods to their home or business, most people feel empowered that they are affecting positive change in their life.  This is great as long as they realise they are focusing positive energy on their individual Mankind Luck when doing so (ie their internal qi which corresponds to their personal aspirations, goals, intentions, education, values and desires in life), however they are NOT addressing the actual Feng Shui because this method does not examine the actual flow of energy and unseen forces actually affecting the building. 

Classical Feng Shui examines the macro and micro Earth qi (ie external environment as well as inside a building) in order to determine who is being affected by what type of energy, where it is occurring, what the most likely result will be and how to balance, retain, protect and harmonise this energy flow inside and outside so the building is fundamentally nurturing its occupants. 

Xuan Kong Da Gua is a specialised branch of Feng Shui that allows the practitioner to further fine tune nurturing potential and synchronicity of the qi affecting a home and/or business in conjunction with specific periods in time and the inter-relation this has on the Hexagrams of the individual's day and year Gua according to their date of birth. This method is great for fine tuning the strategic placement and activation of water features, internal office furniture orientations, activating for fertility and so on.

Many Classical Feng Shui practitioners examine the 4 Pillars astrology of their clients and address the inherent strengths and weaknesses, character traits, clashes and combinations of qi and periods of time deemed most favourable to them personally. This astrological practice examines the individual's Heaven Luck which cannot be changed, however it can be navigated with advice given in regard to which area of their life is currently affected in a potentially positive or negative way and recommendations on how to better deal with and approach the peaks and troughs in their life accordingly. 

Space clearing is a wonderful practice for addressing built-up energy or energy voids lingering inside and around a building via the residual interaction of people via arguments, sickness, unhealthy pastimes, depression, predecessor/ghostly phenomena in conjunction with an assessment of underlying qi affecting the building via the surrounding landform.  

Now, for those who want to practice the simplified new age 8 Aspiration Bagua Methods to their home or business, I strongly recommend you avoid painting walls red (eg DO NOT assume the SW sector and/or far right corner of the building or internal room automatically benefits your love and relationships by adding large amounts of fire element colour) and avoid using large water features (eg DO NOT assume you are automatically enhancing your abundance luck by placing a large fountain in the SE sector and/or far left corner of the building or internal room).  For some homes, this may be fine, however for others it could be rather disastrous.

The reason I give you these 2 specific pieces of advice is because in the 18 plus years I have been practicing Classical Feng Shui professionally and full time, I have repeatedly come across heart breaking examples where people did add a red wall or a large water feature to their home/property according to the simplified 8 Aspiration Bagua methods which soon resulted in devastating consequences.

For example, the case where a lady painted the walls of her SW sector bedroom red in the hope of stimulating enhanced love energy with her partner.  Soon after the colour change her partner hung himself in their bedroom. 

I was asked to visit this home around a year after the tragic incident had occurred, and I had no idea about the history of the occupants when I arrived.  According to a Classical San He and Fei Xing/Flying Star Feng Shui assessment of the home and surrounding landform, there was sha (negative) external mountain qi affecting the SW sector, the internal energy in the SW sector was inherently negative and needed a LOT of protective metal element and the room required regular access to the ruling 8 energy (which was currently blocked).  I told the client the red walls in the SW sector of her home were potentially quite dangerous and should be replaced as soon as possible with metal element colour and forms, recommended a different bed orientation to draw in more supportive qi for her Ming Gua and advised screening of the negative landform outside the bedroom window.  At this point of the consultation the client burst into tears and explained what had happened shortly after painting her SW sector bedroom walls red in the hope of attracting more love qi according to the 8 Aspiration Bagua compass method.  She tragically lost her partner, fell into severe depression and had been suffering ongoing abdominal issues.

Of course, this could all merely be coincidence and I did not examine the 4 Pillars astrology of her former partner's birth chart, however the negative energy created by the surrounding landform and addition of fire element to the SW sector of this specific home is exactly what the Classical Feng Shui analysis indicated. 

A second example is the case of an affluent client who lived in a West facing home with the main entry located in the Northwest sector.  According to the Fei Xing/Flying Star Feng Shui natal chart of the building, the main entry was very positive for the client and her family because it generated the ruling 8 qi in the water star, so I advised adding a beautiful water feature to the Ming Tang in this location and positioned it according to 9 Star Water Method which supported a Ju Men water dragon for enhanced income luck.  This worked VERY well for them.  

Then in early 2006 I heard back from the client asking if I could advise about putting a pool in the West sector of their property.  I strongly advised against putting a pool in the West sector of their property because it would unbalance the inherent qi and increase the probability of significant money loss due to legal problems, theft and deception.  I emphasized the fact that the annual 5 Yellow energy was currently affecting the West sector of their property and if they chose to ignore my advice, the inherent negative flying star combination, negative surrounding landform feature in this sector of the property, plus the trigger of excavating and adding a large body of water to the West sector that year would greatly increase the probability of severe financial loss and legal problems affecting the occupants. 

Of course, the West sector at the front of their home theoretically corresponded to the ''Career'' location according to the Fixed 8 Aspiration Bagua method and the West sector is known as the ''Children and Creativity" location which corresponds to Metal and is in harmony with Water according to the Compass version of the new age 8 Aspirations Bagua method. 

I next heard from the client around 7 months later.  She was in tears and re-read my recommendations back to me over the phone in ironic hind-sight and confessed they had decided to ignore my advice and had dug up the West sector and installed the pool.  Since then, her husband's work place had unexpectedly gone bankrupt and he was left holding the blame as one of the financial advisors, while the CEO had fled the country.  Their bank accounts were frozen and they were faced with a lengthy court case and terrible emotional and financial stress.

I have many other examples of negative repercussions occurring to the client's health and/or finance qi when adding a large body of water or painting a large area red in their home according to the new age 8 Aspirations Bagua methods, so like I said earlier, it's fine to use this method with positive symbols and linking them to your intentions as per your Mankind Luck, just don't confuse the issue and assume you are also addressing the actual Feng Shui of your home or business in the process.

Let Derelle enhance the nurturing potential of your home with an On-Site Residential Feng Shui Consultation.

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

Feng Shui - in Search of Qi

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Derelle Ball

Those of you who were fortunate enough to attend the recent AFSC Conference in Melbourne were treated to some exceptional discussions examining the essence of feng shui and the origin of qi. A key point brought to light during these metaphysical discussions is the way in which our modern day ‘quick fix’ approach in the pursuit of wealth can so easily overshadow the fundamental observation of qi in the surrounding landform and its inherent link to fertility/nourishment or lack thereof.

Hindsight is such a wonderful tool and in this case, I can now see the interesting dichotomy between the commercial side of the Conference title: ‘Feng Shui Water & Wealth’ compared to an alternative title which certainly sprung to mind during the Conference: ‘Feng Shui: Fertility and the Nourishment of Spirit’.

Our key note speaker for the Conference, Dr Michael Paton, highlighted the importance of getting back to the roots of feng shui via careful observation of qi in the surrounding landform. I recently read Dr Paton’s fascinating article “Feng Shui: A Continuation of ‘Art of Swindlers’?” and I laughed out loud when he mentioned Karen Kingston’s assertion about using “colonic irrigation as an extension of feng shui theory”. Oh dear – this sounds rather intrusive!

Karen Kingston is a fabulous teacher and advocate of space clearing which is a highly useful methodology that can be used alongside feng shui practice – I use it myself, however I can see where Dr Paton is coming from. There are too many so called experts out there who gain a little knowledge about feng shui without any real in depth study and then market the process as a commodity that is simplified for ease of consumer use and wrapped in vague mystical connotations without necessarily having any real substance from a classical xuan kong feng shui perspective.

As Dr Paton points out in his article through the following quote from the Xing Qian (Star Seal), this issue of confusion and potential loss and/or misunderstanding of original feng shui concepts has always been an issue facing modern day feng shui practice – it was just as relevant a thousand years ago as it is now. It appears no matter when or where – mankind has a propensity to gravitate towards a ‘cut-to-the-chase’ approach when it comes to increasing wealth and/or a position of higher office.

“The method is on the lip and in the breast.
Yet the spirit is not passed on by the eye.
And the fundamental mystery is not passed on by the heart”.

I agree with Dr Paton, this is indeed a challenge faced by all Associations and collective groups of feng shui students and practitioners – esp in our current consumer hungry and materialistic society.

Our challenge as an Association is therefore twofold. On one hand, we need to promote and research the ‘origins of feng shui practice’ and help steer new students towards authentic teachers and learning institutions (keeping in mind, one teacher cannot be the master of all knowledge – it is better to learn from more than one source and use your own observation and research to ascertain which methodologies prove sound in practice).

I would like to think we were on the right track when we invited Dr Paton to speak at our Conference, alongside the canonical literature genius of Tyler Rowe and theoretical expertise of Master Gayle Atherton, Master Jodi Brunner and Master George Bennis, interspersed with the metaphysical and astrological insight of Vic Ketis alongside a selection of practical case studies.

For me personally, Master Joseph Yu is my ‘Enlightening Teacher’ (Qi Meng Lao Shi 啓蒙老師). He is not the only Master I have studied with, however he is certainly the most profound and I love the way in which he provides succinct interpretation of the classics and then demonstrates practical application in the modern world. He encourages the student to think for themself, observe, research, debate and share experiences with other practitioners so that we may learn together, rather than blindly accepting everything he says as feng shui law.

The second challenge our Association of feng shui currently faces, is the fact that members of the Association seek not only to increase their knowledge and expertise, but also to make an actual living from this practice, whether on a full time or part time basis. This is why the first day of the Conference addressed the commercial side of putting together a feng shui business and explored ways in which to market your services and realise the value in what you provide. The need for a more structured cost per service system was highlighted and this will be an ongoing discussion in order to help provide a more uniform fee structure depending on the level of expertise of the practitioner and the service they provide.

Coming back to Dr Paton’s article, he makes a good point that:

“In the West there is a perception that much of the “magic” of life and the power of the individual has been lost to the powerful corporate conglomerates, which tend to hold the reins of scientific knowledge through dry statistical analysis. Thus, there has been a gradual increase in distrust of modern knowledge systems, whether they are economics or medicine, and a search for more meaningful humanistic knowledge systems that meld both the intellectual and the emotional.”

This leads us back to the alternative title I came up with (in hind sight) for our recent Conference: ‘Feng Shui: Fertility and the Nourishment of Spirit’.  Now, from a feng shui perspective, I should probably point out the concept of 'fertility' ties in with the transformative interaction of yin and yang qi in its most nurtured form, which stimulates a state of harmonious synchronicity with one's surroundings.  I believe this is the crux of what people are really searching for these days and we are certainly in a great position to help lead the way with authentic feng shui practice and application. The tricky part is finding that all too pervasive balance between commercialisation and generosity of spirit, consumer appeal and metaphysical insight/application based on key observation of the surrounding landform, the abode in which an individual works and lives and observation of the individual’s inherent strengths and weaknesses as practiced via traditional xuan kong feng shui and san cai (the trinity of luck).

Anyway, if you are currently thinking about learning feng shui, a great starting point is to join the Association of Feng Shui Consultants International Inc (AFSC) which can be found at www.afsc.org.au and begin your journey surrounded by like-minded individuals seeking to enrich their metaphysical learnings with authentic teachings and via the shared experience of the collective :-)

cheers,

Derelle

Let Derelle enhance the nurturing potential of your home with an On-Site Residential Feng Shui Consultation.

Posted in Classical Feng Shui, feng shui, feng shui conference, feng shui health, fertility