The exact origins of Feng Shui are the subject of much confusion and debate, and part of that confusion lies in the fact that the art has multiple origins. The particularly strong characteristics of Feng Shui lie deeply within the ancient Taoist tradition, but it also has connections with Confucianism, Buddhism and Japanese Shinto. Feng Shui can also be linked to the Eastern martial arts, in particular Tai Chi and Chi Kung. Furthermore, Feng Shui as an earth science can be traced to Vashtu Shastra in India and even has echoes of Native American Questing and Space Clearing, Ancient Egyptian mythology, Knights Templar, Freemasonry, Celtic traditions and touches of mystic Hebrew.

So how do we make any sense of these ancient, far-reaching connections in order to trace a clear path back to where Feng Shui truly originated? Though no one knows for sure, Feng Shui is popularly believed to have originated in China about five thousand years ago, at the hands of shamans, diviners, and sage-kings who laid down the three building blocks of Feng Shui: the compass, the pa-k'ua (eight trigrams), and the theory of change (as presented in the I-Ching).

Scholars theorized and recorded various aspects of Feng Shui as early as the Song (Sung) Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.). However, the basic principles were first written down during the later Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.). Over the years, scholars made minor changes to the basic principles and created the Form (which suggests that you use the physical environment of your land to determine where to live) and Compass (which uses Chinese astrology to deal with the compatibility between an individual's energy and the celestial energy from his/her environment) Schools of Feng Shui which are relatively unchanged to this day.

Feng Shui's last phase of development overlapped with the Ch'ing dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republic of China period (1911-1949). Early in the Ch'ing dynasty, Jo-kuan Tao-jen founded the Pa-chai (Eight Mansions) School. Applied exclusively to the Feng Shui of residences, Pa-chai tries to match the occupant's guardian star (based on his or her year of birth) with the direction in which the main entrance of a house faces.

During the Republic of China period, the Hsüan-k'ung school began to use the principles of Landform Classification, in addition to the Compass and the Flying Stars system, to evaluate the Feng Shui of buildings. Also during this period the San-yüan school expanded to include the study of residential and commercial buildings as well as landforms. The San-ho school, on the other hand, remained exclusively devoted to the study of mountains, valleys, and waterways. Today, the Pa-chai, Hsüan-k'ung, San-yüan, and San-ho schools remain in practice and are known as the Four Schools of Traditional Chinese Feng Shui.

When you stand at your front door looking into your home, what is the sense you have of the left-center portion of your home? Is it clean? Cluttered? Inviting? Is it a space most people in your household avoid? The left-center portion of your home happens to be the family center of the Bagua, or the map of your home, in Feng Shui.


The goal for the family center is to orchestrate your relationship with your current family, ancestry, lineage, and even a more global sense of family such as religious or political icons, if they are important to you. Ultimately, you'll want to bring in elements to the family center of your home that promote harmony, happiness, and family bonding.

Suggested Feng Shui elements for the family center are Wood and Water. Photos of family members in wooden frames, fresh flowers in water, a water fountain, wooden furniture, a bowl of stones in water, or a potted tree are all great items to bring in. Mirrors are associated with water in Feng Shui, so a carefully placed mirror could be beneficial.

Feng Shui color suggestions for your family center include green, and secondary choices would be black and blue. Try to incorporate plants, green art pieces, pillows, upholstery, etc., to bring the green into your family space.

Finally, display homemade family keepsakes like artwork and crafts made by the kids -- drawings, painted stones, pottery, sculptures, woven wreaths, etc., are all wonderful choices.
So, you've already brought the principles of Feng Shui into your home...why not apply them to your outdoor living space as well? A wonderful way to do this is by creating a Feng Shui garden. A well-tended garden or flowerbed can symbolize new or ongoing life, be it a child being born, rejuvenation of a dormant relationship, or ongoing success in a relationship you have now.

Here are a few fundamentals to remember when you plan your Feng Shui garden:
  • The primary aim of a Feng Shui garden is to create harmony and balance within the embrace of an outdoor space. This should be done in a way that follows nature's lead as much as possible.
  • Balance is created by mixing different sizes, shapes and colors of plants so that no one species is overwhelmed by another.
  • Color is a great way to emphasize various Feng Shui rhythms in your garden. In Feng Shui, color is used according to the five elements theory, and you can bring healing harmony and joy to your garden by choosing colors that emphasize specific energies, such as, the Fire energy in the South with red or purple flowers, or Earth energy in the Southwest with light yellow flowers.
  • Trees or large shrubs will provide privacy and protection at the back of the garden.
  • Let paths curve and meander through your garden so that chi can move slowly and freely, rather than rushing too quickly toward your home. Remember, straight lines are rarely present in nature. If you already have straight paths, allow plants to grow over them so the chi can circulate freely around them.
  • Garden art and decor can be used as Feng Shui cures. Refer to the Bagua to determine energies needed in each area and position your garden art accordingly. An outdoor fountain with floating golden bells is great for wealth and prosperity (Southeast), while a metal turtle sculpture, for example, is a wonderful protection cure for the North of your garden.
  • Water features such as pools, ponds and fountains symbolize prosperity and create yin (feminine) energy. Feng Shui areas such as the Southeast (Money & Abundance), East (Health & Family), and North (Career & Path in Life), are excellent areas for the Feng Shui element Water to be represented.
  • You can create more Yang (masculine) energy by using garden lights to add a warm glow to the darker areas of the garden.
Bring items, colors, and natural elements into your garden that creates joy for you and your family. The more joyful energy you put into your garden, the more healing energy the garden will reflect back to you, as well as to your home. Enjoy creating your Feng Shui garden!

photo credits: Feng-Shui-Interior-Design.com
The color purple has great significance in Feng Shui. Once reserved solely for nobility due to the exorbitant cost of the dyes, the color purple is associated with passion, excitement, fertility, and luxury, among many other things. Since purple can be overpowering, try using it as an accent to more neutral colors or display it in a variety of shades. If there is any space that you want to dominate with purple, it would be a meditative or healing space. In Feng Shui, the color purple is tied to deep spirituality. It is also said to promote relaxation and enhance intuition, wisdom, and dignity. You can also use shades of purple in your bedroom decor in to encourage intimacy in a relationship, or in your office or workspace for career-supporting energy and recognition.

Ways to Tie in Some Purple:

  • throw pillows
  • sheets, throw blankets, or comforters
  • subtle art and accent pieces
  • curtains
  • amethysts and other stones
 
As with all Feng Shui colors, purple should be used sparingly and in balance with other colors. Overuse of the color purple is associated with fatigue, illness, mournfulness, forcefulness, and even snobbery.
Your Name



800-123-4567
my website
In This Issue

Your Name



800-123-4567
my website


The 5 Elements: Cycles of Interaction

There are two main cycles of interaction between the five Feng Shui elements: Productive (cycle of creation) and Destructive (cycle of destruction).

The Productive cycle works like this:

Water nurtures -> Wood nurtures -> Fire nurtures -> Earth nurtures -> Metal nurtures -> Water.

When applying this knowledge to a space, you will use the Productive, or Creative cycle, when you need to strengthen a particular element. For example, let's say you need to strengthen the Wood element in a specific area. Apart from bringing in more Wood energy with plants, wooden items, and the colors brown and green, etc., you will also want to bring in more of the Water element because it nourishes Wood. You can do that with an actual water feature, images or artwork with water, mirrors, or decor elements in deep blue or black colors in fluid shapes.)

The Destructive cycle works like this:

Water weakens -> Fire weakens -> Metal weakens -> Wood weakens -> Earth weakens -> Water.

You use the Destructive Cycle when you need to weaken a particular element in your environment. For example, if the Water element in a specific area is too strong and you can't remove the object or structure that brings the Water energy - such as, for example, mirrored closet doors in the West area - then you need to weaken the Water element. To do that, you would bring in the Earth element to absorb the excess Water energy. In terms of decor, you can do any (or all) of the following: bring in several medium to large earthenware vases, put down a beige rug with a square pattern, paint the walls in a light yellow or beige and/or bring in art with a strong earth element present.)


Feng Shui & Fruit

Want a quick, easy Feng Shui cure that has multiple advantages? Keep a bowl of fresh, brightly colored fruit on your kitchen counter or the family dinner table. Wherever you place it, make it the centerpiece of the kitchen. Fruit boosts good chi because it is beautiful, natural, and filled with nutrients that yield health and vitality. In general, brightly colored foods are not only richer in nutrients; they liven up your kitchen and your plate as well.

A bowl full of fruit symbolizes a bountiful food supply, which promotes the health, happiness, and general well-being of the members of the household. The best part of keeping a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen is that people are encouraged to eat it when they pass by. A Feng Shui cure that contributes directly to energy, aesthetics and bodily nourishment - what's not to love?


Quick Tips to Boost Career Success
We all have to earn a living, but who doesn't want to experience continuous success in doing so? Here are some quick Feng Shui tips you can use today to jump-start or boost your career success:

  • The front door is usually associated with career and life path. What shape is your front door in? If it sticks, you may be stuck in your job. If it is never used, you may feel overlooked at work. If it is dusty and dirty, you may never have the chance to shine in your career. Get your front door in good, clean working order and you may find yourself more successful in your career.
  • Introduce vibrant Feng Shui colors into your workspace, as they stimulate creativity. Avoid unproductive workspaces with bleak wall art, stale air and fluorescent lighting that is both draining and harmful to your health.
  • North represents career and life path. In the North section of your home or office, place a metal wind chime, sculpture, or wall hanging. The element metal will invite both prosperity and protection.
  • Find a photograph or a painting of mountains (without any bodies of water) and place it behind your desk or work station.
  • A map of the world in your office is a good Feng Shui cure if you're unsure about your career path. Opt for art pieces that represent great possibilities - with open views and high energy.
  • Lush green plants keep your workspace lively, in addition to helping purify the air and reduce EMF radiation. Try some English ivy, a rubber plant, a peace lily, or a bamboo plant, for instance.
When you add an item for Feng Shui purposes, do it very consciously with the intention that you are placing it there to help you with your new direction or job. If you add with intention, you'll be amazed how much faster it works!
JBA Network • 311 Montford Ave • Asheville • NC • 28801

Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Preferences | Send to a Friend | Report Spam
 del.icio.us    Digg    reddit    Facebook    StumbleUpon