Saturday 27 October 2012

Feng Shui and the Lo-Shu Grid 4-6


Continuing on with numbers and elements around the compass from four to six.

Remember all odd numbers represent yang energies and all even numbers represent yin energies even when the area itself may be the opposite.  However, this is balanced out by the introduction of other elements into each area to create yin/yang harmony.

Number Four (4) – This is the number of the southeast.  On its own it is a number that represents work in the literary field; with education and learning.  In some Far Eastern dialects the number four sounds like ‘death’ so there are often high-rise buildings that do not have a fourth floor.  Four signifies stability and grounding created by the four sides of a square or a rectangle however it can also represent feeling trapped.
  
This is a yin number in a yang growth area signified by small wood and the area relates to the eldest daughter (Sun) of the family.  Its colours are the bright spring and mint greens; the fresh greens of the spring and early summer period.  The southeast also signifies long-term wealth and prosperity and is best enhanced with water, an aquarium, to enhance the element of wood.  In symbolic Feng Shui small wooden images and objects displayed in multiples of four are auspicious, fresh vibrant flowers and images of the horse will enhance this area for the benefit of the daughter of the house as well as protect the wealth of the family.
 
Number Five (5) – Five is the number of the central area of the home.  This area is known as the heart of the home or the Tai Chi.  Displaying each of the Five Elements in the centre will create auspicious energy for the whole household especially when you have an open-plan design to your home.  The colour of the centre is the earth colours like ochre or pale yellow.  Five is not associated with any aspiration in Feng Shui but its significance is important in the Five Element Theory.  It is a number that represents change, activity and motion.  It indicates the possibility of travel.  Because it is the central number in the Lo-Shu Grid it is a number that suggests being at the centre of things; whether these things or situations are good or bad.  The centre is an earth area that links the northeast and the southwest earth areas. 

Number Six (6) – Six is the number of Heaven and is an auspicious white star that resides in the northwest. This number represents spiritual help and especially benefits the male or the breadwinner of the family (Chien.)  This is the ultimate yang area representing as it does big metal and the colour white (which incorporates all the other colours in the spectrum.) It is a number signifying leadership and power. This is a powerful star and its location is a powerful area.  As well as Heaven, it is the place of the male of the family and the area to focus on to attract a powerful mentor figure into your life.  

Hanging a photograph of the man of the house here; and even hanging a picture of someone you look up to, a mentor, to help you in your career or the career you aspire to, will create positive vibrations.  This is one of the two most important areas to care for and activating this big metal area with sound, light and movement will keep the yang energy of the male flowing.  To achieve all three in one, locating the television in the northwest and keeping it turned on for a good length of time each day will attract auspicious vibrations.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


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Sunday 21 October 2012

Feng Shui and the Lo-Shu Grid 1-3


The nine numbers of the original Lo-Shu Grid from the north following a clockwise cycle are 1, 8, 3, 4, 9, 2, 7 and 6.  The numbers opposite one another around the grid always add up to 10 and with the number 5 residing in the centre any row up, down or diagonally will add up to 15.

Each of these numbers and their associated direction has an element, colour, shape, family member, aspiration as well as more intangible aspects such as body parts or musical notes.  We will look at the fundamental parts of each number and how they affect us all.

All odd numbers represent yang energies and all even numbers represent yin energies even when the area itself may be the opposite. 

Number One (1) – This is the number of the north. It is one of the auspicious white stars of Feng Shui and is synonymous with career luck. One represents new beginnings, creativity, independence and self.  The north represents water; the colours blue and black; its shape is wavy. The middle son (Kan) has his home in the north and it signifies dark, winter, an excess of yin energy.  Water and the number 1 are both yang.  If the north represents the back of your home avoid placing a water feature here, especially a pond, pool, waterfall or swimming pool.  Water at the back can suggest lack of support in your endeavours. 

Number Two (2) – This is the number of the southwest.  It is a yin number which represents the yin energy of big earth and its shape is the even-sided square which represents a solid base; loving and nurturing energy.  Two represents a couple, balance, yin and yang; it signifies co-dependence, partnerships and co-operation; it invites choice. It is a number representing interaction with others, and unity.  Its colours are earth colours such as ochre.  The southwest is a vital area to care for as it represents the female, the mother, caring and nurturing, love and relationships in its many and varied forms.  Love and relationships between a couple, between family members and between friends.  This is predominantly a yin area (Kun) the receptive, the yielding.  

Number Three (3) – Three is the big wood area of the east and it signifies communication.  The number three is a yang number that signifies the trinity; in this instance father, mother and child and also time represented by past, present and future.  It also represents Heaven, Earth and Man which are the basis for Feng Shui practice.  It indicates pleasure achieved through creativity. The shape of the east is rectangular. 

This location represents the eldest son of the family (Chen) and signifies new life and upward growth.  Its colours are the darker olive or emerald greens.  Sons are known as the Dragons of the family and east is the location of the mighty Green Dragon.  If you choose symbolism an image of this celestial creature is auspicious here together with large round leaved lush plants. The east also represents health and longevity.  Growing bamboo, which is one of the many symbols of longevity, in the east of your garden is auspicious, however take care of the variety you choose as they grow fast and can take over if not controlled.  Other symbols of longevity are the pine tree, peach and the long-legged Crane.  These are often represented together in oriental paintings. This is the place to house your larger pieces of wooden furniture. 

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

Friday 12 October 2012

Feng Shui and Your Gua Number


Your Gua (Kua) number is a personalised number based on your date of birth using the lunar calendar.

To find out your Gua number click this link http://tinyurl.com/Kua-Numbers.  This will show your favourable and unfavourable directions, your individual Gua number based on your date of birth and list your four favourable directions in their order of importance.

Your four inauspicious directions are shown below.

Kua Number
Bad Luck
Accidents and Mishaps
Six Types of Misfortune
Total Loss
1
West
Northeast
Northwest
Southwest
2
East
Southeast
South
North
3
Southwest
Northwest
Northeast
West
4
Northwest
Southwest
West
Northeast
5 (Male)
East
Southeast
South
North
5 (Female)
South
North
East
Southeast
6
Southeast
East
North
South
7
North
South
Southeast
East
8
South
North
East
Southeast
9
Northeast
West
Southwest
Northwest

The Eight Mansions (sometimes known as the Eight Houses or the Eight Palaces) Formula, is a personalised Formula of Feng Shui and once you know each of your auspicious and inauspicious directions you can use this information to arrange your living and working space to bring good fortune to you.

Before finding out more about the Eight Mansions Formula let us first go back to the source.  There is much to discover about the nine numbers of Feng Shui synonymous with the original Lo-Shu Grid or the Magic Square as it is also known.  When Feng Shui was first conceived the Lo-Shu Grid placed the elements in different locations.  For example the male and the female, the parents, were placed south and north respectively.  This signified heaven (9) and earth (1), male and female directly opposite one another, confronting, yet combining to create a balance of Yin and Yang.  This then determined the positions of other elements around the Grid. 

These elements combined to complement one another, to bring harmony.  Fire and water were thus located east (fire) and west (water.)  In perfect harmony these two create steam which is an important additional source of power even in our modern times.  In the Early Heaven Arrangement this also signifies water falling on the earth to feed and nurture plants, seeds and flowers with fire (sunshine) warming them to bring out their full height, beauty and growth.
 
This was known as the Early Heaven Arrangement or Yin Feng Shui and the grid was, and still is by some, primarily used to determine burial sites. 

However the Lo-Shu Grid now generally used is known as the Later Heaven Arrangement or Yang Feng Shui; Feng Shui of the living.  This arrangement takes a cyclical view of the seasons and their elements giving a more natural flow to the Grid, to show how the Yin/Yang symbol of harmony moves from spring (a time of growth and expansion) through summer (bringing all things to full beauty), autumn (the time to harvest fruits of the earth) and on to winter (a time of rest.)

The northeast represents late winter/early spring, a time of slow awakening, the east is the location of springtime in all its reborn beauty, the southeast signifies early summer and the south, the height of summer.  The southwest is the location of late summer/early autumn and the west is the place of the autumn season, a time of reflection and preparation for the cold, dark days to follow.  The northwest takes us from late autumn to early winter and the north brings the cycle to a close giving us the dark days of winter, a time of stillness and rest for the earth.

These directions affect us all regardless of our Gua number and for this reason all of the eight compass directions, plus the central grid, can be decorated to create overall harmony.  Balance in life and in the home is all important to ensure positive energy for everyone.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC



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Wednesday 3 October 2012

West Group and East Group Houses


Your Kua number, is your personalised number based on your date of birth as identified by the lunar calendar, and once you know this you can practice the Eight Mansions Formula of Feng Shui.
 
This is a straightforward and personalised Formula of Feng Shui which determines auspicious and inauspicious locations in the home for each individual and in future blogs we will look at each of the nine Kua numbers found in the Lo Shu Grid and their characteristics in more detail.

However, additionally the Kua formula can be used to divide houses into eight types; it calculates the facing and sitting directions of a home which in turn identifies whether the residents are in harmony, or in conflict with their living space.

While we will concentrate mainly on the personalised Formula for individuals, what follows is a brief description of the eight types of houses and their attributes.

The eight types of houses are based on their facing and sitting directions and will either be east group or west group.  Whether they are auspicious for the residents is dependent on personal Kua numbers which will place them in either east group or west group.
 
As with all formulas in Feng Shui compass directions are important so the first step is to take the compass reading of the front of your house from the inside looking out, the place where the maximum of Yang energy is generated.  This is usually, but not exclusively, where the front door is located.  Once you know this direction, the ‘facing direction’ you turn to find the ‘sitting direction’ which is where the group, and the name of the house, is determined.

If your back door, or your sitting direction is not directly opposite the facing direction of your main door, the sitting direction takes precedence when determining the type of house you occupy.

Following is a list of all the facing and sitting directions, the type of home, and whether it is an east group or a west group home.

Facing NORTH
Sitting SOUTH
East Group
LI House
Fire
Facing NORTHEAST
Sitting SOUTHWEST
West Group
KUN House
Earth
Facing EAST
Sitting WEST
West Group
TUI House
Metal
Facing SOUTHEAST
Sitting NORTHWEST
West Group
CHIEN House
Metal
Facing SOUTH
Sitting NORTH
East Group
KAN House
Water
Facing SOUTHWEST
Sitting NORTHEAST
West Group
KEN House
Earth
Facing WEST
Sitting EAST
East Group
CHEN House
Wood
Facing NORTHWEST
Sitting SOUTHEAST
East Group
SUN House
Wood

It is the sitting direction that determines the group of the house.  It is the group that will determine whether a home is auspicious for its residents.

As an example:                 
If your house faces North it sits South.  This is a fire element home and is auspicious for an east group person. 

There are only two examples where the facing and sitting directions belong to the same group and that is the North/South axis (east group) and the Northeast/Southwest axis (west group.)  In all other cases compromises will be required because if the facing direction is east or west group, the sitting direction will be west or east group.

The sitting direction always takes precedence.

In circumstances when your home is in the opposite group to you (based on your Kua number) and it is not possible to change an east group house into a west group house, and vice versa, whilst not ideal, the answer is to arrange the internal layout in harmony with your auspicious directions.

In a family home, the Kua number of the breadwinner of the home takes precedence as without them the source of income and wealth will be lost.  There may have to be compromises in the home of a couple, both working on equal terms, if they belong to different groups.

These are basic principles of this method of determining your house type, however it does give some idea of things to look for when exploring the fascinating world of Feng Shui.  It can also be particularly useful to bear in mind if you are looking to move home.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC