Feng Shui Celestial Creatures-Black Turtle

Black Turtle in the Landscape

The second of the non-mythical celestial animals we enjoy in our world today, is the Black Turtle, our ultimate protector in Landscape Feng Shui (San He Formula.)  He is the one who ‘watches our back’ and prevents anyone from appearing behind without our knowledge. 

He manifests in the landscape as a hill formation and is the link between the Green Dragon of the left and the White Tiger on the right.   This configuration is often called an ‘armchair.’  Positioning the home in the middle of this configuration provides protection on three sides just like that afforded by an armchair.  

The Turtle, or the Tortoise, is a powerful and important protector in Feng Shui.  We can turn our heads from side to side to see who or what is approaching but it is more difficult to know what is going on behind us.  Symbolically, it is the hard outer shell of the Turtle, solid and impenetrable, that provides the protection. 

While slow and steady the Turtle is persistent and will not give up, it keeps going until it has achieved its aim. 

This is the first of the four celestial animals that does not have a place as one of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals however its importance in the practice of Feng Shui is assured.

The Yin Turtle is a symbol of longevity; of strength and fortitude.  And we must never forget that it was said to be a Tortoise who emerged from the Lo River in China with the numbers of the Lo Shu square on its back.  The 3x3 grid used in Personal and Home Eight Mansions and Flying Star Feng Shui; part of the San Yuan School; both incorporate the Lo Shu square in their practice.

In an urban environment the Black Turtle mountain is substituted by the natural solution of trees or the man-made solution of a building or a high wall.

Black Turtle in the Home

The Yin Black Turtle is the animal associated with the North.  It signifies Water and is the area of the middle son in the family.  The trigram of the North is K’AN.  This is represented by a solid Yang line in the centre which is trapped between two broken Yin lines.  As a dark inauspicious trigram it is a symbol of danger and toil.  It is Winter, a time of the year signifying rest and stillness; a time of reflection.  The North is the place of least light and sunshine and the meaning behind the trigram highlights this darkness.  It can also be interpreted as a deep dark body of Water hiding many things.

The positive side to the direction of North is its association with career; the positive side to the Water is its association with wealth – in this case brought about by success in your career.  A moving Water feature in the North activates the element of the area as long as it is flowing in towards your home and not outwards.

 

Display the image of a Turtle at the back of your home or keep a real Tortoise in this area.  You can also place the image of a Turtle in the North of your home.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

Enjoying our posts?  Register with Google+ Google Friend Connect to follow.

Visit http://www.abundance-chi.com to discover more about Feng Shui

Feng Shui and Astrological Animals

Your personal animal sign is the animal of the year, the animal ‘in residence’ during your year of birth.  It represents only 25% of your Four Pillars of Destiny Chart; the Four Pillars signifying your Hour, Day, Month and Year of birth.  It does not immediately reveal your characteristics or how you approach life.

Each of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals can combine or conflict with another and their relationship has little bearing on Feng Shui practice.  

The ‘conflict’ animals are directly opposite one another around the compass.  They are always both Yin or both Yang such as the Yang Rat in N2 (352.5⁰-7.5⁰) and the Yang Horse in S2 (172.5⁰-187.5⁰).  Even though it is suggested in Feng Shui that conflict animals will not get on, their relationship is based more on Four Pillars of Destiny readings than Feng Shui.  The type of relationship they will experience is therefore determined at birth and whether they appear together in a Four Pillars Chart.

The animals who have a ‘combination’ relationship are:-

Yang Animal Allies         

Dog-Horse-Tiger                              Earth-Fire-Wood

Dragon-Rat-Monkey                      Earth-Water-Metal

Yin Animal Allies            

Boar-Rabbit-Sheep                        Water-Wood-Earth

Ox-Rooster-Snake                          Earth-Metal-Fire

In your Four Pillars of Destiny the remaining three pillars; month, day and hour; have one of the 12 Astrological Animals present in what is known as the Earthly Branches.   

If you know your personal Kua number and you discover your Chinese Astrological animal is housed in a sector deemed ‘inauspicious’ for you based on the Personal Eight Mansions of Feng Shui how do you deal with this?

Without delving too deeply, your Chinese Astrological Animal sign signifies the energies prevailing at the time of your birth.  It therefore has a stronger impact on your life. 

Depending on the Feng Shui Formula you practice, it is important to ensure you know the Lo-Shu numbers in the location of your animal sign.  In Flying Star Feng Shui for example knowing the annual and the monthly numbers residing with your animal sign you can take precautions, enhance or enjoy the benefits of these numbers.

As an example:  the annual number 1 water star returns to its original home in the north during 2013 and in March it is joined by the number 6 metal star.  This is great news for those born in the Year of the Rat (N2) as ‘1’ signifies wealth from career and ‘6’ signifies help from mentors and heaven; they also combine in the productive cycle of the Five Elements  as Metal creates Water.  Definitely a month for the Rat born to benefit.

Ensure that the 15⁰ sector relating to your animal sign is kept clear, clean, bright and auspicious at all times.

Decorate it with something that reflects its element or place the image of your Astrological Animal here so you never forget where it is. 

(In the case of the Yang Wood Tiger it is better not to place an image.  The Tiger does have a protective side in Feng Shui when it is kept under control by the mighty Dragon, but when allowed to roam free and become dominant it will revert to its naturally aggressive side.  Alternatively display a large strong growing plant, something that signifies the Yang Wood of the Tiger.)

Yang Wood Tiger and its position around the compass is NE3 (52.5-67.5.)  The Tiger will be particularly strong during the first month of Spring (February) when it is the animal of the month.  It is also strong between the hours of 03.00-04.59, its hours in the Chinese calendar, but unless you work nights this will have negligible effect on you.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

Enjoying our posts?  Register with Google+ Google Friend Connect to follow.
Visit http://www.abundance-chi.com to discover more about Feng Shui

Feng Shui and 12 Chinese Astrological Animals

Is there a link between Feng Shui and the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals?  We are not talking about the Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix and Turtle known as the celestial animals of Feng Shui.  The celestial animals are associated with the external landscape and how it affects your living environment.

The Five Element Theory as well as the balance of Yin and Yang is fundamental to the effective practice of Feng Shui.  The productive, exhaustive and the destructive cycles of the Five Elements are a vital tool in determining the good, the bad and the ugly in your environment and your home.  Yin and Yang is what creates balance in an ideal situation.

On an individual level the Personal Eight Mansions from which you can calculate your personal Kua Number based on your year of birth also has Elements associated with it.  You have four good and four bad directions each with an Element.

The 12 Astrological Animals have elements associated with them together with either a Yin or a Yang aspect.

Each one of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals resides in a 15⁰ sector around the compass.  Well that only covers 180⁰ in total so how does it work?  Do they follow consecutively around the compass?    

The Later Heaven arrangement of the Pa Kua (the eight-sided  symbol synonymous with Feng Shui) moves in a cyclical, seasonal pattern. 

The third month of each season is the transition point between seasons.  As an example; we are now in the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.  The Chinese solar calendar runs from 4 February each year making February the first month of Spring.  It also represents the Yang half of the Wood Element.  The Chinese Astrological Animal associated with February is Yang Tiger and its position around the compass is NE3 (52.5-67.5.) March signifies the Yin half of Wood and its animal is the Yin Rabbit.  Its home is E2 (82.5-97.5.)  April is another Yang month, the month of the Yang Dragon (112.5-127.5) but this time it is the Yang month of Earth; it is the transition month between Spring and the first month of Summer in May. 

There are four seasons and 12 Astrological Animals.  Two Wood (Yang Tiger and Yin Rabbit), two Fire (Yin Snake and Yang Horse), two Metal (Yang Monkey and Yin Rooster) and two Water (Yin Boar and Yang Rat.)  The four Earth elements sub-dividing each season are the two Yang (Dragon and Dog) and two Yin (Sheep and Ox) giving a total of 12.

To make it easier to follow, the two Yang Earth Animals are directly opposite each other on the compass (Dragon 112.5-127.5 and Dog 292.5-307.5) and the two Yin Earth Animals are directly opposite one another on the compass (Sheep 202.5-217.5 and Ox 22.5-37.5.)

So how else do the animals impact on Feng Shui?  Although termed ‘hours’ by the Chinese their hours translate as two Western hours.  Each of these 12 'hours' is identified by one of the animals, as follows:

11.00-00.59         Rat        

01.00-02.59         Ox

03.00-04.59         Tiger

05.00-06.59         Rabbit

07.00-08.59         Dragon

09.00-10.59         Snake

11.00-12.59         Horse   

13.00.14.59         Goat

15.00-16.59         Monkey

17.00-18.59         Rooster

19.00-20.59         Dog

21.00-22.59         Pig

These hours have an influence on Chinese Astrology when calculating your birth chart. 

So while the practice of Feng Shui and the study of Chinese Astrology are independent and they stand alone; just like the Five Elements and Yin/Yang they are complementary and can be used together to enhance your life in a more complete and balanced way.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

Enjoying our posts?  Register with Google+ Google Friend Connect to follow.
Visit http://www.abundance-chi.com to discover more about Feng Shui

FENG SHUI and the Grand Duke Jupiter

In the blogs on ‘Xceptions’ we included the 15^o location of the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui) and his place around the compass based on the Chinese calendar.

What we didn’t get around to was explaining why the affliction known as the Grand Duke Jupiter (also known as the God of the Year) came into existence.

It is well known that many ancient cultures, like the Chinese, the Greeks and the Egyptians surveyed the night sky and recorded the movement of stars, planets, the Sun and the Moon.

The fifth planet from the Sun, and the largest, is Jupiter; known for its majestic appearance in the night sky and its infamous ‘red spot.’

Ancient Chinese Astronomers observed that it took Jupiter twelve years to orbit the Sun, hence the 12 Chinese astrological animals in Chinese Astrology were ‘born.’

Year 1 of the Chinese astrological calendar is also the first year of the cycle of Jupiter.  This became known as the Year of the Rat and its location matched the direction of Jupiter during that year, which is North2.  From there it moves in a clockwise direction in line with the cycle of the planet Jupiter to NE1 (Ox), NE3 (Tiger), East2 (Rabbit), SE1 (Dragon-which coincides with this current year of 2012), SE3 (Snake), South2 (Horse), SW1 (Sheep), SW3 (Monkey), West2 (Rooster), NW1 (Dog) and NW3 (Boar.)  

This is why the Grand Duke Jupiter is located in the position of the astrological animal of the year as he moves around the compass in each of the twelve years of the cycle. 

Because of the size of Jupiter it is considered inauspicious to face his location in any given year.  Feng Shui Masters warn against confronting the God of the Year because he represents an overwhelming obstacle.  If you do inadvertently face the Grand Duke it can bring about loss, illness and failure.

However, if you sit so that the Grand Duke is behind you, he will give you his support.  It is rather like having a mountain, or the image of a mountain, behind you for support at work.

As well as avoiding confrontation with the Grand Duke it is important to keep his location quiet and undisturbed.

This means no loud noise, no digging or banging and no demolition work in the area for the entire year.  This will invite his wrath and bring about negative consequences.

Even when the location of the Grand Duke is in one of your auspicious directions based on the Eight Mansions Formula of Feng Shui you will suffer misfortune by facing the God of the Year.  You have three other auspicious directions and it is to your advantage to face one of these to avoid conflict.

The animal directly opposite the Grand Duke Jupiter in any given year is said to be in ‘conflict’ with him making their year challenging. 

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

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

FENG SHUI Xceptions (That’s Exceptions)

Xception Number 1:

If you have even a basic knowledge of the Eight Mansions Formula of Feng Shui, you will know that each person has a Kua number based on their date of birth.  This also identifies whether you are an East Group or a West Group person.

East Group auspicious directions are North, East, Southeast and South.

West Group auspicious directions are Northeast, Southwest, West and Northwest.

What you may not be aware of is that each person is one of the 12 Chinese astrological animals based on their year of birth*.

Each of these 12 animals has a set 15^o location around the compass. 

For example the Rabbit occupies 82.6 – 97.5^o in the East.  If you are a West group person based on your Kua number it appears that your astrological animal is against you.  This is not the case.  Under normal circumstances ‘facing’ the East would be inauspicious for you however sitting in the West and facing your astrological animal in the East is auspicious for you.  When in doubt your astrological animal takes precedent.

This can be applied whatever your Chinese animal and your Group.

*If you were born in January or the beginning of February your astrological animal will be the one applicable in the previous year.  This is based on the Chinese lunar Yin calendar together with the solar Yang calendar which begins on or around 4 February each year.  Go to our website to identify your animal sign based on your date of birth.

Xception Number 2:

Based on your Kua number it is auspicious to face any of your good directions.

However, if this represents you ‘facing’ what is known as the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui) in any given year, it becomes inauspicious for you.  Facing the Grand Duke who occupies 15 degrees around the compass will invite his wrath.  He will be happy to support you if you sit with your back to him but do not under any circumstances face him directly.  It will bring bad luck to you for the year.

Keep the area of the Grand Duke quiet and undisturbed for the year.

During 2012, the Year of the Water Dragon, the Grand Duke occupies the location of the Dragon (112.6 – 127.5^o.)

Xception Number 3:

The most inauspicious location in any year is that occupied by the Five Yellow (or Wu Wang in Chinese.)  This affliction occupies 45^o of the compass and in 2012 is in the Southeast.

It is important not to disturb the ground in the Southeast during 2012 to avoid upsetting the Grand Duke Jupiter and inviting the negative consequences associated with the Five Yellow.  The Five Yellow invites five types of bad luck and is the most inauspicious affliction of all. 

Digging the ground occupied by the Five Yellow causes illness, cutting down trees can cause sickness, accident or a sudden and serious downturn in your business.  Any noise, excessive light, digging or renovation carried out in the area occupied by the Five Yellow causes serious misfortune.

Xception Number 4:

The final exception is the Three Killings or Sarm Saat in Chinese.  It occupies a massive 90^o around the compass and during 2012 sits between 142.5º and 217.5º.

Just like in the area occupied by the Five Yellow the area housing the Three Killings should be kept quiet and undisturbed during the year.

It has been suggested that the Three Killings represent loss of wealth, loss of a loved one and loss of reputation.

Unlike the Grand Duke Jupiter it is better to face the Three Killings head on.  Sitting with your back to this inauspicious affliction can result in being symbolically ‘stabbed’ in the back.

Next time – more X-Xceptions

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