Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Feng Shui and Five Elements Harmony

At first glance two of the three cycles of the Five Elements, the Exhaustive and the Controlling Cycles, seem to fly in the face of living in harmony with the Chi Energy permeating our existence.

And the Controlling Cycle gives the impression we use placement in Feng Shui to destroy the Energy in our environment.

A more accurate way of interpreting the Controlling Cycle is as a ‘blocking energy’ or a ‘controlling power’ rather than a ‘destructive’ force.  After all our ultimate aim is to live in harmony with everyone and everything so it is neither our purpose nor our right to ‘destroy.’

How and why is the Controlling Cycle necessary? How and why do all the elements interact the way they do?

To reiterate, the Controlling Cycle is as follows:
Water extinguishes Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal destroys Wood
Wood weakens Earth
Earth controls Water

In our modern world the solid structures that are our homes and offices, together with the infrastructure that allows us to move quickly and easily from one place to another are built for practical purposes with less thought given to the impact on Qi flow. This often results in fast moving or blocked Energy in certain areas. 
In addition colours, shapes, lights, microwave towers and so on, as well as buildings Yin in nature such as hospitals or police stations, all have a bearing on the quality of Energy we experience in our immediate environment.

Therefore, to create a harmonious and auspicious flow of Chi it is sometimes necessary for remedies to be put in place to counteract the negativity identified in and around our homes and offices.  This is where the Controlling Cycle of the Five Elements comes into play.  By introducing the element that ‘destroys’ it is possible to deflect , block or re-route negative Energy helping transform it into positive Energy by creating a flow rather than a ‘poison arrow.’

Water extinguishes Fire
Fire is sunshine; it is the light created by lightning; electricity; and it is the flames we see when we burn wood, paper and coal.

Fire is an element that has to be created.  It does not have a life of its own.

When Fire on Earth gets out of control it has to be extinguished and this is achieved by dousing it with Water.  Therefore Water destroys Fire.

However, there is a way to harmonise these two opposing elements. 

Harnessing equal quantities of Fire and Water; using Fire to heat Water or other liquids; creates a new Energy source; steam.  This important element is then used to power machinery such as turbines, engines and the humble iron.

Another form of steam comes from a natural source. Water from hot springs is heated by geothermal heat deep inside the Earth. This is the heat from the mantle of the Earth. These hot springs often have a high mineral content and are a magnet for tourists. The springs are said to provide health-giving properties because of the minerals they contain.

Fire melts Metal
Metal is a cold and unyielding element hidden deep within the Earth.  It has no life of its own.  It is mined from the Earth and harnessed in large quantities.  To change its structure it is first necessary to heat the Metal to a liquid state allowing it to be manipulated.  Therefore Fire destroys Metal. 

To transform Metal from its rough state into something useful and valuable we create Fire to melt the Metal. Once heated to a sufficiently high temperature the Metal changes structure from a solid to a liquid.   From this new liquid form it is fashioned into tools, girders and machinery; communication devices and computers; all necessary for life in our 21st Century world.

Metal has the potential to destroy when it is fashioned into weapons. This is one element that should always be treated with respect.  So that’s the useful and the destructive side of Metal taken care of. 

However, Metal also symbolises the wealth of our world in the form of gold, silver and platinum. 
These are precious Metals representative of the wealth we exchange personally, nationally and internationally.  Jewellery is fashioned from Metal and it is used as a symbol of adornment, beauty and love. 

This is all done thanks to the power of Fire.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


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Saturday, 23 November 2013

Feng Shui and Poison Arrows Outside

What are poison arrows?

There are both tangible and intangible (or secret) poison arrows.  Tangible poison arrows are those you can see. 

They are the sharp, pointed or straight physical and non-physical objects in and around your environment pointed directly at your main door or the point where the maximum amount of Yang energy enters your home*.   They are sharp, pointed or straight physical and non-physical objects in and around your home and office pointed directly at you.

Intangible poison arrows are more difficult to identify.   They are negative energies created by the presence of Yin buildings.  It is fast Qi moving through a narrow gap between buildings.  They are negative thoughts and feelings sent to you silently from another person.  It is invisible and damaging.

Outdoors
Identify poison arrows and the direction they are coming from and neutralise them before beginning your indoor Feng Shui.  This is to ensure that the quality of the Qi Energy entering your home is auspicious.

External poison arrows include, but are not limited to:
A straight road coming directly towards your facing direction
Your home situated at the end of a cul-de-sac being bombarded with fast-moving Qi
A curved road (like a boomerang shape) heading towards your facing direction
A triangular roofline from a neighbouring property
A single tree
A single lamp post          
A single telegraph pole
The edge of a building
Overhead roads
Overhead bridges
Overhead railway lines

Less obvious, but nonetheless inauspicious is:
Fast moving Qi moving between the narrow gaps of buildings
Dead tree trunks
Hospital
Police Station
Cemetery
The front of a neighbour’s car (which symbolically resembles a predatory animal)

To counter these afflictions first ascertain the facing direction of your home which will identify the direction the affliction is coming from.  Use the controlling cycle to block the poison arrow.

*The facing direction may be your front door or the part of your home that has the highest percentage of Yang Qi coming into your home.  This Yang Qi can come from a frequently used road, a river or an open space where positive energy gathers.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


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Friday, 15 November 2013

Feng Shui Practice

What Comes First?

Even if you only know a little about Feng Shui you will already be aware of the immense importance the Five Elements and their three cycles has on your practice.  They permeate each and every one of the various formulas and also have a bearing on Chinese Astrology and BaZi (Four Pillars) Destiny.

Just to reiterate;  The Five Elements are: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal; The Three Cycles are: Productive, Exhaustive and Controlling (also known as Destructive.

So when you begin purposefully using the principles of Feng Shui which of the three cycles associated with the Five Elements should you be using first?

What comes first, the producing, exhausting or controlling element?

“That very much depends on your environment.”

The first original formula of Feng Shui is known as the San He Formula  or Landscape Feng Shui.

This investigates the external surroundings of your home and its immediate vicinity.  It is used to determine good and bad locations for homes, offices and (in Yin Feng Shui) the most auspicious location for a burial site.

Feng Shui practice therefore points to knowing your neighbourhood and identifying the good, bad and the ugly.

The best indoor Feng Shui in the world will mean little if you have negative energies bombarding you from outside, particularly towards your front door. 

Spend time outside looking around you; take photographs to make sure you don’t miss anything.  Sometimes there is something you take for granted, and pay little attention to, which can in fact represent negative Qi. The next thing is to use a good quality compass and find out the ‘facing direction’ of your front door.  Is this negative Qi (poison arrow) directly facing your front door?   It is important to neutralise any external afflictions before doing anything else.

When these afflictions or poison arrows are pointing directly at your main door, it is necessary to counter their effects to improve the quality of the Qi entering your home to prevent  negative results such as loss, misfortune and illness befalling the residents.

Destructive Cycle of the Five Elements
When using the Controlling Cycle we are not actually destroying anything, it is more that we are seeking to ‘control’ or ‘block’ rather than ‘destroy.’  Therefore, when you identify a serious affliction and which direction it is coming from, this is one of the few times the Controlling Cycle of the Five Elements is recommended.

However, it is not a black and white situation. There are things to consider before placing a remedy.

Your Home and Garden
 How much outdoor space do you have?
If you only have a small garden space or none at all, in front of your home your options will be limited. 

Will you solve one issue to create another?
If you place a structure, such as a tree or a wall, in front of your main door to deflect a poison arrow, you may inadvertently be blocking any positive Qi Energy from entering your home?

As an example:  If you decide building a high brick wall is the answer to an affliction coming from the North it will not benefit you if your outdoor space is limited.  It will be as though you have a mountain confronting you. It will block any Energy and opportunities from entering your home and cause an excess of Yin Energy indoors.  This will create illness, lethargy and lack of motivation for all members of the family.

If you plant a large tree too close to your home to counter an affliction coming from the Southwest or the Northeast you will drain any Yang Energy from your home and block Energy, creativity and light from entering.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC


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