Learn About Feng Shui-Page 2-Grandpa's General Store

The Principles of Feng Shui

The basic principles of Feng Shui concern Qi. Practitioners of Feng Shui use the principles known as �Mountain� and �Water� to manipulate Qi. Practitioners of Feng Shui also must understand and use the principles known as Wu Xing or the Five Elements.

The Five Observations

There are five important observations pertinent to Feng Shui. They form the true basis of Feng Shui and will help you to distinguish between Feng Shui and the many imitators and related pseudo-systems that have recently developed. Remember and refer to the significance of these Five Observations.

In the Chinese Feng Shui Classics it is stated that:

1) "Qi rides with the Wind and is dispersed by the Wind, but it is retained when it encounters Water".

2) "The Dragon deity on the Mountain does not go in the Water, the Dragon deity inside the Water does not go up the Mountain".

3) "One inch higher is Mountain, one inch lower is Water".

Subsequently, two practical applications pertinent to Xuan Kong are derived from these observations:

4) "What has to be opened we must open, what has to be closed we must close".

5) "Qi heals Qi, objects influence objects"

When other hypotheses are encountered, please return to these Five Observations and ask yourself the question, �is this system a branch of Traditional Feng Shui, is it just interior design, or is it an intuitive or philosophical interpretation of time and space�?

What is Qi?

Qi is the underlying Principle of the Universe, but is difficult to define or explain. Qi is the "Primordial Breath", the ultimate causal vibration.

"Qi rides with the Wind and is dispersed by the Wind, but it is retained when it encounters Water". This statement recognizes that Qi moves and is carried and dispersed by Wind and implies that Qi can be stopped or blocked by barriers.

In Feng Shui, Qi pertains to the influence of Universal energies that come from Heaven, from the eight directions, and from within the Earth. Qi is the influence of cosmic rays, Earths magnetic fields, the nine stars and their inherent influence as it pertains to the Five Elements.

The influence of Qi also comes from forms, objects, sound, color, and various other vibrational aspects of the Universe.

Beneficial Qi is referred to as Sheng Qi. Detrimental Qi is referred to as Sha Qi. Although the literal translations of the terms sheng and sha actually refer to birth and death, we view the influences as good and evil.

Qi is also referred to as "Stars" or "Dragons"

Xuan Kong Feng Shui is relative to Time, Space, Environment, and People. Xuan Kong Feng Shui examines the basic influence that the Qi of the environment and the building has on the health and wealth of people over time. This influence is demonstrated by what is known as the Flying Star Chart of the building.

We can manipulate Qi to enhance the sheng and weaken the sha. We can make exterior adjustments by providing Mountain and Water where needed outside the building. In other words we close (give Mountain to) what has to be closed and open (give Water to) what has to be opened.

Although internal adjustments to the house are less influencial, we follow the same principles inside. If we find an evil Water Dragon in a sector of a building we must close (weaken) it with a Mountain to enhance wealth. We can choose to put a wall, but even closing a glass door will do the job. When closed, Qi is blocked by a glass door or window, because the glass may allow cosmic rays, light or sound to come in but as you remember from the five observations, Qi rides on the back of the Wind and is stopped by Mountain. In other words, cosmic rays, light, sound, smell are aspects of Qi, but are not esentially Qi.

"Qi heals Qi, objects influence objects" In the Chinese book Huai Nan Zi it is said that "things within the same class mutually move each other".

In order to counter Sha Qi we use physical objects according to their classification of Wu Xing, the Five Elements or Five Transformations.

By correctly placing objects and furniture we can manipulate Qi flow between physical forms and use our understanding of the Five Tansformations to furnish rooms.

The influence of the Qi of Mountain Dragons or Water Dragons comes from the far Heavens and the Earth. This Qi is very powerful. But the influence that the Qi of physical objects will have on this cosmic Qi is minor.

"Qi heals Qi", meaning that we need a good understanding of Mountain and Water as studied in Xuan Kong Feng Shui. From this evolves our understanding and application of shapes, forms, and colors in physical objects.