What is Feng Shui? The principles of Feng Shui are based on philosophy, natural science, Chinese metaphysics and the art of encouraging positive and beneficial influences. It is the ancient Chinese practice of channeling these positive and invisible influences and energies by a variety of different avenues or means through mediums such as attraction, alignment, direction, association and location in order to promote and enhance the harmony and well-being of our surrounding environment.
By doing this we hope to make our surrounding environment so supportive of our attitudes, aspirations and opportunities as to make real changes for the better.Today in the modern West land is in short supply, it is expensive, it is in many cases tired or has been overworked or polluted in some way. Town and country planning, and building regulations, roads, utilities as well as the need for services, schools, education, medical care and employment opportunities all dictate where and how we should live.
All these factors and more are adding daily to the growing number of problems and restrictions that people in the modern West are faced with; impinging on any effort by an individual to apply the principles of Feng Shui and improve their surrounding environment and their lot in general.
However no matter how small an area we have to work with we can use grasses and bamboos to create a space for solitude a sacred space or just a space to sit and relax listening to the gentle movement and music of ten thousand leaves murmuring a lullaby in the gentlest of breezes
In China the common practice of Feng Shui corresponds to the Chinese cosmology of correlative thinking. The ancient Chinese believe that the good Qi. 'The stuff of life', 'The Dragons Breath' the Sheng comes from the South. China is situated mostly in the temperate zones and therefore when facing South at midday anywhere in China you are facing towards the sun and its benevolent warmth and light. At your back will be the cold mountains and winds of the Northern Steppes and the invading hoards. It is considered that a house that faces South is very auspicious and that is why on the Chinese geomantic compass the South is always at the top.
In Ancient China, heaven was divided into the four celestial quadrants of the Four Celestial Animals or Protectors. These quadrants protectively surround the central region of the heavenly palace. The Chinese consider that an ideal site for a house is in a location protected by all the Four Celestial animals. When considering a location there should be; most importantly, protection from cold wind at the back of the property provided by a crescent of hills.
These hills represent the Black Turtle Xuan-wu. In front of the property,the land should slope gently away, and if there is a meandering stream or river at the front then this would be considered most auspicious. The Red Phoenix represents this front area. This area in front of the facing direction is also known as the Ming Tang, The Bright Hallway. As you stand looking out from the properties facing direction, with the Black Turtle Xuan-wu behind you, and the Red Phoenix Zhu-que in front of you, there should be ideally to your right a low undulating hill which is referred to as the White Tiger Bai-hu.
On the opposite side to your left should be another low hill a little higher than the White Tiger but lower than the Black turtle, which is the Azure or Green Dragon Qin-long. The perfect orientation should of course be with the Red Phoenix to the South, the Turtle to the North, the White Tiger to the West and the Azure Dragon to the East of the property. However, in practice it is very rare that it is ever possible to achieve this configuration, unless you are fortunate enough to be designing your own home
When the form of the land or the arrangement of the building is such that we cannot face South, we should still try to maintain the configuration of the Four Celestial Animal based the properties facing direction. That means the Red Phoenix is to the front as you look out from your front door or facing direction. This configuration is very useful when planning landscape areas like the garden to create the right form, by symbolically adding a row of bamboo such Semiarundaria Fastuos to symbolize the Azure Dragon or placing a water feature or pond in the front of the property and a rockery or row of Fargesia nitida at the back to symbolize the protection of the Black Turtle
The Form represented by the Four Celestial Animals or Protectors is some times referred to as the Armchair Form, and you can imagine why and how conducive the concept of the armchair configuration is when we are considering the protective Form of the Celestial Animals in and around the exterior of the property.
To be simplistic and recap in layman's terms. When you stand looking out of your facing direction, which is probably your main entrance. The tortoise is behind you the Red Phoenix straight in font of you, the White Tiger is on your right and the Green/Azure Dragon is on your left.
Of course it is not necessary to use plants and grass to symbolise the Celestial protectors and reproduce the form. A rockery or fence (preferably blue) will make an admirable black tortoise at the rear. Any hedge apart from Golden Privet or Purple Beach is perfect to symbolise the Green Dragon and a white picket fence or any silver leafed shrubs or plants can represent the White Tiger. The red phoenix could be represented by a statue of a red bird, a tub of bright red Pelagoniums, or even a red painted gate. The options are endless when you give it some thought. One of the most delightful thing about Feng Shui is that when it is right it looks rights and you know and feel it is right. In fact if you think about it we practice the principals of Feng Shui most days of our lives without even realising it. It comes naturally. Its known as good taste.
Peter Corbett. Is a collector of rare grasses and ornamental bamboos and written several articles on the subject. Peter advices and assists his wife Heather who runs the Pot and Grass Company Nursery http://www.potandgrass.co.ukand mail order company specialising in bamboos and grasses. Peter has a keen interest in Chinese metaphysics and has lived and travelled extensively through SE Asia and mainland China. Peter has written a book on Feng Shui Qi Concepts for energy engineering which is available for purchase from the Pot and Grass company online store or available as a free down load to customers.
No comments:
Post a Comment