Feng Shui Wikipedia says:
Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space which is claimed to achieve harmony with the environment. Skeptics consider it to be nothing but superstition.
Feng shui, meaning "wind and water". is not a decorating style. Rather, it is a discipline whose guidelines are compatible with many different decorating styles.
The source of the term is purported to come from the poem "The winds are wild / The sun is warm / The water is clear / The trees are lush".
Feng shui is a discrete Chinese belief system involving a mix of geographical, religious, philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic, and astrological ideas.
For a place to have "good feng shui" is for it to be in harmony with Nature, to have "bad feng shui" is to be incongruous with Nature. People aren't usually described as having good or bad feng shui themselves. It is believed that certain people by force of personality or visual appearance are able to add or subtract from the feng shui of their surroundings.
Feng Shui Doctrine
Qi (or Chi): Underlying the practical guidelines of feng shui is a general theory of Nature. Nature is generally held to be a discrete organism that breathes qi (a kind of life force or spiritual energy). The details about the metaphysics of what Nature is, what qi is and does, and what breath consists of vary and conflict. It is not generally understood as physical, but it is neither meant to be metaphorical nor fictionalistic (the latter being the view that even though an entity is fictional, it is useful to talk as if it really exists). It's the virtual energy and force that flows all around.
Feng Shui translates to English as Wind and Water. These are the two containers for Qi. Since life exists within either air or water, qi is said to be the life energy that flows within these two environments.
The goal of feng shui guidelines is to orient dwellings, possessions, land and landscaping, etc., so as to be attuned with the flow of qi.
Guidelines
Some general rules are:
When sitting at a desk or lying in bed, the entrance door should be in a clear line of sight, and you should have a view of as much of the room as possible.
Straight lines and sharp corners are to be avoided, and especially should not point where people tend to sit, stand, or sleep.
Avoid clutter.
Your stairs should NEVER face the front door.
Roads to and from ancient towns were often curved and windy, an attempt to disorient and keep away evil spirits, who were believed to travel in straight lines.
Some objects are believed to have the power of redirecting, reflecting, or shifting energy in a space. These include mirrors, crystals, windchimes, and pools of flowing or standing water.
The bagua
BaguaThe bagua (or pa kua) of the I Ching (Book of Changes) is an octagonal diagram that is used in feng shui analysis. Each direction on the octagon (north, northeast, etc.) is thought to have certain significant aspects, perhaps in part depending on the birthdate of the person using it. By mapping the bagua onto a home, village, cemetery, etc., information about correct orientation and placement can be gleaned.
Use in the West
In recent decades many feng shui books have been published in English, often focusing on interior design, architecture, interior decorating, and landscape design. Audiences have reacted skeptically towards the purported benefits of crystals, wind chimes, table fountains, and mirrored balls, etc., on one's life, finances, and relationships. Often, these claims are dismissed as New Age, pseudoscience, relying on the placebo effect, or even outright fraud. The high prices charges by some feng shui analysts is sometimes cited as evidence of the fraud claim.
Other audiences reject feng shui's justification for its rules (movement of various energies, etc.), but believe that some of its more practical rules (such as not working with one's back to a door) are very useful. There is also no scientific evidence as of today that Feng Shui exists. The fact that it has worked for some does not mean it will work for everyone.
It is unclear what relationship these Western interpretations of feng shui have to the Eastern tradition. Many traditional feng shui practitioners in Asia regard Western adaptations as inauthentic.
It may be the latest decorating fad, but, getting organized makes your business and life run smoother. Avoid clutter. So is it all bad ... I don't think so!
