Feng Shui & Chinese Astrology

Feng shui to different people means different things. There are several popular ideas about it, some involving astrological and compass methods, and some not. Among popular compass methods we sometimes hear of Flying Star and Eight Mansions. In addition to these there are a number of other classical methods. Eight Mansions is an old method, described in detail in the century Imperial Encyclopedia of 1749. Flying Star first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the west non-classical versions of feng shui have been widely popularized in recent years. Whether these forms of feng shui work or not is a question. Having seen the results of these western versions, it is clear that they are uneven at best, and sometimes harmful. Feng shui works with real energies of time and space, not just abstract ideals. Without the traditional astrological and compass methods feng shui is unreliable.

The oldest levels of feng shui work with the energies of the environment of the earth, the atmosphere, and the heavens in relation to the energies of the humans living in the environment. Traditional feng shui experts, in addition to the astrological approaches, read the energy of the person through the face and the body to find the best environmental conditions. The astrological methods used in feng shui stem from knowledge whose roots come from prehistoric China.

An example of the non-classical version of feng shui popularized in the west says that the far right hand corner of the home is associated with romance. Another version of that idea says that the southwest corner of the home is associated with romance. A classical feng shui expert does not take this approach, but considers the relation between the person's Chinese astrological charts and the compass orientation of the home, as well as the way the home sits in the surrounding environment which includes the energetic condition of the ground.

The position and orientation of the bed, for example, is not only determined by what is called the person's vital element, and, in the case of a marriage, by the position of the marriage element of the couple, but is determined by the position of the door of home and well as of the room in which the bed is placed. Colors are used to bridge element disharmonies when they come up. People who practice feng shui without full understanding of the Chinese astrological and compass methods at best will get questionable results.

There are two astrological methods with their separate compass methods. One is called 9 Star, with its compass methods called Lo Shu (or River Lo Map), Ming Fey (or Flying Star), and Ba Chai (or Eight Mansions). Lo Shu is one of the oldest and finest methods, used in the Han dynasty over 2000 years ago. Eight Mansions is another very old method that takes into account the way the house sits in the land. Lo Shu and Ba Chai divide people and house orientations into east and west energy type groups depending on birth dates and compass readings, and give auspicious and inauspicious space directions that help determine the best uses for different rooms and areas. 9 Star astrology also has an excellent directionology system for determining auspicious directions to move, travel and do new construction in.

The second, and more important astrological method, is called Batzu (called Four Pillars in the west). Batzu has several excellent compass methods in what is called the San He (Three Harmonies) School. Batzu is a great astrological system that,when read correctly, tells the person's past, present and future very accurately, and, when applied to feng shui, gives the most reliable recommendations for favorable directions in space and use of colors. The San He compass methods related to Batzu use 24 basic compass directions, and let us combine and harmonize different points in space to generate the elements that support us in life. When these methods are used the feng shui possibilities for bringing out the best conditions in life become vividly effective.

T. Raphael Simons is an internationally known author, practitioner and teacher in the field of Chinese astrology and feng shui. Raphael’s books on feng shui, Feng Shui Step by Step, Feng Shui Strategies for Business Success, and The Feng Shui of Love were originally published by Crown and Random House, and have been translated into twelve languages. Having gathered a vast store of information and knowledge, and having been consulting, teaching, lecturing and writing in feng shui since 1988, Raphael originally studied Chinese astrology and feng shui with the Taiwanese feng shui master Terry Lee.

Raphael is available for in-depth Chinese astrological readings and feng shui consultations. To find out more about Raphael's work in this area visit www.trs-fengshui.com.

Raphael's best seller book, Feng Shui Step by Step, was reprinted and is available at Amazon.com and at www.createspace.com/3472024.