Feng Shui enables us to create living and balanced spaces. Such buildings are aligned with us and our purposes, and in harmony with the natural energies present in a place.
In Taoist teachings people and their buildings are considered to be ‘between Heaven and Earth’. As such, a building has good Feng Shui when it facilitates the functions we wish to perform there, while being filled with healthy environmental energies.
There are many levels of Feng Shui application:
Selecting a Building Site
The most fundamental application of Feng Shui is choosing the right piece of land – a block that supports our life and endeavours. This includes selecting landscape features that capture healthy environmental influences, such as sunlight and gentle breezes, and that don’t expose us to destructive influences, such as dispersing or destructive winds, freezing conditions or are vulnerable to flooding.
The literal meaning of Feng Shui is ‘wind and water’. Here, we study the ‘mountain and water dragons’ of the landscape – how water and wind flow and are collected, and how to benefit from these. This is similar to the permaculture principles, which endeavour to interact with the resources of the land so we can use and re-use them in the most natural ways.
While not many of us have the luxury of choosing a piece of land for our buildings, selecting a building site is an important Feng Shui application if you want to purchase land or place a building on a rural block.
Building Orientation
Once we have a block or site, determining or fine-tuning the building’s exact compass orientation is very important.
Advanced Feng Shui formulas give us the quality of energies, the feel, that will be present in the different compass directions of a building. When fine-tuning its orientation, we want to make sure that the building fits the landscape, ie that is has good ‘mountain’ (Yin) energy in the direction of the hills or other protective features, and that there is good ‘water’ (Yang) energy in the direction of the view, water or activity. Even a rotation of a few degrees can make the difference and can make a building right as the energy map changes in 15o segments.
One outcome we want to avoid is a building on the borderline of energetic influences, ie where it is not clear if it belongs to one segment or another. People in such buildings tend to be affected mentally, have difficulty in making decision, don’t quite knowing whether to ‘turn left or right’, which results in confusion and instability. Here, a rotation of the building by as little as a few degrees (in the right direction) will avoid such issues. I have successfully applied this even in suburban blocks.
Building Design
This is generally the starting point when building in urban environments, where the street and block determine the orientation of the building.
Its exact compass orientation (and 20-year building period) determines the energy chart of a building, which tells us from which direction the most radiant life forces will come towards the building. This is where we try to put the doors and active living areas. It will also tell us where the most supportive energies for people’s health and wellbeing are located. This is where we try to place the sofa and bedrooms. Most importantly, we ensure that no negative energies are affecting people. Additionally, we ensure that the energy flow through the building is harmonious, avoiding cutting or attacking features.
Applying Feng Shui in the design stage should be done early in the concept stage. It provides a blueprint – within the constraints of the site, council, etc, around which an architect or designer can apply their skill of putting a great building together.
Interior Design and Colours
This is the level of Feng Shui we use to optimise existing buildings. The primary objective is again to let the most radiant energy into the building and to place people with the best available personal support energies – as much as possible within the constraints of the design.
This is achieved through selecting the best rooms for various activities, such as a home office, creative room and the most suitable bedroom for each family member. We optimise furniture placement to support these objectives.
Here we also work more closely with the types of energies, the Feng Shui elements. We enhance positive energies and drain negative energies through the appropriate use of (and avoidance of) certain colours and shapes.
When to apply Feng Shui
It is always best to apply Feng Shui as early and broadly as possible. If you have the luxury of selecting a building block or a piece of land, this is where to start. If you have a block, then get a blueprint for the design. If you are redecorating, get advice about types of furniture, shapes and colours before you renovate. If you are buying a new sofa, find out what colour and shape would be in harmony with the natural energies in your lounge.
The more levels we have to work with the better. Nevertheless, Feng Shui is better applied late in the building process than not at all, if you want to avoid the trial and error or time of second-guessing what works in an area and what does not.
The result of applied Feng Shui is a place that feels naturally right – that is ‘you’.
Contact me with any enquiry or to book a consultation.
Brigitte Seum, 0403 366 100
Image: Taylor Boggs on unsplash.com