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Feng
Shui Works
Traditional
Feng Shui Consultancy
Feng Shui consultations for Home and Business, Chinese
Astrology, Nine Star Ki Astrology, Directionology and I Ching divination
Feng Shui Cures and Remedies
All traditional feng shui cures relate to the Five Elements and feng shui masters of old would have used colour, shape, sound, natural materials and, of course, water.
Modern
"cures" such as money toads, resin tortoises, windchimes, feng
shui coins, balls, Fu Dogs and Buddhas are not used by traditional feng
shui consultants. If you like to have these things in your home, that's
fine, but they are nothing to do with traditional feng shui and would
not be recommended by a traditional consultant. It is for this reason
that our clients are often pleasantly surprised when the remedies we recommend
are practical and straightforward, perhaps moving items of furniture
or introducing certain colours and shapes into specific areas.
Please
Note: We are not affiliated to any
feng shui shop or supplier of feng shui goods and will not attempt to
sell you any goods or supplies before, during or after your consultation.
From us, all you will receive is good advice!
The
Five Elements
The five elements consist of wood, fire,
earth, metal and water and together with yin and yang, form the basis
of I Ching divination, Chinese Astrology,
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Feng Shui, although there are other considerations
used in feng shui, such as the external environment, also known as "forms".
The five elements are considered the fundamental components of the universe
and all life.
The term "Five Elements" used in the west implies that like the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, the energy is fixed and inactive. However, the Chinese five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water are merely an attempt to describe the nature of the five types of energy and therefore the names given to them should not always be taken literally.
In Chinese, the five elements are known as "Wu Xing" or Five Transformational Phases and this more accurately describes the flow of energy or chi. Energy cannot be created from nothing but can only be transformed from one form to another. We can perhaps best explain this as being like the seasons, winter giving way to spring, spring giving way to summer, naturally changing over time, a never-ending cycle of nature, a smooth and harmonious transition from one phase to another. The following is a brief outline of the five elements and what each represents;
Wood
Wood energy represents nourishment, flexibility
and growth and therefore Spring. Wood chi is expansive and its colours
are greens and light blues. Shapes associated with it are tall and narrow.
Fire
Fire represents heat, light and summer.
It is the most yang and its motion is upwards. Fire colours are red, purple,
pink and peach and its shape is triangular.
Earth
Earth is the symbol of stability,
gravity and grounding. Its motion is to rotate. Colours associated with
it are yellow, cream, beige, terracotta and stone, shapes are wide and
squat.
Metal
Metal is cutting, controlling and cold
. It is associated with autumn and its motion is condensing and consolidating,
therefore its shape is circular or domed. Its colours are white and all
metallic colours such as gold, silver and brass.
Water
Water is the source of all life on earth.
Water chi is the most yin; deep, quiet and cold, representing the resting
time of winter. Its motion is descending and colours include dark blue
and black. Shapes are wavy and flowing .
Water cures can be in the form of colour and shape or by the use of real,
flowing water in fish tanks or water features.
Fish
Tanks
Aquariums are widely used in feng
shui. You may read in popular feng shui books that by placing six red
fish and a single black one in a fish tank, bad energy or "sha qi"
will be absorbed and that the poor black fish will need to be replaced
frequently as it is he who will always die! This is not correct and has
come about because the combination of the numbers one and six has a special
significance in feng shui.
We use aquariums in feng shui because we want to place water in certain
parts of the building. Qi is said to "ride with the wind and is dispersed,
while it is retained on encounter with water". This ancient feng
shui saying means that wherever water is placed, there is an interaction
between the the air (or wind) and water, and energy is released. The fish
are merely used to keep the water moving, as stagnant water is particularly
unhealthy.
Water
Features and Fountains
Water features are
used for the same reason as fish tanks; to have a body of flowing water
in order to activate and harness "sheng qi". Water is one of
the most potent of feng shui cures and care should always be taken when
placing water in and around the home. If you notice detrimental effects
in your home after installing a fountain or aquarium, it is probably best
turned off!
Bagua
Mirrors
Mirrors are of the metal element and are used by
traditional feng shui consultants to introduce this element to an area.
They were never used to deal with the effects of having an unsightly feature
or construction nearby and the use of a bagua mirror on a front door to
repel "sha qi" is a very recent invention. Quite simply, they
do not work, as the greater part of any negative energy will still attack
the door.
Plants
House plants are frequently used as a cure in feng
shui and are used for one of two reasons. Firstly, a plant has the element
of wood and earth, the plant being wood and the soil being of the earth
element. Secondly a large plant is used to represent a "mountain"
and is used to aid health and well-being or cure bad areas that may impact
on finances.