Feng Shui London and UK Spacessential

Feng Shui schools are numerous, and the Feng shui experts, consultants or "masters" on the market in London, Paris or the US all follow different teachings with more or less validity. Feng Shui is a generic name usedfor many theories and practices; while it might not speak volumes to the layperson, these differences are absolutely major to Feng Shui experts – and different methods bring different results. Some techniques and knowledge have an historical background: there are part of classical Feng Shui. Some others are modern-days development with no substance and we called them "Mc Feng Shui" or "Neo Feng Shui" (the term Mc Feng Shui was coined by Cate Bramble). Some other again blend traditional approach with modern add-on. It's not always easy for a novice to separate the wheat from the chaff! 

 

As a Feng Shui expert whenever I do a consultation in London, the UK or somewhere else I follow the techniques from the Han Wu San Yuan lineage. I therefore rely on a long tradition of classical Feng Shui in my consultations that is traced back on 2500 years straight.

 

Here is a summary of the principal traditional schools used and misused in Feng Shui.

 

1. Ba Zhai/Ba Chai/ 8 houses/the 8 mansions

 

Ba Zhai Feng Shui is the most well-known form in the Western world, mainly because of its apparent simplicity. It is also the most Watered-down. Many books only focus on this school, but this is only one school amongst the others, and not the most potent.

 

The eight mansions use the Gua or Kua (hexagram) of a person to derive his auspicious and inauspicious directions. The setting rules of the place then follow this pattern. It relies heavily of the symbolic Elemental association of the 8 sectors of the Bagua, or Pakua – hence the name 8 mansions. 

 

The problems with the eight mansions are numerous: the individual nature of the occupants is not explored in depth (no Bazi), neither the subtlety of the Chi (approach by full sectors). Besides the Ba Zhai School tries to enhance everything indiscriminately and do so by a symbolic association that is weak, to say the least.

 

 

 

2. Xuan Gong Fei Xing-The flying stars

 

Xuan Gong Fei Xing is another school propagated and wrongly used in the Western world. This school is based on the facing and setting of a building and its date of construction (or, sometimes, renovation) to plot a chart of the influences the place is under according to the time period. This is called the Flying Stars chart – on top of it there are some annual Flying stars charts.

 

While it can be used a predictive tool, the system presents some caveats that should not be overlooked. As a Feng Shui practioner I prefer to rely on a consistent system that answer all cases scenario and to change the flow of Chi once for all, rather than applying endless annual cures.

 

According to the flying stars, a whole lane of identical buildings built at the same time should have the same “destiny”…Which practically is never the case! The original goal of the flying stars is to be a predictive tool, an “oracle” to foresee the influence of a given location at a given time. It was never meant to be a corrective tool – hence its inadequacy for a Feng Shui audit.

 

A Feng Shui system should be usable in all cases. The flying stars, relying on facing/sitting to determine the whole chart, cannot solve such case as an open restaurant with no traditional facing or setting for example. Besides, they do not take into account the individual destiny either.

 

 

3. San He: the 3 combinations

 

San He Feng Shui is based on the association of the Land (premise), the Dragon (mountain) and the Water.

 

This school is mainly based on the observation of the form of the landscape of the environment, but also uses the Chinese compass or Luo Pan. The facing direction of the house is used to apply the formulas. The famous “Water Dragons” formula comes mostly come from the San He techniques.

The San He formulas are correct and this is a great way to access the type of Chi coming through a property or business. However the Bazi, or individual chart, is not considered; therefore San He does not explore in depth the relation between a person and the living place.

 

 

4. San Yuan/ San Yuen/Sam Yuan

 

San Yuan means three “factors”, 3 componants that are necessary to the audit. They are the time, the location/direction, and the balance of Yin and Yang.Almost unknown in the western world, this school determines the best environment for a person through timing, the setting and the balance of the Yin and the Yang.

 

More than asserting the energy of a location, San Yuan system also links it to the people living in the place, hence its great efficiency and accuracy. A San Yuan audit is based on the Bazi of the people using the place – therefore effectively connecting individual space and destiny. 

 

I use the San Yuan school as a Feng Shui expert.

 

I thought San Yuan Feng Shui was the flying stars?

 

This is a confusion of words! San Yuan is a common Chinese expression, and therefore is also used by such school as the Flying stars. In Flying stars, San Yuan simply means “three cycles” that are referring to the upper, intermediate and lower period, of 20 years each. In San Yuan Feng Shui, yuan means “factors”, and not period. San Yuan Feng Shui in its system and methods has indeed nothing to do with the flying stars.

 

I refer you to this article from my Sifu Master GK Ham about different school using the San Yuan words

http://gkham.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=27

 

 

5. Xuan Gong Da Gua/ Yuen Hom

 

Xuan Gong Da Gua system uses the 64 Guas (hexagrams), the same ones used in the I Ching. The sitting Gua/Kua of the building and the surrounding Guas in the environment are the means to apply the formula.

 

A time selection method also derivates from this school (cf the best timing). This is an efficient technique to select an auspicious wedding date for example, combined with the Bazi analysis of the spouses.

 

It is a very useful add-on to any Feng Shui audit; as a consultant I use the Xuan Gong Da Gua system especially in relation to the main door orientation.