Contributed by Stephen Chin
A home is always in a state of flux. It never stays the same. Babies are born into the family. They grow up. Some move out for further studies, work or to start a new family.
As the profile of the occupants in a house changes with time, it is essential to calibrate the home and maximise benefits to its inhabitants. Left unattended, a home that was once good and nurturing may evolve to become harmful to the occupants.
In an Environology (formerly called feng shui) audit of a home, there are generally two methods being used; namely the Flying Stars and Eight Mansions methods. Other ways are not as widely known, and some are even extinct today.
Feng Shui practice started long before the term was even coined. Several centuries before, the practice was called various names such as Kanyu and Qingwu. It was used by the imperial court to conduct land surveys to pick auspicious sites. The terrain would be mapped and studied according to the shape of the mountains and hills, the flow of rivers and so forth.
Each time an emperor decides to relocate the capital city, extensive work was done to find the right location. As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The historical capitals of China lasted a long time and the four great ancient capitals even longer. A study of the layout of these cities revealed the degree of compliance with the Environology principles.
During the Cultural Revolution in China, a great deal of knowledge was destroyed – books were burnt, scholars executed – and a few that were left fled abroad with whatever knowledge they could bring. Some feng shui masters chose not to pass on their knowledge, fearing that it could be abused for personal gain or to cause harm.
Thus, what remains today are the Flying Stars and Eight Mansions method. Both schools have supporters and detractors, with neither realising that the knowledge is not mutually exclusive. They are both based on the same principles of the Yijing.
The Flying Stars method is based on the movement of the constellations. As the earth spins on its axis, circled by the moon, and orbiting the sun along with the other planets, it experiences waves of energy and forces, such as gravity, geomagnetism, solar emissions. The amplitude and magnitude of the sum of these energies at any given time can affect us. It depends on our location and orientation at that time.
Some of these effects last for hours, some for days, others by months and even years. When a practitioner calibrates a home or office using this method, the results can be theatrical at that moment in time.
To continuously adjust the house or office, one would need to have multiple entrances, not considering the changes that are to be made every so often – they would also need a bungalow with eight doors which will make their house looks like a swiss cheese.
The Eight Mansions method is more lasting, though it may take months before the effects start to show. This is why it is often dismissed as boring or less effective than the Flying Stars method.
Nevertheless, it gives predictable results.
In practice, my sifu, Professor Emeritus Master David Koh, used the Flying Stars principles in forecasting world events and the Eight Mansions for home and offices.
According to the Eight Mansions method, a house can be divided into eight sectors, namely north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west and northwest. Every person has four good areas and four bad ones, depending on their year of birth.
The year of birth determines a person’s “gua number.” There are numerous websites out there with online gua calculator, so you do not even need to learn the formula. Be mindful though, if you’re born in December or January. The gua number changes at every winter solstice, but some mistakenly use the Lunar or Chinese New Year instead.
People born with gua one, three, four and nine belong to the Eastern Gua group while those born with gua two, six, seven and eight belong to the Western group. Gua five people are reassigned to two for males and eight for females, and both also belong to the Western group.
For Eastern gua folks, the north, south, east and southeast sectors are good areas; for Western gua folks, the west, southwest, northwest and northeast sectors are good areas. Therefore, to choose the right property one needs to match the house to the occupants.
Traditionally, the main entrance should match the master of the house. Questions will arise on who should be the master of the house; the breadwinner or his old dad? The answer sounds a bit mercenary, but it should favour the main male breadwinner because the entrance affects his fortunes and consequently the rest of the household.
If both men belong to the same group, then all is well. If they are not, the main entrance should still suit the breadwinner, but the senior gentleman may find life becoming more problematic.
This can be mitigated by having him stay in a room located in his good sector, preferably one that promotes good health.
Young couples looking to buy a house should ensure that their main entrance encourages harmony. This helps ensure a happy marriage. When they have children, they will be less rebellious and troublesome as they grow up.
Sometimes, a house feels too big and empty when all the children grow up and move away. The couple may opt to move to a smaller home instead. At this stage, they should opt for an entrance that enhances health. This can help them live out their old age with fewer complications.
A house with the right main entrance will benefit all the occupants for up to six years or in some cases, nine. After the period passes, something needs to be done to re-energise the house and restore its initial positive energies.
About the Contributor
Stephen Chin is a consultant and director at Environology dot com Sdn Bhd.
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