The Three Major Feng Shui Schools of Thought
The ancient Chinese art of feng shui has been practiced for thousands of years, some say 5,000 years! Of course, it has changed and evolved over time. While there are many, many different schools of feng shui, the various practices generally fall into one of three broader categories: the Form school of thought, the Compass school, and the Black Hat tantric sect.
SCHOOL OF FORM – Keyword: VISUAL
The Form School of feng shui is a specially VISUAL form of practice. Professionals focus on the topographical features of the land your home sits on and surrounds. They find great meaning in the relationships between the positions of each area of your house and the terrain. Great emphasis is placed on animal symbolism. Topographical features are named after the four celestial animals, feature names such as Dragon or Tiger Hills, Turtle Mountains, and Phoenix Stools. The five elements, fire, water, metal, earth and wood, also play an important role. Consultants may or may not use a directional compass.
When studying feng shui, you’ll know your learning is influenced by Form School when you hear things like:
– A mountain (or a tall building) must sit behind your house.
– Your main entrance must not be blocked.
– The ground on the left must be higher than the ground on the right of the house.
– Lands with slow and meandering rivers are especially favorable.
COMPASS SCHOOL – Keyword: TECHNICAL or PRECISE
The Compass School of feng shui is a TECHNICAL form of practice. Practitioners use mathematics and a special feng shui compass called the Luo Pan. Kua numbers, Flying Star feng shui, star numbers, the Lo Shu grid, and the Bagua are part of the Compass School practice.
You’ll know your learning is influenced by Compass School when you hear things like:
– Each individual has a Kua number that determines their auspicious and inauspicious directions.
– Your front door should face your auspicious direction.
– Sleep with your head facing your auspicious direction.
– Work towards your auspicious direction.
– Sickness Stars change location over time; it is essential to take measures to counteract these Stars.
The Shape and Compass Schools are sometimes called Classical Feng Shui.
SECT BLACK HAT – Keyword: INTUITIVE
The Black Hat school of feng shui relies much more on INTUITION than precise measurements and locations and was developed only a couple of decades ago. The only tool that practitioners of the Black Hat Sect use is the Bagua map. Beyond that, practitioners rely heavily on intuition and maintain an attitude of if it feels good, it probably does, assuming chi is flowing freely and positively. The Black Hat practice also incorporates the Buddhist practice of Zen meditation.
The Black Hat Sect borrows basic tenets from each of the other schools, such as “a mountain must sit behind you” (sit in front of a plant, screen, or solid background rather than in front of a window) and ” land with slow, wriggling motions. rivers are auspicious” (take steps to prevent chi from moving too slowly or too quickly in and around your home). However, the practice is less precise and more subjective. Elements do not need a specific location, but rather a location generally based on a strong awareness of changes in feeling caused by changes in the environment.
PICK UP AT SCHOOL
The Black Hat Sect’s tantric feng shui method may be the easiest for Westerners to learn, but it’s important to know the practices of each of the schools, as you’ll likely want to use ideas from all of them when designing your home. and perfect your own space. . Consultants are likely to do this too, although their ideas are probably based on one of the major schools. Before a consultant reviews her home, he checks the background of several consultants. The method used should be comfortable for you.