Feng Shui is a method that uses the environment to influence the person’s or the family’s well-being. This is my journey to become a fully trained professional feng shui consultant.
As a child, I was fascinated to hear that a feng shui consultant had made recommendations to change the layout of Singapore city centre to make it prosperous. He also made design changes to a hotel that struggled to fill its rooms to one that is now busy all year long. This intrigued me and it became my ambition to become a feng shui consultant.
Many decades later, I started my search for a professional feng shui consultant training course whilst I was working as a forensic scientist at London’s Metropolitan Police. I studied many books on feng shui but it did not fit to my understanding of Chinese Culture. Feng shui developed with the start of Chinese civilisation some 4,000 years ago. Considering the age of this Chinese Art, the methods, appeared to me to be rather simple, it lacked depth of knowledge and had many contradictions.
I did not feel comfortable. I know that authentic Chinese metaphysics is seamless and is based on the fundamentals of Chinese Metaphysics.
Using my investigative skills as a forensic scientist, I started my search in various countries to find the best way to be trained as a feng shui consultant. I wanted to learn methods that work consistently, provide tangible results and has a feedback mechanism that serves as a check.
I searched for 5 years.
This is my journey.
- The Start of My Journey
- Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui Consultant
- Fake News did not start with President Donald Trump
- How Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui grew with Chinese Civilisation (link)
1. The Start of My Journey
My interest in Feng Shui started at a young age when I heard that Singapore city centre was to be redesigned with this Chinese philosophy. Also, the same feng shui consultant had re-designed the front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Since the original opening day, it had been doing badly. On the re-opening night, there was a delay because of a technical fault on a B747 Jumbo aircraft. About 300 passengers were booked for an overnight stay. This hotel has remained fully booked to the present day.
I learnt that Feng Shui is a Chinese environmental methodology what helps to bring out the best in you. Putting it simply, it optimises the environment so that humans can achieve their goals faster and easier.
The feng shui design of Singapore city was to enable it to prosper continually. The impact of any recession would be lessened. This was to set Singapore’s growth to a world class nation as it is today. The feng shui of the Grand Hyatt Hotel was meant to turn around the ailing performance to a successful hotel. In both cases, the feng shui implementation worked. |
Learning that it would help the family, I suggested that we should have a visit from a feng shui consultant and mentioned to my parents that I wanted to be a feng shui consultant.
I was talked out of it and had to wait a few more decades to fulfil my life’s ambition.
I picked a few suggestions from family friends in Singapore. One in particular. He was a serious student of Chinese Metaphysics.
The Chinese love their Secrets
Many of the Chinese practises like Martial Arts (Kung Fu), Chinese Arts including feng shui, the experts have always been very protective of their knowledge so much so that there is a side industry of people who exploit this information vacuum.
The reputable practitioners who are trained in the practice are very careful about talking about their methodologies. They perceive that, talking too much would “affect their rice bowl” or livelihoods. As a result of this information vacuum, there are groups of people who market themselves as practitioners or teachers and provide an alternative view of the practice.
Because these people get their information from difference sources, contradictions arise. This in turn adds confusion of these Chinese Arts. As a result, prospective clients have become very aware and cautious. They do their research and seek recommendations before making any commitment.
Our family friend said: “Teachers teach you the knowledge or theory of a subject. However, it is not possible to learn a practical subject from a teacher. Their primary skill is imparting information and unlikely to be familiar with the practical aspects. To learn a practical subject, you have to be trained by a practitioner who knows the practical side and how the method works.
It is even better is to be trained from a lineage holder. Lineage is the traditional Chinese system about passing down the name, knowledge and practise methods.
The training programme within the lineage system is for an artisan or craftsman. The training is to provide you with the necessary skills to practise the craft with the aim that you will be as good as your trainer.
The lineage holder would only pass on their secrets (practise knowledge) to someone they can trust and use this knowledge for the common good. To them, it is more important to maintain the good name than sell the knowledge. If they are good, they would have made the money from their services.
All practitioners in the Chinese Metaphysics like Martial Arts, Healing Arts, Predictive Arts etc have their secrets. This is very much like the Corporations in the West where they hold their propriety knowledge very tightly. The prime example is “Coca Cola”. The formula for the original Coca Cola is kept in a secret vault in their head office in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Training with a Lineage Society usually lasts about 10 years. It is the training of an artisan where you not only get the personal attention, mentorship but training in character building or personality training. (The complete training is very much like the Master/apprentice relationship in the UK.) This is where the practical work is supervised on a 1 to 1 basis for a long period of time.
These opportunities seldom appear. You have to be very fortunate to be selected.”
I still remember the occasions in Singapore when the family friend explained these subtleties to me many decades ago.
The Key fundamentals of Chinese Philosophy
- Yin/Yang
- Five Elements and their cycles (Creative and Destructive)
- LoShu
- PaKua
- Any method that does not have these fundamentals should be viewed critically
Feng Shui has come to the UK (from 1995)
I noticed books and articles in newspapers and magazines about feng shui. They were stating that feng shui was developed more than 4,000 years ago and, there were a few simple methods.
The formulae or methods:
- The house is segmented into 9 equal “squares”. Each “square” has a different characteristic.
- The use of Chinese symbols to change your fortune
- Eight house formula for person and house
- Flying star – time dimension
- Form school – a simple few rules.
From my basic knowledge of the Chinese Arts, I know the practice is integrated, it is seamless from one end to the other. These modules are very different and used separately.
Secondly, it does not fit – a 4,000-year-old methodology with simple methods. Something is not quite right – it is incongruous.
I started looking for a professional feng shui consultant training course. I looked on the internet, attended conferences and networked in all parts of the world.
My Aims as a professional feng shui consultant
Feng Shui was then not well known in the UK. People are becoming more aware of the environment that they are living in. Feng Shui is about creating an environment helping the well-being of the people.
To find methods:
- That are proven and tangible in use
- To get feedback in the analysis and implementation.
My model is how the mainstream organisations in the UK organises their professional training. It is carried out by trainers or instructors who have practical experience of the “profession or trade”. They supervise the practical work. This is followed by a period of time in a training position as an apprentice, intern or trainee.
The professional training courses offered for a feng shui consultant was class room based with no practical work.
So, my follow up questions on the teachers:
- What did they do before practising or training feng shui?
- Where did they learn or be trained in the practise knowledge?
- What practical experience does the teacher have before getting involved in training of feng shui?
As feng shui was a new subject in the UK, the teachers had jobs like executives, teachers, marketeers, architects etc. None were involved with the Traditional Chinese Arts. They had learnt the subject from other teachers and some from the ancient texts. There was no mention of having practical training in this Chinese Art.
When you are learning a skill, you need feedback to know whether you are doing it correctly. This is common to all methodologies. With practise, you improve based on the feedback. However, with the above methods, I could not see how feedback could be achieved and there is no way to monitor the implementation.
Perhaps, this explains why there are so many differing interpretations on the same topic. They are therefore, opinions and not fact.
As I could not find any teacher of my expectation from my initial search in the UK, I decided to visit various countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan) in the Far East where we (my wife, Helen and I) could speak to the various people who use and practise Feng Shui.
Consultants: It was not easy to talk about getting the best training as they thought I was going to be a potential competitor. We got to know Malaysia’s best known feng shui consultant and he really warmed to us. He recommended learning in Taiwan. He had done his further education there and trained in Martial Arts (WuShu style) and became a regional champion. He said that, if you want the real or true knowledge of any Chinese Philosophy, you have to go to Taiwan.
When the Communist led by Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) took over Mainland China in 1949, the fleeing Chinese Nationalist Government set up their new base in Taiwan, an island off the coast of China. They took with them all the relevant people from the Chinese Imperial Court and the Treasures from the Museums. The top people of the various Arts are now based in Taiwan. “That is how I trained to become a champion in Chinese Martial Arts (Wu Shu).”
Hong Kong was a British outpost of China and “they fed on the scraps of information of the various Chinese Arts”. They have scholars or researchers who have built up their knowledge based on the Ancient Texts. Not all these texts are accurate or true. I would not trust these ancient texts.
Property developer/Owner: We had a very informative discussion with a director of a property company which not only develops but owns shopping centres and hotels. The business started off using Malaysian Feng Shui consultants but the results were not consistent. We moved on to work with consultants from Hong Kong then to Taiwan.
“I currently work with a consultant from Taiwan. When we start a new project, he gets involved. His work has been very consistent and the projects have worked wonderfully. We are now a billion-dollar company. We have minimised the risks and increased the return on these projects when using his services”.
He gets work from all over the world. There are many major businesses that use his services. Recently, the Prime Minister of Singapore flew into Taiwan for meetings.
We made an arrangement to meet this particular consultant in Taipei (Taiwan).
Meeting in Taipei: The consultant confirmed much of the details we heard earlier. He had trained in mainland China and was “brought” over to Taiwan when the Nationalist Government moved in the early 1950s. He has worked in many parts of the world including Far East, North America and Europe. He was in his eighties and nowadays, rarely did any travelling.
I asked him who were his clients. He said that, we maintain client confidentiality at all times. He has worked with a number of national leaders and involved in projects for billion-dollar companies throughout the world.
I was interested in the training scene. The lineage training depended on the lineage holder and whether the person is looking for students. They usually teach in Chinese. There comes a stage in the lineage holder’s career where they want to pass on their practise knowledge (secrets) and they seek students for the next generation. They are not doing it for the money but they are doing it to keep the knowledge alive.
He said, there is a lineage holder in the US who could looking for students and teaches in English. He was not sure.
Sensing my interest in learning, he ended the conversation with the Chinese expression (Lao Tzu): “When the Student Is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear, when the Student is Truly Ready, the Teacher will Disappear”.
“Do not worry, it will happen”.
Finally, I asked him why is he so hard to find, how do people get to know you?
“If you are good, people will always want to know you.”
He said that with a smile and we departed.
My Plan
On my return to the UK, inspired by this information, I enhanced my search with my network of like-minded enthusiasts. A year later, I noticed someone, who was contributing very sensible answers to the discussion board, was holding an introductory class in Los Angeles, USA. I attended the class.
Comment on Class: There was a heavy emphasis on the Chinese fundamentals (yin/yang, 5 elements, LoShu, PaKua) and from the examples, I could see her depth of experience and knowledge.
The Master was looking for indoor students with the criteria:
- To be good students
- Have high morals and ethics to take responsibility to practise this knowledge.
- Do no harm
She was looking to set up a team to work on large projects. The course duration would be long and plenty of hard work with plenty of homework.
Yippee! I was selected to be an indoor student.
2. Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui Consultant Training
The Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui training programme was devised centuries ago for an artisan. At that time, most people were not able to read or write so the knowledge was passed down verbally. Everything was shown to the student by the trainer who was an experienced practitioner.
In my training programme, the students were trained individually or in small groups in the theory, practicals and practical skills as they did in ancient China. The theory was based on the basic tenets of feng shui. Students were encouraged to develop personal skills to use their senses to identify the quality and quantity of the energy flows.
External design was about the gathering of the appropriate energy from the environment to the point of entry. Internal design was about the distribution of the energy to the relevant parts of the building with minimal loss.
The aim of the training is to turn the student to a consultant who will do the work with “well executed simplicity” and carry on the good name of the lineage founder.
- Why an Artisan?
- Selection of Students
- Feng Shui Fundamentals
- Field Trips and Practical Work:
- Homework
- Compass Direction
- Methods and Personal Skills
- Quality of Energy
- Understanding Energy Flows
- Energy Visualisations
- Personality Training
- Apprenticeships and Trainee positions
- Why an Artisan?
Definition of an artisan: “A person or company that makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods”
When using traditional (lineage) feng shui, the consultant uses methods based on the fundamentals, the building blocks of feng shui. Then, the use of senses and the skills are developed, practised and refined over time to work with the quantity and quality of the energy. These 2 elements, feng shui fundamentals and energy, are the very foundations of the technical aspects of feng shui.
The consultant then crafts a solution by working with established methods that have been used over a number of millennia.
I often use this analogy – a chef who prepares food from first principles and a cook who uses ready-made or pre-prepared food.
I often use this analogy – a chef who prepares food from first principles and a cook who uses ready-made or pre-prepared food. A chef selects the basic ingredients and uses his skill to prepare a dish. This could be in a chef Michelin starred or a proper restaurant. They do not use pre-prepared or frozen food. It is the skill of the chef, using these basic ingredients to prepare a dish consistent with his skill and reputation. He is an artisan or a craftsman. Secondly, when you use raw and fresh materials you know its origins (provenance), you know exactly what you are working with. The taste will be natural and authentic. When you are using pre-prepared packaged food, it is quicker and more convenient, but do you know what is used in the preparations? |
When you work with a feng shui formula, do you know the true history or how the formula was derived? Do you know its characteristics – its strength, weaknesses and the contradictions?
2. Selection of Students
This is one of the most important decisions for the Lineage Holder. The aim is to find a person or persons who will practise this knowledge responsibly, maintain the high ethical standards and do good for society for the future as the next generation. Most importantly, this person has the passion for the subject and is prepared to be trained for about 10 years.
In my case, there was a group of 8 students to train and work as a team.
3. Feng Shui Fundamentals.
The classroom sessions were on the fundamentals of feng shui which is common in Chinese Metaphysics.
- Yin/Yang
- 5 elements with their cycles (constructive, destructive)
- LoShu
- PaKua
- The timing cycles together with their interactions.
These form the basis of traditional (lineage) feng shui. Their characteristics and interactions are well documented. A thorough knowledge contributes to the skill and abilities as a feng shui consultant. This information is on outside of the compass of the LoPan which acts as a “cheat sheet” or “aide memoire”. If this information is memorised, there is no need to use this cheat sheet or the LoPan. A simple pocket compass would suffice.
The LoPan adds weight to the kit. This is particularly noticeable when working in the site all day.
4. Field Trips and Practical Work
Visits to numerous residential, government and commercial properties in cities across the world. Also, design sessions on building improvements and new build on various types of building plots.
We did many field trips to residential properties – small to large including apartments in various parts of North America. More importantly, we visited the important cities where there was political power (capitals), significant financial Centres, natural feng shui sites etc.
Political Power (Washington DC, London, Singapore, Bangkok)
Financial Centres (New York, City of London, Canary Wharf), Singapore
Cities with naturally good feng shui – New York, London, Barcelona, Singapore, Toronto, Dubai
Cities with incorporated Feng Shui designs: Singapore, Penang (GeorgeTown),
Important buildings: HSBC (Hong Kong, Canary Wharf), Bank of China & Governor’s House (Hong Kong), Marina Sands, Grand Hyatt Hotel and Suntec Conference Centre (Singapore)
Visits were made for a specific purpose – Shopping Centres, Hotels, Head offices and various building in Las Vegas, hospitals, theme parks.
5. Homework:
We were assigned to do an external audit of various properties at a rate of one or two a day. I started with residential properties in my hometown then commercial and town designs. After 5 years of doing this regularly, I not only covered towns and cities in the UK but of other nations including feng shui hot spots of Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
- All the work was supervised and comments made
- The knowledge was based on what my master was taught and from her own practical experience
- Further study and committing to memory the feng shui fundamentals.
6. Methods and Personal Skills
Attitude of the Traditional Chinese was to train the person the skill to solve the problem. In the west, technology is used to solve the problem.
Using the example of a traditional Chinese chef: He uses a cleaver, chopping board, a wok and a powerful gas burner with the usual Chinese sauces.
The heavy cleaver can be used to dissect a duck or chicken and then be used to finely dice some beans. Only one instrument is used for all the cutting tasks. The chef is trained to use his skill for use in the wide range of material. The wok can not only do stir frying, steaming, baking and many other things.
You then compare this with a Western chef, he has an array of equipment – knives, spoons, cooking pots stoves, different types of ovens etc. The western trained chef would use a different knife for different types of material. The large knife for big heavy cuts to a small knife for the delicate cutting.
7. Compass Direction
We see images of feng shui teachers and their students carrying LoPan or Chinese feng shui compass.
Is this used in traditional (lineage) feng shui?
For us, all we need is to identify where the North or South direction is. We can then work out the other directions and their characteristics without the assistance of a LoPan. A LoPan is a compass in the centre with a cheat sheet around it. If you know the characteristics of the various direction in your head, you do not need to use the cheat sheet of the lo-pan. A basic pocket compass would suffice.
How do we identify the North or South direction?
There are some who use the small pocket compass but there are others who can naturally identify either the North or South directions. There are senior members who can accurately determine the direction to less than 5 degrees accuracy. John Edward Huth in the book “The Lost Art of Navigating Your Way” states that humans have a magnetoreceptor in their brains but it needs to be developed.
I do not need a compass to identify the South direction.
The Chinese found that a lode stone had magnetic properties and it could identify the north and south directions. From what I have heard, this device was not easily transportable and not taken to the site. The consultants could identify the North or South directions by themselves. |
8. Quality of Energy
The quality of the energy is determined by the incoming direction, the interaction with the elements and the time period within the feng shui calendar. These combinations would be committed to memory by the student
9. Understanding the Energy Flows
We were trained to look at the big picture – where the energy comes from, it flows, how much flow to the property of interest. Other information includes the quantity and quality of the energy.
John Edward Huth in the book (The Lost Art of Navigating Your Way) monitored the brains of people who were using natural navigation based on their knowledge. They brains lit up. When they were using instrumentation like GPS., their brains just felt dead as there was no activity.
A consultant trained in Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui who is working on the property is using his senses and brain for compass directions and energy sensing to carry out the analysis. He is thinking continually and is very aware of the environment.
From my experience, when I am not using the any instrumentation, I am very aware of the surroundings. There are times, my body responds to the changes in energy in the location – hairs at the back of my neck standing, the pit of my stomach contracts or changes in smells. These signals alert me to the various changes that are happening.
When I am in this mode, I spot the changes faster and more accurately. I feel I am doing a better job.
When I use instrumentation, I do not feel connected with the environment as I am focussed on the instruments rather than the surroundings.
10. Energy Visualisations
Traditional Feng Shui works directly with the energy flows.
We were trained to look at the big picture – where the energy comes from, it flows, how much flow to the property.
Other information includes the quantity and quality of the energy. We have to take into account the speed of the flow, fast slow, still, turbulent, uneven. Then there is the behaviour – reflects, refracts, turns etc.
Therefore, you have to understand exactly how the energy flows. Even better is the ability, like some senior consultants, to visualise or feel this energy.
11. Personality Training
When we go through life, we have achieved what we have done and find it difficult to make further improvements. Personality Training is to help the students go beyond their limits and achieve new and greater attainments.
The example being:
We can go through 10 years of our life, we either
- live every year repeated with every year doing the same thing
- or
- live every year differently, doing different and more challenging things and getting greater satisfaction and rewards.
The training given:
- Setting goals and use of affirmations
- Changing negative outlook to a positive outlook
- Getting rid of negative memories so that the person is not encumbered by the past. Examples – fear of heights, past memory of trauma re-occurring, fear of public speaking and many more. The damaging part is when emotion gets involved when these memories occur.
- Comfort Zone: Expanding a person’s comfort zone is essential for a person to expand one’s horizons or to take on new challenges. To get out of the comfort zone to the growth zone, you have to pass the ring of fear surrounding the comfort zone. This method gets rid of the fear and other inhibitions to enable the person to get to the growth zone faster.
After these sessions, I could feel the difference – more confidence and the willingness to do previously unimaginable and unattainable tasks.
12. Apprenticeships and Trainee positions
I worked as an apprentice in teams on developmental projects which my Master led. This involved the preparation, design proposals and delivering of the offer to the client.
The Practice of Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui
1. Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui is an integrated or unified system.
The aim of the practise is to get the best available energies present in the environment to the targeted locations within in the property.
Exteriors
a. An exploration of the surrounding area to locate the source or sources of the energy. It is landform that determines the flow of energy to the property.
b. The energy going into the property is governed by 2 factors – The quantity and the quality of the energy.
c. The quality of the energy is determined two factors
- feng shui fundamentals mentioned earlier (link)
- the flow characteristics – it is fast, slow, moderate, turbulence from an obstacle etc
d. The consultant then devises a “channel” for the energy to flow to the entrance of the property. The energy has to be prepared for the entrance –
- The right feng shui qualities to match the entrance of the energy.
- The physical flow of the energy is slow and calm.
There can be one or more entrances for the energy to enter.
Interiors
e. The entrance hallway way is the distribution centre for the property.
The internal design in the property is to direct the energy to the appropriate locations and also, away from the locations where energy can be lost – external doors, toilets etc.
The appropriate locations can be for a –
Residential: bedroom, living room, study
Business: Sales area, offices of decision makers.
Comment:
It is important to have feedback of knowing the quality and quantity of energy flowing at the various stages. Otherwise, the consultant would be working “blind”.
3. Fake News started before President Donald Trump
From my days in working in Forensic Science, I have been very careful in accepting information. This is the culture at Metropolitan Police. It is a matter of credibility. If I accepted anything including falsehood and presented it in a Court of Law, I will not only get into serious trouble but there could also be a miscarriage of justice verdict. A miscarriage of justice will discredit my employer – Metropolitan Police but also tarnish the reputation and credibility of the Laboratory and myself.
This happened with Operation Midland. The police officers accepted the testimony of Carl Beech as credible witness. In fact, he was a fantasist and later found guilty of perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. There was a huge outcry as it implicated several high-profile people – politicians and high-ranking military officers.
Knowledge of the practise of Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui has always been kept to those that have been trained. There are many stories of how, on many occasions, enthusiasts have tried to copy or reverse engineer the work that had been done by trained feng shui consultants. There are also stories of secret formulae that a consultant’s father or grandfather had used. On one occasion, it had turned out that the “consultant” had invented it himself.
1. Mistakes made in the copying of feng shui texts.
My first story illustrates the demand for feng shui text. Enthusiasts would do virtually anything to get hold of it. This story involves the copying of an original feng shui text.
“Shen Zhu-Nai made a great effort to study the work of Jiang Da-Hong (A famous Feng Shui Master) but without much success. In 1873, he went with a disciple/friend Wu Bo-On to the town of Wu-Xi in Jiangsu to seek out the children of a Feng Shui master called Zhang Zhong-Shan who had learned the secrets of the “Ai-xing-shu” from Jiang Da-Hong. They stayed in Wu-Xi for several months without learning anything. In the end they had to pay a large sum of money just to have a look at the manuscript written by Zhang Zhong-Shan and kept in the family as a treasure by his offspring. The manuscript was called “Yin-Yang-Liang-Zhai-Lu-Yan” (Record of Experience of Yin and Yang Dwellings) which was file notes of Zhang’s consultations. They secretly copied the whole manuscript by hand in 24 hours and took it home with them to study in detail.
After many years, Shen still could not decipher the secret”
They could not understand the text because of mistakes made in the copying. In those days, copying was the only way, there was no photography or modern technological methods that we have today. With Chinese characters, you need to copy the character completely. If there is a missing dot or stroke, the character has a totally different meaning. Likewise, with an additional dot or stroke.
2. A Fake Formula
A fake formula derived from a standard but then secret formula.
The Tang Dynasty was one of China’s most prosperous periods. The King of Korea was going to pay a visit to the Emperor of China. He requested a feng shui method so that he can use it in his Kingdom.
The Emperor was not too happy about giving away a secret but, he did not want to lose face by refusing to give the King of Korea the method. A courtier suggested that they should create a fake formula for him. This they did.
In the original 8 house formula, people are divided into either East or West House Groups based on their date of birth. A person has 4 auspicious directions and 4 inauspicious directions within each group. This method works when the person faces the designated directions (facing direction).
| West House Group | Auspicious Directions | Inauspicious Directions |
| West | East | |
| North East | South | |
| North West | South East | |
| South West | North |
| East House Group | Auspicious Directions | Inauspicious Directions |
| East | West | |
| South | North East | |
| South East | North West | |
| North | South West |
The courtiers included a building to this formula. In other words, the building also had auspicious directions which included facing and sitting directions.
The contradiction: If a building sits in the South East (East House Group), it will face the North West direction (West House Group). Which group is this building? – East House or West House Group?
Similarly, when the building sits in the North West (West House Group) and faces the South East direction (East House Group). Which group is this building? – East House or West House Group?
This fake version of 8 house formula is well publicized and stated in many books and articles. Most feng shui authors and practitioners are not aware of this fake addition of the formula.
As always, the original version of 8 house formula is not well publicized. It is probably hidden away as a “secret formula” as the Emperor had originally wanted.
3. Reverse Engineering but applied wrongly.
The third story is about Shen ZiRhen who authored the method – Flying Star Formula. Shen studied feng shui of tombs to derive the method. The study of feng shui of tombs is yin feng shui. However, this method is being used for the feng shui of properties that people live or work in. This is yang feng shui.
Shen ZiRhen was a scholar in the sense that he could read and write. He was a feng shui enthusiast and was very interested in the work done by trained feng shui consultants. Shen did not have any training in feng shui. He heard that a number of tombs were designed with feng shui and it was showing the positive results as the descendants were very successful.
He investigated the position of the tombs and reversed engineered the design with his knowledge of feng shui. He proposed the flying star method. This method is very popular amongst the feng shui community in Hong Kong and the West (Europe and North America). The method includes changes of auspicious directions with time.
However, there are 2 main contradictions.
- The first contradiction:
The flying star formula deals with the time dimension.
For example, period 7 covers the years 1984 to 2004 and period 8 the years 2004 to 2024.
Let us take an example.
In 1990 (Period 7).
A new tomb is sealed with a coffin and the entrance faces west.
A new build house is occupied with its 1st occupants. The house faces West.
Both tomb and house have the same natal chart as they are occupied in 1990 (Period 7) and face West.
In the newly occupied house, the doors are opened for people to go in and out. The windows are opened for air to circulate. The energy moving around the house has a Period 7 energy.
In 2010 (Period 8)
A new tomb is sealed with a coffin and the entrance faces west.
A new build house is occupied with its 1st occupants. The house faces West.
Both tomb and house have the same natal chart as they are occupied in 2010 (Period 8) and face West.
In the newly occupied house, the doors are opened for people to go in and out. The windows are opened for air to circulate. The energy moving around the house has a Period 8 energy.
The natal charts from both sets of properties from the Period 7 and Period 8 are different even though they face the West direction.
We are now considering the year 2010 (Period 8). The 1990 tomb which has the Period 7 natal chart. The natal chart is satisfactory as the energy within the sealed tomb belong to Period 7.
It is different for the 1990 house which has a Period 7 natal chart. According to the interpretations for the flying star formula, the house will retain the Period 7 natal chart. For the property to have a Period 8 natal chart, the roof has been removed to expose the top of the property to the elements for a stated period of time. This is to allow the new Period energy to enter from the top of the property.
As I see it, the removal of the roof is analogous to the opening of the tomb.
In my opinion, a property for the living will always have to open the doors and windows. This will therefore allow the energy of the Period 8 to enter the property.
In my opinion, this is a contradiction. The use of this formula has not been properly thought out.
b. The second contradiction:
The facing direction: This is very straight forward in a Chinese tomb. This is the entrance where the coffin enters.
In modern houses, the front door does not always have the same direction as the front of the house. The door can be in front wall but tilted at an angle for various reasons. Also, the front door could be at the side of the house.
Comment: The flying star method might be a fine and workable method for tombs (yin feng shui) but it is not the best method to use in houses where people live (yang feng shui).
So, when you read feng shui books, it can appear to be full of contradiction when you think about it.
Why is Feng Shui in the media full of contradictions?
The contributors of feng shui to the media have based their information from these sources:
- Feng Shui and interior design
- Eight house formula
- Flying star formula
- Chinese symbols.
Author (books), writers (magazine or internet) and teachers base their information from these sources. They have to differentiate themselves from each other from the marketing point of view. For authors and writers, they have to convince the commissioning editor they have a different angle or have found a better way. Secondly, for teachers to attract new students, they have to show they are different from the crowd – they have a simpler or more effective method perhaps?
The various people come up with different interpretations of the source material. There is a good chance there will be contradictions from these variations. I do not think that these variations are tested.
An example of tangibility or testing; Say, you are cooking a stew. When you are preparing the dish, you can check on the taste by sampling and checking on the appearance. Is it going to expectation? The final check is the taste of the dish when it is served. It is a tangible method to check the dish. You can either be satisfied with the work or it needs improvement.
The practise of feng shui based on the above methods are not tangible or cannot be checked. One only gets interpretations or opinions. These opinions can easily differ and give rise to contradictions.
New Formula being devised
A case in point is Roger Green a teacher based in Australia. He devised a formula specifically for the southern hemisphere. In this part of the world, their winter is in June and their summer is in December. This is the reversed to the northern hemisphere.
From my research, this formula has not been verified or tested but it is being taught and used. There could be practitioners using it in the Southern Hemisphere. This interpretation has been questioned by many in the feng shui world.
Another feng shui formula that has been published is Celtic Feng Shui. It is said to be practiced by the ancient Celts. From what I have seen, it is a derivation of the triple gate formula practised by Lin Yin. The Celts were ancient peoples of Europe at about the times of the Roman Empire. The Triple Gate Formula was first published in a book “Feng Shui “by Sarah Rossbach in 1998.
The difference with Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui, the consultants are trained to visualise the flow of energy. This way, they can monitor the situation and know whether it is going to work or not. These methods have been used for millennia and recognised as established working procedures. They have a track record which shows it works, not for a few occasions but millennia.
4. How Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui Grew with the Rise Chinese Civilisation
Feng Shui grew with the development of Chinese Civilisation which started some 4,000 years ago. It has developed to an effective methodology as shown by the successes in the recent decades but yet, there are very few people who know the true methods. There is no proper documentation of the methods but yet, the effectiveness of the methods is maintained.
How has this been done?
China has risen to power and declined over the centuries and the true efficacy of the methods remain intact. Feng Shui has been regularly discouraged by the Chinese rulers but they themselves have employed the best Feng Shui Consultants for projects for their own benefit.
Ancient Land Management in the UK: I was having a conversation with a farmer whose family worked on the land for generations. He was telling me that the farmers had methods on how to work and design the land, very much like feng shui. However, this information was lost as it could not be documented as those who could write belonged to the Church. This was not relevant to them. |
In the recent decades, traditional feng shui has been used in the design of many properties in Europe and North America – Canary Wharf (London’s 2nd financial centre), Wal Mart (world’s largest grocery chain), Tesco (UK’s largest grocery chain), Starbucks (world’s largest coffee shop chain).
How has this been done?
The Chinese Lineage System:
The way the Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui operates is traditionally very Chinese. This starts with the selection of the students, the training of an artisan, the apprenticeship, a trainee and then a valued member of the team. This process takes more than 10 years of dedication of both parties – the trainer (who acts as a coach, instructor, “parent”, mentor and elder) and the student. The student is coached in the skills and behaviour that is wanted of him. This type of training is rarely seen the West (Europe) at this present time.
Structure: A lineage group is very much like a family (father, mother, children) – a leader and everybody else have a part to play (as described in the Pa Kua). There are important things that matter – values, ethics, discipline, trust and honesty.
Selection: This is one of the most difficult decisions is admitting a new person to be a new member of the family. There are various ways of selection but this is always done with care.
Training & Development: A thorough knowledge of the feng shui basics. The knowledge was passed on by oral transmission with a rhyming couplet used as a check. At that time, not many people were literate. It is the training of an artisan. This training has been described to me like the huge effort that goes in the cutting and polishing of the rough stones which become the finest of diamonds. As the students train together, they build up comradery from having spent time training and working together.
They work with their senses and knowledge committed to memory. They are not literate and do not do the complex calculations of modern day of formula feng shui.
Methodology: The methods used were the Feng Shui basics and this has proven to work time after time – over the centuries. It is reliable and easily scalable – it works for the small residential property to a city.
1. The practise is based on the fundamental basis of feng shui – 5 elements, yin/yang, LoShu. PaKua and the flow of energy. It works on the basis – the more energy, the better quality the energy – the faster and better the results will be. This is the reliance on the highest quality or credibility of knowledge.
2. Traditional (lineage) feng shui is dealing directly with the principal element – the flow of energy. It is about manipulating this energy for the benefit of the clients using the tools that we have been trained with. Dealing directly and monitoring the effect is the best method of getting things done. We do not work blindly.
3. Quality check – to show that the designs are working to plan. This provides a great feedback mechanism for the feng shui consultants.
Together, these elements are intrinsic to Chinese Metaphysics and not dependent on fashion, fads, or innovation. In my opinion, the methods in Chinese Metaphysics provide the tools that describe the fundamental movements in nature.
Post training: Practical experience in the proprietary methodologies as an apprentice, trainee and then member of the team. This procedure can take 10 years or more.
Ethics and discipline: These are part of the family ethos.
- No conflict of interest
- Client comes first and not the other parties
- If it cannot be done, say so.
Additional Personal Skills: In assessing the quality and quantity of energy – being able to detect the North or South Compass directions and also, visualise the energy flows.
Culture: To have a Nurturing Environment – The aim of the training is to develop consultants that are better than the present generation. This would make the previous generation proud.
Peaks and Troughs of Chinese civilisation: This civilisation, has risen and declined through the millennia. The lineage practise has carried on through the strength of its culture and the ability to monitor the quality and quantity of the energy flows (a crucial check of the feng shui).
Support and Specialism: As we work as a team, senior members give support to others when required. The leaders of the team can have a lifelong practise which could be 50 to 60 years of work experience. Secondly, because of the team structure, specialists can develop so that the range of expertise broadens. Together with the good work carried out, this improves the reputation of the lineage group.
The structure of the lineage society has enabled Feng Shui to be remain active over the four thousand years of Chinese Civilisation. It remains as effective and vibrant throughout. In fact, it remained in China and the neighbouring countries until the 19th Century when it spread to the other parts of Asia with the emigration of the Chinese. In the 20th Century, it became a household word in the West (Europe and North America) and has spread to the rest of the world.
Dr Michael Oon – Feng Shui Consultant
I am a member of Alliance Feng Shui and my Master – Shyan Tseng, is the lineage holder for Blue Dragon Feng Shui. My Master has more than 5 decades of work experience at the highest level – working from residential properties to the design of cities and State capitals.
After making enquiries, I am the only lineage Feng Shui practitioner who is resident in the UK and works in the British Isles (UK and Eire).
I have worked, as part of a team, on projects in North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia for the development of many large property projects like town development, shopping centres, hotels etc. Working on my own as Michael Oon Consulting, I have helped the owners of more than a thousand properties in the UK, Europe and South East Asia.
I craft a bespoke solution for your property using Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui. The people living in the property are individuals. Each property is different, so is the location. Taking all three factors, it is a totally unique combination. Hence a highly individual solution has to be constructed for the people in the property. This is tailored approach to the clients who are individuals in a unique environmental setting.
In Chinese Metaphysics, the faster and the better the result is because of:
- More energy
- Better quality of energy
Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui is about identifying the flows of energy in the environment and then directing it to the property. Inside the property, it is about the distribution of this energy.
In other words, I am manipulating the flow of energy in the environment for the benefit of my clients.
Two comments have been made of my methods.
- My analysis and methods are different from the books and internet
- I do not make a long list of recommendations.
I am identifying the flows of energy and re-directing it to the property. Also, enhancing it where possible. These methods are very different to what is described in feng shui books and articles on the internet. I am directly manipulating the energy in the environment whereas these articles are about formulae which I do not use. They are very different.
When dealing with the energy flows directly, it is very straightforward and there is not the need to create a long list of recommendations that is frequently seen.
I have been asked a number of times during a consultation, why do I not use methods found in many feng shui books. I work directly with the energy in the environment and the methods are very different. From my experience, I know it works. This is similar to many instances when people referred me to their perception of forensic science when I worked as a forensic scientist with the Metropolitan Police, they compare my work with CSI, murder mystery drama on the television and books like Agatha Christie. It is different and I am a trained professional and not part of the media.
One of the practises of Traditional (lineage) Feng Shui is client confidentiality. This has always been respected. As a result, I have not been able to state the names and businesses or corporations that I have dealt with as part of the team. It would certainly read as an international Who’s who. However, with the rise of Social Media, I have been asked by prospective clients for reviews of my work. Therefore, when working as Michael Oon Consulting, I have started to ask for reviews. This can be seen in Google reviews.
The main purpose of this work is to help you reach your goals faster and easier so that you can spend more time with what you actually want – spend more time with your family and loved ones.
For Further information on my Services, please email (michael.oon@gmail.com) or phone 07973 551184
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