I will use the 19th Century China for the Past. The practise of feng shui was regulated as the consultants belonged to closed lineage societies. The knowledge was kept within the society and not available to outsiders. At that time, literacy was not universal, and the Chinese were very protective of their knowledge. They did not share their knowledge easily.
Feng Shui was passed on from generation to generation in closed lineage societies. Students were selected or chosen for their potential. The training was led by a practising member where the knowledge was passed on orally.
To maintain accuracy or fidelity of the interpretation, this was checked with poems of rhyming couplets.
The feng shui masters were unable to read and write and preferred to keep their knowledge to themselves as it was their livelihood. There were scraps of written information on feng shui methods that leaked out or were “newly discovered information” or “newly discovered secrets”. It was known for scholars (researchers) or writers who were not trained in feng shui, to extrapolate this information to show their originality.
Scholars and writers also picked up the work of a feng shui researcher like Shen Zhu Ren who had studied the gravesites of the rich and famous in his region of China. From there, he wrote a book of his studies “Mr Shen’s Study of Xuan Kong” which appeared to show a “complete method”.
In the 21st Century, the situation is so different. The literature on feng shui is abundant but the difficulty is finding the effective and relevant practice of this Chinese Subject. There are thousands of books, and possibly millions of articles on the internet. Literally, anyone, after attending a few classes can call themselves to be a feng shui consultant.
Hence there has been the need in various countries for standards or accreditation associations that have a code of ethics as well.
- UK – Feng Shui Society
- USA – International Feng Shui Guild
- Australia – Association of Feng Shui Consultants
Consultants listed are not all bonafide and suitable for your proposed work. This is only the start of your search.
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