Without exaggeration, I have answered thousands of Feng Shui questions over the last 30 years, from clients, students and strangers.  I currently answer questions, like a “feng shui Dear Abby,” on Victor Cheung’s Feng Shui Nexus website.

Many of the questions have the same theme, but slightly different particulars, so I thought I would address some of the common misconceptions in an article format.  Now I can just link this article to any future questions needing the same re-direction and edification.

Many people ask what element to place in or around their home, in a specific direction. This is because the Eight Basic Directions (N, S, E, W, NW, NE, SE, SW) do have elements associated with each of them, such as North being associated with water and South being associated with fire.  But this does not mean we automatically add that element to that section of our house or property?  Not at all.  In fact, we don’t even use the Productive Element associated with that direction either.  If someone wants to add an element to the west (associated with metal), it does not mean that you arbitrarily add metal to that area.  Nor do you add the productive element (earth) to that area.

How to know what is the correct element to use or not use in any given directional location?

First: You need to make sure you have the correct directions as a reference.  You need to use a compass to verify the compass alignment of any built structure. Most feng shui enthusiasts who have had no training do not use a compass, nor do they know the difference between Geographic North and Magnetic North. In some parts of the world, that makes a tremendous difference.

Next: You need to be working with a to-scale floor plan or plot plan drawing in order to know what rooms fall in which directional zones. And of course, you have to know how to grid out the directional zones, which takes training for spaces which are not perfect squares or rectangular in shape.   Often, untrained people have no idea when a floor plan has a missing sector versus an extension.

Continuing: What many Feng Shui novices don’t know is that no single direction represents just one element, ever.  Based on when a structure has been built, and in conjunction with the compass reading, there are actually several different elements within each area. We can add another energy (element) as well when we factor in annual energy (stars).

 

What inspired this article was a person asking what to do with their North “ba gua.” This person knew enough that North is symbolic of the Water element, but didn’t know if that was the correct element to use there.  It made me think about some of the North sectors in my various homes. The north sector of my current home (built in Period 6, NW-1 sitting house) has the 3-9 flying stars.  Last thing I want there is a water feature, like a fountain, because that could stimulate the 3 star. The 3 wood star is capable of attracting gossip, arguments, or legal problems.  In my previous home, (Sitting South 2, Period 8) the north sector hosts the 9-7 stars. This is a pairing of 9 fire dominating 7 metal. In this case, the earth element is usually the correct reductive element to use, and that can prevent the area from triggering issues with the mouth, teeth, breasts, deception or  theft.   Full descriptions are given for all the star combination in my book, The Feng Shui Continuum: A Blueprint for Balanced Living.

In the my home before that, (built in Period 5, sitting East-1) the North sector had a combination of 3 wood and 8 earth.  In that case, the fire element was the most harmonious element to add, most years. In this case, fire could help stimulate financial luck and also promote better health and reduce problems with the bones and muscles.

Aside from knowing what the inherent energies are in any given direction, based on year built and orientation, we can factor in:

  • Use of room
  • Annual influence
  • Immediate outside influences, man-made or natural landscape
  • Qualities of yin or yang as part of the same space
  • Personal data regarding the occupant

As one personal example: I’ve lived in several homes where I needed to weaken the 3 wood star with fire and fortunately had enough Feng Shui training beforehand to not arbitrarily place water in the north.  That said, if I were an attorney by profession or had some other occupation that could be enhanced with an active 3 star, then only might the water element be appropriate with such a specific goal in mind.

More misconceptions continue when people extrapolate from one generality and then incorrectly assume that the same remedy will be appropriate. If water is good on the inside of a house, does that mean we repeat it on the outside? No, not necessarily.

If a house faces North, are we to relate to it as a “water” type house?  NO!  First of all, houses are characterized by their sitting side, the back, not the front.  A house that faces north, usually sits in the exact opposite direction of south, because 99% of all structures have parallel front and back walls.

If our north facing house is actually deemed a “South” house type, does  that mean we decorate it inside with fire colors since south is a fire direction. No!  Does it mean we plant red flowers in the south section of the plot of land?  No!

The truth is that if you want to have an accurate high level understanding of your home or work space and know what elements to use, and why, and for how long: you need to do one of two things—either become a serious student or become a client.

You need to ask yourself if you want to take a few years out of your life to study feng shui deeply with a highly trained and experienced teacher or hopefully understand some of the most comprehensive books available? Or do you want to consider yourself a potential client instead of a student, and hire a professional like myself to assess your space?

I enjoy answering all types of questions, from simple universal ones to more complex, nuanced questions about Feng Shui theory.  In fact, I’ve written over 2,000 pages of Feng Shui material between my books and on-line curriculum, as well as hundreds of articles.  If I can answer a simple question with a yes/no answer I am happy to do so!

Example: Is it bad to live next to a cemetery?  Yes.

Is it bad to live next to a freeway? Yes.

Is it a good idea to paint a whole bedroom black?  No.

More often than not, however, I get very specific questions from people who want free advice about some very personal issues and struggles they may have.  At these junctures, I do feel morally obligated to educate people about what really goes into a thorough evaluation (which everyone deserves) and not just provide some silly answer that perpetuates superstitions and misinformation about Feng Shui.

 

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Feng Shui Frequently Asked Questions Blog Series