Firstly, we have to define Feng Shui and then we can pour over some examples of “bad” environments which can undermine a person’s health and well-being. Feng Shui is the art and science of interpreting how we are influenced by both our natural and man-made surroundings. The list of “bad” attributes or undesirable circumstances come from the many angles by which we observe and grade someone’s residential or commercial space.
In the same way that we can refer to some thing or some place as having “bad energy,” or an environment that makes us unhealthy or sabotages success, we have the phrase “bad Feng Shui,” or “sha qi.”
We can start with “bad land” if the soil is so depleted that nothing grows easily in it. People also encounters problems when the land they have built on harbors ghosts from civilizations in the past using the same space or proximity to burial grounds. The land might also be unstable with severe inclines or a lot might be an irregular shape. For example, parcels which deviate severely from a square or rectangular shape can cause the flow of air currents to be chaotic around the property and then result in misfortune for the occupants. Lots which narrow in the back can make it harder for occupants to save their money. Strange, but true.
We can talk about other exterior influences such as ugly, jagged mountains or ones which are just rock and sand with no ability to sustain plant or animal life. Stagnant, dirty water is worse than no water at all. Ideally, exterior water found in ponds, streams, lakes and rivers should be relatively clean and circulating. Even water which moves too rapidly can make an unpleasant sound. A common complaint amongst people trying to practice principles of good Feng Shui is that they don’t like the sound of their water fountain when it is too loud. Trees and plants which are in the throes of dying will also drag down the energy of anyone living nearby.
Within the realm of Yin-Yang Theory, we can look at just about all opposites and extremes under this umbrella of yin and yang to discover more examples of bad Feng Shui. Environments that are too yin like chronic darkness, dampness, and solitude will unravel an otherwise good space. Environments that are too yang, such as too hot, bright, dry or noisy will also undermine an otherwise good environment.
Some of the more subtle aspects to a good environment have to be calculated and are reliant on concrete data such as when a building or house was constructed and within certain defined time frames. For example, Period 8 is a Construction Era that goes from 2004 until 2024. There is nothing good or bad about any particular direction either, contrary to the popular enduring myth that north facing houses are unlucky. There is nothing lucky or unlucky about any time frame either. We can’t say that a house built in 1924 is any better than a house built in 1986. This is not enough information to go on, in the same way that serious adherents to astrology don’t take the generic, daily forecast in the newspaper seriously.
Another aspect to bad Feng Shui can be more personal in nature. Truly, what might be okay or even nurturing for one person, might be to the demise of another. A house type that attracts legal problems might be fantastic for a celebrity attorney, but not so good for the average person. A house that attracts many sexual encounters for the occupants might be fun and harmless for a young single person, but detrimental to a married couple trying to stay faithful.
We can also find architectural features to be undermining to the health and well-being of occupants, including things like exposed beams over a bed, excessively long hallways, interior pillars, sharp corner edges pointing at doorways, and staircases aligned directly with entrances. That said, there is no particular architectural style which can be deemed good or bad. In other words, there is nothing superior about a Mediterranean design versus post-modern.
Ultimately, it is the professional practitioner’s job to evaluate which negative aspects to any environment can be changed, which are permanent, as well as which flaws are minor or major and then make an assessment regarding the likely outcome for any future or present occupants. The good news is that there are many relatively easy and affordable adjustments and solutions to some of these flawed spaces and no one interested in Feng Shui should be afraid that a professional evaluation will result only in a recommendation to remodel or to move.
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®
From the Frequently Asked Questions Blog Series
