FENG SHUI ARTICLES
BY ARCH. PIERFRANCESCO ROS

There are different Schools and methods in Feng Shui and each one has its own specific and character.
Sometimes they contradict each other and for neophytes it is very complex to understand why, this creates confusion and mistrust.
I will start by talking to you about the most popular ones, used in South East Asia.

For clarity there are only two major schools: the San Yuan Pai School and the San He Pai School all the others are methods or interpretations.

The San Yuan Pai School or School of the three primary cycles:

This Classical School is based on the division of Chinese time into different cycles as previously described, including that of 180 years divided into 3 Yuan or Eras of 60 years (Upper, Middle, Lower Era). Each Era of 60 years is divided into 3 Yun or periods of 20 years that form the San Yuan Jiu Yun or the classification of time of three Eras of 9 Periods each, the same as the Chinese calendar.

The San Yuan Pai having placed emphasis above all on the principles that link Space to Time, is used in the range of various Methods and Styles, especially for the macroscopic and urbanistic effects of the territory on a site or lot compared to the effects that unite human actions and events to space and time.

Within the San Yuan School there are many Methods that place emphasis on Time, especially used in the evaluation of the forces or Qi that interact in the urbanistic and territorial aspects and interior design over time.

The San He Pai School or School of triple combinations or Harmonies:

This Classical School is based on the oriented reading of the “Three gifts of Qi” or San Cai; the Gift of the Qi of Heaven, the Gift of the Qi of Earth and the Gift of the Qi of Man, which also refer to the three stages of life, Growth (Sheng), Prosperity (Wang) and Death (Mu) or tomb.

The San He Pai, placing emphasis above all on the principles related to space, is used in the range of various Methods and Styles, especially for the macroscopic and urbanistic effects that the territory has on a site or lot.

It mainly uses the combinations of the cycle of 12, that is, the 12 Chinese Animals and more clearly the 12 Earthly Branches within the 24 Mountains, positioned in the Lo Pan in a circular way, where the Animals are associated in threes to the Elements. In this way, triple combinations are determined and therefore triple orientations assigned to that Element. This system is used to subsequently evaluate the compatibilities and relationships between the Elements that are associated with the orientation of the Front and Back of a house with respect to the dominant energies of a place.

Inside the San He School there are many methods used especially in the evaluation of the relationships between the forces or Qi, which interact in the urban and territorial aspects such as mountains, rivers, lakes, buildings and roads, and according to the quality of the energy that arrives at the site one of the three “Gifts” will be used.

Improperly then two sets called, School of Form and School of Compass have been defined which take parts of knowledge of these two Schools.

SCHOOL OF FORM: included in THE WAY OF THE EARTH

Which includes the methods:

Xing Jia or School of Form:
This is the Classical school of the landscape that teaches how to search for the most propitious sites, both natural and artificial, arriving at the microscale by outlining the best flows and paths of the movement of Ki with respect to the typology and internal and external distribution of the house, here we talk about the 4 or 5 symbolic animals, the energy of the territorial and fluvial conformations, the xue point, the center of gravity, the elements ….etc

Luan Tou Pai or School of the Mountains or Peaks:
which outlines how the Ki condenses through the shape of space

SCHOOL OF THE COMPASS: included in THE WAY OF THE SKY

Which includes the methods:

Kyu Sei Ki Gaku or the Ki of the 9 stars:

Classical method that has a Chinese origin since the ancient birth of Lo Shu found later in the ancient text of the Yellow Emperor, but which developed more recently in Japan, spreading throughout the world especially by followers of macrobiotics under the name of Kyu Sei Ki Gaku or Ki of the 9 Stars.

Unlike the Chinese method, the Japanese method, which developed through the spread of macrobiotic schools mainly in America thanks to Michio Kushi, is a more partial method that has removed, for interpretation and to make it easier for Western scholars to read, some classical knowledge of the ancient Chinese system, thus reducing its broad vision.

In ancient times, through this method, which was part of the basic theory of the San Yuan School, you can find the Annual Personal Number or Ming Gua linked to the year of birth, the Natal Personal Number linked to the month of birth and the Axial number that outlines the behavior.
Ultimately, you will have two numbers linked to two Elements, their relationship or their relationship with a partner for example (two other numbers) determines a series of reflections on personality and compatibility.

This method is considered by Masters above all through the annual number that is analyzed in relation to different methods. Its broader aspect as a classical Chinese method is not much considered since for a personality analysis, the use of more complex astrological methods is preferred, such as Ba Zi.

Xuan Kong:
Xuan Kong Fei Xing or flying stars:
Classical Method that through a triad of numbers (Mountain Star – back of the house, Water Star – front of the house and Time Star – current period) suggests useful information on the energetic evolution of spaces, based on twenty-year cycles.
It uses three Yuan or cycles of 60 years (180) divided into 9 Yun or cycles of 20 years and their crossed combinations, the orientation of the facade of the house, the date of foundation and roof covering, relating the Frontal star (linked to the movement of Ki) and that of the Mountain (linked to terrestrial magnetism) in relation to the various directions of the house, its inhabitants, in a series of combinations linked to time (the most important cycle is that of 20 years, this period we are in the 8, number to safeguard) …… one of the schools most used by the Feng Shui Masters worldwide.
Xuan Kong Da Gua or method of the 64 Hexagrams:
A method widely used especially for the orientation of tombs, it evaluates the propitious or unpropitious orientations in relation to the internal nature of the 64 Hexagrams oriented and linked to time.

Ba Zhai Pai or School of the eight houses or palaces:
Classical Method that falls within the methods of the San Yuan School, it is compared and studied for its similar approach with the Flying Stars method, even if these two methods differ in that the Ba Zhai does not consider the time factor.
This Method is based on the relationship of the 8 possible orientations of the house (the 8 orientations of the wind rose) with respect to three variants (Styles): analysis with respect to the orientation of the front, the back or the main door.
For each orientation, 8 different auspices are determined, resulting from 8 changes of the Yao (lines of the Trigram) for each of the 8 Trigrams oriented in space. These variations of the Yao follow an ancient method memorized in antiquity by a sort of “Poetry of the Great Annual Cycle” that determines for each Trigram different and specific auspices, readable in the internal reading of the relationship between the changed Yao of the Trigrams.
This method analyzes the oriented space (not tied to time) especially in correspondence with the 8 directions of the house and the entrance door. It also studies the various relationships and effects on the tenant inside the house, both through one’s own Ming Gua or personal number (depending on one’s Min Gua one belongs to a West or East group) and through the Zhai Gua (number of the house or energy map of the building).
In this way two energy maps are obtained, one of the house and one personal, which must be superimposed and analyzed, from this emerge favorable, unfavorable or compensated areas.

The Methods of the Water Dragons:
These methods derive from both the San He and San Yuan Schools. Some study the influences of primary territorial waters (rivers) or secondary (roads) others expand on the effects of other relevant landscape elements always with respect to the site being analyzed

We also find secondary methods such as:
Long Men Ba Da Ju Method or the Eight Dragon Gates Method also called Qian Kun Guo Bao Yang Zhai Fa or the National Treasure Method of the Yang Mansion of Qian and Kun:
This Classical method uses the relationship between the Front and Back Heaven to determine the effects of important landscape elements especially such as rivers or roads in relation to the front of the house.
This method is divided into:
Xiantian Wei or Front Heaven Position
Houtian Wei or Back Heaven Position
Bin Wei or Guest Position
Ke Wei or Passenger Position
Tian Jie Wei or Heaven Thief Position
Di Xing Wei or Earth Punishment Position

The 8 Yellow Deadly Shar:
A method always belonging to the Eight Dragon Gates, which considers the effects not only of waters and roads but also of relevant natural elements around the house type, surrounding buildings, pylons ….

Method of the “Yellow Deadly Waters”:
Method that is based on the favorable positions or orientations and not of the waters with respect to the house

The 9 Water Stars Method or Helping Star Formula:
A method based on favorable positions or orientations and not of the waters with respect to the house

The 5 Ghosts Carry Wealth Method:
A method always belonging to the 9 water stars to choose the right position of the entrance and a water source.

And still many other methods such as the Tou Shui Fa or Castle Gate, the Si Ma Tou or He Tu Castle Gate, the Ling Shen or Palace of the Indirect Spirit, the Zhao Shen or Palace of the Direct Spirit, the Na Jia or method to enhance prosperity.

SCHOOL OF INTUITIVE FENG SHUI: THE WAY OF MAN included in THE WAY OF MAN

Then there are the Astrological Methods or knowledge that are linked to personality
The main astrological methods are:

The BaZi Method or Four pillars of Destiny
Classical Method used above all for an analysis of a person’s character potentials. This method, which uses the Lunar calendar, identifies from the analysis of a person’s date of birth, four pairs of Elements, two linked to the date of the year, two to the month, two to the day and two to the hour. For each pair, an Element is obtained belonging to the temporal equivalent of the Element of the Trunk (the 10 Trunks) and one to the temporal equivalent of the Branch (the 12 Chinese Animals).
From the relationship of the Element of the Day and of the Trunk with respect to all the other Elements, various aspects of personal potentials are determined.

The Zi Wei Dou Shu Method or The Calculation of the Purple Star or North Star:
Classical method used above all for an analysis of a person’s character potential. This method, which uses the Lunar calendar, identifies specific major or minor “stars” that through mathematical calculations with respect to the date of birth, are inserted into 12 Palaces that represent different realities of human life. From the analysis of the positions of the stars, the potential and character of the individual are outlined.

The Chinese Astrological Method:
Classical method based on the 28 Lunar Mansions or Hsiu, or the 28 constellations or segments of the sky of the lunar zodiac defining their influence on events and personality.
The Chinese constellations are those “encountered” by the motion of the moon over time, unlike the Western ones linked to the motion of the sun. Depending on the position of the 7 luminary planets (Jupiter – Wood, Mars – Fire, Saturn – Earth, Venus – Metal, Mercury – Water, Sun and Moon), with respect to the four palaces of the sky (North – Water, East – Wood, South – Fire, and West – Metal) and their relationship with the Elements, is determined by the star map of the date of birth, an alchemy of relationships and potentials. Fundamental to unraveling this method is the Astrological Treatise of Ssu Ma Ch’ien.

Then there are the modern Methods that are linked to the personality

The School of Intuitive or Symbolic Feng Shui: based on shamanic techniques and activations, through the use of activated symbols or symbolic objects.

This School of thought includes different methods:
The Inner Feng Shui Method
A method that through energetic body dynamics, goes to the root of our deepest aspects to have a new understanding of our reality that we create every day. Fundamental for Feng Shui consultations to have a deep understanding of the client.

The Black Hat Method or Black Hat Method:
A method born around 1985 by Thomas Lyn Yun and developed mainly in America. It is based on the interpretation of the 8 Trigrams to the areas of life (Career, Knowledge, Health/Family, Wealth …) oriented in the house, or on the entrance threshold (the Career is oriented in axis to the entrance threshold) or with respect to the cardinal axes (the Career is oriented in axis to the magnetic North). With this map, spaces, objects and their relational and symbolic aspects are analyzed, also using a series of cures as additional correctives (the nine Feng Shui cures). Given its recent origin, it is not considered by Masters as a Classical school.

The Spaceclearing Method or clarification of spaces
A method that uses rituals for purification and activation of spaces.