Feng Shui Condusion 101
by Bernadette Smith

     “I'm confused.” she said, dropping a pile of books. “The more I read, the more overwhelmed I get. They all seem to have different views. I'm afraid to make a move!”

    With Feng Shui gaining exposure, this frequently voiced frustration merits a response that doesn't add to fear or confusion. This fascinating study need not be perplexing if we use a simple key.

     Flashback. A group of enthusiastic, young Asians wearing green T-shirts, passing out “Jesus Saves” pamphlets on a corner. I was amused by the paradoxical twist. Well into my quest for understanding as a student and effectiveness as a practitioner, I contemplated what might have gone into their decision to embrace this particular church with this particular set of beliefs. With so many versions of the Bible, and its application to Christianity, how did they choose between the differing doctrines, constructed and interpreted by man? How did they integrate this information with their cultural and spiritual backgrounds? Was it as strange and confusing to them, at first, as Feng Shui to us?

   No, I'm not comparing religion to Feng Shui, but sharing a perspective that can be used, as a springboard, in the process of choosing. If we reflect on the historical journey of religion, we gain a better understanding of Feng Shui. Not unlike religion, it has been subject to interpretations of perceptions as recorded by man through the centuries. Different slants on a common desire to make a meaningful connection.

    An integrator in spirit, I'm also not entertaining judgment as to which Feng Shui is the right one. There are many paths and sooner or later we all arrive. As Dogan wrote of Buddhism “... when we master one truth, we master all truths; and when we complete one activity, we complete all activities. The place is here, the way leads everywhere.” Or, as another school of thought called A Course In Miracles, puts it, “The outcome is assured.”

    Let's ease some of the confusion by taking the three originating schools of Feng Shui and paralleling them with some more familiar practices. Keep in mind that, since the arrival of Feng Shui in the West, many here have taken these and split off with additional interpretations, starting their own schools or sects.

1. Compass School: How does astrology relate to us? Particular positions of planets and stars, at our time, date and place of birth, uncover a personal map to our inner and outer worlds. Mathematical calculations reveal our participation in a universal scheme! Take it one step further and we have the stirrings of compass school. Feng Shui adjustments made with an awareness of the bridge between the planets, the directions and the position of our bed!

2. Form school: Man's interpretation of his immediate surroundings. Familiar forms found in the landscape around us. Resting dragons, leaping tigers, frogs ready to jump off a cliff. Assigning characteristics to these forms is a way of reading the energies, determining the fate of a family or a village. Signs and symbols in nature, divined by a shamanistic dialog. Agriculturally motivated, survival and prosperity depended on an understanding of the lay of the land. Using this knowledge to build efficiently supportive shelters. Not overriding natural forces but living in harmony with them. Not building one's home on a flood plain, or cliff prone to mud slides! Early environmentalists with an awareness of the bridge between land and man.

3. Black Sect Buddhist: Like numerology, guiding us with our most immediate, intimate vibrational imprint! Intuitive and mystical. Acknowledging all forces within and without, but honoring the power of adjustments made with awareness and intention. Psychological and spiritual, archetyping our home to read the energies that support or deplete. Here the bridge to the world starts at our front door.

    Man in the universe. Man on the land. Man on his porch. Different vantage points of the same view. All with the intention to better understand our position in the world and uncover ways to encourage harmony. The result? A better quality of life, within and without!

    Okay, so as we sift through the literature and practitioners, how do we know which to choose? The key: Acknowledge the common denominator! In the diverse terrain on this planet, with all the geomantic and mystical practices available, it is what you, the enthusiastic young Asians, a thousand Feng Shui masters and I have in common. To find balance and harmony, we must first be willing to explore the terrain of the heart, and recognize our position in the universe in relation to that heart intelligence. When the heart is included and honored in our decision making, we are empowered. The heart does not let us forget that we are an integral part of the equation, and shows us how to balance the inner with the outer. Those who disavow the importance of our heart's participation are forgetting that “there” is simply a mirror, bridging “here.” The true masters in these ancient beliefs and practices look for the passage through the heart, recognizing that the compass of the heart is the best geomancer of all.

Bernadette is the founder of Enlightened Interiors.
For home and business consultations, or classes, call her at 770-454-8226.