Feng Shui Secrets for the Work Place
Modern science has only recently discovered that the earth's atmosphere is crowded with powerful but invisible energy waves and lines that enable us to enjoy telephones and radios, fax machines and satellite communications. The ancient Chinese scientists discovered the existence of these energy lines many centuries ago. They described these invisible atmospheric lines of energy in symbolic terms, referring to them as the Dragon's cosmic breath if they were beneficial and and as its killing breath if they were unfavorable. For those that are interested, we offer a basic overview and history of Feng Shui. This information is not necessary to implement the Feng Shui changes. For those of you that are anxious to get started, just skip to the “Secrets” section. Understanding Feng Shui Feng Shui was the name given to the practice of beneficially harnessing these energy forces. People of Chinese origin have long known about Feng Shui. Over the centuries it has been passed by word of mouth from generation to generation, so that those ignorant of its philosophical underpinnings, have come to regard it as superstitious practice. Feng Shui is the art of living in harmony with the land, such that one derives the greatest benefits, peace and prosperity from being in perfect equilibrium with Nature. Feng Shui holds out the promise of a life of meaningful abundance to those who follow its principles and precepts when building their homes and workplaces. Perhaps it is knowledge and practice of this ancient science that has enabled Chinese immigrants and their families all over the world to succeed and flourish, building respectable businesses for themselves, and living in harmonious interface interf ace with their neighbors in their adoptive lands. Feng Shui cannot be viewed narrowly either as a science, with "magical" formulae, nor as an art based totally on instincts. It is a flexible mixture of both, and to practice it effectively, conceptual principles extracted from ancient classical manuals
must be applied in consonance with the thinking man's intuition and personal judgments. To further complicate the practice, there are also elements of superstitious beliefs superimposed on the whole body of Feng Shi principles. These cannot be ignored nor forgotten. Indeed, today's Feng Shui veterans frequently and successfully employ symbolism and village-type superstition. Brief Feng Shui History Feng Shui has been practiced in China at least since the Tang Dynasty. The most ancient master in this art is g enerally believed to be Yang Yun Sang who is universally acknowledged as the Founder of Feng Shui. Master Yang left a legacy of classics that have been preserved and continuously studied to this day. He was the principal advisor of the court of the Emperor Hi Tsang (A.D. 888), and his books on Feng Shui made up the major texts on which succeeding generations of practitioners based their art. Master Yang's emphasis was on the shape of the mountains, the direction of water courses, and above all, on locating and understanding the influence of the Dragon, Cha's most revered celestial creature. His doctrines were detailed in three famous classic works that wholly describe Feng Shui practice in terms of colorful Dragon metaphors. The first of these, "Han Lung Ching", contains the "Art of Rousing the Dragon". The second, "Ching Nang Ao Chih", comprises the methods of determining the location of the Dragon's lair. While the third book is "I Lung Ching", translated under the title "Canons approximating Dragons". This third book provides the methods and techniques on how to find the Dragon in areas where they do not prominently stand forth. The Form and Compass Schools Master Yang's principles came to be regarded as the "Form School" of Feng Shui, which rationalizes good or bad sites in terms of Dragon symbolism. According to this school, good Feng Shui locations require the presence of the Dragon, and where there is the true Dragon, there will also be found the White Tiger.
Feng Shui Masters who subscribe to the Form School begin their search for favorable locations by first searching for the Dragon. Emphasis was thus put on landforms, shapes of hills and mountains, waterways, their orientations and directions. While Dragon symbolism was the principle mainstay of the Form School, there eventually emerged a second major system that approached the practice of Feng Shui from quite different perspectives. This second system laid stress on metaphysical speculations, using the symbols of the I Ching - or Book of Changes, and the Trigrams and the Hexagrams - three and sixlined symbols to calculate good and bad Feng Shui. The Trigrams were placed around an eight-sided octagonal symbol called the Pa Kua, and according to where each of these eight Trigrams were placed, other corresponding attributes and symbols were further identified. These refer to colors, to different members of the family, to specific compass directions, to one of the five elements and to other attributes. Each of these symbols and attributes were supposed to offer "clues" for designing homes, for allocating different rooms, for different purposes and for assigning different members of the family to different corners of the home in order to maximize auspicious Feng Shui for the entire family. This second major system came to be collectively referred to as the Compass School of Feng Shui, and depending on which branch of this school is being practiced, the calculations took on different equations and methods. Certain branches of Compass School also emphasized the influence of the planets on the quality of locations. In contrast to the Form School, it assigned only minor importance to landscape configurations, relying heavily instead on complex calculations of actual dimensions, compass directions and sectors of main entrances and important rooms. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, however, the two schools had merged completely. Theories of the Form School including beliefs in Dragon symbolism gained wider acceptability and practice amongst followers of the Compass School. Today, Feng Shui practitioners in Hong Kong and Taiwan customarily practice a hazy combination of both schools.
Between the two schools, the Form School, with its heavy emphasis on the natural landscape, requires a greater amount of intuitive insight. It is therefore considered harder to practice even though the Green Dragon/White Tiger symbolisms are relatively easy to comprehend. The Compass School method is harder to learn and its formulae more difficult to grasp, but once mastered, is considered easier to practice due to its more precise methodologies. Poison Arrows Feng Shui also warns against Shar Chi or the killing breath. This brings misfortune and a great deal of bad luck, and is caused by the presence of secret Poison Arrows. Pointed, angled and sharp objects that seem to be aimed directly at a house, and especially at its main front door create poison Arrows. And the foul energy that emanate from them travel in straight lines, carrying with them ill fortune and other odious effects. Feng Shui experts strenuously warn against sleeping, sitting, working, eating and living in places that are hit or attacked by these invisible pernicious forces. When one's main door or sitting and sleeping positions lie in the path of such energy forces, the consequences are believed to be extremely negative, and sometimes even disastrous, causing grave misfortune to the residents or individuals affected. The sharper and more threatening the poison Arrow, the more dire are the repercussions of being "hit" by these Poison Arrows. Misfortune caused by such arrows takes the form of illness, missed opportunities, lawsuits, quarrels, financial losses, and other forms of bad luck. Feng Shui offer a variety of solutions to combat or avoid Poison Arrows, and knowledge of Feng Shui enables practitioners to both diagnose and take proper precautions against Poison Arrows. Examples of Poison Arrows are straight roads, rivers or railways lines that seem to be aimed directly at one's main front door. Or they could be caused by the triangular shaped rooflines caused by neighbors' homes. Or by the sharp edge of big buildings. These are very strong Poison Arrows that can cause severe bad luck that manifest in the form of ill health, sickness, and even death.
Examples of other Arrows that can affect households are when a single tree trunk, a telephone pole, or a transmission tower which is located directly in front of the main door. The pernicious effect of all these Poison Arrows must be deflected, dissolved or diffused. Feng Shui recommends several ways of doing this, and they have to do with blocking or redirecting the Shar hi away from the house. Thus main door directions can be shifted, trees can be planted, or walls can be built to combat Poison Arrows. Here are records of unsuitable site conditions for commercial buildings: • • • •
•
• •
when the ground is made up of sandy and wet ground When grass or plants cannot grow When the ground at the back is lower than that in front When the south side of the site is high and the north side is low When the surrounding ground is high and the actual site is sunken When the ground is filled with sand When the ground is a deserted piece of land especially after a fire outbreak
When the site is at the end of a cul-de-sac or T-junction Five Elements of Feng Shui Feng Shui is heavily influenced by the theory of the Elements. In the Chinese scheme of the Universe, there are Five of these Elements, i.e. Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water. All Chinese astrological sciences including the tines, years, and dates of birth are categorized as one of these elements. The five Elements are also associated with colors, seasons, directions, and planets. Thus for example: FIRE is red, an auspicious color. Fire is also summer and is South. The color black represents WATER. It is also the North and Winder. WOOD is the East. It is represented by the color Green METAL is white or sometimes gold. Metal symbolizes the West. EARTH is Yellow. Earth is also the Center For Feng Shui and divination purposes, it is necessary to know that these Five Elements have a mutually productive cycle and a mutually destructive cycle.
In the PRODUCTIVE CYCLE: Fire produces Earth, which produces Metal, which produces Water, which produces Wood, which produces Fire. In the DESTRUCTIVE CYCLE: Wood destroys Earth, which destroys Water, which destroys Fire, which destroys Metal, which destroys Wood. In considering the Feng Shui of locations and home interiors, understanding these two cycles of the Elements enables the practitioner to incorporate his/her astrological element to be in harmony and productive with the surrounding. Thus if one was born in a FIRE year, too much water in the home would not be beneficial (i.e. black colored things, ponds, artificial waterfalls etc) as Water destroys Fire. On the other hand, lots of plants or green things (Wood) and indeed a wooden house would be very auspicious because Wood produces Fire. Additionally, it would be beneficial if one slept in the room located on the south side of the house or apartment. Another example. If one were born in the EARTH year, then having too many plants (Wood) would not be very auspicious. On the other hand, having red things, lights etc (Fire) would be very conducive since Fire produces Earth. Earth people should sleep near or at the center portion of the house. From these examples one can begin to see the various combinations that would work or not work from a Feng Shui point of view. Usually when the various members of the family are born under different elements, then the Elements of the Head of the Household should be considered for the man rooms and the entrance. All other individual rooms can be designed to benefit the main occupant of each individual room. Use the table on this page to check your Element according to your hour off birth. The relevant directions indicated for your Element can be used to orientate your Front Door or to determine the bet orientation for your office desk, or your sleeping position. On the next page is a Table, which categorizes the Elements according to the year of birth (1900 1995). Use this to check the Element that rules your life.
Check your ELEMENT & DIRECTION against your TIME of BIRTH 11pm - 1am: WOOD
To face North
1am - 3am:
WOOD
To face N.NE.
3am - 5am:
FIRE
To face E.EN.
5am - 7am:
FIRE
To face East
7am - 9am:
EARTH To face E.SE.
9am - 11am: EARTH To face S.SE. 11am - 1pm: METAL To face SOUTH 1pm - 3pm:
METAL To face S.SE.
3pm - 5pm:
WATER To face W.SW.
5pm - 7pm:
WATER To face WEST
7pm - 9pm:
WATER To face W.NW.
9pm - 11pm: WATER To face N.NW Check Your ELEMENT against your YEAR of BIRTH Years of the RAT:
1900 Metal; 1912 Water; 1924 Wood; 1936 Fire; 1948 Earth; 1960 Metal; 1972 Water; 1984 Wood; 1996 Fire
Years of the OX:
1901 Metal; 1913 Water; 1925 Wood; 1937 Fire; 1949 Earth; 1961 Metal; 1973 Water; 1985 Wood; 1997 Fire
Years of the TIGER:
1902 Water; 1914 Wood; 1926 Fire; 1938 Earth; 1950 Metal; 1962 Water; 1974 Wood; 1986 Fire; 1998 Earth
Years of the RABBIT:
1903 Water; 1915 Wood; 1927 Fire; 1939 Earth; 1951 Metal; 1963 Water; 1975 Wood; 1987 Fire; 1999 Earth
Years of the DRAGON:
1904 Wood; 1916 Fire; 1928 Earth; 1940 Metal; 1952 Water; 1964 Wood; 1976 Fire; 1988 Earth; 2000 Metal
Years of the SNAKE:
1905 Wood; 1917 Fire; 1929 Earth; 1941 Metal; 1953 Water; 1965 Wood; 1977 Fire; 1989 Earth; 2001 Metal
Years of the
1906 Fire 1918 Earth 1930 Metal 1942
HORSE:
Water; 1954 Wood; 1966 Fire; 1978 Earth; 1990 Metal; 2002 Water
Years of the SHEEP:
1907 Fire; 1919 Earth; 1931 Metal; 1943 Water; 1955 Wood; 1967 Fire; 1979 Earth; 1991 Metal; 2003 Water
Years of the MONKEY:
1907 Earth; 1920 Metal; 1932 Water; 1944 Wood; 1956 Fire; 1968 Earth; 1980 Metal; 1992 Water; 2004 Wood
Years of the ROOSTER:
1908 Earth; 1921 Metal; 1933 Water; 1945 Wood; 1957 Fire; 1969 Earth; 1981 Metal; 1993 Water; 2005 Wood
Years of the DOG:
1909 Metal; 1922 Water; 1934 Wood; 1946 Fire; 1958 Earth; 1970 Metal; 1982 Water; 1994 Metal; 2006 Water
Years of the BOAR:
1910 Metal; 1923 Water; 1935 Wood; 1947 Fire; 1959 Earth; 1971 Metal; 1983 Water; 1995 Metal; 2007 Water
FENG SHUI SECRETS
Start your day off by entering the main front door. Even if is inconvenient; make your first entrance of the day through the company’s main front door. The invigorating extra step will help you start the day off in a good frame of mind. A pleasant greeting to the receptionist will attract prosperous telephone calls through out the day. During the course of the workday it is fine to use the most convenient doors. Position your chair towards your door .
Avoid sitting with your back facing the door. This position leaves you vulnerable to “back stabbing” and betrayal by your colleague. If this is not practical, then position a mirror that will give you a view of what’s behind you. Position your desk in the far corner diagonal to your door .
The far corner of your office is considered to be the power focal point. Positive energy flowing into your office tends to settle
towards this location. This vantage point provides a commanding view of your surroundings. Put the strength of a mountain behind you .
A picture of a mountain motivates your colleagues to support you. Make sure it is positioned behind you and not in front of you. You don’t want to create any obstacles for attaining your success. Sit with a solid wall behind you.
Having many distractions behind you such as a bookshelf, window or equipment weakens your presence. A solid foundation behind you promotes good support from your colleagues. Minimize the number of corners in your work environment.
Sharp edges send out “poison arrows” and tend to make you feel “edgy”. The ideal workspace should have flowing rounded corners. Soften any sharps corners with plants or a coat rack with garments hanging from it. Put a Turtle on your side . The turtle symbolizes stability and longevity. This is one of oldest surviving animal species with the longest life span. A simple turtle figurine or picture placed in your office will help maintain positive career growth. Display a picture of dynamic water .
Water is a primary symbol of luck in Feng Shui. Mounting a picture of flowing water such as a waterfall or stream will enhance auspicious luck. The greater the flow…the stronger the effect. However, avoid displaying pictures of small bodies of stagnant water such as a pond, which will actually be a detriment to your career. Avoid sitting beneath an overhead beam .
High unconstructive ceiling opens to the heavens and allows positive energy to hang over you. Any type of beam or rafter will create barriers for your success. Move your chair away from any such restraints.
Incorporate the power of Red.
Red possesses strong auspicious powers. However, less is better than more in this case, as too much red creates conflict. One simple red object or painting will standout and enhance your powers. Keep your work area neat and organized.
Have you noticed that, in general, the more powerful a person is within the organization, the less clutter they have. Clutter destroys any sense of control and organization. A feeling of weakness and instability is conveyed when your work place is too disorganized. When ever possible, store important data in your computer and rid yourself of as much paper as possible. Keep the center of your desk open.
Obstructing the center of your desk with stacks of paper or other items block out positive energies. Move all electronics such as lamps and computer monitor off to one side. Power forces should be funneled towards the center of your desk. Balance the Yin and Yang in your work places .
Yin is receptive energy that is dark, cool and passive. Yang is creative energy that is bright, warm and alive. Surrounding with grey, granite, and mentalists will hinder your creativity flow. Off set this dominate Yin with plants and colorful items. Never decorate with Cacti .
The sharp “daggers” of a cactus sends out bad energy and wards off good luck. Cacti promote isolation and confrontations. Light up your life.
Light represents spring; a time for growth and living. Dark represents winter, a time for resting and waiting. Enhance the Yang energy, especially during the winter month with bright light, preferably halogen or florescent light. Avoid incandescent light bulbs whenever possible as it defuseses all Yin energy Avoid too much Yang influence.
Too much direct sunlight can create too harsh of a Yang effect. Angle your blinds to reflect the sunlight. but, do not block it completely. Hanging crystals is excellent for defusing the energy of direct sunlight. Avoid Irregular Shaped work environment.
Angled walls tend to put your workspace out of balance. Straight rectangle rooms, not square, are the best. The use of light and mirrors can help balance irregular shaped rooms. Place a lamp or plant in any tight corners. Avoid sitting face to face with a colleague.
Positioning desks so that you are constantly looking at colleague will be highly dysfunctional and animosity will develop. If space is limited or if you must maintain direct eye contact with that person, then place a leafy plant between you to break up the view. Strategically position your guest’s chair for purpose.
Position your guest’s chair at an angle and off to the side to promote a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. This seating arrangement enhances creative productive conversations. A chair placed directly facing in front of you creates tension and confrontation. Replace dying plants in your office.
Wilting or yellowing plants symbolize death and attracts bad luck. Keep all plants watered and try to replace them every three months. Avoid sitting next to the restrooms .
Constant disposal of waste sends out negative energy that will stifle your career efforts. Avoid sitting next to restrooms even if they are directly above or below you. Surround yourself with earth objects if you deal in Real Estate. If your career has anything to do with land, such as real estate or development, then surround yourself with natural objects.
Rocks, natural wood, sand, water are excellent items to place good luck on your projects.
Do not place a clock in direct view from your door. Clocks measure the time that has passed and does not have good connotations. Placing a clock directly opposite of you entrance door drives away good fortune. Position a small clock on your desk where only you can readily see it. Avoid “L” shaped desks .
Although very popular and functional, desks with side return may hinder your progress. The sharp angle of the “L” abruptly cuts off your energy flow by forming an incomplete square shape. If you must use this style of desk then try placing an object such as a plant or waste paper basket near the imaginary forth corner. This will complete the square allow the positive energy to flow around you. Your ship will arrive. A picture of a ship arriving into a harbor represents the arrival of goods and fortunes. This symbol will help promote prosperity. Never display a ship leaving the harbor, as this has just the opposite effect. Wear power white in an interview. Wearing a bright solid white shirt in an interview situation will instill confidence and assertiveness. A dash of bright green and vertical stripes will help alleviate any feelings of inadequacy. Wear fire colors and sharp patterns to sales or promotional events. To establish a strong presence and elude positive energies, highlight your outfit with hot fire colors such as bright red or purple. If you wear a pocket-handkerchief, fold it too a sharp point. Sharp patterns will make you seem more outgoing. Wear strong metal colors to corporate meetings. Grays and blacks, off set with a bright white shirts coveys trustworthiness and leadership qualities. Rounded patterns and metal jewelry will help instill a sense of authority.
Dress natural to social engagements. Wear natural earth colors such as; browns, yellows, off white to generate charisma and likeability. Clothes should be loose fitting and made out of natural material such as cotton or wool. Designs that use dots or circles will make you more approachable. Avoid glass furniture. Transparent tables and desks create a feeling of “floating” and instability. You will not build a solid foundation and will loose support of your colleagues. Solid natural wood furniture promotes continuous and stable growth…just like a tree. Never sit at the corner of a conference room table. The sharp corners sends out harmful “poison daggers” which will be directed straight at you. This vantage point will, also, weaken your authority, as you will not be able to establish any strong group eye contact.
Avoid sitting behind bright lights. Try to dim or redirect any bright lights that are directly behind you. Bright lights symbolize fire and discourage strong support behind you. It creates an environment that makes it uncomfortable for others to look directly at you. The boardroom or conference room should contain elements of good Feng Shui. Productivity will be enhanced with the uses of the five power Feng Shui elements in the meeting room. The uses of water features, white walls, plants, crystal lights, and well-balanced bright lights will promote teamwork and wise decision-making. Decorate with money colors. Money colors, such as; gold, silver, and green attract wealth. For maximum effectiveness, these money colors should be combined with complimentary Ying colors. Powerful color combinations are; blue / green, gold / red, and purple / silver.
Avoid using Antique Furniture Negative energy tends to embed itself into material items. Unless you know the history of the item, you take a risk when using antique furniture. A few small items are fine, but it is not wise to surround yourself with antiques. Place furniture to created curved traffic flow In an open floor plan, it is wise to position the desks and dividers to create a staggered the traffic flow. This causes Chi to linger around the office space rather than flowing straight through. Use black money pouch to carry your wealth In Feng Shui, black represents income and money. Any “money pouches” such as: wallets, purses, attaché cases, should be made out of black leather. Gold or silver metal trim will stimulate your money to grow.
Use caution when displaying pictures of wild animals. If you where born in the year of a small animal, you may become a victim of predators. Only, those born in the year of the tiger or dragon will be able to defend themselves from such evil forces
