Building or moving into new house ?

Building or moving into new house ?

you are a Feng Shui practitioner, you are going to get this one question asked of you all the time, in the most inconvenient of places and quite frequently, by people whom you have never met till that very moment of their question: "Can you tell me if the house I am planning to buy has good Feng Shui or not?"

I am sure you will agree with me that being a psychic would usually help in these circumstances since you, the Feng Shui practitioner, will usually not be presented with any information at all with regards to the property.

Prevention is better than cure - so it is always better to undertake a Feng Shui consultation of your property prior to buying a house. So, what I will try and do today is give you one or two guidelines that will help when you are out hunting for your dream home.

One other thing before we proceed, certain houses need no cure (I will elaborate more on this later) and with other houses, there is simply no cost effective way to make them Feng Shui compliant; it would simply cost too much. A great deal (i.e. of running into either of such houses) depends on your luck.

Fortunately, finding a totally disastrous house is quite a rare possibility, so don't get ahead of yourself with worry just as yet

Feng Shui - The Real Thing

Your immediate environment exerts the largest influence in the overall Feng Shui of your home - where you are LOCATED is one of the key factors to consider when buying a new home. When engaging a Feng Shui consultant, assuming you have some leeway in this, ask him or her where in your town or city is a good spot to build or purchase a home.

Different areas of a city or town have Qi (energies) that are sourced from different mountains (we call these dragon veins in Feng Shui). The real study of Feng Shui revolves around how to locate the 'correct' spot where the Qi will support your endeavors. Keep in mind that one man's meat is still another's man poison - a spot may not be as suitable for you as it would be for your neighbour.

Obviously, the structure and formation of mountains and Qi flow in the environment (meaning Classical Luan Tou Feng Shui) is out of reach of the average Feng Shui enthusiast at this point in time. However when you engage your consultant, you need to check with him your area's Landform Feng Shui and which choice plots you are able to tap to these Qi.

Many people are under the mistaken assumption that landform Feng Shui is primarily about looking out for "poison" arrows and "Sha Qi" features from your neighbors. To some extent, these are the basics to look out for but keep in mind that we are taking into consideration the MACRO Feng Shui of your property - the WHOLE area. It only makes sense to pick an area that is good from the beginning to work with.

Land And House Selection Criteria

Let's take an example of an area, you arrive to find that the area is extremely windy - BAD Feng Shui. Why? Because wind disperses the Qi. In Kuo-Pu's Burial Book, known as the main source book of all Feng Shui studies today, it is clearly stated that the Wind disperse the Qi. So, if your area has very strong winds, you can be sure that the Qi in your area is not very positive, so give this area a miss.

-> Merciless Tiger and Dragon Embrace

"Merciless what?!", I can already hear the worried cries for help now. The Tiger and Dragon refer to the left and right surrounding hills or even houses. If they do not 'embrace' your land area and instead is outward moving as in the diagram below, this land is one that will not be very suitable. The Qi in this area cannot be contained and you are better off looking elsewhere.


-> Piercing Water

Water in the practice of Feng Shui can help enhance Qi and can just as well do the exact opposite and cause harmful Sha Qi. If the water path (usually in the from of drains or gutters) directly in front of your main door rushes in a straight line, it is known as "Wu Qing Shui" -Merciless Water. This type of water not only drains the Qi of your house, but ultimately emits Sha Qi. If you see such a structure, it would be futile to try and fix this property.


-> Bright Hall

The bright hall refers to the generous space in front of your property. Check that you do indeed have a bright hall and that it is not TOO tight or TOO spacious. If it is too tight, no Qi can accumulate, if it is too broad, then Qi disperses without having a chances to collect. When faced with such structures, move on and keep looking.


-> Hills at the Back and Water in Front

Contrary to popular belief, it is not always necessary to have mountains at the back and a water feature or a lake at the front. This really depends on the overall structure of your landform. Sometimes it can actually be better to face a good mountain to receive Qi directly from the dragon veins.

How Can BaZi Help You To Find the Right Job?

How Can BaZi Help You To Find The Right Job ?

Have you often stopped long enough to wonder why is it you do what you do for a living? We all know people who work simply for the sake of ‘having a job’ or for the fact that it pays the bills. Maybe you’re one of those people. Have you stopped to consider... are you truly passionate about your job?

Consider this - you spend the majority of your day at work. Wouldn’t you be much happier, or at least a lot more content and fulfilled, if that job involved doing something you LOVE? Wouldn’t it be easier NOT to watch the clock every evening waiting for that moment to head back?

As a BaZi consultant, I know that BaZi can help you identify the career path to which you’re most suited. But in my personal experience, I’ve come across many clients who are working in a particular line or industry because: a) their parents pushed them into it, or b) their friends were in this field/industry as well

We’re each of us unique, however, and have different reasons for wanting to work. It would not be fair to yourself, or to the people you love, to sacrifice those interests and passions simply to hold down a job that makes you miserable. It would be better if we could find a way to merge our passions, and our practical need for money and security, into a job that pays the bills AND contributes positively to our sense of self and wellbeing

Curious about how BaZi can help? Let me share with you ideas on how it works:

- Look at the Day Master. The Day Master reveals your basic personality and character traits that are obvious to you, and to others.

-> For example, a Water Day Master is fluid, and needs to constantly be on the move. They thrive on change. So putting a Gui Water person, for example, in an accounting position and having them sit in a chair from 9-5 each day behind four closed walls is a surefire recipe for... disaster.

-> An Earth Day Master thrives on having security and a solid ground. Constant change would make them nuts! Someone with a lot of Earth in his/her chart, or is a Wu Earth Day Master, for example, would be positively miserable in a sales job.

- Look at the chart structure. By studying the entire BaZi chart, we can also pinpoint how people with different structures gravitate towards different jobs.

-> People who are Resource Structures will love ‘thinking’ jobs, roles that allow them to exercise their analytical skills. Generating new ideas is a piece of cake for them!

-> People with Direct Officer or Seven Killings structures will love to lead and take control. They will flourish when they have a sense of authority at the workplace.

These are just two very simple examples - but they already go a long way toward helping a person decide on what job role and industry might suit them, and eliminate the ones that don’t. Imagine what happens when you have the time to study your entire BaZi chart, or get it read by a consultant?

Using BaZi can help you save time, and eliminate the need to spend years fiddling about in various jobs before deciding what’s right. Those of you who are parents won’t have to spend significant chunks of your life savings on putting your kids through school studying something they detest, or something to which they’re not personally suited.

So do consider giving BaZi a try - it will, at the very least, open your eyes to new perspectives from which you can improve your career. Wishing you all the best on your career explorations

Homebound Feng Shui

This week, let’s look at the immediate and short-term when it comes to Feng Shui. The majority (if not all) of you reading this live in an existing home and are probably not in the midst of searching for another place or looking to build another home in the very near future. So this week, let’s take a closer look at the abode that we’re ALREADY living in and the present effects of our home on our current well-being and endeavours.

Where do we start? In our day-to-day living, the best reference point for the NOW is of course the annual flying stars. If you haven’t already, check what the annual flying star at your main door is and you’ll have a picture of what’s generally in store (well, since Feb 2009 already) for all the occupants in your house this year. For example, if your main door is located in the West this year then you’ll be experiencing bouts of sickness, excessive worrying and over-thinking since Star 2 this year. However, since Star 2 is *also* a wealth star, we can also surmise that there are also increased opportunities for wealth and it’s likely that these opportunities are partly to blame for the less-than-rosy health outlook of your home’s occupants for the year.

As Feng Shui concepts work like layers of an onion, check also what star is visiting your bedroom this year. This will give you additional information that relate only to occupants to that room. Not everyone who lives in the same house will experience the same exact luck, right? Let’s assume your bedroom is happily located in the Southeast sector this year. Hence, the star that has flown into your room is Star 8 which brings increased income that comes from a regular salary. Putting 2 and 8 together (pardon the pun) now gives us 10... and voila, we get the scenario of a good year for generally routine hard-work that results in a slow and steady increase in wealth (and one probably involving new partners/acquaintances). Of course the health issues from having a West main door are still there but we do know that life isn’t perfect, right?

If you work from home either by default or at least partially, then you can add on the effects of the visiting annual star where you do your work as well. Your home business or work will be affected by not just only the annual star at your main door but also but the annual star(s) affecting your home office or area that you work in.

And if all this isn’t enough to quench your Xuan Kong Flying Star thirst, you can also read the effect of the annual stars on the natal flying stars of your home. As usual, don’t fret interpreting ALL the sectors of your home; just focus on the interaction of the annual flying stars with the natal stars of your main door, bedroom, home office/study and perhaps, the kitchen. The annual flying stars are, after all, the triggers to the potential of your home as determined by the fixed, natal flying stars. Lastly, don’t forget that all of these effects (including the effects of the annual stars solely) are of course dependent upon the external forms surrounding your home so do a check on these as well.

What if you don’t like the outlook that you see (especially since it’s midway 2009 already and your experiences this year so far confirm your analysis)? Well, use your “Man (Human) Luck” then! Change main doors if you can - closing up your actual main door and entering through the garden sliding door is an example. Or else, move bedrooms, sleep on the living room sofa, or even swap bedrooms with your maid for the year! Remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And in dire circumstances where really nothing can be done within the house, there’s always the option of putting up elsewhere to tide over the year.

The Rule of Five in Face Reading

On a deeper level, the art of Mian Xiang (Face Reading) also involves reading a person’s body movements and subconscious behaviour, in addition to studying and interpreting both the obvious and subtle physical facial features and qualities.

Similar to the study of Feng Shui and BaZi, then, there are also ‘Special Structures’ in Mian Xiang that enables us to assess the greater capacity of a person.

There is, for example, the structure known as ‘Five Exposed’ (五露), which indicates a person who is extremely successful, and is able to leave behind a legacy of his/her outstanding success. The ‘Five Exposed’ is characterised by these facial traits:

• Bulging, protruding eyes
  Shells of the ear ‘reversed’
  Mouth that doesn’t completely close
  Exposed nostrils
  Large Adam Apple that juts out

But what happens if an individual only has FOUR of the five exposed features listed? Then be forewarned: this indicates the potential for a nasty accident. And with only ONE or TWO exposed features? It’s usually a sign of poverty.

Another structure of interest is that of the ‘Five Hidden’ (五藏). (You must be wondering how one’s eyes, ear, mouth, eyebrows, and nose can be hidden!) A person with the ‘Five Hidden’ usually has many hidden talents, great insight and intelligence, and is a skillful strategist. This structure is denoted by these traits:

• Soft but clear voice
  Hidden feelings and thoughts which others have difficulty discerning
  A piercing gaze
  Deep wisdom
  Internal strength that is not known by others

Know of anyone who fits into either one of the above-mentioned structures?

Back to Mian Xiang Basics

If fancy-schmancy terms are not your thing, there is always one reliable way to assess a person’s luck - through the eyes. When the eyes are clear, bright, and lively, the person’s luck cannot be bad. And if you match that with a face that appears bright, clear and radiant - that person is experiencing some very good event in his or her life.

Like all Metaphysics subjects, practice makes perfect. Do not be fooled by your friend’s smiling face - if the eyes are lackluster and lacking spirit, with a hint of red veins, combined with a dull complexion lacking a healthy glow - something’s not quite right.

On the other hand, once at a coffee shop I spotted a friend of mine walking into the shop. His face seemed to glow like an angel’s, even from the slight distance. "What did you just do," I asked later. "You’re glowing!"

He smiled. "Just closed a deal, my friend. Many zeroes worth."

Oh well.

What's Spirituality Got To Do with BaZi ?

Due to the nature of the subject, BaZi practitioners are sometimes viewed as having extra "powers," with some being viewed as being spiritual, and perhaps, more enlightened than your average Joe or Jane. After all, BaZi practitioners are able to decipher the personal characteristics, the best direction in life based on inherent skills, strengths and weaknesses while taking into account the personal fulfillment of the person whose chart is being read, as well - all this with just the date and time of birth of the said person! In addition, with accurate information on the client and his/her present circumstances, choices and upcoming decisions, a competent BaZi practitioner is also able to accurately foretell the sequence of things to come in the future.

It’s no wonder then that the BaZi practitioner is commonly seen as having extra-sensory powers or divine guidance from the spiritual realm. As BaZi deals with a person’s life and "luck" of the individual in question, it’s no wonder that the field is often misunderstood as something mysterious and related to the divine. As a result, some people who might be curious in getting a reading or in picking up the study of BaZi (or other Chinese Metaphysics subject, really) might be wary of the seemingly religious or spiritual overtones of the subject.

However, are BaZi practitioners *really* a spiritual lot?

Truth be told, BaZi is a technical study just like any other academic subject. The difference is of course the subject nature itself - in this case, the study is on the individual’s destiny, personal characteristics, surrounding circumstances and thus, possible life path. BaZi really is an extremely practical study. It deals with the earthly existence and circumstances of the individual with no sole reference to religious or spiritual aspects whatsoever. Practitioners would know that seemingly unrelated aspects of life such as education, gut instincts and well-being can be grouped under the "Resource" category-the same category that medicine, religion, metaphysics and spirituality belong to! From a BaZi perspective, these are all different aspects of life which serve the same purpose for a particular Day Master.

A BaZi analysis CAN of course reveal the depth of spirituality of the person in question, but this is just like any revelation of one’s other life aspects such as nature of romantic relationships, method of wealth accumulation, inherent skills etc. We wouldn’t label BaZi a tool for solely any of these aspects (eg. career guide, relationship guide, health report), would we? Why then should BaZi be considered a religious tool or study?

BaZi, in fact, deals with the nitty-gritty of life

Of course, studying something as vast and powerful as BaZi will usually raise awareness of the awe of the universe. After all, BaZi deals with one’s life and destiny, and through studying and understanding the subject, often one can’t help but ponder over WHO or WHAT is the ultimate force that metes out each and every BaZi chart and as such, each individual’s destiny on earth. Metaphysical studies *can* sometimes lead to an awakening of one’s spirituality in cases where religion or spirituality had never been at the forefront of one’s psyche before (and for people who are already religious or spiritual, perhaps BaZi studies would further reinforce their faith or personal belief).

However, the fact remains that on its own and at its purest (some practitioners DO tend to mix everything together-a whole other story altogether), BaZi is an extremely practical science based on the logical understanding of the influence of planetary positions and configurations of the universe. The insights, guidance and information revealed by the applications of BaZi are very "real", practical, often priceless and completely devoid of any specific religious or direct spiritual association.