Unmaking Feng Shui

What Is Feng Shui?

Is Feng Shui just an ancient philosophy like so many claim, or is it a subtle and potentially dangerous form of the occult?

There is so much information about Feng Shui, yet the majority of the population possess little or incorrect knowledge of this popular ideology. Upon beginning this research, I wanted to confirm exactly what Feng Shui is: A pseudo-science, a quasi-religion, a client cult, or a form of the occult. My research has yielded so much information; it only seems logical to present it in a series of articles, rather than one very long article.

We begin with a neutral explanation of Feng Shui. According to a current edition of Merriam-Webster’s Colligate Encyclopedia, Feng Shui is explained as:

“A traditional Chinese method of arranging the human and social world in auspicious (favorable) alignment with the forces of the cosmos including “chi”, “yin” and “yang”.

It was devised during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220).

Specialists called diviners, use compass-like instruments to determine the exact cosmic forces affecting “site”; appropriate sites being chosen in relation to bodies of water and mountains.” pg. 570.

More Definitions For Clarification

To understand the above explanation, there are key words the reader must understand:

• Diviner – is the same as a psychic. According to Roget’s Super Thesaurus, a psychic
  is also a mind-reader, medium, mystic, occultist, and clairvoyant.

• Divination – fortune telling or as the popular wordage would say, “future” telling.

Types of Divination

For many, myself included, I had no idea there were many types of divination. Thus a list to help us see where Feng Shui fits in, as a form of divination:

• Astrology – by celestial positioning (Feng Shui incorporates astrology).

• Auspice – by the use of birds.
• Bibliomancy – by the use of books. At one time only the Bible was used. Currently I
  did not find any use of the Bible, but rather fiction and poetry.
• Geomancy – by the earth or the earth’s elements (earth, metal, fire, water, wood). This
  is a principle factor in Feng Shui.
• Hydromancy – by the use of water (some health practitioners claiming Feng Shui as a
  belief system use this form of divination.
• Necromancy – by contacting the dead.
• Numerology – by the use of numbers. (Another form used by Feng Shui practitioners.
• Rhabdomancy – use of a divining rod.
• Sortilege – by the casting of lots (used by Feng Shui).

It was necessary to present this list of divination types to help establish the fact that Feng Shui is not as innocent as it appears and it certainly is more than the explanation Karen Rauch Carter, a popular Feng Shui consultant, author and speaker, states: “Feng Shui is a way to mindfully organize your environment so that it fully supports you in life”. (From her website front page).

Other Feng Shui practitioners by the information contained on their web sites, or Internet articles, have provided examples that point clearly to Feng Shui is a form of the occult:

• One web page for holistic healing states: “Feng Shui also known as Chinese geomancy is a system of positioning physical objects in environment locations that stimulate wellness, wealth and happiness.”

• A webpage for another alternative medicine practitioner linked Feng Shui to Egyptian witchcraft.
• In an article and several testimonials the mention of using numbers to achieve desirable results, like happiness, love, prosperity, and wellness were used. This is the form of divination known as numerology.
• In a study presented on the Internet regarding Feng Shui, there was an explanation of the Compass School of Feng Shui. “It (the Compass School’s doctrine) is used to interpret good and bad Feng Shui according to the placement of the symbolic hexagrams and trigrams in a compass shape. For each compass directional, there are corresponding attributes, symbols, colors, etc. One would throw wooden blocks, yellow stalks, and later coins. Based on where these objects landed one could interpret divine omens and gain wisdom.”

These examples are forms of divination; unmistakably divination is a big part of the occult, even as witchcraft is a part of the occult.

What the Bible States About Diviners, Divination

From the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 27 verses 9-10 NIV:

“So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers…They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you from your lands (homes).”

And in Colossians, chapter two, verse eight NIV:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

The Beliefs of Feng Shui

To understand Feng Shui, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the main beliefs which form the foundation of Feng Shui philosophy.

CHI – is an invisible force or energy which circulates both within ourselves and throughout the universe. According to this belief, we need to harness this force and encourage a healthy flow of chi energy into our homes and lives. To organize the motions and patterns of the chi is the goal of Feng Shui.

COSMIC CHI – refers to the force of nature. It comes down to earth from planets, the moon, stars and the sun. Feng Shui followers revere this force.

The Bible tells us not to revere these natural wonders. There are abundant references, but two which speak to this practice are:

Deuteronomy, chapter four, verse 19 NIV:

“And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshipping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all nations under heaven.”

Job, chapter 31 verses 26-28 NIV:

“If I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon in its splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.”

Earth Chi: The way the earth affects you. Feng Shui practitioners believe a person’s chi is changed by the earth’s magnetic field and its pull.

Human Chi: Each person has his/her own unique chi that flows in its own path. It affects personality, relationships, general moods ( it is similar to bio-energies).

Creative Cycle: This describes how the five elements help to promote each other. Water feeds wood, wood fuels fire, fire makes the earth, earth creates metal, metal holds water.

Destructive Cycle: Is how the five elements diminish each other. Water douses fire, fire melts metal, metal chops wood, wood uproots the earth, earth dams water. This cycle is used to temper or eliminate a particular element in a space that is not wanted or needed for good Feng Shui.

Cure: A remedy for a negative Feng Shui. It can enhance a space’s energy or it can neutralize what is determined as negative energies within the space. Many remedies for negative Feng Shui and physical illnesses are treated with forms of alternative medicine or holistic healing. While some forms of alternative medicines have been tested and proven beneficial, there are forms used under the canopy of Feng Shui that are health risks. (A separate article on this aspect of Feng Shui will be presented later).

Yin & Yang: There are many explanations of these two concepts forming an important and major part of Feng Shui philosophy. The clearest I have read was in the decorating book, Healthy Home, by Jill Blake. Ms. Blake explains:

“A key concept in Feng Shui is that everything in the universe is made up of two opposing but complementary energies, Yin and Yang. Yin is considered dark, and Yang is considered light. Health and well being will come to us if the Yin and Yang energies are balanced.” Pages 14-15

Yin is:

• Shade
• Female
• Passive
• Moon
• Earth
• Soft
• Water
• Cold

Yang is:

• Light
• Male
• Active
• Sun
• Sky
• Firm
• Fire
• Hot (or heat)

Five elements (energies) – this concept is crucial to Feng Shui.

The Five Elements or Energies are:

• Fire
• Water
• Metal
• Wood
• Earth

Feng Shui teaches these are the five elements of the universe, each person is born into one of them. Together the five elements form an unending cycle that can either be creative or destructive. Each of the elements is associated with a particular compass direction, color and various attributes.

These five elements describes the five ways energy moves:

• Water – downward motion
• Wood – expansive motion
• Fire – upward motion
• Earth – horizontal motion
• Metal – a compressing motion

BAGUA, BA GUA OR PA KUA – this refers to “the map of Feng Shui”. It is considered by Feng Shui practitioners to be one of the most essential tools for evaluating a site or environment. It is usually an octagon shape, with nine divisions or shapes. A center space, with eight spaces evenly placed around it. However the BaGua can also be a square shaped grid divided into nine even squares.(The same type of grid used for the ancient game, tic-tac-toe.)

GUA – is one of the eight sides of the Ba Gua or Pa Kua. Feng Shui propagates each one of the gua on the bagua represents one of the eight areas of life.

The arrangement goes like this, using the square shape grid format:

• Top left square (gua) – prosperity
• Top center gua – fame and reputation
• Top right gua – relationships and love
• Center left gua – family
• Center gua – health
• Center right gua – creativity and children
• Bottom left gua – skills and knowledge
• Bottom center gua – career
• Bottom right gua – helpful people and travel

A Profile of Feng Shui

The founder of Feng Shui was Yang Yun-Sang, approximately around 800 AD in China. Forms may have been in existence before this time, but Yang Hun-Sang is credited with presenting and propagating Feng Shui to the people of China.

The Revered Texts Are:

• Hang Lung Ching which describes the art of rousing the dragon.
• Ching Nang Ao Chih provides guidelines for locating the dragon’s lair.
• Lung Ching explains the technique for finding the dragon when it is hiding.

The dragon in Chinese culture symbolizes the yang in the Yin-Yang cosmology. It was considered a most powerful and authority creature, and thus became the emblem of the royal family.

Feng Shui has been classified as a quasi-religion by some sociologists. Simply on one hand when it serves well to be a religion it is one, and when being a religion doesn’t serve the purpose of Feng Shui, it isn’t a religion. Around the twelfth century it became classified as a pseudo-science.

However based on the practices into astrology, geomancy, numerology and sortilege; all forms of divination, Feng Shui comes closer to being a form of the occult. Especially when considering the explanation of occult provided in Merriam-Webster’s Colligate Encyclopedia – pg 1179:

“ Theories, practices and rituals based on esoteric knowledge of the world of spirits and unknown forces. The wide range of occult beliefs and practices include: astrology, alchemy (and early form of chemistry with magical associations), divinations, magic, witchcraft and sorcery. Devotees of occultism seek to explore mysteries through what they regard as higher powers of the mind.”

Whatever classification you accept, it is a philosophy with over 200 million people practicing its teachings for some aspect of their daily life – many do so not realizing it has a dark side. Many will staunchly attest that Feng Shui is not a part of the occult, but the facts prove that most definitely it is occultism.

For those who profess to embrace a strong belief in God, whether Jewish or Christian, the scriptures are clear on God’s position regarding astrology, diviners, sorceries, magic, false philosophies, myths and superstitions. If you are incorporating any form of Feng Shui in your life – home or business decorations, real states transactions, checking your horoscope each day to determine what kind of a day you will have (this is bowing to fortune telling) – I can’t help but ask, “Why?” These things are clearly an insult and an offense to the Lord our God.

Feng Shui Enters Our Churches

There are several articles on the Internet encouraging those headed into matrimony to use Feng Shui to assure they have a happy and successful marriage and that their wedding day will be wonderful in every way. I feel nothing but total distain at such a suggestion!

To share portions of the advice handed out like rice at a wedding reception, let me highlight some of these.

The use of numerology was suggested in all the articles that I previewed. First is the wedding date. The date should have either an eight or a nine in it or else add up to either eight or nine. Why? Because, 8 is the number for love and 9 is the number for eternity.

According to Feng Shui logic, the number 18 is the perfect date, as it has 8 for love, and by having the number one added to it, number 9 is achieved for eternity.

The use of numerology doesn’t stop here. The layers on the wedding cake must be 3. As 3, is the Feng Shui number of love. This advice is so totally lacking in practicality (like other types of Feng Shui advice). What if the wedding couple is having a small wedding, and a three layer cake will be more than adequate for the guests invited, not to mention the expense. Most young couples need to watch the expense of their weddings, and this type of advice is senseless.

It would be bad enough if the wedding location was a country club, private home, or reception hall for the advice that Feng Shui dispenses being drenched with the occult.

But for this advice to be expected to be adhered to when the wedding location is a church or synagogue is abominable! Bring a form of the occult with its practice of divination, into a house of God? God Forbid!

Frankly this idea of using Feng Shui to plan your wedding as some kind of insurance to assure your marriage will be successful and happy rather than seeking the blessings of the Lord and trusting Him completely with your plans for matrimony is beyond appalling.
If you are so unsure of whether your wedding will result in your marriage being happy and right that you have to stoop to the occult, then you better wait until you feel more secure and sure of this important step in your life.

The Lo Shu, Another Form of Numerology

There is substantial information that clearly ties Feng Shui into the practice of numerology besides what was discussed in its use for weddings. The Lo Shu Square is another “important foundation in the Compass School of Feng Shui because of its relationship to the BaGua. The Lo Shu grid or square is said to unlock the meanings of the BaGua with its added numerology. Each day, month, year has its own Lo Shu number and masters within the Compass School look at the Lo Shu gird to decipher good and bad days for activities.” Elizabeth Hagerty – 2000 Internet Article.

Feng Shui, A Client Cult?

Finally, it has been suggested that Feng Shui is nothing more than a client cult. A client cult provides specific tangible compensation for all of life’s problems. Feng Shui practitioners promise that Feng Shui methods will :

• Promote harmony with people around you.
• Provide employment and job success.
• Improved health.
• Give more motivation.
• Mend family breeches.
• Fulfill desires for travel or resolve travel difficulties.
• Provide abundant prosperity.
• Assure love and romance.

However contrary to many Christian denominations which are “other” oriented, as exemplified by members reaching out to those in need, as a service rather than a means for financial gain, Feng Shui is greedy in that its practitioners always charge for any service they provide, even the smallest bit of advice they charge for, as I noted with one very successful Feng Shui practitioner on the Internet, charging for answering one little question by email the fee of ten dollars!

And what about all these “masters” of Feng Shui? There are so many, one wonders what is going on! Is it that Feng Shui is easy to grasp? My research has indicated that it isn’t.
Feng Shui is a very complicated philosophy as it has so many dimensions like New Age.

It has been estimated that there are thousands of people who claim to be “masters” of Feng Shui. Yet, according to one documentation, there are only about six or seven true masters of this subject, and they tend to have little to do with the general public.

So, are the practitioners of Feng Shui, conning the unlearned, unwary and unwise for some very high fees? The next article will look at the practitioners of Feng Shui.

Until then remember what the wisest man that ever walked the earth said, And Jesus said to them, “watch out that no one deceives you…you must be on your guard.” Matthew, chapter 13 verse 5 NIV.