Bringing in the New Year with Feng Shui

 


JANUARY, 2002
My Current Opinion
by Guy Spiro

Kabbalistic Healing and Its Relevance to Modern Life
by Dr. Jodi Prinzivalli, Director, The Center for Energetic Psychology
Bringing in the New Year with Feng Shui
By: Susan Chow, Feng Shui Master Practitioner
Bringing in the New Year with Feng Shui
By: Susan Chow, Feng Shui Master Practitioner
The belief in fate or predestination is strong within the Chinese culture--its fundamental core is a belief in fate and luck.

The New Year, as we know it in the West, begins on January 1st. Most of us take the time to ponder on what lies ahead and ways to set goals to obtain a better year. Whether the plans are to start an exercise routine, to read more, or to find a new job, the common denominator is to obtain a better lifestyle.

The most important festival in Chinese culture is the Spring Festival, more commonly known in the West as Chinese New Year. This festival is one of the happiest and most festive times for Asians. Like all Chinese festivals, the date is determined by the lunar/solar calendar rather than the Western Gregorian calendar, so the date of the holiday varies each year from late January to mid February. The date of Chinese New Year for 2002 is February 12th.

Chinese culture is rich in customs, traditions and superstitions. Prior to New Year's, houses are thoroughly cleaned, debts repaid, hair cut and new clothes and shoes bought. Doors and houses are decorated with traditional red paper scrolls whose texts praise good luck and prosperity; this practice is believed to keep away ghosts and evil spirits. Red Packets, also known as "Lai Si" or "Hung Bao" are given. Red is used as the most auspicious color and given by married couples to children and unmarried people. The symbolic giving of the money represents a wish for fortune and wealth in the coming year. The money may also be used to pay off debt, thus allowing a financial clean slate in the new year. It is considered bad luck to carry old debts into the new year. On New Year's eve, houses are brightly lit and an elaborate multi-dish traditional dinner is served. The family and friends stay up till midnight, when fireworks are lit to drive away evil spirits.

Flowers hold a special significance at Chinese New Year. Three of the most commonly purchased flowers are blossoms, kumquat tree and peony flowers. Blossoms symbolize life, growth and prosperity. Peach blossoms are the most auspicious because in Chinese culture the peach is a symbol of long life and is regarded as the strongest defense against evil. The kumquat tree symbolizes gold, wealth, unity and perfection. The peony is called the "flower of riches and honor" in Chinese. It is the symbol of love and affection, as well as being a symbol for feminine beauty. The bright red peony is particularly auspicious, bringing with it luck and good fortune.

The most spectacular event of the Chinese New Year festivities is the Lion Dance. The dance is accompanied by loud music played on drums, gongs and cymbals. The use of firecrackers and the instruments are related to the role of the lion in dispelling evil and bringing in good luck. New Year's day is often spent visiting neighbors, family and friends, and warm wishes are given for a healthier and more prosperous year.

The belief in fate or predestination is strong within the Chinese culture—its fundamental core is a belief in fate and luck. It has many practical ways of avoiding bad luck and increasing wealth and prosperity. Recourse to Feng Shui, divination and fortune telling on New Year's day is very common within the Asian culture. It is believed that a person can make the most of their fate and luck with the help of these instruments. Seeking out a Feng Shui Master on New Year's day provides an insight of what's to come with the energy influences for the coming year, and allows one to make the necessary adjustments for any negative influences that may hinder one's luck, wealth and prosperity.

The quest for improvement and to attain a better life is nothing new. The increase in our daily pace, expectations and pressures have brought about some notable imbalances in people's lives. In the search for a comfortable equilibrium, society has turned to new approaches. Among them is a growing interest in Ancient Eastern philosophies. This is partly due to fact that the world has discovered that these ancient practices have very good merits. Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, and Chinese Herbal Medicine are a few examples that have recently been embraced by the Western world. The study of Feng Shui is one of the most recent practices that have now entered the mainstream of Western focus. This recent wave of interest has sparked international awareness of this ancient Chinese practice.

Feng Shui is the study of how environmental energies affect man, and the ability to balance and harness the utmost positive earth energies (chi) to harmonize living conditions. With the exploding interest in Feng Shui, many schools have emerged in recent years. Black Hat Sect, Pyramid School, Western Feng Shui, Symbolic Feng Shui, Intuitive Feng Shui, and Space Clearing are some examples of the many "new schools" or so-called "modern schools" that have surfaced. The common belief within these "new approaches" is to obtain balance in one's life through the hanging of a few crystals, adding color or esthetically pleasing decors and designs, and the re-arrangement of furniture and objects to the designated "corners within the bagua." This is merely scratching the surface and takes a very simplistic and superficial approach.

Authentic, Classical Feng Shui, on the other hand, is a sophisticated and complex system comprised of many layers of formulae, mathematical calculations and applications. The two systems of Classical Feng Shui are San He and San Yuan. San He is the study of directional chi brought on by exterior environmental influences such as mountains, buildings, land formations, waterways, roads, and tapping into individual auspicious directions. A mathematical calculation is made by using ones date of birth to determine their life kua number, which in turn determines their individual auspicious directions. The study of the San He examines the effects of such influences and provides us with some answers as to the negative or positive impact such influences may have.

San Yuan is a study that looks at the intangible forces, time dimensions and cycles of directional influences, and the location of bad and good energies. This is done by taking a compass reading of the building and then determining what energies are affecting the dwelling and the occupants. With the use of pre-determined formulae, a series of combinations will reveal detailed aspects of the present energies and their effects, such as sickness, conflicts, finances, and relationship issues as they relate to each individual. The results are so accurate and detailed that some compare this practice to the telling of a house's fortune. After obtaining such information, a qualified practitioner can begin to make recommendations to rebalance one's environment. Examples of some common recommendations may include the selection of appropriate uses for specific rooms, the location of certain activities such as sleeping, cooking, home office, and relocation of beds and bedrooms. In some situations, elements may used to either enhance positive chi or minimize the effects of negative chi.

The study of time dimensions in feng shui provides us with directional changes of energies and their influences. This allows us to avoid any negative influences that may hinder one's luck, wealth and prosperity. This is done with using mathematical calculations to determine the directional changes of energies and their yearly influences.

The most afflicted force for the year 2002 comes from the East direction. A good application to suppress this deadly force is to hang a six-rod wind chime in the eastern part of your home. The six-rod wind chime must be made of metal with the center medallion made of metal. Brass is the most favorable element. If you live in a condominium and you have a window or door facing the east, you may want to use metal objects. This application is only recommended if you have no young males living in the house. Earth elements such as crystals, rocks, porcelain and fire elements should be avoided in the east or south sectors of your home or office for the year 2002.

The other afflicted forces are located in the North and South directions. Renovations, diggings, or any disturbance in the area or location of your property, or within your home, is not recommended in any of the afflicted directions as mentioned above for the year 2002. This is so that the negative directional chi influences are not disturbed. Disturbing the afflicted areas may result in accidents, mishaps, potential conflicts and loss of money. Implementing these simple Feng Shui principles for the year 2002 can help everyone to optimize their living space by harmonizing and maximizing the chi to bring harmony, health, balance and prosperity into their lives.

Susan Chow is a Classical Feng Shui Master Practitioner and known speaker, writer and television personality in North America. She is the in-house expert and advisor on Fashion Television Channel's "Feng Shui Life Television," guest expert on Home and Garden Television Channel's "The Designer Guys" and contributing writer for internationally distributed magazine "Feng Shui for Modern Living." For more information, please visit her website at www.susanchow.com or to contact Susan, please call 1-416-785-8868.