Bung Chiang (Graduate) Feng Shui principles.

How to locate the Bung Chiang (Graduate Star) by year of birth

Are interested in stories about the desktop to the child attending school is a good way how. Placing the school desks school children in good ways. Such as 9 Flying Star system, it will focus on position no. 4 and no. 1 star. That the location of the home where they will learn desktop, place the Chinese calligraphy or Chinese pagoda. The simple way to understand where you can sit your own child to the table are the following.

Birth of the child (Year), which will sit to the table. I took a number of years the main unit, plus seven more that much waste.

Example : 2010+7 = 7 (0+7);

Number                Table position

1                            SE (150)

2                            S (180)

3                            SW (240)

4                            W (270)

5                            SW (240)

6                            W (270)

7                            NW (330)

8                            N (0)

9                            NE (60)

0                            E (90)

Specified direction is the direction where graduate star (Bun Chiang by annual birth) when the direction is to locate and then use a compass to stand in the middle of the room or area to place the table. View on the compass that the degrees obtained in the position of the room where they put the table in degrees on the compass, it already is.

Era

Age of the building

Before you start analyzing the article about how Feng Shui with modern subjects 9 Flying Stars. It is advisable to understand about the "era" before the rules and how to share how Subject to the use of 9-generation stars is accurate and understand more.

Age is a matter of time A matter of life and things. Here we will talk about the age of the building only. Building will be different when the analysis. Need to know the age and years of operation that is in any time period. Even in the community will be a period of prosperity and decline and depression vice versa. So we know that any time period or a period of growth or no growth of the building is necessary to analyze the time course feng shui is related to the rotation of the stars in the universe.

For how to split the era of nine-generation star, "Long Zhi era" based on the position of the stars in the north is the main. The Chinese astrology, the stars in the sky is divided into four main groups.

The rotation of the star and 4-star This family is the northern most important and influential, or have the power to the world than the other stars. We called the Polaris. "The nine stars," or Chinese Chaozhou called "Pak Tao Chair", this constellation of stars that will result in an orbit close to Earth as well. The planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun and Moon and seven stars on the moon this will power or gravity of the nine stars. Each of the nine stars and the moon will own period called the "Era" during a period of 20 years in every 20 years because the sky is Jupiter and Saturn orbit meet once. Jupiter to orbit in a position opposite to Saturn During each period of time will change more. From the orbit of the planet to meet the two Bureau of Long Zhi. That's a phenomenon that took this happens every 20 years. Fitness is a term that era is divided into nine age groups under the influence of nine stars. And after the age of 9, it began a new era begins again.

The duration of the period are as follows:

Era 1. Chaozhou language called "Tum Lang," From the year. Year 2407-2426. In this age range that is North of growth has placed in the water element.

Era 2. Chaozhou language called "Kue Amg," From the year. Year 2427-2446. In this age range that is South West of growth has placed in the earth element.

Era 3. Chaozhou language called "Lok Sung," From the year. Year 2447-2466. In this age range that is East of growth has placed in the wood element.

Era 4. Chaozhou language called "Bung Khek," From the year. Year 2467-2486. In this age range that is South East of growth has placed in the wood element.

Era 5. Chaozhou language called "Niam Cheng," From the year. Year 2487-2506. During the first 10 years of prosperity in the South East and a positive impact in the North East after 10 years of age, placed in the earth element.

Era 6. Chaozhou language called "Boo Khek," From the year. Year 2507-2526. In this age range that is North Wast of growth has placed in the metal element.

Era 7. Chaozhou language called "Poow Kun," From the year. Year 2527-2546. In this age range that is West of growth has placed in the metal element.

Era 8. Chaozhou language called "Jo Hoo," From the year. Year 2547-2566. In this age range that is North East of growth has placed in the earth element.
Era 9. Chaozhou language called "Ew Peak," From the year. Year 2567-2586. In this age range that is South of growth has placed in the fire element.

At the end of the age 9 and then it will be that a return to a new era began to flow again, this time.

Positioning and Image

Prominent position in the feng shui of the house is a 4 position

1. Black Turtle annual North divine animal. Or rear of the building or area when facing the front of the mean rank position, charisma, the protection, of patronage.

2. Green Dragon annual East divine animal. Or left side of the building or area when facing the front of the subject means to fight and males.

3. White Tiger annual West divine animal. Or right side of the building or area when facing the front of the subject means to technical and females.

4. Red Swan annual South divine animal. Or front of the building or area when facing the front of the maen famous.

• If your home or building to the left more or higher In the near term will cause a deficiency of white tiger or dragon force myself to make problems. From a man who created.
• If your home or building on the right more or higher In the near term will cause a deficiency of green dragon or tiger force myself to make problems. From a woman who created.
• If your home or building to the rear building no higher cause deficiency of Black Turtle. If a building behind the higher near-term will force myself to Tao Dam causes the problems. If missing, it was necessary to hold up and the lack of sponsor support.
• If your home or building to the front area is not wide enough or cluttered areas. In the near term will cause a deficiency of the Ming Thang or Red Swan.

Images and Statues

Statues or symbols like a representative of that person. Images like dragons and men are left. Figure A woman is like white tigers are on the right. Therefore, the formulation should be placed to the side. If it is the wrong side of issues, such as if a boy to lie to the right will tend to be so gay.

Another very important as well is to have something to destroy that image, such as no sharp objects or sharp protrusions that look. But it is very sharp just so much massacre. Soi or street straight road, it is even destroy a large and long distance is even more severe (This section is a matter of power is not visible in the hard scientific proof, but it has that effect on form).

What is the image straight to a massacre, then it will be the owner of illness depend on the severity of what's massacre.

So, if you installed any place where images are not modified immediately, immediately. If anyone install image whether it is a portrait in the Royal King or Queen, it should install the correct location. It is difficult to explain, but it has influenced the life.

Location Basis

Location of the four basic elements feng shui

Location determines the power point Land characteristics will determine the type of power to cover that area. In feng shui elements are a good foundation ;

1. High land behind (Black Turtle)

2. Land in front of a large space (Red Swan)

3. Still be right (White Tiger)

4. The left should move (Green Dragon)

In the old days of analysis depends on location in the mountain area. Because the location of the mountain. Which is related to the location itself. Species that determines the power or element of the location and the water such as rivers, canals or streams in the area. The binding point to radiate out from the mountains to be stable.

This period mountain or chi of dragon is interpreted as high hills, buildings, trees or high walls of water is interpreted as roads.

Land characteristics will determine the type of power to cover that area. Therefore, the land has hills and mountains behind, has surrounded the left and right are considered a good feng shui because it "back". Or be sustained on the back of the mountain. And is protected by high hills on both left wing and right wing This means that people who live in this area will receive consistent support. This condition on the front of the wide open spaces. Feng Shui is considered excellent. Cause the vast landscapes. This means that barriers to free things to do. So the essence of good Feng Shui can include any one location. Behind the high hills. If possible it should be less prominent than the left and right. The front is plain or without any obstacle.

Home location is not good

If you build houses on the highest location of feng shui is not good because ;

- Not receive protection from natural disasters such as typhoon, rainstorm.

- No "back", which means that everything you do is buttress.

- Location can not include storage or take more power. Dispelling wind because they are missing out end buttress.

On the other hand, if your house built on the low end of the location. Especially below street level. All power is in the collection at your home. This may fall in the relative power still In a crowded together. The bad feng shui. Also home to be flooded easily on heavy rain as well.

In another aspect about feng shui that represents the lack of things behind, including land which slopes down to the back, behind the house under the front street, or a canal behind home. This was the case we are moving on the back of the house. Indicates a lack of support The importance of dragon and tiger. Dragons are auspicious animals. Chinese Dragon respect because it is believed to bring prosperity. But Tiger is a beast. Should respect and fear. Therefore, should the Tigers are peaceful or not moving.

Prohibition of Feng Shui

25 Prohibition of Feng Shui in the house

Prohibition of construction You may be aware many items. When some of you know I do not know how to handle well. But for those who are building houses on land. These restrictions have led to this consideration.

Contraindications or precautions in accordance with feng shui has many respects. Which you yourself should not be overlooked. The restrictions for the following.

1. Not a central flow channel of land or houses.

2. Do not plant trees or large central courtyard planted trees around house.

3. Do not construct ponds or enclosed stump.

4. Never before wall construction for housing.

5. No stairs or a toilet in the middle of home.

6. Do not build in the water.

7. Do not place the beams even number or a larger antenna beam home.

8. Do not create a pool larger than the house.

9. Do not build a wall or fence higher than the house.

10. Do not build without a backdoor.

11. Do not fill the two back into home after one collision with the eaves.

12. Do not create more than the toilet in the house members.

13. Do not use the door frame or pillar twisted house to build a house.

14. Do not create too many doors or windows.

15. Do not create a bedroom under the stairs home.

16. Do not plant trees in the same line with the door.

17. Do not create Shrine facing the outside.

18. Do not dig a pond behind house.

19. Do not build a road around all 4 sides.

20. Do not create a home bigger than the arch home.

21. Do not place large mound in front.

22. Do not build on steep cliffs.

23. Do not penetrate walls as windows.

24. Do not create a home that is too large, but there are less people.

25. Never leave a space under a high and open The pillars of the insect leg.

25 prohibition some of the incredible view, but think if the main geographical simultaneously with It is true that so Now if I do not believe attacks better.

The Condominium

The difference between Feng Shui Condominuim and Home

The basic Feng Shui condominium the principles are similar to Feng Shui house, but there are two distinctive features are:

1. Condominiums are clearly separate levels.

2. Condominiums have separate rooms for privacy quite absolute.

Selecting floor condominium

Principles selection are a variety of floor condominium. Began with the deployment of feng shui is a system that any Which can be looked as a whole has 2 items are:
1. Selected based on the power of external nature as a whole, also called era is key.
2. Selected based on the individual as a primary use of birth.
Selecting floor condominium by era
The principles of the five era are divided the year 60 or 60 Ka Chue into five groups of the elements Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire.
The Year 1996 - 2007 will be the Fire era.
The Year 2008 - 2019 will be the Wood era.
Floor of the building to thrive in the Year 1996 - 2007 is a class that ends with 0, 2, 5, 7 as grade 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17.
Floor of the building to thrive in the Year 2008 - 2019 is a class that ends with 2, 3, 7, 8, as grade 2, 3 7 8 12 13 17 18.
If the condo buying in the year 2010 is being changed across era. Should prepare for a future in the next generation. Class ends with a 2 or 7.
Principles of the various elements for the class if you read the article about basic feng shui may remember from the chart Her Tu.
Prosperity It represents the era that Available to everyone. If a comparison is like that If you live in a prosperous city. An overview of housing that would be progress. But will be influenced much depends on the environment in places such.
Selecting floor condominium by year of birth
Element for year of birth
1. Rat        =     Water                       7. Horse        =     Fire
2. Ox         =     Earth                        8. Goat          =     Earth
3. Tiger      =     Wood                      9. Monkey     =     Metal
4. Rabbit    =     Wood                    10. Cock         =     Metal
5. Dragon   =     Earth                      11. Dog           =     Earth
6. Snake     =     Fire                        12. Pig             =     Water
That is a powerful floor of the same elements or support your year of birth. The main use of the five elements:
Rat should be at floor 1, 6, 4, 9
Ox should be at floor 2, 7, 5, 10
Tiger should be at floor 3, 8, 1, 6
Rabbit should be at floor 3, 8, 1, 6
Dragon should be at floor 2, 7, 5, 10
Snake should be at floor 2, 7, 3, 8
Horse should be at floor 2, 7, 3, 8
Goat should be at floor 2, 7, 5, 10
Monkey should be at floor 5, 10, 4, 9
Cock should be at floor 5, 10, 4, 9
Dog should be at floor 2, 7, 5, 10
Pig should be at floor 4, 9, 1, 6

Mirrors

While watching a magician saw a woman in half or make an elephant vanish in midair, the baffled spectator can hardly imagine just how simple these illusions really are. Without mirrors, more than half the magic of Las Vagas would be lost. Alice in Wonderland discovered a whole new world beyond the looking glass, and Snow White's face was closely tied to the mirror on the wall. Because mirrors are one of the most commonly employed cures in feng shui, it is important to understand how to use them properly.

Mirrors for simple reflection

Mirrors have many different functions. As an ordinary object, the mirror reflects the human image and is used almost every day for shaving, applying makeup, straightening neckties or hemlines, and dressing. The two most common mirrors in our homes, in the bed room and bath, may actually be creating difficulty while performing their basic function.

All mirrors should be kept spotlessly clean. Broken, damaged worn, or faded mirrors will have a strong effect, usually unersirable, and should be replaced. Decorative mirrors made of smoked glass can be lovely in the right place and used in order to create a certain well defined aesthetic feeling, but they should be avoided when the human image will be seen "amid the haze." Similarly, painted mirrors are really objects of art and should be placed so as to function as an element of design rather than reflect faces.

Because we are more than just our body or face, mirrors are frequently too small to reflect the whole field of energy that we really are. Around our physical body is a field of vibration called an aura. Whether we can see it or not, this field can be measured using various forms of technology, including Kirlian photography. The aura around the head, like a halo on an angel, extends an everage of six inches beyond the physical form. When we look at our image each morning or night as it is reflected in a small bathroom mirror over the sink, who we are is limited to the physical self. Mirrors that reflect the face should be larger than the body-- as we become "larger than life."

The Fire

The area of Fire, completing the bagua, is Illumination.

Being charged by Fire means manifesting an energy of clarity. At the end of the cycle, as at the end of life, we finally see that that light shines from within. When we are in the spotlight or the public eye, this area might be called Fame. But it is clear that public recognition or worldwide exposure can still leave a superstar in the dark. This area of the house corresponds not to being in the spotlight but rather to Illumination form within and the ability to illuminate or enlighten others. It is symbolized by the active, pulsating energy of summer and is enhanced by objects that illuminate the soul, like great works of literature, Old Master paintings, or deeply moving music or poetry. Fire is 180 degrees opposite the house of Water, reminding us that we are constantly in relationship to our path and must always be "doing what we want to do." Many people, after achieving fame and material success, are ruled by the demands placed upon them as a result of their newfound popularity. This may take them away form their path, The Journey, the house of Water-always in relationship with Fire. Many famous artists and political figures leave behind the glitter and notoriety to pursue a dream more true to their inner nature. Enlightened masters abandon desire. The mastery of Fire distinguishes human beings from all the other animals.
When this part of the bagua is missing from the house, occupants will be overconcerned about other people's opinions and find it difficult to develop self-confidence. When it is a projection, the energy that is created will often cause people to become well known in society or to achieve a state of self-realization through daily life.

The Mountain

The Mountain is the area of quiet Contemplation.

Ancient sages spent hours in quiet contemplation, often amid the clear air and quiet solitude of a mountain cave. Following hours of study or meditation, the ancients would face their worldly ignorance and deepen their knowledge of self. This area in our house, also referred to as Inner Knowledge, does not come from what you know, but instead is charged by what you know you don't know. A college diploma, graduate degree, or honors award in the Department of Intellect may be an important measure to some, but thousands of the world's greatest teachers, philosophere, masters, artists, and mentors drew their wisdom from within - and had no certification or credit form the university. Inner knowledge depends on self-reflection or introspection, often carried out late at night or in the early hours of the morning. The moutain is symbolized by containers (like caves), churches, solitary items, empty boxes or vessels, and the stillness of nature in the wintertime.

When this area of the bagua is missing in the house or is indented a couple living there may find it difficult to conceive a child. A single woman may have difficulty with her reproductive organs. A projection in this area also leads to difficulty for the inhabitants. Family arguments and tension will abound as each person becomes more and more selfish. This is the one house of the bagua that should ideally have neither a projection nor an indentation.

The Lake

The area of the Lake is related to our Creativity.

All that we create - our children, projects, and stories and master pieces of the art world - come from the energy of the Lake. Often called Offspring, this area of our house brings a youthful joy and imagination into being. Here, we develop plans for a new store, invent a better mousetrap, give birth to a poem or song, and plant the seed of a new life. Creativity lives in all of us, large and small, young and old. With it, life is magical; without it, life is over. This area of our house also symbolizes all the related aspects of the sensory organs: taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. In particular, fragrant blossoms, glistening ponds, delicious desserts, and melodious music enhance the essence of the Lake, as do images of these aspects presented in art and objects. This area is also associated with twilight, immediately before sunset.

When this part of the bagua is missing in the house, occupants will have difficulty saving money for their own enjoyment. They will tend to spend it or give it away foolishly. When there is a projection in this area, occupants will be sociable, happy, and well fed, although they may often be the brunt of ridiculous gossip!

Heaven

The area of Heaven is the door open to Helpful Friends.

The way of nature is the way of Heaven. Gifts form above, as manifest on the earth, occur in the form of support, guidance, and love form close friends. This area, Helpful Friends, is the door through which volunteers, supportive staff, good neighbors, and "angles" of the figurative and real variety may enter your life. It is also the area through which you, as a helpful friend in other people's lives, serve by giving away your talents, time, and energy unconditionally. The essence of this area of our house is philanthropy - not through donations of cash to a chairty or tithing to a church - but through our own selfless acts of giving away what is most important to us without expecting anything in return. It is symbolized by semiprecious gemstones, diamonds, and lead crystal objects. Heaven also embodies the strongest charge of the masculine principle, opposite the image of Earth's feminine charge.

When this area of the bagua is missing from the house, a man will have difficulty with his employers. He may also suffer from illness and lack vitality. When this area is projected, occupants will more naturally be able to develop a concern for their fellow human beings and act in ways that support people in the society who have less material wealth.

The Tai Chi

The center, called the Tai Chi, symbolizes all complementary antagonisms and Unity.

The vital center of the body, called the hara, is the deep, rooted space from which life's energy, or chi, emanates. Like the gravitational midpoint of our anatomy, the Tai Chi in a room or house is the place of profound Unity. Here, in the center of the home, many traditional cultures and families would bring complementary aspects from the outside, like a small courtyard with a garden or atrium. Most of all, Unity must be uncluttered, clean, and orderly. More a point of reference than an actual space with certain dimensions, Unity contains aspects of all eigth trigrams and may be the most important part of your home or office if your main concern is health. To be truly healthy is to unite the best aspects of all eight houses in the bagua good relationships with friends and family, a satisfying career, feeling of being blessed, and so on. The Tai Chi contains "everything" and "nothing".

When this area is "missin," then the outside is in the inside there is a courtyard or garden in the center! This is a wonderful design used by many traditional cultures. Placing water in this area is wise only if the water remains fresh, active, and moving. The overall dimension of an outdoor or garden area in the Tai Chi should be less than one-third of the total usable indoor space.

The Wind

The area of Wind is the place of Fortunate Blessings.

Most people associate good luck with winning the lottery, picking the right horse at the racetrack, or receiving an unexpected gift such as an inheritance or the prize at a raffle. The area of Wind, though often associated with wealth, is more accurately the area where we experience blessing in our lives - even in the midst of great difficulty - and remember just how blessed we truly are. Not just being on the receiving end of dollars, to be in Fortunate Blessings means to have a very real perception and experience of good luck in many areas of life, to be blessed by good omens, prosperity, harmony, and even health. Acknowledgment by a co-worker or employer, gratitude expressed by a sibling, a promotion at work, or an honor received through a trade association are all signs of Wind in harmony.
The symbol of penetration, like wind blowing through a screen, and the lighter aspects of the tree nature inherent in palms or willows are more closely related to this area and can be enhanced through art and other symbolic objects. Directly opposite Wind, 180 degrees across the bagua, is Heaven, which rules philanthropy. Of course, the more blessings we receive, the more we can give away.
When this area of the bagua is missing in the house, occupants will have more frequent accidents and experience "bad luck." They will frequently have difficulty with business affairs, documents, legal contracts, and taxes. If this area is a projection, occupants are often very successful in business and generally enjoy "good luck" and fortune.

The Thunder

The area of Thunder is the energy of our Elders.

Like the thunder that precedes the storm, our elders or ancestors come before us. Respect and honor for them is a traditional principle all but lost in modern society. This area relates directly to those who are your superiors, bosses, parents, and elders; some of them are in your biological family, but included are those above you in your work environment as well. Associated with energy that moves upward and outward like a tree, Thunder or Elders is also symbolized by musical instruments (noisemakers), tall plants (upward growth), sunrise, and other aspects of this energy depicted in art or objects. This area is 180 degrees opposite the house that rules children and offspring, the Lake.

When there is an indentation or a missing part of the house in this area of the bagua, occupants are liable to feel a loss of energy and lack endurance and vitality. Children born in these houses may leave home at a very early age. When there is a projection in this area, the energy created in the house will lead to greater success in life for the occupants.

The Earth

The area of Earth corresponds to Relationships.

Relationships with others, whether platonic, professional, or passionate, help us to become better intergrated with parts of ourselves we cannot so easily see. For some, relationships with clients or customers mean money; for others, relationships are the source of great happiness, resulting in marriage and the beginning of family -  for many, the main focus of life. But the essence of this area is symbolized by Earth, the Receptive. Earth corresponds to all things that receive, like cushions or pillows (they receive your body), fields and uncultivated land (open areas), and the highest nature of sincere modesty, basic humility and an empty, giving, open heart. To be in a relationship means to be truly receptive as well as giving.

The inner world of relationships is 180 degrees across the bagua, called Contemplation. Our relationships with others are always a result of how we carry them within ourselves. Earth is the area that carries the strongest charge of the Feminine Principle.

When this area is missing from the bagua in a house, women may have trouble living there. Occupants may also have difficulty with issues involving land or agriculture. When it is a projection, the house will be happiest when many women live there, although men may be much less happy in such a house.

The Water

The area of Water is the beginning, called The Journey.

Life proceeds along a path, like a journey. This area of our life is like riding in a boat down a river. The Water area is sometimes called carrer, but it is much more than your job. It represents the freedom to do what you want to do -  for life to flow effortlessly, with clarity and ease. It is a natural site to include objects containing liquid, such as inks, paint, medicine, or oil, or art that depicts or symbolizes water in some way, including rivers, streams, oceans, fish, whales, and waterfalls.

When this area is missing from the bagua in your home, some occupant of the house may suffer from illness unless it is corrected by placement. If there is a projection in this area, the occupants will usually acquire wealth and have a keen understanding of how to use it.

Working at home

What happens if you are one of the increasing number of people who undertake freelance work at home? If you have the space, you may be able to convert one of your rooms into a small office, in which case you can adapt the information in this part of the book to meet your circumstances.

But supposing you don't have all that much extra space and you need to accommodate some work space in another room, say a spare bedroom? You will find yourself having to make choices and compromises. The part of the room which has the bed will be for a Yin purpose and the area where you set up your office will for a Yang purpose each has different requirements. In order to determine how best to arrange the room you need to determine the main use of the room: is it primarily a bedroom that is used from time to time for office work, or is it the other way around? Taking the primary use into account is the best rule of thumb for deciding some of the basic questions.

For example, here are the floor plans of a small bedroom, arranged according to two primary uses. In Plan, the bed is in the best possible location in relation to door and window, but there are drawbacks in the way the desk has been arranged. This would be appropriate if the main use of the room was as a bedroom. If the main use was as an office, you could switch the bed and desk so that the bed was on the same side as the door (less suitable) and position the desk more toward the center of the room, allowin you space to sit behind it with your back to the wall. The screen helps protect the sleeping space.

In all such considerations, don't burden yourself with trying to come up with the absolutely perfect solution. There is no such concept in Feng Shui. You must take as many aspects into account as possible, try to decide which are the most important, and see what you can do to accommodate them harmoniously.

In a tiny office

You get a tiny officd of your own. There is a door and a window and on one wall there is shelving. You need to arrange your desk and desk chair, a visitor's chair, and a filing cabinet. That's all you have room for. You can only think of five realistic options, but which one is best?

Eposed position

The energy pathway from the door to the window will pass directly across your chair. The effect will be to make you feel uncomfortable if you spend long periods in that position, probably without realizing why. This will be made all the worse by the fact that your back is exposed and you cannot see who is entering the room. You will feel even more constricted by facing the wall.

More vulnerable

The energy pathway is the same, but now you have put your back to the door. You can see out of the window, so it is less claustrophobic, but your back is even more exposed and vulnerable and the back of your neck and head are directly in the current between the door and the window.

An improvement

You have a better sense of who is coming into the room, which is also more welcoming to visitors. But you are still cut off by the wall in front of your desk, your back is unsupported, and you are sitting in the current between the door and the window.

Out of the current

In this arrangement you have moved out of the way of the current between the door and the window and you have a clear line of sight to the door. Your back is relatively supported, although part of it is exposed to the window. You should draw the blinds across that part of the window. The position of your visitors is not satisfactory, but this is a temporary location for them.

Better backing

The visitor's position is still a problem, but in this arrangement, your back is in a good position, you have space in front, can see the door and you sit out of the energy current. Make sure the wall shelves do not extend over your head.

Out in the open

Some offices still consist of an army of desk, lined up in formation on a wide open parade square, with everyone forced to work under the constant pressure of overhead strip lighting. This is not an office that is likely to promote the health of its employee, create an environment for clear thinking, or win genuine respect for the management.

If you are given a desk in the middle of the floor, your back will be on an open "corridor" along which people are passing. Your back will be vulnerable to bumps and your nervous systme will always be on the alert. With desks in front and on either side, chances are that both your creativity and your concentration will suffer.

If this is your only chance for a job, you may have to accept it. But for your own sake, don't plan on staying there for long!

If possible, don't work in an office that has a bathroom/toilet opening directly on to the main work area, either. This arrangement stems from office managers wanting to keep an eye on staff spending long periods in the bathroom/toilet. This kind of attitude is still around: it is bad for staff morale and a very poor arrangement from the Feng Shui point of view.

Water is always a problem in the world of Feng Shui. It is better to have a completely separate area for anything involving water since it can have such a potent effect on the surroundings. If you want to have a sink in your work area or a place for making tea and coffee, the best advice is to consult a Feng Shui expert before installing the facilities.

A photocopier sets up a considerable disturbance in the energy field and, particularly if it is a large one and in use a great deal of the time, should be put in a room of its own or in an area separate from normal offices and desks.

Applying Feng Shui to an office workstation

The problem of the open-plan office has been recognized to some extent, and people are being offered workstations with some privacy. Supposing you are lucky enough to get a space beside the window. Your space is marked out with partitions. You have to fit in a desk and desk chair, a visitor's chair, a filing cabinet, and a computer stand. Think of the partitions as walls and the entry space as the door (except you could change the door position) - assume the flow of energy will be basically the same as in a normal room. Use The Five Animals template and the information to determine the best location for the various items.

Desks and doors

Many people work in offices where there are several desks, either in rows or facing each other. This almost invariably means that some of the positions are more favourable than others.

In line with the door

The two desks in line with the door could hardly be in a worse position. A Feng Shui practitioner would warn you that the people sitting in those positions are not likely to stay in their jobs for long. More likely than not, they will leave your employment although they may not be consciously aware that the reason is related to the poor location of their work areas.

A favorable far corner

The only two people in this room with favorable work spaces are the two at the far corner opposite the door. The two in line with the door will have the same problem as in the preceding arrangement, and the person with a desk along the wall beside the door will always have a sense of insecurity, since it is not possible to see the door from the desk.

Back to the window

In the office, regardless of whether other people share it or not, the person who has a desk with their back to the window is violating the basic instructions of The Five Animal template. If, instead of a window, they are sitting with their back to a mirror, they will be constantly subjected to reverberating energy.

Perpetual target

Here the door opens directly opposite the desk at the far end of the room and the persom acts as a perpetual target for energy slicing through the room. The desks on either side of the room are spared that, and all have the support of a wall at their backs.

Where you work

The location of your shop, office, or factory is juse as important to its success - and to the wellbeing of the people who work there - as the location of your home is to you and your family.

Some of the same principles apply. For example, the patterns of the flow of energy can affect a commercial location just as they do a domestic setting. So you would be unwise to choose a site where your business was likely to be exposed to potentially harmful energy or to road accidents and floods!

There are different considerations when it comes to shops, offices, and factories. The whole point of opening a shop is that you want people to come in to buy your products or services. So it follows naturally that it should be located where there is easy access and, preferably, where there are a lot of passersby. Typically, you will find banks, clothing stores, and all sorts of other such establishments on the corners of busy intersections and grouped together in particular areas to attract as many potential customers as possible. In that way, the guiding principle is different to the tranquility you would seek when looking for a private residence.

The location of an office, on the other hand, should be determined by relatively easy access. But it should not be exposed to the same level of hustle and bustle that you would expect outside the entrance of a shop. In other words, offices should be in a "quiet corner" of a busy area. Often, this means a side street adjacent to a major intersection or on the upper floors of a building above the shops at street level.

Most factories need space, room to expand and, usually, some open ground for off-site storage and transport requirements. They are noisy places and many produce fumes and waste. Not surprisingly, most zoning regulations separate factories from residential areas. They should have space of their own, where they have a minimal impact on others.

Disturbed energy

The energy at this downtown intersection will be very disturbed, particularly if the streets have two-way traffic. There will also be a lot of pedestrian traffice. Most of us are exposed to short periods of disturbed energy every day. That is not a problem, as long as we are moving around ourselves or just dropping in. This location would be most unsuitable for a house, for example, but would be ideal for a shop that aims to attract casual passersby: a clothes store, a sports shop, an outlet for theatre tickets, a bank, or a travel agent.

Even to this day, in determining locations of modern businesses or assessing the appropriate arrangement of furniture in the home, Feng Shui masters use the traditional implement of their art - the Lo Pan. This is the specialized compass of Feng Shui, fashioned by experts and meant to be used only by those authorized to do so. The design of the Lo Pan varies, but all have certain common features. There is a small metal needle at the center, used to locate the Magnetic North Pole. Two intersecting threads cross the entire board of the Lo Pan and by turning the outer rings of the board these threads can be used as coordinates to bring the board into alignment with the center are numerous concentric rings containing essential information on conjunctions of energy, planetary movements, magnetic correlations, and the Chinese calendar.

Garden energies

Energy flows through and around gardens just as it does in other environments. affecting those in them and near by. Shapes affect that flow. If you construct a conservatory/green house, it changes the shape of your home. The ideal Feng Shui home is a complete rectangle, so if you add a conservatory/green house to one side or to the back, and thereby change the shape of your home into a slightly lopsided figure, you are going against Feng Shui principles. If at all possible, try to construct the conservatory/greenhouse so that it extends fully along one side of a complete rectangle. Or, if your house is already shaped like an L or a U, then you can construct the conservatory/greenhouse to fill those vacant spaces and complete the rectangle of your dwelling.

Up, down, infront, and behind

In one sense your home has clearly defined boundaries. You rent or own a property that is legally determined and usually marked out by walls between dwellings, or fences between plots of land. Much of the art of Feng Shui is concerned with harmonious arrangements within those boundaries. But the art also goes beyond those limits because, your home is part of many, far larger, configurations of energy. So you would be well advised to pay careful attention to the energetic influences that surround your home in all directions.

If you are looking at properties, find out what's underneath, above, in front, and behind them. Property deeds or local authority records will indicate the previous use of the land before the present building was built. Try to find somewhere that has had a history of good land use. Then look skyward. Living under the flight path of airplanes is definitely not recommended - as anyone who lives under one knows (even though the conscious mind has a way of blocking out that awareness over time). See if you are in the pathway or shadow of tall buildings in front or to the sides or under electricity supply lines: avoid such locations. Is there any space in front of you or are you jammed into a narrow street? And out the back - are there commuter rail lines. city train lines, canals, or highway fly-overs? All these create perpetual disturbance, not only to the physical fabric of homes, but to the health and wellbeing of all who live close to them.

Plotting your garden

If you have a garden, it is a significant element of your living environment and deserves to be treated with the proper respect. It is not just an extension of your house: it is a space in its own right. If you are thinking about how to design your garden or choosing a home with a garden, you can apply The Five Animals. The tortoise side of your garden, whether it is a front or back garden, is determined by the wall of your house. The phoenix aspect of the garden is the end of the plot farthest away from the home. Thus, the back wall of the house faces the larger part of the garden at the rear. So that wall is the tortoise side of both the house and the garden.

Different levels

Some gardens are built on a slope. And if your are planning a garden, you may want to landscape a slope in it. There are three appropriate arrangements. A level garden, with no slope, is always suitable. Or you can slightly raise the level of the garden behind your house, giving strength to the tortoise side of your home. If you wish to have a contour in the garden itself, the hightest point shoule be on the dragon side of the plot (the left side as you look into the garden from your home).

The power of trees

Trees are extremely powerful fields of energy, some of nature's most powerful transformers. They have had a special place in the Chinese cultural tradition for centuries. The positoning of trees is therefore of great importance. As a general principle, they should not be too close to your house, but are best placed on the dragon side and toward the phoenix aspect (the far end).

Water in your garden

The positioning of water around your house is of great importance in Feng Shui, following the principles of the I Ching. The inset plot shows how to determine where to place ponds or other bodies of water: they should always be in the front two quadrants and never to the rear.

Shrub energy

Low-level shrubs and flowers beds are best placed on the tiger side of your garden (on the right-hand side as you face the garden from your home). Their low-lying, intense energy is most appropriate in this position. Try to keep the far end of the garden somewhat clear - so that the phoenix aspect is not entirely blocked.

Bathroom design

The family that fitted out this bathroom consulted a Feng Shui practitioner before ordering the plumbing and the fittings. The position of the door in relation to the toilet, and the way in which the door opens has been carefully designed, so that anyone using the toilet has an additional sense of privacy. The same applies to anyone sitting in the bath tub. The relative location of the bath tub and toilet has been worked out so that, although they are in the same room, they are not immediately next to each other. The position of the hand basin takes into account the presense of the mirror: it is not facing the doorway or the window and therefore the tendency for mirrors to bounce energy backward and forward and disturb the environment is minimized.

The use of a roller blind on the bathroom window adjusts the flow of energy in the room and note that the window is not directly opposite the door, nor does it overlook or open behind the basin, toilet, or bath tub.

Unfortunately, whether you are renting or buying a home or are designing a new one, you will find that very little attention is paid to a good layout for the bathroom. It is either thought of as a mere utility room, or else efforts are made to dress it up almost as if to disguise its purpose. In the human body it would be as if the eliminative needs of the body were completely ignored. A recent development has been the incorporation of the bathroom into the bedroom area, as en suite facilities, which are now increasingly being installed in homes.

Bathroom/toilet: using the human model

The functions of releasing and eliminating waste material from the body are essential life processes. Like the other vital functions of a human being they have particular organs and mechanisms. Following this same principle, the location of the bathroom/toilet in your home is just as important as that of any of the other rooms and has a bearing on your living arrangements. In this way, your home can be understood as a model of the human body and its functions -  and arranged accordingly.

In some countries, the bathroom/toilet is in a separate room to the bath; in other countries all such facilities are put together in the same room. For the purposes of Feng Shui, both are considered to have broadly the same purpose and so in this book they are examined as one unit.

Next to the kitchen

The bathroom/toilet should not be next to the kitchen. If you have no choice, be sure to keep the door closed at all times. In many countries this layout is illegal for reasons of hygiene. Such prohibition in law is in line with good Feng Shui practice.

Facing the front door

The bathroom/toilet should not face the door due to energy movement problems.

The appropriate arrangement

Think of this house as a human body. The kitchen (stomach) falls in the sphere of the front door (mouth). The bathroom/toilet (organs of elimination) is toward the rear. This is the natural arrangement.

To be avoided

In this house the natural order is reversed: the bathroom/toilet falls in the sphere of the front door and the kitchen is to the rear. Although this configuration is common, it is best avoided.

At the center of the house

If you draw intersecting lines between the corners of this home you will find that the bathroom/toilet is exactly in the center. This places the excretory function at the center of the "body" of the house. The advice from a Feng Shui expert is: don't move into this house; or close up the central bathroom/toilet and don't use it; or move the bathroom/toilet elsewhere.