Ancient history, eternal principle

The Chinese art of arranging one's life in accordance with the forces of the universe stretches back over at least 7000 years and probably far further. It is a profoundly creative and intuitive art. But it is also a science, and apecialized terminology.
The art is rooted in an extraordinary sensitivity to nature. This affinity with the natural word is reflected in the two Chinese ideograms that make up its name: Feng Shui. The literal meaning of the words Fengshui, pronounced "Fung Shoy", is Wind and Water.

The natural universe

Wind and Water are two of the most fundamental forms of life's energy. We know from our own experience how essential both are to us. Without air we die within seconds. While we can live for weeks without food, without water we soon perish. In Feng Shui, the ideograms Wind and Water also have a broader meaning because separately and together they symbolize manifestations of the movement of energy. Once we begin to see our world in this way, we can look at our environments and their characteristics in a completely different light.

As contemplation and exploration of the natiural universe evolved in China, Feng Shui practitioners made increasingly subtle discoveries, of both a philosophica and practical nature, They were able to identify the ways in which the natural energy around them behaved and how it affected them. This information could then be used to establish favourable locations for human habitation and the auspicious confluence of forces for healthy and harmonious living.

By the time Feng shui emerged as a fully fledged system, the eternal "art of finding one's place", it brought together the eight strads of thought and practice shown on the facing page. At the center of the matrix, stood the constant factor of the individual human being, bringing the total number of elements involved to nine: the nine aspects of Feng Shui.