Water, the difficult

In the eight trigrams of the I Ching, water is associated with difficulty. Its energies are deep and dark. It is sometimes said to convey the feeling of an abyss. It is a very powerful force: it absorbs and stores energy. Its behaviour is far from predictable. It cuts across other energetic forces just as it washes away the trail of an animal that plunges from the land into a stream.

Therefore the advice of a Feng Shui parctitioner is always to be very careful about locations that involve water. To begin with, do not live in a house that has a body of water at its back. The effect of the water energy can be disturbing in a number of ways, producing health problems and sexual disorders, and it can affect the dwelling by seeping into the foundations and causing it to sink.

Using the template of The Five Animals, you can immediately understand the advice against water at the back. The place of maximum solidity should be toward the rear of the house. Any body of water to the rear weakens that all important quality of strength and support.

Advice on water

The Feng Shui advice on water is as true in the urban environment as it is in the countryside. The back gardens of homes may adjoin public parks, with streams or pools, or may open on to canals. The advice is the same: the only advisable place for a body of water is to the front of your dwelling.

Facing a stream

The house on the near side of the stream is well positioned. But if the water were stagnant (as in a disused canal) or too close to the front of the house, its energy would not bode well for the home. The house on the far side of the stream is not in a safe position. The house is a target for the "bow" of the stream as it flows past. It has no protection against sudden overflow and is excluded from the protective circulation from which the house on the opposite side benefits.

Energy convergence

The Taj Mahal is one of the world's greatest pieces of architectural poetry. The design is beautifully balanced and the arrangement of the central building and its candle-like towers are perfectly suited to a tomb. However, the long reflecting pond and the two pathways create a powerful line of energy converging on the very heart of the main building. To the Feng Shui expert this would affect the health and stability of the ruler who built it, as well as his long-term political power - which did indeed begin to dwindle after the Taj was completed.

Sient power

The obelisk of the Washington Monument towers above the central institutions of the United States. Its spear-like power emanates in all directions, affecting the Capital buliding of the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House. Like a mighty sword raised in the air, it is a constant, silent presence: those who live and work within its reach will often find themselves subject to internal disturbance and their ability to make decisions blocked.

Angular energy

Like the polished blade of a meat cleaver, the new Bank of China building rises above the Hong Kong skyline. All those in offices nearby sought the advice of Feng Shui experts for protection against the angular energy of this structure. It is a spectacular expression of power - perfectly positioned with the mountains to the rear and the harbour to the front - giving the impression of a rocket ready for lift off.