Feng shui is a symbolic system that allows a practitioner to analyze the balance, harmony and energy (chi) in a created or natural space. Using feng shui techniques and principles, adjustments can be made in the space to bring greater harmony and balance, as well as to encourage the creative flow of chi. Feng shui postulates that making changes within the symbolic system results in life changes – money, love, well being or some other manifestation of our balance and harmony in the world. Some feng shui adherents lean strongly toward the belief that adjustments alone are efficacious, that the skillfully placed wind chime or plant will produce results even if the householder says, “Bah, humbug.” Others believe it is the adjustments in synergy, along with intentions, that produce the changes.

   Combining of the five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and metal – determines whether a given space is life enhancing or life diminishing. In order to “feel good” in a space, the presence of each element is essential in either its literal or symbolic form. For example, if there is no actual metal present, then it is necessary to add metal symbolically using colors of the white palette. According to the octagonal bagua (pronounced ba’ gwa) the entrance of one's home is where k'an (deep water) resides in the symbolic system. The bagua is the diagram that the practitioner uses for analysis that details the nine zones representing the major areas of life. The front door in feng shui is also known as the mouth of chi.

   A central premise of feng shui is that all the five elements must be controlled and integrated harmoniously in a space. Symbolically, water is linked to money, which is why the aspect of the home affecting career success is placed at the front door through which the deep water flows. An outside entry path that goes straight to the front door will bring water flowing quickly into the home, and that rapidity, as in the torrential white water of a river, is not conducive to integration and stability. A long, straight path to the front door, compounded with a long hallway terminating in a bank of windows, creates a situation where water chi and money are going to flow without control through the home and out the back windows.

   One can compensate for that straight outdoor path by creating circular planting beds near the front door on the sides of the path. The symbolic creation of a curving flow of the stream of water simulates the flow of a gentle river. On the other side of the door, similar adjustments can slow down or balance the water element. A crystal placed between the door and back windows will refract the water chi energy. A tree in front of the bank of windows creates the wood element, which will absorb the water element and create harmony.

   Feng shui is indisputably all about balance. Even without a straight path, a long hallway and a problematic bank of rear windows, one can have an excess of the water element, for example, if there is an excess of blue, mirrors or windows in a component of the living space, and its consequential problems. If this were the case, one of the many ways harmony can be achieved is by using terra cotta vessels, tiles or some other utilization of the earth element in the form of a brown tone color to balance the excessive water element. The adjustments call to mind the game of rock-paper-scissors: water feeds wood, earth dams water, fire melts metal and so on.

   There is a wealth of complexity in these relationships. A room may be analyzed by a practitioner as evoking stagnant water, symbolically tied to financial bankruptcy; on the other hand, a variety of reasons may cause the space to be described as turbulent, in which case it may be metaphysically tied to a volatile financial market.

   Physical water features are also important tools of feng shui adjustments. An indoor fountain or re-circulating pond provides a gentle harmonious flow of water chi without beginning or end. These features work to represent and metaphysically bring a steady, stable revenue stream into the lives of those inhabiting the space.

   A crucial understanding is that the efficacy of these adjustments and arrangements tends not only to operate on the level of the unconscious, but also to correlate powerfully with other criteria for arranging a space. That is, a room that is created to harmoniously integrate water, wood, fire, metal and earth is also going to look better aesthetically and feel more relaxing.

The feng shui way of talking about the harmony and balance of a space arises from the Bon and Buddhist spiritual traditions. It reaches for a deeper truth than what is customarily the goal of a magazine about interior design or architecture. However, strong cases can be made: living spaces in harmonious accord with the principles of feng shui are far more appealing than those that are not, and more peace and pleasure can be found when occupying those harmonious spaces. One might also find that money issues take some happy turns after the water chi begins to flow smoothly in the living space.

Johanna Pockar is a feng shui consultant and interior designer who has traveled throughout the United States doing consultations. Johanna is intrigued by balance of color, space, materials, textures and energy, and she is particularly attuned to creating harmonious environments. Johanna has studied with Professor Lin Yun, the foremost feng shui master in North America, and she continues to work with various teachers across the nation in order to refine her understanding of the ancient craft. For more information, contact Johanna at pockar@ameritech.net or (216) 731-8996.

Photos by Bob Perkoski, www.Perkoski.com.