Feng Shui, or wind-water, is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is centered around making a harmonious balance between Man and the natural elements. This philosophy, which is said to have been in existence even longer than the sayings of Confucius, believes in the concept of living in harmony with the earth’s natural forces instead of trying to oppose them. In China and other eastern countries, many businesses or new homes will not be occupied until a Feng Sui practitioner is invited to come and make sure that items such as furniture, plants and other greenery are arranged in a an order that is most compatible with the natural elements.
The Five Elements of Feng Shui are wood, fire, metal, earth and water, and each element in represented by a particular color. Fire is red color and is usually located in the south. Water is black color and is located in the north. Wood is green color and is located in the east. Metal is either a white or gold color and is located in the west. Earth, the last element, is yellow and located in the center.
In a house for instance the location of doors and windows are important for allowing the maximum admission of natural light and air circulation. Other things such as lamps, paintings and pictures, and even the colors of walls and ceiling should be coordinated to create a more pleasant and light filled effect. In Feng Shui, importance is made towards the creation of happy, pleasant surroundings, which will help to create the same feeling in the lives of those who live there. This concern for pleasant effect in the environment results in making sure that doors and mirror are positioned properly and that certain rooms will have green plants, while other rooms will have flowers or other symbols of natural beauty. Colors representing the previously mentioned Five Elements are arranged in each room according to the items placed there and their appropriate directions.
In Feng Shui there are two main energy forces, Chi (chee) which is a spiritual or supernatural force, and Sha which is a nard of natural energy. As these energy forces are constantly opposing each other with both “good” and “bad” energy, the arrangement of items in rooms, plus the positions of doors are important in respect to which energy force is dominant and thus controls our lives. It is almost as if one is talking about electromagnetic fields or other forces that can have an effect on the balance of harmony in our lives. For example, if a door is not positioned properly, or is left open unnecessarily, Feng Shui philosophy will say that this supposedly insignificant thing can upset the balance between our Chi and Sha energy fields.