Feng Shui Secrets for the Work Place
Modern science has only recently discovered that the earth's
atmosphere is crowded with powerful but invisible energy waves
and lines that enable us to enjoy telephones and radios, fax
machines and satellite communications. The ancient Chinese
scientists discovered the existence of these energy lines many
centuries ago. They described these invisible atmospheric lines
of energy in symbolic terms, referring to them as the Dragon's
cosmic breath if they were beneficial and as its killing breath if
they were unfavorable.
For those that are interested, we offer a basic overview and
history of Feng Shui. This information is not necessary to
implement the Feng Shui changes. For those of you that are
anxious to get started, just skip to the “Secrets” section.
Understanding Feng Shui
Feng Shui was the name given to the practice of beneficially
harnessing these energy forces. People of Chinese origin have
long known about Feng Shui. Over the centuries it has been
passed by word of mouth from generation to generation, so that
those ignorant of its philosophical underpinnings, have come to
regard it as superstitious practice.
Feng Shui is the art of living in harmony with the land, such that
one derives the greatest benefits, peace and prosperity from
being in perfect equilibrium with Nature. Feng Shui holds out the
promise of a life of meaningful abundance to those who follow
its principles and precepts when building their homes and
workplaces.
Perhaps it is knowledge and practice of this ancient science that
has enabled Chinese immigrants and their families all over the
world to succeed and flourish, building respectable businesses
for themselves, and living in harmonious interface with their
neighbors in their adoptive lands.
Feng Shui cannot be viewed narrowly either as a science, with
"magical" formulae, nor as an art based totally on instincts. It is
a flexible mixture of both, and to practice it effectively,
conceptual principles extracted from ancient classical manuals
must be applied in consonance with the thinking man's intuition
and personal judgments.
To further complicate the practice, there are also elements of
superstitious beliefs superimposed on the whole body of Feng
Shi principles. These cannot be ignored nor forgotten. Indeed,
today's Feng Shui veterans frequently and successfully employ
symbolism and village-type superstition.
Brief Feng Shui History
Feng Shui has been practiced in China at least since the Tang
Dynasty. The most ancient master in this art is generally
believed to be Yang Yun Sang who is universally acknowledged
as the Founder of Feng Shui.
Master Yang left a legacy of classics that have been preserved
and continuously studied to this day. He was the principal
advisor of the court of the Emperor Hi Tsang (A.D. 888), and his
books on Feng Shui made up the major texts on which
succeeding generations of practitioners based their art.
Master Yang's emphasis was on the shape of the mountains,
the direction of water courses, and above all, on locating and
understanding the influence of the Dragon, Cha's most revered
celestial creature. His doctrines were detailed in three famous
classic works that wholly describe Feng Shui practice in terms
of colorful Dragon metaphors.
The first of these, "Han Lung Ching", contains the "Art of
Rousing the Dragon". The second, "Ching Nang Ao Chih",
comprises the methods of determining the location of the
Dragon's lair. While the third book is "I Lung Ching", translated
under the title "Canons approximating Dragons". This third book
provides the methods and techniques on how to find the Dragon
in areas where they do not prominently stand forth.
The Form and Compass Schools
Master Yang's principles came to be regarded as the "Form
School" of Feng Shui, which rationalizes good or bad sites in
terms of Dragon symbolism. According to this school, good
Feng Shui locations require the presence of the Dragon, and
where there is the true Dragon, there will also be found the
White Tiger.
Feng Shui Masters who subscribe to the Form School begin
their search for favorable locations by first searching for the
Dragon. Emphasis was thus put on landforms, shapes of hills
and mountains, waterways, their orientations and directions.
While Dragon symbolism was the principle mainstay of the Form
School, there eventually emerged a second major system that
approached the practice of Feng Shui from quite different
perspectives. This second system laid stress on metaphysical
speculations, using the symbols of the I Ching - or Book of
Changes, and the Trigrams and the Hexagrams - three and six-
lined symbols to calculate good and bad Feng Shui.
The Trigrams were placed around an eight-sided octagonal
symbol called the Pa Kua, and according to where each of
these eight Trigrams were placed, other corresponding
attributes and symbols were further identified. These refer to
colors, to different members of the family, to specific compass
directions, to one of the five elements and to other attributes.
Each of these symbols and attributes were supposed to offer
"clues" for designing homes, for allocating different rooms, for
different purposes and for assigning different members of the
family to different corners of the home in order to maximize
auspicious Feng Shui for the entire family.
This second major system came to be collectively referred to as
the Compass School of Feng Shui, and depending on which
branch of this school is being practiced, the calculations took on
different equations and methods.
Certain branches of Compass School also emphasized the
influence of the planets on the quality of locations. In contrast to
the Form School, it assigned only minor importance to
landscape configurations, relying heavily instead on complex
calculations of actual dimensions, compass directions and
sectors of main entrances and important rooms.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, however, the two
schools had merged completely. Theories of the Form School
including beliefs in Dragon symbolism gained wider acceptability
and practice amongst followers of the Compass School. Today,
Feng Shui practitioners in Hong Kong and Taiwan customarily
practice a hazy combination of both schools.
Between the two schools, the Form School, with its heavy
emphasis on the natural landscape, requires a greater amount
of intuitive insight. It is therefore considered harder to practice
even though the Green Dragon/White Tiger symbolisms are
relatively easy to comprehend. The Compass School method is
harder to learn and its formulae more difficult to grasp, but once
mastered, is considered easier to practice due to its more
precise methodologies.
Poison Arrows
Feng Shui also warns against Shar Chi or the killing breath. This
brings misfortune and a great deal of bad luck, and is caused by
the presence of secret Poison Arrows.
Pointed, angled and sharp objects that seem to be aimed
directly at a house, and especially at its main front door create
poison Arrows. And the foul energy that emanate from them
travel in straight lines, carrying with them ill fortune and other
odious effects. Feng Shui experts strenuously warn against
sleeping, sitting, working, eating and living in places that are hit
or attacked by these invisible pernicious forces.
When one's main door or sitting and sleeping positions lie in the
path of such energy forces, the consequences are believed to
be extremely negative, and sometimes even disastrous, causing
grave misfortune to the residents or individuals affected. The
sharper and more threatening the poison Arrow, the more dire
are the repercussions of being "hit" by these Poison Arrows.
Misfortune caused by such arrows takes the form of illness,
missed opportunities, lawsuits, quarrels, financial losses, and
other forms of bad luck. Feng Shui offer a variety of solutions to
combat or avoid Poison Arrows, and knowledge of Feng Shui
enables practitioners to both diagnose and take proper
precautions against Poison Arrows.
Examples of Poison Arrows are straight roads, rivers or railways
lines that seem to be aimed directly at one's main front door. Or
they could be caused by the triangular shaped rooflines caused
by neighbors' homes. Or by the sharp edge of big buildings.
These are very strong Poison Arrows that can cause severe bad
luck that manifest in the form of ill health, sickness, and even
death.
Examples of other Arrows that can affect households are when
a single tree trunk, a telephone pole, or a transmission tower
which is located directly in front of the main door. The pernicious
effect of all these Poison Arrows must be deflected, dissolved or
diffused. Feng Shui recommends several ways of doing this,
and they have to do with blocking or redirecting the Shar hi
away from the house. Thus main door directions can be shifted,
trees can be planted, or walls can be built to combat Poison
Arrows.
Here are records of unsuitable site conditions for
commercial buildings:
•
when the ground is made up of sandy and wet ground
•
When grass or plants cannot grow
•
When the ground at the back is lower than that in front
•
When the south side of the site is high and the north side
is low
•
When the surrounding ground is high and the actual site
is sunken
•
When the ground is filled with sand
•
When the ground is a deserted piece of land especially
after a fire outbreak
When the site is at the end of a cul-de-sac or T-junction
Five Elements of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is heavily influenced by the theory of the Elements. In
the Chinese scheme of the Universe, there are Five of these
Elements, i.e. Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water. All Chinese
astrological sciences including the tines, years, and dates of
birth are categorized as one of these elements. The five
Elements are also associated with colors, seasons, directions,
and planets. Thus for example:
FIRE is red, an auspicious color. Fire is also summer and is
South. The color black represents WATER. It is also the North
and Winder. WOOD is the East. It is represented by the color
Green METAL is white or sometimes gold. Metal symbolizes the
West. EARTH is Yellow. Earth is also the Center
For Feng Shui and divination purposes, it is necessary to know
that these Five Elements have a mutually productive cycle and
a mutually destructive cycle.
In the PRODUCTIVE CYCLE: Fire produces Earth, which
produces Metal, which produces Water, which produces Wood,
which produces Fire.
In the DESTRUCTIVE CYCLE: Wood destroys Earth, which
destroys Water, which destroys Fire, which destroys Metal,
which destroys Wood.
In considering the Feng Shui of locations and home interiors,
understanding these two cycles of the Elements enables the
practitioner to incorporate his/her astrological element to be in
harmony and productive with the surrounding. Thus if one was
born in a FIRE year, too much water in the home would not be
beneficial (i.e. black colored things, ponds, artificial waterfalls
etc) as Water destroys Fire. On the other hand, lots of plants or
green things (Wood) and indeed a wooden house would be very
auspicious because Wood produces Fire. Additionally, it would
be beneficial if one slept in the room located on the south side
of the house or apartment.
Another example. If one were born in the EARTH year, then
having too many plants (Wood) would not be very auspicious.
On the other hand, having red things, lights etc (Fire) would be
very conducive since Fire produces Earth. Earth people should
sleep near or at the center portion of the house.
From these examples one can begin to see the various
combinations that would work or not work from a Feng Shui
point of view. Usually when the various members of the family
are born under different elements, then the Elements of the
Head of the Household should be considered for the man rooms
and the entrance. All other individual rooms can be designed to
benefit the main occupant of each individual room.
Use the table on this page to check your Element according to
your hour off birth. The relevant directions indicated for your
Element can be used to orientate your Front Door or to
determine the bet orientation for your office desk, or your
sleeping position. On the next page is a Table, which
categorizes the Elements according to the year of birth (1900 -
1995). Use this to check the Element that rules your life.
Check your ELEMENT & DIRECTION
against your TIME of BIRTH
11pm - 1am: WOOD To face North
1am - 3am: WOOD To face N.NE.
3am - 5am: FIRE
To face E.EN.
5am - 7am: FIRE
To face East
7am - 9am: EARTH To face E.SE.
9am - 11am: EARTH To face S.SE.
11am - 1pm: METAL To face SOUTH
1pm - 3pm: METAL To face S.SE.
3pm - 5pm: WATER To face W.SW.
5pm - 7pm: WATER To face WEST
7pm - 9pm: WATER To face W.NW.
9pm - 11pm: WATER To face N.NW
Check Your ELEMENT against your YEAR of BIRTH
Years of the
RAT:
1900 Metal; 1912 Water; 1924 Wood; 1936
Fire; 1948 Earth; 1960 Metal; 1972 Water;
1984 Wood; 1996 Fire
Years of the
OX:
1901 Metal; 1913 Water; 1925 Wood; 1937
Fire; 1949 Earth; 1961 Metal; 1973 Water;
1985 Wood; 1997 Fire
Years of the
TIGER:
1902 Water; 1914 Wood; 1926 Fire; 1938
Earth; 1950 Metal; 1962 Water; 1974 Wood;
1986 Fire; 1998 Earth
Years of the
RABBIT:
1903 Water; 1915 Wood; 1927 Fire; 1939
Earth; 1951 Metal; 1963 Water; 1975 Wood;
1987 Fire; 1999 Earth
Years of the
DRAGON:
1904 Wood; 1916 Fire; 1928 Earth; 1940
Metal; 1952 Water; 1964 Wood; 1976 Fire;
1988 Earth; 2000 Metal
Years of the
SNAKE:
1905 Wood; 1917 Fire; 1929 Earth; 1941
Metal; 1953 Water; 1965 Wood; 1977 Fire;
1989 Earth; 2001 Metal
Years of the
1906 Fire; 1918 Earth; 1930 Metal; 1942
HORSE:
Water; 1954 Wood; 1966 Fire; 1978 Earth;
1990 Metal; 2002 Water
Years of the
SHEEP:
1907 Fire; 1919 Earth; 1931 Metal; 1943
Water; 1955 Wood; 1967 Fire; 1979 Earth;
1991 Metal; 2003 Water
Years of the
MONKEY:
1907 Earth; 1920 Metal; 1932 Water; 1944
Wood; 1956 Fire; 1968 Earth; 1980 Metal;
1992 Water; 2004 Wood
Years of the
ROOSTER:
1908 Earth; 1921 Metal; 1933 Water; 1945
Wood; 1957 Fire; 1969 Earth; 1981 Metal;
1993 Water; 2005 Wood
Years of the
DOG:
1909 Metal; 1922 Water; 1934 Wood; 1946
Fire; 1958 Earth; 1970 Metal; 1982 Water;
1994 Metal; 2006 Water
Years of the
BOAR:
1910 Metal; 1923 Water; 1935 Wood; 1947
Fire; 1959 Earth; 1971 Metal; 1983 Water;
1995 Metal; 2007 Water
FENG SHUI SECRETS
Start your day off by entering the main front door.
Even if is inconvenient; make your first entrance of the day
through the company’s main front door. The invigorating extra
step will help you start the day off in a good frame of mind. A
pleasant greeting to the receptionist will attract prosperous
telephone calls through out the day. During the course of the
workday it is fine to use the most convenient doors.
Position your chair towards your door.
Avoid sitting with your back facing the door. This position
leaves you vulnerable to “back stabbing” and betrayal by your
colleague. If this is not practical, then position a mirror that will
give you a view of what’s behind you.
Position your desk in the far corner diagonal to your door.
The far corner of your office is considered to be the power focal
point. Positive energy flowing into your office tends to settle
towards this location. This vantage point provides a
commanding view of your surroundings.
Put the strength of a mountain behind you.
A picture of a mountain motivates your colleagues to support
you. Make sure it is positioned behind you and not in front of
you. You don’t want to create any obstacles for attaining your
success.
Sit with a solid wall behind you.
Having many distractions behind you such as a bookshelf,
window or equipment weakens your presence. A solid
foundation behind you promotes good support from your
colleagues.
Minimize the number of corners in your work environment.
Sharp edges send out “poison arrows” and tend to make you
feel “edgy”. The ideal workspace should have flowing rounded
corners. Soften any sharps corners with plants or a coat rack
with garments hanging from it.
Put a Turtle on your side.
The turtle symbolizes stability and longevity. This is one of
oldest surviving animal species with the longest life span. A
simple turtle figurine or picture placed in your office will help
maintain positive career growth.
Display a picture of dynamic water.
Water is a primary symbol of luck in Feng Shui. Mounting a
picture of flowing water such as a waterfall or stream will
enhance auspicious luck. The greater the flow…the stronger
the effect. However, avoid displaying pictures of small bodies of
stagnant water such as a pond, which will actually be a
detriment to your career.
Avoid sitting beneath an overhead beam.
High unconstructive ceiling opens to the heavens and allows
positive energy to hang over you. Any type of beam or rafter
will create barriers for your success. Move your chair away
from any such restraints.
Incorporate the power of Red.
Red possesses strong auspicious powers. However, less is
better than more in this case, as too much red creates conflict.
One simple red object or painting will standout and enhance
your powers.
Keep your work area neat and organized.
Have you noticed that, in general, the more powerful a person is
within the organization, the less clutter they have. Clutter
destroys any sense of control and organization. A feeling of
weakness and instability is conveyed when your work place is
too disorganized. When ever possible, store important data in
your computer and rid yourself of as much paper as possible.
Keep the center of your desk open.
Obstructing the center of your desk with stacks of paper or other
items block out positive energies. Move all electronics such as
lamps and computer monitor off to one side. Power forces
should be funneled towards the center of your desk.
Balance the Yin and Yang in your work places.
Yin is receptive energy that is dark, cool and passive. Yang is
creative energy that is bright, warm and alive. Surrounding with
grey, granite, and mentalists will hinder your creativity flow. Off
set this dominate Yin with plants and colorful items.
Never decorate with Cacti.
The sharp “daggers” of a cactus sends out bad energy and
wards off good luck. Cacti promote isolation and confrontations.
Light up your life.
Light represents spring; a time for growth and living. Dark
represents winter, a time for resting and waiting. Enhance the
Yang energy, especially during the winter month with bright
light, preferably halogen or florescent light. Avoid incandescent
light bulbs whenever possible as it defuseses all Yin energy
Avoid too much Yang influence.
Too much direct sunlight can create too harsh of a Yang effect.
Angle your blinds to reflect the sunlight. but, do not block it
completely. Hanging crystals is excellent for defusing the
energy of direct sunlight.
Avoid Irregular Shaped work environment.
Angled walls tend to put your workspace out of balance.
Straight rectangle rooms, not square, are the best. The use of
light and mirrors can help balance irregular shaped rooms.
Place a lamp or plant in any tight corners.
Avoid sitting face to face with a colleague.
Positioning desks so that you are constantly looking at
colleague will be highly dysfunctional and animosity will
develop. If space is limited or if you must maintain direct eye
contact with that person, then place a leafy plant between you to
break up the view.
Strategically position your guest’s chair for purpose.
Position your guest’s chair at an angle and off to the side to
promote a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. This seating
arrangement enhances creative productive conversations. A
chair placed directly facing in front of you creates tension and
confrontation.
Replace dying plants in your office.
Wilting or yellowing plants symbolize death and attracts bad
luck. Keep all plants watered and try to replace them every
three months.
Avoid sitting next to the restrooms.
Constant disposal of waste sends out negative energy that will
stifle your career efforts. Avoid sitting next to restrooms even if
they are directly above or below you.
Surround yourself with earth objects if you deal in Real
Estate.
If your career has anything to do with land, such as real estate
or development, then surround yourself with natural objects.
Rocks, natural wood, sand, water are excellent items to place
good luck on your projects.
Do not place a clock in direct view from your door.
Clocks measure the time that has passed and does not have
good connotations. Placing a clock directly opposite of you
entrance door drives away good fortune. Position a small clock
on your desk where only you can readily see it.
Avoid “L” shaped desks.
Although very popular and functional, desks with side return
may hinder your progress. The sharp angle of the “L” abruptly
cuts off your energy flow by forming an incomplete square
shape. If you must use this style of desk then try placing an
object such as a plant or waste paper basket near the imaginary
forth corner. This will complete the square allow the positive
energy to flow around you.
Your ship will arrive.
A picture of a ship arriving into a harbor represents the arrival of
goods and fortunes. This symbol will help promote prosperity.
Never display a ship leaving the harbor, as this has just the
opposite effect.
Wear power white in an interview.
Wearing a bright solid white shirt in an interview situation will
instill confidence and assertiveness. A dash of bright green and
vertical stripes will help alleviate any feelings of inadequacy.
Wear fire colors and sharp patterns to sales or promotional
events.
To establish a strong presence and elude positive energies,
highlight your outfit with hot fire colors such as bright red or
purple. If you wear a pocket-handkerchief, fold it too a sharp
point. Sharp patterns will make you seem more outgoing.
Wear strong metal colors to corporate meetings.
Grays and blacks, off set with a bright white shirts coveys
trustworthiness and leadership qualities. Rounded patterns
and metal jewelry will help instill a sense of authority.
Dress natural to social engagements.
Wear natural earth colors such as; browns, yellows, off white to
generate charisma and likeability. Clothes should be loose
fitting and made out of natural material such as cotton or wool.
Designs that use dots or circles will make you more
approachable.
Avoid glass furniture.
Transparent tables and desks create a feeling of “floating” and
instability. You will not build a solid foundation and will loose
support of your colleagues. Solid natural wood furniture
promotes continuous and stable growth…just like a tree.
Never sit at the corner of a conference room table.
The sharp corners sends out harmful “poison daggers” which
will be directed straight at you. This vantage point will, also,
weaken your authority, as you will not be able to establish any
strong group eye contact.
Avoid sitting behind bright lights.
Try to dim or redirect any bright lights that are directly behind
you. Bright lights symbolize fire and discourage strong support
behind you. It creates an environment that makes it
uncomfortable for others to look directly at you.
The boardroom or conference room should contain
elements of good Feng Shui.
Productivity will be enhanced with the uses of the five power
Feng Shui elements in the meeting room. The uses of water
features, white walls, plants, crystal lights, and well-balanced
bright lights will promote teamwork and wise decision-making.
Decorate with money colors.
Money colors, such as; gold, silver, and green attract wealth.
For maximum effectiveness, these money colors should be
combined with complimentary Ying colors. Powerful color
combinations are; blue / green, gold / red, and purple / silver.
Avoid using Antique Furniture
Negative energy tends to embed itself into material items.
Unless you know the history of the item, you take a risk when
using antique furniture. A few small items are fine, but it is not
wise to surround yourself with antiques.
Place furniture to created curved traffic flow
In an open floor plan, it is wise to position the desks and
dividers to create a staggered the traffic flow. This causes Chi
to linger around the office space rather than flowing straight
through.
Use black money pouch to carry your wealth
In Feng Shui, black represents income and money. Any “money
pouches” such as: wallets, purses, attaché cases, should be
made out of black leather. Gold or silver metal trim will
stimulate your money to grow.
Use caution when displaying pictures of wild animals.
If you where born in the year of a small animal, you may
become a victim of predators. Only, those born in the year of
the tiger or dragon will be able to defend themselves from such
evil forces