Why is Feng Shui considered a science?

The science of Feng Shui remains squarely rooted in architecture, astronomy, physics, and design. According to the ancient "keepers of the knowledge" from the Taoist tradition, the evolutionary roots of Chinese Wholistic Medicine came into being at least  8,000 years ago through the first two of the Eight Branches of the Tao Healing Arts. Over the centuries the other six branches evolved into a unified way of life.

Feng shui is one of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, classified as physiognomy (observation of appearances through formulas and calculations). The feng shui practice discusses architecture in metaphoric terms of "invisible forces" that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi/chi. 

Historically, Feng Shui was widely used to orient buildings—often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures—in an auspicious manner. Depending on the particular style of feng shui being used, an auspicious site could be determined by reference to local features such as bodies of water, stars, or a compass.

Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.^[1]

Feng shui was suppressed in mainland China during the cultural revolution in the 1960s, but since then has increased in popularity.

"Physician, heal thyself."

Science is definited as follows:

1. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. b. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena. c. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study.
2. Methodological activity, discipline, or study: “I’ve got packing a suitcase down to a science.”
3. An activity that appears to require study and method: the science of purchasing.
4. Knowledge, especially that gained through experience.

Feng Shui uses observation, repeatable calculations and methodologies, and is based on the study of the environment around, both inside and out. Kan Yu, the original name for Feng Shui, means “Raise the head and observe the sky above. Lower the head and observe the environment around us.” More precisely, Feng Shui is the scientific study of the natural and built environment. All in all, it is the study of environmental effects on people.

Just as acupuncture was not accepted by western medicine until several years ago, the study of Feng Shui is just now becoming popular. While there are many variations of Feng Shui that would not withstand the scrutiny of common sense, traditional Feng Shui has logical explanations for all of its methodologies.

Feng Shui Master Jennifer Emmer appears on HGTV's "Flip It to Win It"

Please read this post on our brand new blog at "Feng Shui Style". There are tons of behind the scenes photos and "after" photos of the home! Thanks!

Pumping up your health

In Feng Shui, your Family & Health area is in the East. Green is the color of this quadrant, and the element is Wood. If you really want to pump things up, add the color green, and live plants. I painted my home office the color above, which is Benjamin Moore "Bunker Hill Green". The name of the color is just as important as the color itself. Bunker Hill is in Boston, my hometown. Since I live in California now, it gives me a little piece of home to have an "East Coast color" in my house. 

You should also be mindful of what is going on in the East quadrant of your house. If you have a fireplace, fire burns wood (the element of Health), so you are figuratively "burning your health". The cure? Add water. Water nourishes wood. So, adding fountains on either side of your fireplace would help. So would painting the room blue, which occurs as water in Feng Shui.

If you have dead plants in your Health area, I probably don't have to tell you this is not ideal. An abundance of the color red is also inadvisable. Red is fire, and fire burns wood. These details may sound strange, but they all add up to the overall feeling of balance in your home. 

Pets are wonderful Feng Shui!

You've probably suspected it all along. Your pets are great Feng Shui. They are like little balls of chi running around your house, spreading joy and love. Pets help circulate the energy in your house. Of course you should not get a pet JUST to improve your Feng Shui. A pet is lifetime commitment, and you should only get one if you love animals, and are prepared to treat your pet properly and take care of it for life.

If you live alone, a pet can keep you from feeling lonely. Plenty of studies have shown that the introduction of pets into nursing homes and hospitals improves patient morale and even physical aspects. Dogs are especially good at getting their owners to exercise, since they need to be walked. Cats are natural absorbers of negative energy. They almost protect us from ourselves. My cat Nordie jumps between us when she hears raised voices. She's very brave, and cannot tolerate arguments.

Dogs, cats, birds, goldfish and basically any living thing (within reason) will bring good energy into your home. If you feel that it's time for a new addition to your family, may we suggest Petfinder.com.

How to Get Floor Plans of Your House

Courtesy of William A. Swan, eHow Contributing Writer

There are many times when someone who purchased an existing house will want to do renovations to it, and having the floor plans can help when making repairs or doing new construction. Unfortunately, these floor plans are often not available. But, with some time and effort, you can locate or recreate the floor plan for your house.

Instructions

1. Locate the archives of the municipality or county where your house is located. The tax office usually has an archive section. If not, employees of the tax office might be able to help you locate the person in charge of the archives. The archives will have information about the original deed, owner, building permits and possibly a set of blueprints. If the floor plan is not there, proceed to the next step.
   
   
2. Locate the fire insurance maps for the community. You can also find these at your local city or town hall. Many of these maps date back to the late 1800s. The maps can indicate the construction material used and include a three-dimensional drawing of the neighborhood in which your home is located. With these, you could determine the frame of the structure and where old windows or doorways were. If you need more help, proceed to the next step.
   
   
3. Find your local building inspector's office. If it is not in the city or town hall, the clerks should be able to tell you where to find the building inspector. Builders usually apply for a permit before building houses. Permits, along with floor plans and elevation levels, are located at the building inspector's office. While these permits might not be as old as your house, they can give you details about the floor plan up to the last 20 years. If you still need more detail, continue down the list.
   
   
4. Browse through historical plan books. These are useful if the house was built in the early 20th century. Many homes built during that time period started from floor plans or kits bought from stock plan books or Sears, Roebuck mail-order kits. The next step provides more information about this.
   
   
5. During the latter part of the 20th century, many floor plans and home designs were advertisements in newspapers and home magazines. You can find many of these home plans through library archives or the Internet. This type of advertising was common from the '70s through the mid '90s.
   
   
6. Speak with neighbors. Often, if you look around your neighborhood, you will notice that your house is similar to others in the area. Someone with a similar house design might have a floor plan or information on where to get one. Levittown, New York and sections of Amityville, New York are good examples of this. If this does not work, you still have one more step to try.
   
   
7. Hire an expert in the housing industry. The person will most often be an architect or structural engineer who can use a set of field measurements and other clues to recreate a floor plan for your house.

Good Luck!

Feng Shui alters Bay Area city's rules for addresses

Developers worry residences' digits may clash with ancient beliefs about good and bad luck.

By The Associated Press, Found on democraticunderground.com

HAYWARD, CA -- Developers looking to maximize the marketability of their homes are complaining about the city's street address rules, which they say can scare off buyers who practice the ancient Chinese art of feng shui.

Under a numbering system established by Alameda County in the 1950s, addresses are assigned based on how far the homes are from downtown Oakland, a method that puts five digits on almost every mailbox in Hayward and other cities in the county. Home builders recently raised concerns that they may decrease property values because the odds are greater that an address will carry a number considered unlucky by feng shui practitioners.

City Council members voted unanimously last week to allow the builders of an upscale development to use shorter street numbers. In seeking the waiver, the builders cited convenience concerns as well as the potential for violating feng shui precepts, according to Richard Patenaude, a Hayward city planner.

What's all this fuss about Money Frogs?

You may have heard about the Feng Shui Money Frog - a strange creature that is supposed to bring great riches to its owner. But why? And how?

Read a testimonial from one of my clients after installing a Money Frog at his office.

The History

To the Chinese, the frog symbolizes the moon - "the lunar, yin principle" and brings healing and prosperity.

The Feng Shui Money Frog is called "Chan Chu" in China (literally "wealth-beckoning toad").

Traditionally, it is depicted holding a Ching Dynasty coin in its mouth and sitting on piles of gold ingots, coins and wealth.

On the back of the King Chan Chu are 7 diamond dots depicting the Ursa Major. The study of Chinese Elemental Astrology is based on the 7 stars, which, when coupled with 2 hidden supporting stars represent the 9 Stars of the Bagua, which is the basis for all study on Feng Shui.

The Bagua also protects against loss of the money gained.

Another type of Money Frog carries a string of chinese coins tied behind its back. The Chinese believe this frog is a symbol of your cash flow, so of course the bigger the frog the bigger the cash flow.

The Legends

One legend says that the Money Frog exists on the moon. When there is an eclipse, the frog appears to swallow the moon.

Another legend claims that the Money Frog was originally Chang Ngo, the wife of a legendary figure. She was greedy, and stole the Elixir of Immortality from Goddess of the West (Hsi Wang Mu).

The other deities in heaven punished Chang Ngo for this, by transforming her into a three legged frog and banishing her to the moon. Now whenever people see the Money Frog, there is a bed of money surrounding it because Chang Ngo is naturally greedy. For generations, this mythical frog has been the holy creature that protects against misfortune and promises to bring riches and wealth to the household.

Also related is Lui Hai, one of the 8 Immortals. He was a Minister of State who lived during the Tenth Century.

Lu Hai knew of the frog's fondness for money, so he used bait (a red line tied with gold coins) to lure the frog from hiding. Because of this, it has become popular that a frog with coins symbolizes that wealth is about to come and greet you.

Read all about the History of Feng Shui at Feng Shui Style.


Types of Money Frogs:

Jade and precious stones

Real jade Money Frogs are excellent, because they literally ARE precious, and are said to offer protection to businesses.

Send us an email at jennifer@fengshuistyle.us to inquire about Jade Money Frogs. They are only available at one place in Chinatown. We have an exclusive arrangement with the owner, and this is where we get all of our Jade Money Frogs.

We can get you any size you like. They range from $125 to $3000, depending on size.

Rosewood Resin (Red)

Red frogs are the most "Yang", so they activate the wealth energy. This particular frog comes with a porcelain dish filled with loose sodalite crystals. Crystals are famed as energy cleansers and will provide a positively-charged environment. Both of these items should be placed together in the appropriate areas of the home and office for the best Feng Shui.

Gold or Bronze

These frogs are said to appear every full moon, bringing good news and wealth to the people nearby. Gold is considered one of the symbols of wealth so for greater luck and energy, place at least one money frog on a bowl full of golden coins.


Where to Place your Money Frogs:

One of the most auspicious places is inside, in the wealth area (Southeast) and across from the front door on a diagonal.

This allows the frog to view the front door. It is important for the frog to have the coin in its mouth with the good luck symbol facing up. You can glue the coin in so it does not fall out or get lost. The coin should also be facing the front door; it is as if the frog is saying, "I will catch all your money here ... bring it on!"

To learn about how to pump up all the areas of your life, go to Feng Shui Style.

Important: Some people believe you should turn your money frog around at night, to face inward. This is said to "keep" the money that you accumulate.

How many frogs should I get and what size?

For an average size room or office select a frog about three inches high and three inches wide. Larger frogs are fine for larger spaces - buy the biggest one you can afford.

You can use as many as 9 money frogs (the number of completion), but if you do they should be smaller frogs.

You can place them everywhere except the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

• You may place Money Frogs in your living room area or where you conduct business.
• You may place a frog in each corner of your Bagua.
  
• They should not be immediately obvious to visitors.
• They should not be on the ground, up too high, or above the height of the pockets of people coming into your home or office.
• No one should enter feeling as though you want their money.

When using Money Frog cures it is important to check in with yourself and see if this does indeed create a feeling of wealth for you and see if you have a personal connection to your Money Frog.

Before I studied Feng Shui I intellectually "got" what the Money Frog meant but I felt the cures did not work as well because I didn’t have a sincere appreciation for the background and legend of the frog. After I completed my Feng Shui study, I understood the Money Frog on a cellular level, and now they work brilliantly for me.

Get a Feng Shui Consultation today for your home or office at Feng Shui Style.