FengFeng ShuiShui Feng Shui Schools, Systems, & Approaches By Denise A. Liotta-Dennis

Feng Shui, (pronounced foong only two major “Schools” or shway), literally means wind/water “Universities” of Feng Shui; San He and is the Taoist art of living in (Three Harmonies) and San Ÿuan harmony with the environment. (Three Cycles), everything else in the The ancient Chinese people have practice of Feng Shui falls under their relied on feng shui for urban devel- auspices and we will discuss a large opment, building homes, city- portion of them; however this article planning, temples, and even to is by no means exhaustive. The fol- bury the dead. In our modern lowing are some of the basic tools the world, feng shui is practiced as a feng shui master or student should sophisticated science in Hong Kong, Ma- have extensive understanding and knowl- laysia, Singapore and Taiwan and is part of edge of: the Yin and Yang/Tai Chi princi- everyday life. The business community ple, the Eight Trigrams/Guas, the Cosmic consults a feng shui master prior to select- Trinity, the code of the He Tu (“river ing an office, business location or even a map”) the Lo Shu (“magic square of 9”, business venture/investment. Homeowners the “nine palaces”, “ming tang”), the Five rely on feng shui to find the optimum site to Element Theory (Wu Xing, and its three build or find a new home in order to ensure cycles), the Heavenly Stems/Earthly family health and prosperity. Feng shui was Branches (Ganzhi system), the 24 moun- introduced to the Western world about 25 tains (“mountain circle” or directions), the years ago. Now architects, real estate twelve phases of growth/birth, (essential for Dragon-Gate Feng Shui Scottsdale, AZ agents, interior designers and homeowners application of water formulas), how to use are interested in feng shui. Since the body a Lo P’an, the Early Heaven Ba Gua (Xien 480-241-5211 of knowledge is extensive, Feng Shui has Tien or Fu Xi), and the Later Heaven Ba

Emails: [email protected] become very confusing to many, even for Gua (Ho Tien or the Wen Wang). Please those who are well-read on the subject. refer to other tutorials on these subjects Website: There are currently over 300 published within our website for more information at www.dragongatefengshui.net books on Feng Shui (feng shui is one of the www.dragongatefengshui.net major categories of Chinese metaphysics), thousands of websites and hundreds of Form School Feng Shui courses offered on the market. There is really no such thing as “Form The popularity and resurgence of this an- School” per se; this is a term that was made cient practice has also produced the over- popular by a famous Feng Shui author. night experts, the charlatans, and even self- This method of assessing the landforms, proclaimed Feng Shui “Masters”. specifically the water/mountain relation- ship, falls under the San He System. Ob- The mass amount of information on the serving the environment is one of the oldest subject of Feng Shui does not however methods of feng shui practiced, dating back make the enthusiasts clear, quite the con- thousands of years to when Feng Shui was trary. It is the purpose of this tutorial to in its infancy and known as K’an Yu. The introduce the reader to the schools and vari- ancients became masters at observing and ous formulas used by a genuine feng shui interpreting the landscape and the effect it master or practitioner. There are essentially had on human fortune. They studied all forms and shapes of the environment, The Eight Mansions (Pa Zhai,/Ba Gate Theory (Sent Mun Kuet) are used the rivers, streams, mountains, and so Chai also known as the East/West to tap the energy of a natural body of forth. Poetic ways of describing certain System) water for greater prosperity. areas of the external environment Eight Mansions or Pa Chai falls under brought about the Celestial animals — the San He School. There are two popu- Also under the San Ÿuan, are the Zi the White Tiger (the West or the right- lar methods of Eight Mansions—one Bai (Purple-White Flying Stars), the hand side), the Green Dragon (East di- from the classic text “Huang di Ba Zhai Xuan Kong Da Gua (Big 64 Hexa- rection or the left-hand side), the Black Jing” (the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of grams Method), Xuan Kong Shui Fa Tortoise (North or the back), the Red/ Ba Zhai) and one from the classic, Ba (Time-Space Water Method) and the Crimson Phoenix (the South direction or Zhai Ming Jing (“Eight House Bright San Ÿuan Dragon Gate Eight (Long the front) and the center is always occu- Mirror”). The Eight Mansions use the Men Ba Da Ju) method. Formulas such pied by the Yellow Dragon. The early Life Gua formula to determine favor- as Robbery Mountain Sha (Chor San practice of K’an Yu also incorporated able and unfavorable directions for Kibb Sart), the Three Killings (Sam the use of the Five Elements (Wu Xing) every person. Other important Pa Zhai Sart), the Great Sun Position (Tai and the principles Yin and Yang. All considerations are given to door loca- Yang Dou San Pan), the Tai Sui classical Feng Shui schools use the tion, door direction, stove location, toi- (Grand Duke) and the Sui Po (Year analysis of “forms” as part of the Feng let placement, location of staircases, and Breaker), the calculation of the daily, Shui design/diagnostic. the house/building orientation. There is monthly and yearly “stars” are other also advanced Pa Zhai methods that techniques used to assess the Feng Compass School assist in fine tuning the Feng Shui for Shui, all part of the San Yuan School. Yet another term that does not truly re- people in the same household that are late to a “School” of Feng Shui. The use from different groups. San He (Three Harmonies) of a compass or Chinese Lo P’an is the San He (pronounced San Hur and also quintessential tool of any genuine Feng San Ÿuan (Three Cycles) and the known as San Hup) is one the major Shui Master or practitioner. All authen- Flying Stars Feng Shui Schools. This system is used tic and traditional schools of Feng Shui San Yuan is one of the two major for and has applications for large-scale use a compass or Lo P’an to perform “Universities” or Schools of Feng Shui feng shui projects, such as a Master- assessments. The technology of the com- and has many sub-sectors that fall under planned community, city planning, pass was invented by the Chinese during its umbrella. Xuan Kong (“mysterious high-rises, hotels, resorts, airports, hos- the Chou dynasty, and later it was devel- subtleties”, “time and space”) is a divi- pitals and so forth. It has the technology oped into a complicated and intricate sion of the San Ÿuan “University”. of considering the macro-level view of tool known as the Lo P’an used by Feng Xuan Kong Fey Xing is one the most the project and the best placement of; Shui Masters. This beautiful instrument recognized of the San Ÿuan systems, the dragon (mountain), the land may contain as many as 36 rings, each often referred to simply as Flying Stars. (topography), and the water (real or ring containing formulae used to assess Flying Stars is one of the techniques virtual) in relation to each other--thus and adjust the Feng Shui. There are spe- used to take into account the time di- its name the “three harmonies”. These cific “rings” used to measure water mension aspect of Feng Shui. This considerations are paramount before the (known as the heaven plate), mountains method relates to the changing forces feng shui “micro-engineering” is de- (known as the human plate) and build- during different periods of time. Flying signed into the buildings. ings (known as the earth plate). As Feng Stars is the process of extracting infor- Shui developed over hundreds of years, mation from the intangible influences of The San He School of Feng Shui has it gained considerable complexity, and the numbers and combination of num- extensive systems and formulas— often Feng Shui Masters were among the bers of the magic Lo Shu square or nine several to assess formations for disaster Scholars and Sages of their day. There palaces. Flying Stars explains why no and others to bring wealth and good are three main types of Lo P’ans used structure will forever enjoys good or luck. For example the Peach Blossom my masters/practitioners today—the San bad Feng Shui as it cycles through time. Sha Formation (bad romance & illicit He Lo P’an, the San Ÿuan Lo P’an and Each building or structure will have a affairs), Eight Roads of Destruction combination of the two known as the Natal Flying Star Chart, and there are (Pa Loo Hwang Chuen, disasters), Chung He Lo P’an. A feng shui master special Flying Star charts for buildings Eight Killing Forces ( Pa Sha Hwang would eventually design his own Lo that can be exceptionally auspicious. Chuen, adverse affect on health, money P’an containing his “secrets” to pass on They are the Pearl String Formation and romance). Other formulas like the to his filial students. My Sifu, (Grand (Lin Cu San Poon Gua), the Combina- Five Ghost Carry Treasure (a well- Master Yap Cheng Hai), has designed tion of 10 (two formations-one good for guarded secret from Taiwan) and several Lo P’ans, one of which contains money, the other good for people), and Three Door Harmony are used to at- his specialized water dragon water for- the Parent String Formation (Fu Mo tract wealth. The famous Water mulas, offered only to his graduated San Poon Gua). Other techniques such Dragon Formulas fall under this apprentices. as the Tsing San, Ling San (proper School. location of water aka as Direct Spirit and Indirect Spirit), and the Castle Water Dragon Feng Shui is not recognized as valid or authentic tices all together. And they are not Famous Feng Shui author, Lillian Too, Feng Shui, but rather considered a New necessary to Classical Feng Shui. first brought public awareness to the Age practice. To date, it has a huge, loyal water dragon methods with her book following all over the world. Feng Shui for the Modern World “Water Feng Shui for Wealth—An Ad- Feng Shui has enjoyed some serious vanced Manual on Water Feng Shui Western Feng Shui media attention for the last few years, Based on the Water Dragon Classic”, There are many other schools derived being featured on prime time TV pro- published in 1995. This book is based from the roots of The Black Hat Sect— grams and premier tabloids and it on the classic book on water dragons, with some minor changes. These schools seems that the interest in this fascinat- entitled Shui Long Jing. Lillian Too’s also use the Eight Life Stations or Eight ing subject has not waned. For the book, unfortunately, has given incorrect Life Aspirations. Many of Professor first time ever, Feng Shui Masters information regarding the most signifi- Yun’s students are writing books and around the world are now offering cant aspect of the water formulas —the becoming very famous, all repeating this classes for those who wish to devote water exit degrees. It is not recom- over-simplified version of Feng Shui. serious amounts of time to its study. mended to use this book to create a wa- None of these Western Schools are con- This once secret knowledge is now ter dragon as it could bring extremely sidered authentic by the Masters of the being revealed, as in the ancient tradi- undesirable results. There are many an- Far East. tion—from Master to student. cient texts on water formulas and water castle formulas, although the Water Black Hat Sect and the various schools Denise A. Liotta-Dennis, Dragon Classics is one of the most re- of Western Feng Shui were, until the last Known as the “fast-talkin’ Texan,”—an spected and well-known. Water dragons 4 years or so, the most practiced and rec- interesting and delightful oxymoron— are created to bring extreme wealth to ognized Feng Shui in the United States, Denise A. Liotta-Dennis is founder and the recipient, in Feng Shui water equals Canada, Australia and Europe. Now president of Dragon-Gate Feng Shui (DGFS), LLC an international consulting money. Water Dragons must have the some of these famous authors and correct directional flow (right to left or and development firm, specializing in teaches can be seen in classes around the authentic Feng Shui site selection, plan- left to right depending on the door direc- world learning genuine, Classical Feng ning, design, audits, and assessments for tion), it must be seen from the front Shui. Public awareness has risen to the commercial and residential real estate and door/entrance and must have the exact level that if they wanted to retain their construction projects. Denise was recently exit degree in order to attract wealth. status as Feng Shui “experts” they should featured on Sonoran Living Live, KNXV Otherwise, the improper placement of learn to use the Luo Pan and study the ABC 15. water or the incorrect implementation of complex formulas of the San He and San a water dragon can bring disaster. Both Yuan Schools. Denise has studied with four noted feng major schools, San Yuan and the San shui masters from China, Malaysia and He, have numerous wealth-producing Intuitive Feng Shui Australia, including Grand Master Yap water formulas. William Spear was the first to make In- Cheng Hai and belongs to his 400- year Wu Chang Feng Shui Mastery lineage. tuitive Feng Shui popular and coined the She has followed Master Yap to such ex- Black Hat Sect (BHS or BSTB) phrase. There again, this is not classical citing venues as South Africa, Germany, This method of Feng Shui was devel- Feng Shui. A humans we all use our and Malaysia. oped and brought over to America by intuition to assist us in whatever we have Professor Thomas Lin Yun, a Tibetan studied and learned—this adds dimen- A gifted educator and speaker, Denise monk about 25 years ago. Professor Lin sion to our knowledge. Feng Shui re- offers both high energy and rich content, Yun created this simplified version of quires years of study and practice, to with a rapid-fire delivery that keeps audi- Feng Shui with a mixture Tibetan Bud- simply “intuit” someone's home/office ences spell bound and wide-eyed at the dhism. He took the Ho Tien or Wen without a real understanding of authentic edge of their seats, peppering her talks Wang Ba Gua (Later Heaven) and cre- with a quaint southwestern humor. Denise Feng Shui principles can be irresponsi- has been a business executive and ated the “Eight Life Stations”. He pro- ble. entrepreneur for over 24 years. posed that these “life stations” are that the North (Kan trigram) is the Career Practices Used in Conjunction Denise consults and offers training courses Area, the South (Li trigram) is the Fame with Feng Shui throughout the United States, and is cur- Area, the Southwest (Kun trigram) is the Dowsing, Bau-biologie, Space Clearing, rently involved in feng shui projects in Marriage Area, and so forth. This inter- Clearing Clutter, The Four Pillars of Texas, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and pretation of Feng Shui rapidly gained Destiny (Chinese Astrology, aka Ba Zi), California. the attention and appeal of the Western Nine Star Ki, (Japanese Astrology), Cre- World. The concepts were easy to To incorporate Classical Chinese Feng ating a Sacred Space, Zi Wei Dou Shu Shui in your home, office, or commercial grasp, it had a spiritual slant, and no real (Chinese Astrology) are often mistaken project, contact Denise at Dragon-Gate study was needed to put it into practice. for Feng Shui. These are all acceptable Feng Shui, LLC at 480-241-5211 to sched- A compass or Luo Pan is not used and things to use in conjunction with feng ule a consultation. all structures are oriented to the North. shui if you wish, but do not confuse them This system does not belong to either with Feng Shui. They are separate prac- the San He or the San Yuan School and