West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick BorNei

There Is No “Church of Feng Shui”

Please remember Feng Shui is not a religion, but a natural cycle of how Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal work in unison. Each of these natural elements of nature are joined together in a nurturing way or cycle. Just as in nature if rain comes slowly and easily, humans, animals and plant life thrive. If rain comes in torrents, too much water floods the land and waterways. Humans loose their shelters, life is lost and crops are killed. Too little rain, and the planet suffers from drought. Nothing can live without water. Plants die; lightning starts fires and blaze out of control. So each element begins to destroy one another. Water floods Wood, Wood destroys Earth, Earth puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal and Metal chops Wood.

Feng Shui, loosely translated as “Wind and Water,” refers to a gentle breeze blowing easily across Water, bringing life to every living thing. Just as the planet is nurtured by the 5 Elements in a correct growing cycle, we want our lives to be nurtured. The 9 aspects called Career, Knowledge, Family, Wealth, Fame, Partnership, Health, Children and Creativity, Helpful People and Travel are just names to help us understand ourselves and how we fit into our bodies and our homes, and how to adjust to the outside world. If these aspects are aligned with the nature cycle of the 5 Elements in nature then we go through life much easier. When aligned properly, roadblocks in our bodies, relationships and houses disappear and our personal energy is lifted; we feel “on top of the world”!

Religion is for spiritual comfort. Feng Shui is the science of nature and the environment. Religions are relationships between God and our spirit. The confusion of Feng Shui being compared to religion comes from the fact that scholars in ancient times were religious. They were known as record keepers of their culture. By studying weather patterns these scholars were able to find the best locations for villages, crops and gravesites. Education was taught by religious scholars. It just so happens that Feng Shui was included in these teachings in the effort to balance human nature with the environment.

Just as a structure can be “mapped” with all 9 aspects, so can the human body by meridians, which branches off into Eastern medicines, such as Ayurvedic, Chinese, Japanese, etc. Acupuncture, Yoga, Meditation and Massage are just some of the now accepted practices in the United States including The Art of Placement called Feng Shui. Feng Shui isn’t just decorating the house in pretty colors, but is used for checking blockages in the home and business, releasing the tension in the dwelling, making the house safe and the family happy.

Water enters the house through in the plumbing, electricity through wires in the walls, heating and cooling through ducts. When these elements are working correctly, your home is a haven, but when a plumbing leak occurs or the roof leaks, the body is affected. Mold occurs, lead paint kills, bacteria grow, the residents get sick and the house looses energy or, as the Chinese say, Chi is lost. There are many rules which must be learned by a qualified consultant to shift a chaotic environment. Money, jobs, health and marriages can suffer without proper harmony being restored to the land, house and business, but it can be done!

Join us for a lifetime experience in China with James Jay, September 21, 2009. The tour is filling up quickly! Email me at caroline@fengshuiartistry.com for details!

Caroline lives in the Northwest Region of the US, called the Puget Sound in Washington State and is an experienced Feng Shui Practitioner, writer, author and artist. She gives workshops in Feng Shui, Elements of Art, private mentoring for serious student, lectures, does book illustrations, art demonstrations for Daniel Smiths Art Supplies and writes a weekly newspaper column for the Benicia Herald in California and other publications. Call (360) 424-1501 for her availability for speaking, teaching and consultations in the U.S. and abroad, or email caroline@fengshuiartistry.com. Visit her websites: www.fengshuiartistry.com to view her special Feng Shui artwork designed especially for cures and corrections and enhancements of the 5 Elements (some for sale) and www.moongateschool.com for West Meets East archives.

Please consult your physician for physical problems as this article only gives ideas and suggestions. Caroline is not responsible for anyone using these suggested plants or advice for cures or healing any problem either medical or Feng Shui claims. This column and article is for entertainment only. Please seek help from a qualified physician, naturopath, herbalist or other certified person for treatment.

Note: Caroline Patrick BorNei (pronounced Bornay) is Caroline's Chinese name give to her by her Master Teacher His Holiness Grandmaster Lin Yin.