West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick BorNei

Certified Red Ribbon Professional of the International Feng Shui Guild

Remodeling of a City

Planning a successful town or city is based on finding and using the natural flow of energy or entry to the land mass. Ancient cities placed their ports of entry near streams, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water such as oceans to transport people and trade goods to other ports of entry. These “portals of Chi” are natural points of energy streams which regulate the weather and earth movements. Invisible, yet dynamic, geometric stress lines crisscross the planet and create an ever-changing structure in the crust of land masses. Of course we can expect reaction from our action when neglecting the environment. Once the city is polluted and unbalanced, it becomes dead. Civilizations vanish when wind and water or Feng Shui is not good, and leave small and large ghost cities for our scientists to rediscover.

Hopefully we are learning how to build better dwellings with Feng Shui as the Art of Placement becomes known to the world. It seems the United States is one of the last countries to use this system, as people are still confusing it with a religion. Scholars in most countries came from privileged, wealthy societies and practiced the religion of that region. Thus came the written and documented material from a society whose intellects had the time and money to research weather, crops, animal life and the environment of a place, for thousands of years, while the actual land was tended by “the salt of the earth” or poor people.

Building sites were chosen by scholars who knew “these things,” where to put places of worship, town halls, schools, crops and grave sites. Today’s successful countries use a form of good Feng Shui, from the entries to ports of the worlds to business tycoons. It is not just a Chinese thing, but the Art of Placement has deep roots in the Chinese Culture, as they were the first to record thousands of years of scientific material using Chinese symbolism. As my Master teacher Professor Lin Yun said, “Use Feng Shui for all your cities, homes and city buildings to bring peace to the nations. Pray to your own powerful God for protection and blessings, such as Jesus.”

City planning was one of Professor Lin’s early jobs as he studied law in Beijing 50 years ago. Found to have talent in this area during his youth, the government placed him in this training after entry tests scores were noted. Combined with medical training, his Feng Shui knowledge was priceless to the country. Now, his wisdom brought to many nations has blessed the world with his teachings. He Feng Shui’d ports of entry in many countries and major U.S. companies, and he gave advice to the world each year with his predictions of how the current Feng Shui of the nations will affect the world.

Taking this knowledge and using it in our own cities is priceless. One suggestion I have heard him mention again and again, is to have a center to the city with government buildings, churches, schools and shopping facilities close to the hub of the town. This high action or Yang energy is the force of the sun, and brings the Chi to make things happen for the city. A major roadway easily leading into and out of the center pulls people to the city. Church steeples pierce the sky, bringing in spiritual power to the place, while tall buildings drawn the Chi from the “heavens.” Government buildings should be built on solid ground, secure ground to make the population feel protected. Scattered school yards with many “missing pieces” to the school building, such as the tragic Combine School massacre several years ago, provide us with knowledge for future structures. The Bagua, or eight-sided structure, placed as a template of this school building gives a Feng Shui practitioner an aerial view of the horrible design of this building, causing complete chaos within the school.

I had the pleasure of lecturing for the Santa Clara Reading Council Convention’s annual gatherings for three years at Asilimar near Monterey, California, teaching instructors for this county. They listened intently on ways to use Feng Shui to align their class rooms. Working with superintendents, principles and teacher to understand the principles of placement gave them the power to help children in knowledge, family struggles, to have more self-esteem, eat and rest and raise their grades, just by change the position of their desks in the classroom! Example: a child with his or her back to major doors becomes drained and edgy as the “draft” of air or Chi is constantly pulling or pushing them out of balance. Think of what you could do by supporting these children by Feng Shuing their homes. The house talks and I can identify the problem usually within a few minutes.

Cities began to loose steam when main buildings are scattered. As the city grows, space becomes a problem, and schools and government bring in modular buildings and place them here and there with no plan about “joining” them to the major structure. They loose the connection with the main building and began to think as a separate entity, not as a city group. Dissention occurs among the leaders and arguing begins. Reconnecting the energy of the officials and workers can easily be achieved by an experienced practitioner through the art of Feng Shui. A rice ceremony, such as one for a wedding, is done as a celebration, joining the parties together in harmony. This joining ceremony reestablishes new growth in team spirit.

Caroline will be coming to the Benicia area in April; call (503) 208-2960 for more details.

If you want an early bird price for our September 14th Trip to the Middle Kingdom of Tibet, please contact me before March 31^st. We will start in China and cross over into Tibet mid-trip. This is a lifetime wish and it has manifested!

Caroline Patrick BorNei is a certified Feng Shui Practitioner and a Red Ribbon Professional of The International Feng Shui Guild. Her abilities as a consultant and artist are widely known in the US and abroad. Caroline has completed over 5000 consultations for individuals, large and small businesses. Return clients appreciate the value of her suggestions both mundane and transcendental, providing support on multiple levels. As a college art instructor for many years, Caroline understands the power of color; its symbolism and the visual effect images have on individuals in their surroundings. Her home base is Portland, OR where she continues to write, teach, paint, do illustrations and give herbal medicine making classes. She is available for Feng Shui consultations; Feng Shui art consultant, advises builders, architects and mentors a few serious students.

Call (503) 208-2960 or email caroline@fengshuiartistry.com.

Any suggestions given in this column are only for entertainment. Please contact your physician for any medical or herbal advice or diagnosis. Caroline Patrick is not responsible for any misuse of her advice or suggestions.

Caroline’s “West Meets East” weekly newspaper column can be read from archives on her website www.fengshuiartistry.com.