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WHAT IS THE LIFE ASPIRATIONS
FENG SHUI?
(c) Elizabeth Moran and Val
Biktashev
Authors of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui (Alpha Books, 1999)
Web: www.aafengshui.com, Email: GlobalFengShui@aol.com
In order to understand the Life Aspirations feng shui (the division of a home,
apartment, or office into areas of fame, marriage, children, helpful people,
career, knowledge, family, and prosperity), you must first understand what the
bagua (also called the pa kua) is.
Collectively, the eight fundamental trigrams comprise the bagua. Okay, but what
is a trigram, you ask? Each of the eight trigrams are linear symbols composed of
a configuration of solid and broken lines which, when arranged in a specific
order (the Hou Tian or After Heaven sequence), explain all possible natural and
human events. While a thorough explanation of this complex concept is beyond the
scope of this introductory article, know that each trigram is correlated with a
host of things. Some of which include, a direction; the time of day and season;
a familial relation; one of the Five Phases of fire, earth, metal, water, and
wood; a number; a color; and a number. For example, the Li trigram is affiliated
with the south, summer, noon, the color red, the middle daughter or a
middle-aged woman, one's eyes, heart, and blood, with sight and cardiac
difficulties, and with the number 9 (among other things).
Yet, to proponents of Life Aspirations feng shui, the trigram's directional
affiliation and Five Phase element are perhaps the most significant. A life
aspiration (or life station) is then correlated with each of the eight trigrams.
For instance, the southern section of your home corresponds to the Li trigram,
the Five Phase element fire, and the life station recognition and fame; the SW
corresponds to the Kun trigram, the Five Phase element earth, and the life
station marriage and happiness. Proceeding accordingly, the W corresponds to
Dui, metal, and children; the NW to Qian, metal, and helpful people; the N to
Kan, water, and career; the NE to Gen, earth, and education/knowledge; the E to
Zhen, wood, and health and relationships; and the SE to Xun, wood, and wealth.
Life Aspirations feng shui originated in Hong Kong. It is not known how each
aspiration came to be associated with each trigram. They seem to be arbitrary
assignments. We guess one can say the appropriation is loosely based on the
bagua, but we believe this is a stretch. For example, take the Li trigram. We
guess fame and recognition can be correlated to Li's fire. Celebrities or
'stars' are certainly bright. These people are certainly fame-ous! And, many who
have fame are recognized. Also, we guess a case can be made for Zhen's family
aspiration. Zhen's wood connotes the growth of a family. While the life
aspirations for Li and Zhen seem to fit the trigram, the same cannot be said for
the remaining six trigrams.
To 'activate' each aspiration, simply install the associative Five Phase element
in the direction in question. For example, to bolster fame and reputation, place
the fire (a burning candle or fireplace, the color red) phase in the southern
section of your home. Likewise, place earth (ceramic vases, rocks, the colors
yellow and brown) in the SW to activate increase the likelihood of getting
married or improving an existing marriage; place metal in the W to activate a
child's luck; and wood (plants and flowers) in the E to promote harmonious
family relationships and good health.
But, friends, this method is very superficial. It has us believe that each of
our homes is the same. That life is compartmentalized. That life does not move
and transform. Does this make any sense? Frankly, Life Aspirations and Black
Sect (which we'll get to later) feng shui plays into the Western obsession with
parts. You can't deny that since the ancient Greek method of inductive and
deductive reasoning, we pick things apart. We're into the minutia instead of
thinking holistically, globally. We need to be rational and logical. We need
black and white answers. In fact, our fragmented way of thinking has even
influenced television advertising. Remember that 70s commercial, "Two
all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a toasted
sesame seed bun"? The hamburger parts take precedence over the whole taste
sensation!
Life Aspirations (and Black Sect) feng shui also plays into the McDonaldization
of our society. We want things faster-better-NOW. We want things easy. But, it's
not that easy. There is no quick fix. Feng shui is not a cure-all for your
problems, hopes, and dreams. It is not a superstition or a religion. It is not a
New Aged psychology. It has nothing to do with imagery or wish fulfillment. It
is not a magic pill!
With the advent of 20th century physics, modern scientists have come to
understand that the whole must be explored and accounted for. Do your really
think fame qi knows to go south? That marriage qi can only be found in the
southwest? That it is auspicious for children to only sleep in the west? On a
purely common sense level, this is ridiculous. In our opinion, this method has
no merit. Moreover, Life Aspirations feng shui does not include any analysis of
TIME or SPACE (landforms, waterways, and directional qi in the way it was meant
to be studied and applied).
In Classical Feng Shui, where you place one of the Five Phase elements (fire,
earth, metal, water, wood) depends on the [Loushu] number configurations within
your home. The number combinations are derived from the year your home was built
(TIME) and it's sitting direction (SPACE). This has to do with a sophisticated
method called Flying Star (Xuan Kong). To the uninitiated, a Flying Star reading
yields a numerological qi map of the home in question and of each room. A
classically trained practitioner looks at the number combinations to determine
the likelihood of a specific event occurring or not occurring and will remedy or
enhance accordingly. While this is a broad and simplistic answer, Flying Star is
a very complex method that monitors qi's flow and change over TIME and SPACE,
the two fundamental components of Classical Feng Shui.
Co-founders of the Beverly Hills,
California-based American Healing Arts, Incorporated, Elizabeth Moran and Val
Biktashev are very much in the vanguard of the feng shui community. While
Elizabeth is in high demand as a lecturer about feng shui and the Yijing,
Siberian-born feng shui master Val travels worldwide providing feng shui
assessments and Yijing readings for individuals and businesses. Several articles
have been written about their work in nationally distributed newspapers and
magazines. Also, Moran and Biktashev were the feature subjects of CBS Sunday
Morning, a network news magazine show. For more information, they can be
contacted at GlobalFengShui@aol.com
or at 323-852-1381.
Elizabeth is owner and co-moderator of Basic Feng Shui, an e forum devoted to
helping the beginner understand classical feng shui. If you wish to join and
participate, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/basicfengshui. |
What is Life Aspirations Feng Shui?
