For those of you like myself, searching for meaning or the means in which to understand our planet and our existence, you would have no doubt looked at numerous paths and used different tools or resources in this quest. Over the years I have studied Astrology, Tarot, World Religions, Meditation, Rebirthing, Reiki, Feng Shui and the list goes on. In addition to this I have always nurtured a keen interest in the traditional Sciences like Astronomy and Physics. All these tools (I would like to call them tools) have contributed to both my personal and spiritual growth by giving me a framework in which to understand and find purpose in my life. But how do you integrate traditional Science with Metaphysics?
These two schools of thought appear to sit on opposite sides of the fence with some completely dismissing one for the other. With the advent of the New Science, Quantum Physics, we see the discovery of phenomena that can only be explained by looking at Metaphysics and the like, in a new way. Phenomena on the subatomic level has been documented but with no precise reasoning. Quantum theory has pushed science to a point of perplexity that most physicists would call more philosophical than physical. Could it be then that they are both essential forms for our understanding? Together they form a whole picture of our existence. They are like the Yin and the Yang. You need both to create balance and wholeness. After all what is Knowledge without Wisdom?
Astonishingly, thousands of years ago the Chinese had an understanding of their environment and existence that melded philosophy with science. The Chinese monks living in the mountains, observed the universal energy and called it “qi”( chi ). Qi is the life force energy, the essence of life, it cannot be seen or heard, only its effects and influences are observed.
The ancient Chinese observed how the qi can be accumulated in a well protected hollow or dispersed on a windy ridge. They observed that large bodies of water can pool qi and that fast flowing streams disperse it. They analysed landforms and reduced all landforms down to just two elements, mountain and water. These mountains were eroded by wind ( feng ) and water (shui ) to provide our physical environment.
“Feng Shui” later became the Chinese name for the art of managing this environment for the benefit of man and assessing the quality of qi was made through formulas and calculations to assess the potential of the person and their property.
It appears that modern scientists may have rediscovered this ancient life force, “qi”, through the study of quantum physics. Could they be one and the same? The trouble is that Newtonian scientists want to be able to rationalise and put experience in a left brain context. Our Left brain processes language; it “sees” in Words. It wants to describe everything in words or into a context that can be recognised. This then is limiting, as our language can fail us when it comes to describing events or experiences that can’t be visualised.
Planet movement for example has been hypothesised by scientists as not gravitational but rather the movement within the confines of the neighbourhood or Einstein’s “space-time continuum”. This space-time continuum has a terrain much like a hilly country side, with a mountain (the sun) dominating. So the planets are just selecting the easiest path in which to travel. This would explain Mercury’s orbital path as it is not elliptic but rather an odd spiralling. This to me uncannily describes the path of “qi”. How compelling that western scientists seem to be describing eastern philosophies.
The Chinese went on to create five main studies called the 5 Arts. They consist of 1.Mountain, 2.Medicine, 3.Divination, 4.Destiny, and 5.Physiognomy. Physiognomy includes the art of Feng Shui.
Way back then, the Chinese Monks looked at the world much like a modern day geographer but by looking with mystic eyes they could see much more than just mountains and water. They could see a wondrous world and through observation and meditation they were able to unlock the “secrets of the universe”. This bought about a responsibility in dealing with their knowledge. They have a saying that such knowledge can make the “mystical doorway disappear”.
The Chinese believe that a person is influenced in life by three levels of qi called the Cosmic Trinity of Heaven, Man and Earth.
Heaven luck is the luck you obtain at birth, it is your destiny. It can be read through means of astrology ( Bazi ) and can show your strengths and weaknesses in personality and can also foretell of events in life.
Man luck; this is completely left up to the control of the individual. It is your actions, your thoughts that create your quality of life. Man can cultivate his own qi and this can contribute not only to his physical health but also his mind energy.
Earth luck; this is the essence of Feng Shui, it is the influence of our living environment and how these surroundings can influence the quality of our lives.
This Cosmic Trinity of Heaven, Man and Earth, each contributes one third to the outcome of an individual. If Heaven is not ready for a person to have luck then we cannot as practitioners read their chart, our job is not to break the “heavens secret code”. In other words, we can’t go around pointing out Feng Shui problems that people have without being asked for help first. A person may have yet to learn a vital lesson from the circumstances they find themselves in and it is not up to us to judge. By asking for help or seeking advice it shows that the person is ready to receive.
Feng Shui assessment can help in all aspects of your life. Feng Shui is like the medicine so first we must diagnose the problem. It is no good to try and enhance things such as wealth if there is a leak that is draining your resources, otherwise more money will just be lost. Similarly what you think you need and what is required may be different. One example is a person desiring more wealth to the detriment of their health or family, in fact if the health and family should be bolstered then the money will come anyway.
So which is stronger, Heaven luck or Man Luck? It depends on your capacity. If you are born with small capacity, you may not achieve a great deal in life but that does not mean that you are not fulfilled. Being fulfilled comes from within, and only you have the power to obtain fulfilment. By utilising tools such as Feng Shui we can hope to not only know our environment better but also ourselves. We can then enhance our potentials and live the life we were born to live.
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