Crystals in Feng Shui
Do you ever wonder that certain parts of your house or office seem to make you tired, or lethargic? Or do you sometimes feel jittery in one room? Do people seem to fidget or fall asleep in certain areas? Are you having trouble getting certain things done in your home? Do the kids have trouble concentrating on their school work? Do you feel somehow even threatened in some part? Does it sort of feel that a sword is hanging over you when you get near a certain spot? Is your environment pleasant, or is "something just not right" but you can't put your finger on it?
Well these and many other symptoms might indicate that the energy flow within your house, or a room or office isn't conducive to good health and well being. The Chinese art of Feng Shui might just have the solutions.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui means Wind and Water - a reference to the Yin and Yang elements of the Universal Life Force - also called Qi, Chi, Prana, Ruach, Barakain, and a host of other names. This force was described by Colleen Deatsman in her book Energy for Life , as "the formless pervasive, causal undercurrent of all that is...the diving intelligence, the engine of creation, the cosmic grid upon which and from which the universe springs."
This force meanders slowly when it is healthy and life bringing (positive energy). It drifts and wanders, flowing easily and bringing the breath of life.
This force becomes unhealthy (negative energy) when it is either blocked and becomes stagnant or is forced into hard fast lanes when it becomes destructive.
The practice of Feng Shui is the practice of arranging an environment that keeps the Life Force energy flowing and balanced so that we can live and thrive.
What is Yin and Yang?
As is discussed in the Crystal Balance and Harmony section, Yin and yang are the two dynamics of the Universal Life Force, inseparable, interacting, and opposites. Neither is complete without the other. Each is a part of the other. Each depends for its existence on the other. A coin has two sides, yet without one side the idea of the other side is meaningless. The sky is only meaningful is there is an earth. Masculine is meaningless without the feminine. But there is really no boundary between the sides of a coin, or between the earth and sky, or between masculine and feminine. They are separate, yet intertwined. Each is defined, yet only in the terms of the other.
Yin energy is receptive, intuitive, reflective, passive, accepting, and provides the quiet strength of spirit. Yang is life energy - active, hot, dynamic, and spirited. It provides the strength of physical power. Together and balanced, they bring life to our minds, spirits, and bodies. When they are out of balance they become negative forces that rob us of life and spirit. Keeping them in balance in our lives means keeping them in balance in our environments so that together they form healthy energy that can move freely and not become either too Yin or Yang, and thus destructive.
How Can I Use Crystals in Feng Shui?
In Feng Shui, the Universal Life Force has five elemental components - Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, and Wood. These elements form a continuum of creations and destruction. Each element enhances one element and reduced another. Crystals can be used to enhance and reduce the elements of energy to allow the right energy in the right part of your home or room.
The energies of each element are needed in any home or room. Each element is needed in certain areas. Click on any element in the table to learn more about that energy element and to see crystals that can be used to bring that element into balance in the parts of your home or room. Use the bagua discussed below to know which areas need which elements of energy.
The Bagua
Some schools of Feng Shui use a design or tool called the "bagua." The bagua or pa kua is an octagon symbol that contains the eight trigrams that are the universal symbols through which life and the life force can be understood. The trigrams are arranged to represent the energies of the earth, the seasons, compass directions, and the essential parts of life. While the bagua is a serious tool, and just one of many Feng Shui techniques, even beginners can use it with some success.
Of course, Feng Shui is an ancient and complex study. What is presented here is simply an illustration of one concept. However, even though the ways of Feng Shui are complex, you have to start somewhere. At least begin. Your awareness of your environment and understanding of the need for balanced energies will go a long way towards improving your life.
There are two similar bagua designs currently being used. They are depicted below. The first has more traditional colors associated with the the five basic elements of the Universal Life Force.
The second version has the modern colors associated with the elements and the directions.
The Compass School and the Black Hat School
The bagua shows which parts of a space, such as a home or a room need which kind of energy and which parts of a space are associated with which primary part of your life. There are two different methods for using the bagua, the Compass School, and the Black Hat School.
