History of Feng Shui

Traditionally, the knowledge of Feng Shui is considered sacred, and for this reason, very little was documented on paper apart from the ‘Book of Burial' in the 4th Century. Only in the past few decades have the secrets of Feng Shui been made available to Western countries, as many different types of schools in Feng Shui began to surface. They mainly fall into three categories, namely Form, Compass and Flying Star (Advanced Feng Shui) Schools.

The earliest known text of Feng Shui was written in the 4th Century by Guo Pu, the ‘Book of Burial.' The book describes the importance of locating the most auspicious site to bury the deceased, involving a thorough analysis of the land including, contours, mountain ranges, and location of water. Form School was also a tool to locate the most auspicious places to build major cities and emphasises the harmony between heaven, man and earth.

The Compass School, also known as the Eight House, Hokkien Compass or the Pakua School, originated from a book called I Ching. The I Ching uses complex mathematics to determine one’s fate and to this day is used as a form of Fortune telling. The I Ching is made up of 64 symbols, which stem from an original 8, all of which represent the possibilities that may affect an individual based on nature and our surroundings. The 8 symbols are used to make up a unique pattern called the Bagua, used to determine the type of Qi that enters or is present in our homes. Each symbol of the Bagua refers to a family member and seasons, and through this method, we can understand the five-element cycle.

Flying Star School is considered to be the most comprehensive and challenging school of Feng Shui. It is here that the most sacred and surprising effects of Feng Shui come alive based on a complex mathematical Luo Shu Grid of 9 numbers that are considered active at any given time. Flying Star School is superior to Form and Compass School as it depends on the influence of the exact build time of a building.

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