Underpinning Feng Shui is the concept of qi (or chi). In its simplest form, qi is energy, or nature's forces.
In Feng Shui we consider three forces of qi (sometimes referred to as the 'Trinity of Qi'):
Heaven Qi ~ the forces exerted by the sun, moon, planets and stars; the time of day, seasons and the cycles of change.
Earth Qi ~ the Earth's magnetic field; natural forces from landforms, watercourses, trees and vegetation; manmade forces from buildings, roads and interior design (not to mention power lines, house wiring, and electrical appliances!).
Human Qi ~ your personal energy (the energy you were born into from your date of birth); your health and life force; the energy of those who live with you; your neighbours' energy.
Key tools then help us to understand the nature, interactions, patterns, and movement of qi:
Yin and Yang ~ two primary forces of qi; yin representing nature's passive principle as represented by darkness, cold, stillness and quiet; yang representing nature's active principle as represented by light, heat, movement and noise; on a human level, yin represents femininity, whilst yang represents masculinity; in Feng Shui practice, mountain force is yin, and water force is yang.
Five Elements ~ five phases of qi represented by their physical manifestation in nature (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water); constantly transforming and interacting to create harmony or disharmony; used extensively within Feng Shui to support positive qi and calm or correct negative qi; introduced into the home using the colours, shapes, and other energetic forms of the elements.
Eight Trigrams ~ eight patterns of qi associated with a multitude of natural and human phenomena; named according to the basic nature of the trigram (Heaven ~ initiating, Earth ~ responding, Thunder ~ arousing, Wind ~ penetrating, Water ~ descending, Fire ~ illuminating, Lake ~ pleasing, Mountain ~ resting); seen as representing specific family members (e.g. Heaven ~ Father, Earth ~ Mother etc): of fundamental importance to the practice of Feng Shui.
Xian Tian and Hou Tian Bagua ~ two cyclic arrangements of the eight trigrams; the Xian Tian (Earlier Heaven) Bagua denoting the ideal world where all eight trigrams are in their natural order and balanced by their counterparts (heaven above, earth below etc); the Hou Tian (Later Heaven) Bagua representing the practical application of trigrams in a world that is constantly moving and transforming. The Hou Tian Bagua incorporates the eight directions, and is the one most used by Feng Shui practitioners.
He Tu ~ a mathematical pattern that assigns number combinations to elements and directions, with 1 and 6 creating Water, assigned to the North; 2 and 7 creating Fire, assigned to the South, 3 and 8 creating Wood, assigned to the East; 4 and 9 creating Metal, assigned to the West; and 5 and 10 creating Earth, assigned to the centre.
Luo Shu ~ a mathematical pattern of nine numbers, or 'stars', displayed in a 3 by 3 grid square; called a 'magic square' because the numbers add up to 15 along each horizontal, vertical and diagonal line; closely related to the Hou Tian Bagua; denotes the basic energy coming from the eight directions with Earth energy as a central point of reference; provides a pattern for movement of qi.
These tools provide the basis for a number of different systems of Feng Shui.
Click here to read about the different systems of Feng Shui >>