Here are some lessons for anyone who has a site:

• Think twice about take anything from other people’s sites without permission.
• If you are given permission get it in writing to protect yourself.
• Refrain from taking graphics from free graphic sites because an artist spent time making those graphics and would probably appreciate credit for them.
• If you like something on someone’s site then ask permission to link to it; not permission to copy it on your site. If it is a graphic then find the artist, ask to use it and give them credit. You will feel much better about yourself and won’t set yourself up for intense legal ramifications.

How did Feng Shui originate?

The practice of Feng Shui has been traced back to at several thousand years.

The landscape in China is prone to floods in the lower areas and very strong mountain winds in the higher up areas. The farmers in Southern China learned and understood the signs the Earth left behind; such as the way plants grow bending away from the wind and/or towards the sun, sharp rocks protruding, the changes of streams and many more signs. From this was developed the science called “Geomancy”.

Long before the Chinese learned to write, the ancient wise people used the most original and basic form of “Yin” and “Yang” to reason the events of the world around them. The process of prediction and validation had been going on for several thousand years, before the wisest of all called FuXi (pronounced “ph-she”) put it in writing. This form is called Ba-Gua. Although legend uses “he, him, his’ or as ‘father of…’, ‘king of….’ when they refer to FuXi, the archaeologists and historians believe FuXi were a group of women. This group of women were advisers to the chief of the ancient matriarchy tribe and lived in what is, today, the northwest part China, called FuXi. The Ba-Gua then developed into a system of ‘right timing’ and ‘right behavior’, which became the I Ching (pronounced “E Cheeng”). Though it is not known when.

Thus through the combining the I-Ching and Geomancy Feng Shui was developed. The application was originally applied for choosing burial sites, for the wealthy, and palace locations for the royalty.

For a more thorough insight to its’ history, click Here

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is a belief of balance of different elements in our personal or professional environment. For example, Feng Shui experts look at how the “Chi” (energy) moves around your home, based on several entities; the position of your home, its surroundings, the shape of the land and your house, the compass location of each room within your home, the entrance to that room and the furniture in it, and many more entities, including your landscaping.

Feng Shui experts look at each of these in terms of balance of Yin and Yang. Also whether they are associated with the 5 elements – Earth, Fire, Metal , Water or Wood.

How does Feng Shui work?

To make Feng Shui work for you, it is important to look not just at your home and its furnishing but the circumstances and goals in making changes in your life, be they personal or professional. One of the main keys it to; “Keep your Attention on your Intention!”.

The Chinese believe everything is in a constant state of change between the 5 elements or forces of nature called “wu-xing”:

– WOOD or MU (Moo)
– FIRE or HUO (Hor)
– EARTH or T’U (Too)
– METAL or JIN (Chin)
– WATER or SHUI (Shwee)

These aren’t literally elements but qualities, constantly overcoming each other in a continuous cycle. It can be a creative and productive relationship; woods fuels fire, fire burns to ash or earth; earth give mineral or metal; when heated, metal flows like water; and water nourishes wood. In the destructive and/or negative relationship: wood takes nutrients from the earth; earth pollutes or absorbs water; water kills fire; fire melt metal and metal chops wood.

In Feng Shui there are three cycles that are based on how the 5 elements are working together in one’s environment. All these cycles, with the exception of ‘The Weakening Cycle’ runs in a clockwise sequence. The Weakening Cycle runs counterclockwise for purposes explained below.