Product Description

The ancient Chinese practice of feng shui is one of today's hottest topics in home decorating and self-help. In a fun-to-read A-Z format, Wong delivers over 350 practices, principles, and proverbs of feng shui with a focus on the simple and the practical. From antiques and aquariums to water and wind chimes, this browser-friendly reference offers easy, concrete ways to promote harmony, balance, and happiness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187652 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781580173087
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Back Cover
Learn more than 400 tips for improving your career, relationships, health, and prosperity - right away!

DO keep aquarium fish in multiples of nine - eight gold, one black. DON'T fret if a fish dies; it has absorbed something negative that would have happened to you!

About the Author
Angi Ma Wong is a feng shui consultant, author, and promoter of Asian-American businesswomen. She has been featured in newspapers, on radio, and on TV, including Oprah, and has consulted to businesses such as Universal Studios, Four Seasons Hotel, Motorola, and Bank of America. She lives the Los Angeles area.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction

Throughout history, cultures around the world have believed that spirits dwelled in nature, the weather, and things they could not explain but intuitively sensed were special. Even primitive peoples identified natural places they considered unique and sacred. To the ancient Chinese, that feeling was captured in the philosophy of feng shui.

Feng Shui Philosophy

Literally translated as "wind-water," feng shui is the art of placement and is one of the five components of a person's destiny. The first factor, fate, is determined by heaven at the moment of your birth. Luck, the second element, occurs in the form of pure luck, man-made luck, and heaven luck. The third component is feng shui, or earth luck. Next comes philanthropy, and finally education and experience.

I like the analogy that life is a journey from one place to another. You start out in a particular circumstance, but the choices and decisions you make determine your mode of transportation. The last three components of your destiny are the proactive things you can do to make changes along the way.

Feng Shui Concepts

The three major concepts of feng shui are the flow of energy; the balance of yin and yang; and the interaction of the five elements in the universe: fire earth, metal, water, and wood. The flow of energy is expressed in nature, where perfectly straight lines occur only in very short segments, such as sugar cane and bamboo stalks. Even the tallest trees have irregularities, and it is a natural law that energy flows in wavy lines similar to breezes and streams. When energy travels in a straight path, as in the case of a roaring flood, its awesome power is unleashed. When a flood destroys everything in its path, it usually follows something man-made, such as a road. Freeways, tunnels, bridges, buildings, and lampposts have straight edges that are conduits of negative energy called sha or "killing" energy. In feng shui, straight lines and the angles they create are called "killing" arrows.

The second important concept is the duality of the universe, expressed in the yin/yang symbol of one dark and one light teardrop positioned in a circle. One teardrop embodies yin qualities, which are female, soft, passive, nurturing, dark, fluid, even numbers, and the right side of the body. The other teardrop signifies yang traits, which are male, bright, hard, active, aggressive, odd numbers, and the left side of the body. The two halves comprise a whole, yet there is an element of each in the other.

A fluid S-shaped line divides the two teardrops and personifies the balance within the universe, nature, the environment, and the self. It is our task to maintain the balance of yin and yang within our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual selves. Achieving this balance results in feeling grounded - much like a rock that is pounded by the elements but remains solid.

The third concept includes the five universal elements, each of which relates to the others in two ways: a generative or creative connection that provides strength and power, and an overpowering or destructive relationship that denies strength and power. Knowledge of these relationships is critical in feng shui; placement based on misinformation or ignorance can result in an effect opposite to the one you want to achieve.

Generative Cycle
Fire generates earth
Earth generates metal
Metal generates water
Water generates wood
Wood generates fire

Destructive Cycle
Fire melts metal
Metal cuts wood
Wood moves earth
Earth dams water
Water puts out fire

Using Feng Shui

I have created the acronym CANE - C for color; A for animal; N for number; E for element - to help you place objects according to general feng shui principles. Basically, place the C, A, N, and E in its corresponding direction if you want to improve that aspect of your life. You can also add the element that precedes it in the generative cycle to strengthen your efforts. To suppress an aspect, introduce its "destroyer," or the one that follows it in the destructive cycle, to weaken it.

Whichever form of feng shui you choose, be consistent and practical. If you don't get the results you desire, feel free to try other forms of the art. The guidelines are basically the same: Put the right objects in the right locations in order to achieve harmony with the universe, nature, and yourself. You can also activate the areas of your life that you wish to improve, such as health, career, or love.

Much of what you do is based on common sense, sound architectural design, intuition, geography, ecology, meteorology, astronomy, interior design, ancient Chinese philosophy, and Chinese folk beliefs. As you tap into the tao, or flow of the universe and its rhythms, these are the keys you will use to create a more holistic, natural, and simple way of life. Keep your heart pure and your intentions strong, and see how this fascinating and wonderful tradition transforms your life.

Do keep fish in multiples of nine, a symbol of long life, or in odd numbers. Eight fish should be gold in color, since eight is the homonym for the Chinese verb "to prosper." One fish should be black, a color that will provide protection and absorb negative energy. (page 31)

Don't install more than one stove. Rather than doubling your wealth, this will divide it. Instead, increase the number of burners on the stove. (page 279)

Don't have a skylight in your office, as it provides a way for wealth to leak out of the room. (page 345)

Do keep your pets and their habitats in the rear of the house. Reserve the front of the house for people and positive chi to enter your home. (page 349)

Customer Reviews

A Supplement to Your Feng Shui Book Collection
This is a handy little book with quick tips to SUPPLEMENT your collection, otherwise, I would NOT recommend this to be an introduction to Feng Shui. It would seem strange and "silly", as commented by another reviewer, if you don't at least have background knowledge. I would recommend "The Western Guide to Feng Shui" By Terah Kathryn Collins, and/or "Feng Shui for Dummies" by the for Dummies series. These two books will introduce you to the concepts and also teach you ways to use this ancient art to enhance certain areas of your life. One caveat, there are many different "schools" of Feng Shui out there. For this reason, I highly recommend the for Dummies series as it uses a combination of all the schools of thought and does so in a simplified manner that anyone could master. I've purchased many books on the subject and started to become confused and inundated while learning of the different schools of thought. It can become quite discouraging in this way. My advice is to stick to one school of thought, or, as I said before, try the for Dummies series. Again, one last word for this book, it's a quick reference and not a comprehensive guide. I recommend it only if you've had some exposure to the art. It has many handy and quick hints.

best beginner book around - great gift
This is an excellent beginner book and is nice and small so it is easy to read in the bath-tub. I have given a bunch of my friends this book who are interested in learning about feng shui. It does not overwhelm them and isn't expensive. They can look up topics alphabetically and get simple instructions. Now they have gained more interest in feng shui and have moved on to more complex books. For such a small book, it contains more information than a lot of larger books because it concise and straight-forward.

The silliest tips on Feng Shui
While not purported to be a very serious look at Feng Shui - it still is one of the silliest books I've seen. Most of the information in there has nothing to do with Feng Shui and the few items that do are not adequately explained to the reader as to why or how you should do something. The author is also found on many Feng Shui websites as being a fraud because she is associated with a relatively new school Black Sect Tantric Tibetan Buddhist School of Feng Shui - founded about 20 years ago. While I find nothing offensive about this school of Feng Shui it is not considered very accurate and traditional but rather something adapted to sell in the Western culture. While I am Western - I live in Hong Kong - the Feng Shui capital of the world. I bought a series of books to begin to understand the practice - as almost all buildings here are developed / designed with Feng Shui in mind. My Chinese friends and staff laughed at this book. I keep it in my guest room as a coaster on the bed table.