To the average observer, feng shui may seem like a strange and complex system for arranging home interiors. Most beginning enthusiasts try to grasp the basics, learning how unseen living energy moves within a space. But there are many deeper concepts behind the centuries-old art. If you plan to dig more into feng shui, you’ll probably encounter some of these concepts. This guide goes beneath the surface, showing their connections to ancient Chinese thought.
Qi: A Moving Energy in Feng Shui
The idea of energy flow is not a new one. Traditional Chinese philosophy speaks of a living energy called qi (pronounced “chi”). Qi moves through everything in the universe. It takes on different characteristics depending on where it flows in the earth. That’s where feng shui comes into the picture.
Feng shui literally translates as “wind and water.” This hints at the Chinese concept of qi as a moving force. Movement is an important aspect of good qi. This movement is key to one of feng shui’s primary goals: achieving balance and harmony within physical spaces.
Energy Maps and the I-Ching
If you’ve ever looked at a bagua, you’ve seen how feng shui maps qi as flowing energy. The bagua is based on the I-Ching, also called the Book of Changes. The I-Ching depicts the cosmos as a great flow moving through a repetitive cycle.
Change is the fundamental nature of existence and that requires movement. That’s why qi should not stay still. When it’s stagnant, it turns into si qi. The Spruce explains that si qi is low or stuck energy that can slowly build up within a space. Where it’s present, people may feel stressed or repressed.
Architect Anjie Cho mentions that the word bagua translates as “eight areas.” That’s because it shows the cyclical flow of qi with a series of eight trigrams. These trigrams consist of three lines that are either whole or broken. Most have a mixture of the two. Each trigram is associated with an aspect from nature or the cosmos. In the bagua, they also stand for eight aspects of life:
- Kǎn – water, career, and life path
- Qián – heaven, helpful people, and travel
- Duì – lake, creativity, and children
- Kūn – earth, love, and marriage
- Li – flame, fame, and reputation
- Xùn – wind, wealth, and abundance
- Zhèn – thunder, family, and health
- Gèn – mountain, knowledge, and self-development
Feng Shui Nexus shows a feng shui bagua with these eight trigrams. The cardinal directions represent four of Taoism’s five classic elements, each with its own trigram. Kǎn is in the north, associated with water. Li is placed in the south with its fire energy. Duì is east, connected with the metal element. Zhèn is in the west, aligned with the wood element.
Yin and Yang in the I-Ching
The idea of yin and yang is also vital in how feng shui works. Existence contains pairs of opposite aspects that contradict and complement each other. World History Encyclopedia mentions some examples: male and female, light and dark, and old and young. Balance must exist in these pairs of opposites to achieve harmony.
Yin and yang are also depicted in the I-Ching’s eight trigrams. Yin is a broken line. Separated in the middle, it looks like two dashes put together. Yang is a complete and unbroken line. The eight trigrams are shorthand for how yin and yang work with or against each other in various combinations.
Beyond the Fundamentals of Feng Shui
The sheer complexity of the philosophical concepts behind feng shui can feel a little mind-blowing. You probably won’t get this in-depth when first working with this form of geomancy. But geomancy can help you understand how ancient Chinese thinkers saw their world–and why feng shui mattered to them in the first place.