Software for Feng Shui : Workshop 1

"How can Feng Shui help you find out about yourself ?"

Part of ancient Chinese belief is that the luck (good or bad) that happens to you during your life depends on the state of the universe when you were born. You use Feng Shui to determine the various enhancements and remedies required to prevent or avoid any bad luck, but first you need to know what that luck is likely to be and when it is likely to occur. The Chinese use a system based on Yin and Yang and their five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) to determine a wide range of information about your life and how the world interacts with you.

The Software for Feng Shui program helps you find out what sorts of luck may happen to you at various stages of your life, using the Chinese Horoscope panel.

Figure 1 : The Four Pillars

The Four Pillars - "Aspects of your Life"

The first thing to look at are the "Four Pillars" derived from the Year, Month, Day and Hour of your birth. Rather like the Western Astrological Star Signs, the Four Pillars give a different reading for each hour and day, and can be used to determine a wide range of aspects of your life, your character, your career and even your relationships with other people.

The Four Pillars are divided into pairs of a Heavenly Stem (Element) and an Earthly Branch (Animal) for the Year, the Month, the Day and the Hour of your birth.

You may well have heard that you were born in the "Year of the Goat", or the "Year of the Rat". This is one aspect of the Four Pillars - it is in fact the Earthly Branch of your Year Pillar.

The Heavenly Stems

First we will look at what the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are, and how you can interpret what they mean. There are 10 Heavenly stems, a Yin/Yang pair for each of the Five Elements which will give an insight into aspects of your life and character. In Figure 1, the Heavenly Stems appear on the left hand side of each of the four boxes.

Heavenly Stem

Element

Typical Characteristics

Chia

Yang Wood

Honest, Considerate, Aspiring, Realistic, Intuitive, Quiet

I

Yin Wood

Gentle, Indirect, Shy, Considerate, Observant, Faithful

Ping

Yang Fire

Open, Talkative, Blunt, Smart, Intelligent, Passionate

Ting

Yin Fire

Flexible, Shrewd, Clever, Intense, Emotional, Sharp

Wu

Yang Earth

Reliable, Respected, Tough, Ruthless, Confident, Reserved

Chi

Yin Earth

Gentle, Honest, Introvert, Suspicious, Quiet, Reserved

Keng

Yang Metal

Conservative, Organised, Sociable, Educated, Ambitious

Hsin

Yin Metal

Gentle, Diplomatic, Innovative, Artistic, Cynical, Eccentric

Jen

Yang Water

Clever, Diplomatic, Musical, Flexible, Relaxed, Seductive

Kuei

Yin Water

Mysterious, Introvert, Observant, Delicate, Loyal, Romantic

Table 1 : The Heavenly Stems

The Earthly Branches

There are 12 Earthly Branches, which are popularly linked to the twelve Chinese Astrological animals, but are best interpreted using their Yin/Yang Element. These appear as the right hand image in each of the Four Pillars boxes of Figure 1, and are outlined in Table 2.

Earthly Branch

Element

Animal

 Typical Characteristics

Tzu

Yang Water

Rat

 Survivor, Active, Intelligent, Sociable, Acquisitive, Decisive, Thrifty, Inquisitive

Ch’ou

Yin Earth

Ox

 Quiet, Steady, Resourceful, Adaptable, Practical, Honest, Loyal, Determined, Secure

Yin

Yang Wood

Tiger

 Optimistic, Courageous, Generous, Ambitious, Idealistic, Funny, Strong, Creative

Mao

Yin Wood

Hare

 Tranquil, Sensitive, Intuitive, Elegant, Imaginative, Sophisticated, Compassionate

Ch’en

Yang Earth

Dragon

 Charismatic, Generous, Confident, Brave, Optimistic, Lucky, Sensitive, Worldly

Szu

Yin Fire

Snake

 Intuitive, Spiritual, Deep, Persistent, Patient, Protective, Flexible, Pragmatic

Wu

Yang Fire

Horse

 Gregarious, Cheerful, Practical, Honest, Graceful, Loyal, Inspiring, Ingenious

Wei

Yin Earth

Goat

 Kind, Educated, Artistic, Gentle, Sensitive, Imaginative, Sensual, Thoughtful

Shen

Yang Metal

Monkey

 Intelligent, Inquisitive, Lively, Enthusiastic, Determined, Shrewd, Capable

Yu

Yin Metal

Cockerel

 Pleasant, Smart, Wise, Independent, Confident, Charitable, Honest, Organised

Hsu

Yang Earth

Dog

 Optimist, Courageous, Honest, Noble, Devoted, Loving, Excitable, Dependable, Loyal

Hai

Yin Water

Pig

 Tolerant, Relaxed, Dreamer, Careful, Dignified, Affectionate, Kind, Progressive

Table 2 : The Earthly Branches

Each Pillar consists of a Heavenly Stem and an Earthly Branch and you can use the tables to get a reading for each item. You should use your own experience and imagination to relate the readings given above to the various stages and aspects of your life.

TIP: The Feng Shui program helps you with the interpretation of your Four Pillars by displaying ‘pop-up’ readings when you hold your Mouse over any of the Stems or Branches.

Remember that in Chinese Philosophy the Elements are symbols for aspects of your life and character, rather than actual physical objects. For example, Fire is the element that represents Heat, Joy, Laughter, the Summer, Bitter tastes and the colour Red.

Now we need to relate each Pillar to a stage of your life.

1. Year Pillar - "Heritage"

The first Pillar is based on the Year of your birth, and corresponds to your Heritage. This means your Genes, your Family background, your Ancestors and your general Health and inherited aptitudes and skills. When you look at the Readings for the Stem and Branch you should consider them in relation to your family background.

2. Month Pillar - "Upbringing"

The second Pillar is based on the Month of your birth, and corresponds to your Upbringing. This means your parents, brothers and sisters, friends and your schooling. The Readings for the Stem and Branch should relate to what happened while you were growing up.

3. Day Pillar - "Self"

The third Pillar is based on the Day of your birth, and corresponds to your Self Image. This means your personality, your ambitions, interests, dreams and desires. These Readings should be used to reflect on what you want from life and how you see yourself.

4. Hour Pillar - "Life"

The final Pillar is based on the Hour of your birth, and corresponds to the overall direction of your Life. This means your Family Life, Marriage, Career and Success. When you consider these Readings, relate them to what is happening (or going to happen) in your adulthood.

TIP: You can get a quick reminder of what each of the Four Pillars means by holding the mouse over any of the heading texts - such as "Heritage" or "Self".