Many are confused with the difference between Divination and Astrology. This happening is, I believe due to the blurring division or definition between the two arts. Let’s examine it’s initial roots.
In Chinese metaphysics, it is divided into 5 categories and hence sometimes referred to as 5 arts of Chinese metaphysics or in short Chinese Five Arts. They are namely:
Divination 卜
Astrology命
Physiognomy 相
Medicine 医
Mountains 山
Thus in the past they belong to different categories of study. However, today, modern practitioners use one art for multiple purposes causing the blurring of their true purposes.
Under Astrologycategory are Bazi 八字 and Purple star Astrology or Zi Wei Dou Shu while under Divination are arts like Plum blossom, Wen Wang coins, Yi Jing imagery, Qi Men Dun Jia, Da Liu Ren etc.
So what is the difference between them?
Divination
This are is mainly to provide us on the moment answer to our questions we have in mind or to know the weather in the near future to assist our planning. In the old days a victory in war is very dependent on weather. A smart military strategist can use it to find out when a fog is coming to use it to their advantage for example.
Example of Qi Men Dun Jia ChartYou probably hear of Zhu Ge Liang the great military strategist who won the battle of Red cliff by using fog to “borrow a thousand arrows” from Cao Cao and also “borrowing the Eastern wind” where he launched fire boats to crush Cao Cao navy after tricking them to tie their boats together.
There is timing in feng shui, let me share with you a real story that unfortunately happened to me!
Many like to think that Feng Shui results is something that should be quick and understandably more so when one is in a desperate position.
Some years back a friend of mine seek my assistance to help her since her companion was out of job and being an elder in the oil and gas industry they were naturally worried about their income position.
After studying their house layout and directions and the surrounding landform, I concluded the house feng shui is generally below par. However, since a desperate friend asked for a favour I obliged and asked them to shift into another room. They did as I advised. So they waited and off and on she will contact me to ask why he hasn’t got a job yet. It is rather sad that desperation has set into her and this is even more sad because she is a student of feng shui.
Being shallow in their feng shui knowledge I did not bother to explain in depth but just told her to continue sending letters out for job application and do something so this increases the chances. Furthermore, the industry just had a down turn it will be unlikely to rehire immediately right? I have a feeling she thinks I am kind a bluffing her as she was probably expecting that the potential employer to call her companion and offer him a job!
Categorically, there are many people who thinks in this way and that is one of the reason that probably motivated them to learn this art for they hope to have free lunches everyday.
In my opinion, this is the wrong reason to learn feng shui! Its better to ask God directly for he has the absolute power to do that for them. If He would He would have granted mankind this long ago.
Feng Shui is such a fame word nowadays and every one is going to goggle to search for “famous feng shui master in….”
Let’s ponder a while, what does Fame brings to you feng shui wise? Glamour? What do you really want out of the feng shui consultation? A plague with “My house was feng shui by famous feng shui master …..?”
I am sure most of you want better health, better or smoother career, improved financial standings or even better relationships. How would this be tied to a famous master?
OK, a famous master is Perceived as a capable master! Just be cause he appears on radio show or TV shows or interviewed by BBC or CNBC thus this master must be capable? Sounds logical right? Well it only tells me they have good oratory skills, perhaps good looking, photogenic, an extrovert, likes to be on stage but it does it tell or prove that he/she is a Capable master?
Doesn’t mean a professor in Harvard or Oxford or Wharton schools are billionaires even though theoretically they are well researched and informed! The same goes, I first class degree holder doesn’t guarantee he will make it in life! Most billionaire I know do not even have a Diploma!
Since the feng shui bubble started, many half learned practitioner has always advocate South facing house as the preferred feng shui house facing direction.
What is so nice of South Facing house? Is it just because ancient Chinese Emperor like South?
Forbidden City, Beijing – Facing South
This has pushed the property prices of South facing houses up compared to say West or North facing houses.
I guess this trend has also not escaped the eyes of a country leadership. I have here not one but two top leader of a country orientating their offices to face South. One of them is Malaysia where the office of the Prime minister, Perdana Putra while the other is South Korea’s President official building which is also facing South.
Perdana Putra – South Facing House
Since 2001, the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahatir moved in and shortly after he announced his retirement. Tun Abdullah Badawi took over and the ruling coalition lost badly the once usually held 2/3 majority in the parliment. The Malaysian economy is already sluggish. Then the current Prime minister D.S. Najib Razak took over after Tun Abdullah stepped down after a poor election performance, he was accused of mishandling 1MDB, the mystery of Altantuya and also the declining economic performance of Malaysia. As of today the Malaysian Ringgit is at its lowest compared to USD at 4.50 exchange rate & it’s political struggle is causing anxiety among foreign and local investors alike.
If you look at the surroundings land formations and coupled by the reason it is facing South of Sitting Gui Facing Ding, these could be read from the feng shui of the PM Office.
PM Office, Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia – South Facing
Here is the Google map view from above, this building is sitting on top of a small hill, a typical landform or San He school formation.
It has been sometime that I have not written something on Yin Feng Shui or also known as Ancestral Feng Shui / Burial Feng Shui. This is a very important process in the Chinese tradition because we revered our ancestors very much and hence put in the importance of honoring them even after they have completed their lives here on earth.
As we Chinese belief, this is one of the most powerful method of feng shui that can help a family rise to great heights and also cast a spell on the descendants for many years if done wrongly. This is sometimes a scary thing that most people today decided to cremate rather than bury.
Of course cremation also makes better sense in today’s situation simply due to scarcity of land as well as the high cost associated with burial. After cremating, they can put the ashes into a columbarium.
Example of a Columbarium
Yin Feng Shui Principles
Yin Feng Shui is very dependent on the land formations and the skill of the Feng Shui master to select the land which is called a Xue spot 穴. The Xue is considered a good spot with the strong and auspicious energy that can prosper the descendants through the bones of the deceased. Many may find this concept hard to accept but it is a fact and today modern science is able to explain.
If I have to choose, then Bing Shen 丙申 is one of the wonderful years for me.
This year there had been many first and major breakthroughs for me. Breakthrough in career as well as my Feng Shui and Bazi career.
In my other than Chinese metaphysics field, it has also been an exciting year as well but I will not dwell too much in this post.
In Feng Shui and Bazi, I have gained many new insights as well as good feedback from clients and students. Successful Feng shui projects, authored and launched my new Book Winds of Change with co-author Mr AuYong, had a few seminar talks for big companies, set ancestral tablet, created my Bazi Divination tool and many more.
As a Teacher
My greatest satisfaction is seeing my student getting results in their lives as well improvements. Those who practice in Bazi or Feng Shui, they have started to give professional consultation and getting good feedback as well. This I guess is one of the best consolation being a teacher.
As a Feng Shui Consultant
When getting feedback from clients about their improvements and most of all clients who keep coming back when they buy new properties. This is one of the best testimonials I get although I don’t get to share them always since most of my clients likes CONFIDENTIALITY and staying low profile.
New Office From Repeating Client
Of course on the flip side, choosing not to be a celebrity master, although better suits my personality but it also means that I can only help the smaller community. Hopefully, I will meet my clients when they are in less worse conditions and not when after they are in bad shape that they have a chance to meet me for a solution.
As a Bazi Consultant
Being able to advice and show clients their weaknesses and strengths is one best way to get them back on track for greater success. Helping husband and wife communicate better, saving broken marriages, pre warning them of impending issues are just some great ways to live life.
Although Bazi method is usually slow as it depends on the person themselves for corrections, their actions in the right path does make an impact in the longer run. This has been proven by people who have been enlightened, with persistence and patience.
As A New Author
Winds of Change is my first book and hope will be the many to come in the future. It was not an easy task as I initially thought because there were many processes Do’s and Don’ts in publishing a book. However, it was a exciting experience.
But beyond this experience it the noble idea we had together and the passion for it that made us took the plunge to invest both time and money into this endeavour.
I still remember how we lamented on the current state of how Feng Shui and Destiny reading is being sold for huge economic returns. This should not be a problem but unfortunately this art of Chinese metaphysics have been badly twisted, miss represented, over promised, over sold and badly under deliver to the point this art has been labelled as a “black art” where there are many bad experiences. We know because we have met many and corrected many.
There are schools who have thousands and thousands of graduates being produced with big certificates on graduation but hardly could help themselves if not land them into trouble.
So instead of just lamenting, we thought why not do something about it. The end result was this book Winds of Change. We hope this winds of change will improve the image of Feng Shui.
As a Student
Always feel blessed to have my master’s wise guidance and support. Although we have differences in opinion, nonetheless I always feel blessed my masters (Bazi and Feng Shui) are doing well and in good health.
As a Blogger
It gives me a sense of satisfaction that my readers have enjoyed and learn something from my postings. When I started out this blog many years ago, I was very motivated to blog, to bring out more awareness on the practice of feng shui and bazi in hope that less people are cheated. After many years later today, I come to realized that everyone has a mission to fulfill. Just as these people are meant to make others a celebrity rich for a small or no value in return.
As much as I would like to write more, I find it less and less motivated to blog. Time is one reason. The other reason is the lack of motivators. Perhaps the right time has not come.
However, I will continue this effort as I would not want to disappoint my genuine blog followers.
As a Human
As I enjoy a blessed year due to Bazi & Feng shui good Annual energies, I do have few hiccups but this is life, nothing in life is permanent nor perfect. Lessons learned and the wiser I have become. Having client(s) who do not have appreciation is just as annoying as having mosquitoes around. Having results and yet want more is just pure human greed. No wonder they are seldom happy.
Perhaps this says it all…Greed is insatiable.
Be happy with what one gets. It’s already a blessing. Wait till one day they meet a hocus pocus master, they will know what is the meaning of contentment.
Last but not least, I wish all my readers a MerryChristmas & a Wonderful 2017 and may you attain your dreams and enjoy good health.
Here is an interesting article about the Heritage Mall in Kota Tinggi, Johor. Why this new mall is under performing? Has it got to do with the Feng Shui of the Mall?
While I believe not everything is attributed to Feng Shui, nonetheless Feng Shui has a major role in the success and failure of any properties may it be a Mall, Hotel, Factory or a small office or shop.
Getting the Feng Shui correct helps a lot in getting things smoother. Choose your Feng Shui Consultant wisely.
Check out The mall Feng Shui in the article below.
Most self learn masters call it Bright Hall. This is widely accepted by non Chinese practitioners as correct. This is the disadvantage of learning feng shui from non Lineage schools.
External Ming TangWhat Most People Think?
Most people or practitioner thinks it is the open space around the main entry point of the premise. It can be further defined as the the water in front of the house . Some others say it is the open, uncluttered and clean space in front of main door. This is to ensure the energy entering the house in “uncontaminated”.
Very often you hear some masters say Bazi is diagnosis while Feng Shui is remedy. Is this a true statement? Then there are masters who uses Bazi to determine the Nobleman star or Peach Blossom star then activate it in the respective sector in the house .
For example if in a person’s Bazi the Day Master is Jia 甲, then the Nobleman star is at Chou 丑 and Wei 未 sectors. If your Day Master is Xin 辛 then your nobleman star is at Wu 午 and Yin 寅 sectors of the house. They use the below compass to locate the sectors.
24 mountain of a Chinese Compass
As a teacher and practicing consultant in both Bazi and Feng Shui, I beg to differ in this viewpoint. Bazi is our astrology chart that decipher our Destiny from our date and time of birth. It tells us what our life limits are, our characters, our problems and our strengths. Feng shui on the other hand is the art of harnessing Qi from the land to benefit humans. Using the knowledge of our surrounding land and direction of our house, we contain certain types of energy in our house. This energy in our house in turns affects the outcome of our life.
This is the reason why Chinese as classify the metaphysics study into 5 categories is because they are indeed different streams of practice but uses the same fundamentals.
The 5 arts are namely:
Physiognomy – Face reading & Feng shui
Divination – Yijing divination,
Astrology – Fate or destiny analysis such as Bazi or Zi Wei Dou Shu.
Medicine – Medical branch
Philosophy and Arts – Tao and martial arts.
Thus you may see that Feng Shui and Bazi belongs to different categories. Only modern “masters” mixes them together.
Here I share a real case shared to me during the consultation after I have predicted it. (Shared with permission from person)
Bazi 八字
This is the Bazi of their person. In the reading I saw this person would lose a sum of money and most likely is from the house issue.
Why in 2016 just after Li Chun the house was burglarized? This is reflected in the Bazi.
Master Tan Yang Wu acquired his Flying Star feng shui knowledge from Yang Jiu Ru who is the relative of Zhang Zhong Shan, the lineage holder of Wu Chang Flying Star system. At the time when Yang Jiu Ru taught him, Yang was already at an old age of 71.
He started his practice soon and did both Yin and Yang Zhai feng shui. After a while he found that he was stuck with his progress and one day while still in frustration, he met a Master named Lee Chen Xu. Lee later taught Tan Xuan Kong LiuFa.
(Note: Yin Zhai – Ancestral Burial feng shui; Yang Zhai – House feng shui)
Sometime in the 1930’s Tan published in the newspaper to apologized to his clients and offered to redo their ancestral grave for free should they come to see him. This is because he just realised that Flying Star is not suitable for Yin Feng Shui and that Liu Fa is the correct method for Yin Feng Shui.
Master Tan did not give up Flying Star, he was honourable enough to owe up to his mistake and promise to redo it. Today you can hardly find this kind of master’s around. At the same time, his competitors tries to bad name Master Tan Flying Star and accused him of giving up Flying Star totally in favour of LiuFa.
Master Tan YW later taught XKLF to Master Sui Beng and passed him the book Xuan Kong Ben Yi about the time of the 2nd World war started. Master Sui Beng later passed on this book to Master Leyau.
Interestingly, Master Leyau once told me that Master Sui Beng used LiuFa system to Feng shui his temple and he was able to run the temple and the charitable services with the donations collected for many years.
Sample of Xuan Kong Ben Yi in the market.
Xuan Kong LiuFa – A Brief Introduction
Liu Fa 六法 can be translated to the meaning of 6 method or 6 ways or 6 concepts of Feng Shui.
The six methods are:
The Golden Dragon
The Ci Xiong
Ai Xing Stars
Concept of Xuan Kong
Cheng Men or Castle Gate
The Tai Sui method
They are the summary of all the methods of vital to the understanding of feng shui and how to set up a good feng shui formation.
This differentiates why some feng shui master can give a sudden good spike of luck and then dies down or why some after setting up the feng shui formation, brings bad effects to the clients. Some clients gain wealth but later end up in divorce, in-filial children or poor health.
Feng Shui has to be a trend! A trend means a longer term up slope something like the graph below.
The reason they are unable to set a lasting formation is because they have not understood well the 6 concepts or LiuFa of feng shui.
Liufa and Flying Star
There are many similarities in both Liufa and Flying Star but at the same time there are many differences. Some are terminology differences while some are application differences.
Feng Shui Consultant Malaysia 