On a smaller scale, the Wu-Xing theory could be very useful in other ways, such as design.  A good example would be the design of the McDonald’s logo.  It is perfectly in tune with the Wu-Xing and Yin-Yang Theory.   Let’s try to see if we can break it down and analyze the logo.

As a global company, the McDonald’s logo is seen throughout the world.  Almost all of us can recognize their famous ‘golden arches’, which is the big yellow rounded letter ‘m’.  The arches sit on top of a red rectangular box which has the word McDonald’s written in white letters.  Let’s first look at the logo from a Yin-Yang point of view.  The ‘m’ is dynamic, so it represents the yang element, while the rectangular box is static, representing the yin element.  The yang rests on top of the yin which creates a good balance with correct positioning.

Next, let’s examine the logo from a Wu-Xing point of view.  The combination of the color red (Fire) and the color yellow (Earth) has a cohesive relationship as Fire creates Earth. In addition to this, yellow resonates with appetite (stomach, Earth element), and red resonates with desire (heart, Fire element).   This means that with the combination of red and yellow, when people are hungry and see those golden arches they go to McDonald’s!  How many of you thought that something as simple as that has helped to make McDonald’s into one of the most successful restaurants in the world! By the way, you may have noticed most restaurant logos or food court signs use red and yellow colors.  This follows the Wu-Xing theory and is a good sign for increasing business.

But before we wrap up on the Wu-Xing theory, it is important to remember that in any analysis, one should apply the Yin-Yang theory first.  If you have a good grasp of the Yin-Yang theory, you will have accomplished much in the understanding of feng shui and also in various aspects of design.   On the other hand, the Wu-Xing theory is much more challenging as it mainly applies in dynamic situations. So, don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to understand the concepts and be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to absorb the information.  We all learn at different speeds.
I would like to emphasize, that both the Yin-Yang and Wu-Xing theories are the basis in guiding us with the most important and valuable knowledge throughout our entire lives. Remember, knowing or not, we all live under the influence of these principles.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

All things in the universe are always changing, and nothing stays the same.  The Wu-Xing theory describes this process as the way and the mechanism of change.  It is mostly applied in interpreting the dynamic processes and interactions caused by change. In Chinese medicine, we are able to see how the sophisticated use of the Wu-Xing theory helps in diagnosing and treating disease.  Unfortunately, today most usage of the theory’s applications is limited to Chinese medicine. This is most unfortunate, as it could be a very powerful tool to help us understand and also provide guidance to all aspects of human endeavors and not just Chinese medicine. If more can understand how to apply the theory, the more we will all benefit.

Take for example, the 2001 tragic incident of 9-11 in the USA.   Why did it happen?  What was the best way to respond?  At the time, there was no shortage of opinions, analysis or suggestions on the reasons for the incident to take place on how the U.S. should respond to the attack.  But there was never a clear and wholesome picture of the devastation.  Had our leaders in government been able to take a step back and see it from the laws of natural principles, from the Yin-Yang and Wu-Xing theory point of view, they could have better understood the cause of the incident, enabling them to come up with a more wholesome way to respond.  This would have helped to obtain a good result. Unfortunately, they were unable to see it from that perspective. Therefore, today, eight years later, President Obama is still sending more troops to Afghanistan to deal with the Taliban.

When the ‘Mission-accomplished’ George Bush had issues with Saddam Hussein of Iraq, he ordered to attack and invade Iraq. Was that the best way to handle this issue?  Through analysis based on the Wu-Xing theory, it was so clear that his decision was not the right approach to the situation and would thus lead to very negative consequences.  In Blue Mountain Feng Shui classes, we had discussed this subject way before the invasion.  We predicted the outcome and sure enough, it turned out to be exactly what we had expected. In today’s current events, how should the United States deal with Iran or North Korea?  Could the Wu-Xing theory provide guidance? Yes.  May be it’s time for President Obama to a take these classes! 

Nowadays in China, except for those in the field of Chinese medicine, most people regard the Wu-Xing theory as a useless remnant of an ancient dinosaur. It’s unfortunate that modern Chinese society is unaware of the benefits it has to offer.  In fact, the Wu-Xing is a very powerful tool for understanding the course of changing and transformation for all worldly events.  On a large scale, this knowledge should be the required study for all world leaders, military commanders, the CEO of corporations, all people setting economic policies, education systems, etc.  Oh, how it could benefit us all!

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

Recently, a Ukraine student asked me the following question.  “Since tea is a Wood element and there are many different kinds of tea such as, green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, Pu-er tea, etc., can each tea be classified into different elements in the Five-Element theory?”  It took a moment for me to absorb the question and then I did not know where to begin to address his question. 

For years I have encountered many questions regarding the application of the Five-Element theory. Most people, who have asked questions regarding this theory, do not have a clear grasp of its principles.  This is truly understandable, as many feng shui books that mention the Five-Element theory do so only as a window dressing for the book. It seems to be standard practice to mention some form of both the Yin-Yang and Five-Element theories; however, it is rare to find a book that discusses the relevance and application of these theories in real terms.  No wonder there are many who are confused!

So what is the Wu-Xing theory?  Let’s try to break it down so we can have a better understanding of the principles behind the theory.  In an earlier blog we talked about the Yin-Yang theory.  The ancient Chinese used the Yin-Yang theory to describe the existence of all things and phenomena in the universe. From this we understand that there are four aspects of the Yin-Yang theory.
1.    Yin and Yang unify and oppose
2.    Yin and Yang entail each other
3.    Yin and Yang increase and decrease
4.    Yin and Yang transform into each other
Through these principles, we try to achieve balance and harmony.

So how does this relate to the Wu-Xing theory?  To compliment this, they used the Wu-Xing theory to describe the dynamic transformation in the universe.  Wu means five, Xing means passages.   So, the Wu-Xing, or five-passages,   represents a type of function that represents a form of change, a transformation of the characteristics that connect and interact with all thing in the world of time and space.   So, the key word here is interaction.  This is a very important point to remembered.  These interactions are transformed through three fundamental processes which affect their relationships and energy. They are
1.    enhancement
2.    restriction
3.    resonance
This differs from the Greek and Indian system as it relates more to the interactions between the elements as opposed to their individual characteristics.

In the Western world, Jesuits first rendered ‘Wu-Xing’ as ‘Five-Elements’, obviously having in mind the Four Elements of ancient Greek philosophers.  This translation became very popular and is adopted by Needham in his renowned book ‘Science and Civilization in China’.  Unfortunately, that planted the seed of confusion and misunderstanding, causing people to associate the Five-Elements as just material elements.  It left out the main point!   As we discussed earlier, it is the interaction or relationship of the elements that should have been emphasized, not the motionless ‘fundamental’ substances.  So, this belief has created many to stretch this misunderstanding in its application.
Nowadays we often come across a feng shui analysis of a table using the Five- Element theory.  The following is an example of such a scenario.  “This is a good table since it has all five elements; the form is square (Earth element), it is made of wood (Wood element), the color is red (Fire element) has metal legs (Metal element), and there is a wave-like (Water element) motif on the table…”

Not only is this kind of stretch rather comical, but there is no relevance with the quality of design either. However, today it is common to find many books using this type of stretch claiming they are following Wu-Xing principles.   And they truly believe this is correct, because this is what they have been taught.   So really it is no fault of theirs.  However, it is a shame that the true theories are not fully understood.  The Wu-Xing theory is not easy to grasp at one session.  It takes time to absorb, digest and comprehend all the aspects of its principles.  For those that have taken the Wu-Xing class at Blue Mountain institute and are not yet confident in its understanding, it is always good to go back over your notes and to once again come to class to build on your ever expanding knowledge.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

In life, often the most ordinary things are the most unordinary and the most familiar are the most unfamiliar.  For example, every day of our lives, we sleep and we wake up.  Have you ever thought about how we fall asleep at night? Or what part of the body wakes up first in the morning?  Do we wake up from head to toe or is it from toe to head? Or does the whole body wake up all at the same time? Have any of these questions ever crossed your mind?

We all enjoy beautiful things, whether it is a scenic landscape, colorful foliages in autumn, new buds bursting out from a branch in early spring, or a garden in full bloom.   We can all appreciate the beauty in each of these images.  But, have you ever stopped to think about how you enjoy these beautiful things?  Do you simply stare at them with your big eyes? Do you just look at them casually, not giving much thought?  Have you ever tried to communicate with them? Have you ever noticed your breathing patterns when looking at beautiful images?

The universe is an open system.  This means that the process of exchange between us and our immediate surroundings to the greater whole of nature is a process of exchange that never stops.  This exchange includes information and energy from all matter. However, most people have never received the benefits of a full exchange.  What happens is we end up depleting our own energy more than receiving from nature.  For example, as we look at beautiful scenery or even a flower, we are giving it energy which means we are depleting our own energy.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could constantly replenish our energy from nature?  Just imagine that after a stressful day at work, you could come home and recharge your energy to enjoy your free time!  Wouldn’t that be nice!  Actually, this is possible.  To gain this type of knowledge cannot be too difficult, or even complicated, as in nature, all things are easy and simple.  We just complicate things on our own.  Just imagine if schools stopped focusing on teaching only academic knowledge and instead taught useful living knowledge, it would open the minds of the youth.  It would be wonderful if they taught how to receive energy from a flower, tree, mountain, ocean, moon or sun.    I hope that those of you out there with such knowledge and wisdom will begin to write and share such valuable information.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

The Latvian feng shui group has a monthly discussion meeting that I join via Skype.  This month, thank goodness, they have changed the meeting from the regular 1pm to 11am Latvian time.  This makes it easier for me when connecting via Skype, as it is1:00 am in Seattle, which is still within my waking hours!

During our last meeting, one graduate mentioned a concern in a  friend’s house.  The staircase that connects the first floor to the second floor was made of glass. Friends that have gone upstairs once will not re-visit the house again.  She wondered if by covering the stairs with carpet was sufficient to take care of the problem.

I have seen glass floors in some restaurants and hotels in both the East and West. But used in a staircase? That’s new to me.  Some designers may find it sleek to use glass material for flooring.  I often wonder what has run through the designer’s mind.  Some say it is to allow for more light or have they just simply exhausted their imagination and creativity?  To argue if it is good design or not, all we need to do is watch how people respond to it.

Last week I was in Suzhou, China doing feng shui consultations.  One consultation was with a Furniture Mall called Xinyue.  It is the store front for many brand name furniture manufacturers in China.  The mall has four floors with good design.  However, on the top floor, the center portion of the wide walk space, which was half of the total width, was made of glass.  With curiosity, I stopped at a corner to watch the pedestrians. During the ten minutes or so period, I did not see a single visitor walk on the glass floor. Everyone avoided stepping on top of the glass and instead walked on the carpet covered sides.

Why do people avoid it? The obvious reason is that most people do not feel it is safe to walk on a glass surface because of how we interpret the qualities of glass.  We understand that it is breakable, not particularly strong enough to walk on and for women wearing a skirt over a glass surface, this could be an issue! That is the natural psychological response.  There are also those who understand that the designers and engineers must have thoroughly considered the safety issues already, and thus it should be safe.  However, even they are still uncomfortable to walk on glass.  So there must be an additional reason other than the psychological factor.  What is the other reason?  Remember, everything has two reasons, one yin and the other yang.  I am going to hold back my answer to for a while and challenge our feng shui friends, students and readers to ponder this question.

By the way, the answer to the original question of our Latvian feng shui practitioner is, “yes, the easy way to take care of the glass step issue is to cover it with carpet.”

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

A Latvian family, consisting of a mother, daughter and son, has published a very nice picture book for children. After reading my blog regarding selling your home, they wondered if there is a similar way to help sell their book.  There is good news, the answer is yes. 

Physical manifestation begins at the information level.   First visualize children reading and enjoying the book.  With the existence of this visualization, information could trickle down to create a real manifestation. The effectiveness will be based on how clear the image of visualization one can project.  What is the criteria for this?  One is the ability of the individual and two is the scale of the image.  Visualizing the image on a smaller scale is easier than on a large scale.  This is because if the scale is too large it becomes more difficult to focus on an image.  For example, in this particular case, to imagine millions of children reading the book is not easy, creating only a vague image and idea.  Due to the difficulty, it can be interpreted as wishful thinking, thus not creating the desired result.  So, it is best to start on a smaller scale.

Visualization takes practice.  One can begin by first looking at a static object, such as a flower, tree, or even a cup.   Next, with your eyes closed, see how long and how clear an image you can hold.  Once you feel confident that you are able to do this, then increase the image content.   Finally, move on to practice dynamic images.  The big secret to obtaining good visualization skills is practice, practice, practice.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

Is feng shui an ancient wisdom of environmental design? Is feng shui a Chinese cultural tradition or simply, a new-age phenomenon? Another important question is: Does feng shui have universal value?

Most people define feng shui based on their own exposure and understanding to the subject, whether they obtain it from books, the internet, feng shui teachers or through a school.  Due to the vast variety of information on the subject, it is inevitable that the difference of opinions on feng shui surface.  Even in China, throughout its long history, there has never been a shortage of debates between the pro and anti feng shui camps. Therefore, it is not surprising, that the same debate and arguments continue today in the West.

First, it is crucial to establish a common base defining the term feng shui.  Only then, can we begin to have a meaningful discussion on feng shui.  If there is no common agreement on the term, there is no basis for an argument.

I define the essence of feng shui as “the philosophy, science and art of environment design”. I strongly encourage all, to read the page “What is feng shui?” on the Blue Mountain Feng Shui Website. The basis of this blog is to share feng shui knowledge and further our understanding.  Those who do not and cannot see feng shui as a universal concept might need to expand their knowledge of feng shui or open their hearts to widen their vision.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

A few people wrote me, expressing how they liked the idea in the previous blog of giving thanks and saying farewell to the house being sold.
This brought about a new question.  “So what should we do when we are moving into a new house?”  My suggestion would be to keep the same attitude.  Be thankful to the new house that takes us in and promise to take good care of it.

During our years of adolescence,  in school and at home, we were taught to love, respect and be thankful to people in our lives.  This should be taken further, to include learning to be thankful and appreciative to all things in our lives—the house we live in, the table we use, the chair we sit on, the clothes we wear, the food we eat and even the paper napkin we use and throw away.   If we have this attitude, we will naturally love and care for all animals and all living plants whether they are in the house, yard or garden. With this attitude and mind set, we will naturally respect, and love all people in our lives and have compassion to all sentient and non-sentient beings in the world. Maybe schools and parents should teach this to their children early in life.  A good start would be to appreciate their toys.

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

While lecturing in Kiev, Ukraine, the students there asked me to comment on the feng shui of Ukraine.
“Good” I answered.  Indeed, Ukraine has a good mountain in the Northwest, vast fertile land on the east and south, and it is also adjacent to the Black Sea on the south.  From a feng shui point of view, Ukraine has all the four features: Dragon, Guardian Hill, Energy Spot and Bodies of Water.  Furthermore, Ukraine has an abundant amount of natural resources, and it exports uranium, coal, electricity…  “How then are we still poor?” the students asked?
We are affected by Heaven (time), Human, and Earth (space).  Even if the space is good, it is also affected by the human factor.  This is a country, where food and clothes are not any less expensive than in the United States.  The streets are full of new cars such as, Mercedes, BMW and Lexus.  I was amazed; it does not seem like a poor country. Yet, a university professor makes about only $500 per month.  People in the private sector make a bit more, but $1000.00 per month is regarded high.  The average person is indeed poor. But who are those driving all the expensive cars?  There must be an issue with the Human factor.  There must be some imbalance in the Human factor.  The Human factor includes the average citizen and government officials.  Well you can guess what is wrong here.  It must be the abundant amount of corruption among government officials!

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui

The second half of April, I was in Kiev, Ukraine for a 10-days visit, giving two levels of feng shui workshops. During this period, some students took me to visit a museum in a small village called Trypillia, 50 km south of Kiev, where Trypillian culture (5508-2750 BC) was first discovered in the year 1897.  The museum was modest in size but the collections it housed were amazingly impressive.  It was difficult to imagine that people in 7500-4750 years back in history could create such beautiful designs of pottery and vases, of which many included images of animals.  As I was the only visitor, the old caretaker of the museum, full of warm energy, patiently explained the history and significance of the culture and artifacts.  One interesting aspect about the culture in the Trypillian tradition was that approximately every 60 to 80 years, they would burn their cities down and relocate to a new place for reasons that still puzzle archaeologists.  Toward the end of my visit, my attention was heightened when he mentioned that most of Trypillian settlements (cities) were on the right side (view from facing downstream) of the big Dnipro River.  For those who are into feng shui, it’s an interesting point: Classical Chinese feng shui text stated that “land on the right-hand side of river was more auspicious”.  Here we find the same pattern in Trypillian culture dating back 7500 years, on the opposite of side of the planet from China. True feng shui concepts are universal.  As a matter of fact, if you take a look at the large cities in the world, with rivers running through the city, it will either sit on the right-side of river or the initial development of the city began on the right side of the river. In the traditional Form School feng shui teaching, there is a clear and good explanation for this.  Here, I post it as a challenge to those who have studied feng shui for the explanation.  Please send in your comments!

Shan-tung Hsu Feng Shui