In a nutshell, I believe that good feng shui is the result of a conscious appreciation of the relationship between the outside environment and the inner world of the person who lives there.
No man is an island, and no person can survive without continuous interaction with their environment. This interaction happens at several levels, often at the same time.
Take a family meal as an example:-
There is the physical setting, which may be more or less conducive to relaxed eating; people may be gathered around a table without distractions or interruptions; or they may be scattered around a room, each one focussed on something different from the others.
There is the food and drink which is consumed: this may be produced locally; some elements may even be grown within a short distance of where they are being eaten, in the garden or on the window-sill; the meal may be prepared with a sense of celebration of the abundance of the world; or then again, maybe it is all thrown together without too much attention being paid to anything.
There is the eating of the food: it may be blessed by those who receive it; it may be appreciated, savoured and enjoyed; or it may be swallowed as quickly as possible so that people can get back to doing the things which they consider more important.
There is the conversation that flows between the people who share food; in cultures around the world, and particularly when two cultures meet, the breaking of bread together is a symbol of common humanity, of mutual respect and appreciation; if people cannot sit down to eat together, or if they can only do so under a veil of silence, then human relations are at a very low ebb.
All of these are aspects of Feng Shui. They are all interconnected, and they all have influence on the well-being of the people, at all the levels of human experience: the physical, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual.
Everything is connected. We are all open to influence from the world around us. Feng Shui reminds us of this connection, and it teaches us that we in turn can influence our world, that we can create an environment that helps us to grow in health and happiness. Alternatively, we can ignore our own impact on the world around us, and pursue our own goals regardless of the consequences. Either way, we get to live with the results.
Why I should have my own personal philosophy?:
There is often debate about what constitutes true or authentic Feng Shui. On the one hand, I think it is wonderful that the knowledge of this traditional art and craft has spread all over the world. On the other hand, I believe it is essentially an Eastern creation; it grew in Eastern soil. Its roots are deep in history, but its freshest twigs and leaves are alive to the winds that blow around the world today.
I have devoted a great deal of time to the study of Feng Shui, but I am a Western person, and when I am trying to understand the ways of the world, I cannot help but look also to the wealth of knowledge available through Western psychology, sociology, and even quantum physics, .
So, I am a “both … and” person, rather than an “either … or”.
I have a profound respect for things that work, regardless of what system, or framework, or pie-in-the-sky dreams they came from.
Do I “believe” in Feng Shui?
Yes, I believe it’s the place where physics and psychology meet, and sometimes dance together…
