Choosing a school of Feng Shui can seem to be a daunting task. With so many options and such a wide variety of routes to take, it can be overwhelming to try and settle on a specific school. How are you supposed to know which one is best for your career? Which one is most in demand? And most importantly, which one will you enjoy and be interested in? Some schools are thousands of years old while others are relatively new. It is always important to do your research before making any solid decision however below is a quick resource that might make your decision a little bit easier.
To begin, let’s examine one of the oldest forms of Feng Shui—Classical or Traditional Feng Shui Design
Classical Feng Shui
Classical Feng Shui originated from ancient China and dates back thousands of years. It was used in a variety of different ways in the ancient cities for temples, palaces, and even gravesites! Individuals use the energy of the natural world to create the best possible flow in the desired area. Within Classical Feng Shui there is two different schools.
- The Form School (Landscape School)—This school is the more widely practice method of Feng Shui. The Form School focuses primarily on analysing the natural world such as trees, rivers, mountains, and more! It can also be applied to a more urban setting as well, focusing on arranging and placing objects to achieve an optimal balance of Ch’i flow in homes and offices. It does not use the direction of the compass and tries to balance the natural world around us.
- The Compass School—This is exactly as the name suggests. It uses tools such as the Lou Pan or Feng Shui compass as well as various calculations when applying these techniques to any home or space. For more information check out the “Love to Know” page on different types of Chinese Feng Shui
Modern Feng Shui
The next type of Feng Shui is the modern style of Feng Shui Design. Modern Feng Shui is based off of modern housing styles and business layouts. The idea is to arrange furniture in an area to maximize the flow of the space. Again the Modern Feng Shui Design is broken down into different schools.
- The Life Aspirations School of Feng Shui—This is the idea that each of life’s aspiration for example family & health, wealth, marriage (etc.), has a colour, element, and direction associated with it.
- The Pyramid School of Feng Shui—This is a contemporary version of the ancient Chinese Feng Shui and incorporates different elements for how an individual experiences the natural environment. Elements such as biology, psychology, anthropology and more. The individual is at the center of the entire process and you need to customize it to them making it very personal. Feel free to do more research by checking out “Healing Environments” blog page!
Black Hat Feng Shui
Black Sect Tantric Buddhism School (BTB or Black Hat)—This is a relatively new school of Feng Shui from the 1980s. This has many elements of the classical Feng Shui with a new modern spin. Instead of using a compass, the use of the Bagua map is relied heavily upon in this school of Feng Shui. It focuses on the energy that you can control around you. Buddhist principles are also featured throughout this contemporary version of Feng Shui. It is a way to provide a high level of balance and Ch’i into a space without any costly commitments or impractical suggestions. About Home online has a great description and other related articles regarding Feng Shui!
Choosing a School of Feng Shui
A very important aspect to keep in mind is whether you want to work with a compass tool or not. Understanding how the compass tools work is important when deciding which school you would like to focus on. It is important to understand what type of clientele you hope to have as well before making a firm decision. When working with homes, a compass may be difficult because you cannot simply change the direction of a home if it does not work with the Ch’i or energy. However, if you build outdoor spaces, a compass may be extremely useful and handy. Check out the “Ms. Feng Shui” blog for more details.
Understanding exactly how you want to take your Feng Shui career and what you want to specialize in are very important to consider when deciding on a school of Feng Shui. Many institutions that provide Feng Shui courses often mix many different schools and styles in their teachings to give students a wide range of knowledge. Feng Shui design is an exciting field to get into and understanding exactly what you’re hoping to learn should be the first step before choosing a school!
