>

Location versus direction

By Joey Yap

/ Joey Yap Pte Ltd |

March 22, 2016 10:00 AM SGT

Feng shui consultants are often bombarded with questions about whether their house is facing a favourable direction or where they should place their aquarium or which direction should their bed face. While these are valid questions, it is not the right way to approach feng shui.

Before analysing these questions, we have to understand the concept of location and direction of a property. Location refers to the place where the property is situated and its overall environment. Direction refers to the orientation of a property according to its layout.

Location should come first in feng shui. Before analysing the layout of a property, we should consider its surroundings first. Mountains are considered the source of Qi — the beneficial energies to harness that will benefit our household or business premises. The next thing to look for would be water — streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Water serves as the conduit in which Qi is carried.

Think of them as your resource, and your property is the device you use to harness this resource. If the resources are poor or do not exist, then it will not matter where your property sits or faces because there is simply no resource from which to harness. Having said that, you should always set realistic expectations, as there is no location in which the feng shui quotient is 100% positive. Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as the shape and characteristics of the mountains, or the nature of the water — is it sentimental, aggressive or stagnant?

Meanwhile, direction is used to maximise the Qi intake. At the very basic, direction can help prevent troubles. For example, a certain unfavourable feature that produces Sha Qi in the West will affect the youngest daughter in the house. In such a scenario, we can come up with some remedial measure or, if there is not a youngest daughter in the house, then there is no cause for concern. Another function of direction is to demarcate the property into various sectors or palaces, which can be used as reference points for the implementation of various feng shui formulae such as Flying Stars and 8 Mansions.

Always remember to take stock of the surroundings in your location first before worrying about the minor details that involve directions. On the other hand, there are other things that a professional feng shui assessment will take into consideration to come up with a conclusion. While this may help you at least get a basic understanding of how to approach feng shui, you may want to seek a professional opinion to get a full picture.

Joey Yap Pte Ltd can be reached via the company’s Singapore regional manager Ng Khai Yeing at khaiyeing@joeyyap.com

This article appeared in The Edge Property Pullout, Issue 720 (March 21, 2016) of The Edge Singapore.

Tags: