Geomancy and Feng Shui
Geomancy is the European counterpart of Feng Shui and concerns places of power and phenomena of the earth such as underground watercourses.
Qi how life energy flows through a space
In Feng Shui, Qi, also written Chi, is the life energy that flows through landscapes, towns, gardens and rooms. Qi follows form. Paths, entrances, water and architecture guide it, speed it up or let it gather. During an on-site consultation, I therefore look at where entrances, doors and windows are, and what kind of Qi comes in.
- SpellingsQialso Chi, or Ki in Japanese
- Qi followsFormPaths, doors
- ActivateOrderKeep the centre clear
What is Qi?
Qi is life energy, also written Chi, or Ki in Japanese. There is Qi in everything! In Feng Shui it is also called the “breath of the dragon”. For Traditional Chinese Medicine and the martial arts, Qi is as much a given as the blood in the body, and in Feng Shui it is of central importance. The Nordic name “Od”, from which Odin arose, means nothing other than Qi, or the breath of life.
How Qi works in the body and which foods are said to strengthen it are matters for medicine. My concern is Qi in landscapes, towns, gardens and rooms.
What quality does Qi have?
For a Feng Shui consultant it is essential not only to perceive Qi but also to judge its quality. It can be lively, quiet, aggressive, tired, dull, cheerful, fast and much more. A simple exercise beside a mountain stream, which I explain in the video, shows how it is done.
Qi follows form
Qi follows form; people follow Qi. Alongside Yin and Yang, Feng Shui always asks the same questions. Where does the Qi come from? How can I guide it towards me? How can I hold it? What quality does it have?
This knowledge derives from the Form School of a landscape, and it can be adapted and scaled down to the Form School on a desk. The principles remain the same; only their application changes.
Slow or fast
How quickly Qi flows is also a question of Yin and Yang in the flow of Qi. A gently meandering path is Yin: Qi takes its time and gathers. A motorway is Yang: Qi races through and stays nowhere. Yin and Yang, really.
In the drawing, both paths lead to the same door. The closer the arrows are together, the more gently the Qi flows.
The path to the front door
Life energy enters your house along the path to the front door. Check the route, lighting and planting. Confusion should be avoided, because people and Qi must be able to see quickly where to go. Feng Shui is always about clarity, as at Belvedere Palace in Weimar. Outside a house in Thun, on the other hand, I wondered where the way in was.
The simplest rule is to show visitors the way. In the photograph, a white finger beside the country road does just that. My checklist for the approach is called “The mouth of Qi: the path to energy, happiness and success”.
What attracts Qi?
Water was often placed in the centre of a village to attract Qi, to serve as a draw for markets and to support the social exchange of gossip and chat, and with it the liveliness of village life. My post water attracts Qi: Sommerach shows this in a wine-growing village.
Water in the city
Cities have used it in the same way. The Miljacka flows past Sarajevo’s old town hall; see Sarajevo’s town hall beside the river. In Graz, I looked at one of the many fountains in the old town.
Ming Tang, the Bright Hall in front of the house
The Ming Tang, the Bright Hall in front of a house, matters because Qi can gather there. It need not be large. In front of a restaurant in Switzerland, a circular patch of pebbles in the paving is enough.
Qi in the garden
Seventy per cent of Feng Shui happens outdoors, which is why garden design matters so much. This example from Schwetzingen shows what a garden with good Qi can look like.
How can you activate Qi at home?
There are six things from my practice that I recommend again and again.
- Create order, clear out and keep everything nicely clean, so that blocked Qi is freed and can flow well. How I go about it is set out under tidying and decluttering.
- Keep the centre of the house, the Tai Qi, clear.
- Make the entrance obvious; see hallways and entrances in Feng Shui.
- Design the space in front of the front door with plants, fountains and light (candles, lamps, lanterns) to welcome Qi and visitors.
- Where possible, use water along the line of sight.
- Choose pictures carefully. A painted wall instead of a bare one opens the wall, so to speak, into life, as with the Feng Shui wall in Rostock.
Which of these comes first in your home depends on the floor plan and the compass direction.
When Qi flows away too quickly
Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie is one example. Qi enters through the entrance from the south-east. The tip of the quay narrows sharply towards the north-west, where the Qi falls into the water. Read more in Elbphilharmonie, my problem child.
Stagnant water
Stagnant water can also create unpleasant Qi. Small ornamental ponds, fountains and especially swimming pools can turn into true sources of SAT Qi (= unpleasant Qi) without proper care.
Qi shooting straight through a house
In a house, Qi shoots straight through when a corridor runs directly from a glazed front door to a glazed patio door. But form alone never decides everything. An L-shaped bungalow I advised on had precisely this arrangement, and the family was doing very well nonetheless.
Qi during an on-site consultation
During an on-site visit, I ask myself many questions. How am I led through the rooms? Where am I drawn? Where are the blockages? What language do the colours and materials speak? How is the architecture aligned? Where are desks and beds, entrances, doors and windows, and what kind of Qi comes in?
I identify energy flows, structural conditions and possible disturbance fields. I describe the full Feng Shui consultation process on a separate page.
Further reading
Feng Shui in the garden
A Feng Shui garden balances Yin and Yang, with shady and sunny areas, quiet and lively elements, and soft and hard materials.
Feng Shui rules for your home
A clearly visible, bright entrance, a solid wall behind you and tidying up as a first step are among the most important rules for any home.
Clearing your home with incense
When I carry out a Space Clearing, I wipe clean the slate on which a room’s energy has left its marks, ready for the new occupants.
Where does Qi enter your home?
I see where Qi enters your home and where it stays when I visit you on site. My tours take me through all of Germany, to Austria and to Switzerland. Read more about Feng Shui consultations and my consultation dates.