| When I first started speaking publicly about feng shui in | | | | plan differently. And finally, with all of us having some |
| 1992, I was very enthusiastic about promoting it as a | | | | measure of free will or destiny, we cannot place the |
| natural science, mostly because I believed it to be so. I | | | | identical occupants in two separate but equal living |
| was also reacting to the mounting trendiness of feng | | | | spaces. Perhaps the closest we could get would be |
| shui, as it was being marketed by people who referred | | | | occupants for each house with the same birth dates. |
| to it as "magic" or a spiritual practice linked to Tantric | | | | And yet, feng shui gets pretty darn close. I call it a |
| Buddhism. I could not stand these comparisons | | | | "predictive art," like astrology, because there are |
| because I knew they were not true and I also felt they | | | | tendencies, strong ones, when certain circumstances |
| tarnished the integrity of feng shui. I did not want to | | | | are similar or when enough variables are identical. |
| turn off potential clients who could accept feng shui as | | | | My books cover many case studies of certain house |
| real, but with a clear conscience that it is grounded in | | | | types that I have evaluated, documented and have |
| laws of nature and a time-tested methodology | | | | seen with great amazement that their "personalities" |
| transcending Chinese culture. I wanted to educate the | | | | are well defined. There are house types that can |
| public that feng shui theories and principles would not | | | | undermine fertility, house types that seem to attract |
| be in conflict with anyones' spiritual or formal religious | | | | legal problems to their occupants and house types that |
| beliefs and is as relevant, or more relevant today, than | | | | can suggest infidelity, just to name a few examples. |
| its discovery thousands of years ago. That part I still | | | | There are 144 different house types based on the 20 |
| do believe. Feng Shui is no more in conflict with any | | | | year era that they have been built in and their |
| organized religion than say, the laws of gravity. Feng | | | | magnetic compass alignment. For instance, a house |
| Shui is a natural phenomenon on this planet. But is it a | | | | built in 1985 facing east is different in its influence than |
| science? | | | | a house built in 2004 facing the same direction. Or a |
| A friend with an impressive scientific background | | | | house facing West at 260 degrees is different than a |
| gently told me years ago that it cannot be considered | | | | house facing west at 265 degrees. |
| a science because the circumstances which we | | | | Within these 144 house types, there could be hundreds, |
| evaluate and interpret cannot be guaranteed to repeat | | | | maybe thousands, of different basic floor plans. This is |
| or be identical all of the time. Like a science experiment | | | | why every house is truly unique. As well, houses |
| where a set group of compounds are combined with | | | | change their influence on occupants over long periods |
| a repeatable and identical outcome, feng shui includes | | | | of time. A house built in 1903, without any remodeling or |
| too many variables which cannot be repeated or | | | | decor changes, will affect people differently in 2009. |
| guaranteed. | | | | Houses go through their own "maturation" process and |
| For example, I can say with confidence that a house | | | | the the biggest cycle repeats every 180 years. |
| which was built in the 1970's and which faces South is | | | | Even though feng shui is not an absolute science, I |
| one where there is a strong tendency for a couple to | | | | have been impressed at how close it gets, with clients |
| divorce in. And yet, I cannot guarantee that outcome | | | | confirming the influence of their home or business |
| 100% of the time or say exactly with 100% accuracy | | | | based on the traditional calculations of time and space. |
| when the separation will occur, even when factoring in | | | | When I ask the occupants if they are experiencing |
| annual cycles. With two houses that were built the | | | | certain health issues indicated by their environment, the |
| same year, same orientation, and same floor plan, we | | | | affirmative response is about 90%. When people |
| still cannot guarantee the two houses would be | | | | experience a certain event, like a robbery or fire, the |
| decorated the same way or used the same way. One | | | | timing of these events can be corroborated with |
| family might use the Northwest bedroom as an office | | | | almost as much accuracy. In the same way that our |
| and another might use the Northwest bedroom as a | | | | weatherman can predict a 70% chance of rain or a |
| sleeping room. That alone will change the influence of | | | | pollster can predict the likely outcome of an election, |
| the houses on the two families. Nor can we repeat the | | | | feng shui can be considered a "predictive art" without |
| exact same exterior environment. One house might | | | | diminishing its authenticity, usefulness, and relevancy in |
| have a park across the street and another house a hill. | | | | our modern world. |
| These outside features would affect the same floor | | | | |