Flying Star Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology!

Some of the basics used in feng shui.

Yin and Yang
Qi
The five elements
Ba Gua (Luo shu, He Tu)
Flying stars
Ming Gua

Yin and Yang

Tai JiYin and Yang are the basic of Chinese philosophy. Yin and Yang are completing each other. There is nothing only Yin or only Yang. The white and black spot in the Yin and Yang diagram represent this. Yin and Yang are completing each other and form so one whole. Because Yin and Yang are relative we only can compare them with each other to find out which one is more Yin or Yang. An animal is more Yang if compared to a plant. A plant on the other hand is more Yang if compared to a stone. Yin and Yang are always striving for harmony. They are attracted to each other. Yin and Yang are all ways moving around a theoretical optimal state. They are always in flux.
Movement gives birth to standstill. Standstill gives birth to movement.

The table below gives some comparisons between Yin and Yang. You will notice that the eastern and western thinking for some terms is different. Female is in both systems Yin. But in the west we associate light, inspiration and soul with the term female. In the eastern way of thinking these things are Yang and not Yin.

YIN

YANG

dark

light

black

white

quiet

loud

female

male

passive

active

rational

impulsive

square

circle

body

soul

minus

plus

seven numbers

odd number

earth

heaven

water

mountain

winter

summer

cold

warm

tiger

dragon

moon

sun

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua;  top;

Qi

The word Qi in Chinese language has more then one meaning.

Air - which we need to live.
Energy - the magnetic field of the earth, sunlight, cosmic radiation etc.
Spirit - our will to survive and to prosper.
Luck - good or bad, which existence we can feel but can not prove.

In Feng Shui Qi is a combination of all four meanings.

We differentiate between bad and good Qi.
Good Qi is called Sheng Qi and is full of vibrant life.
Bad Qi is called Scha Qi and has evil, harmful energies.

A tidy house with fresh air and filled with sunshine and laughter is filled with Sheng Qi.
A dirty, dark house with bad ventilation and where the occupants are fighting is filled with scha Qi.

Qi is dispersed by wind and retained by water.

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua;  top;

The five elements or Transformations

five elements: earth, metal, water, wood, fire

Qi can be divided into five different forms of energies.
Water, Wood, Fire, Metal and Earth which got different attributes.

Earth - cubic and rectangular forms, the colour brown, beige and yellow.
It attracts, concentrates and is stable.
Metal - spherical, the colours white, gold and silver. It is sharp,
pointing and piercing.
Water - wavelike or indefinite forms, the colours black and dark blue.
It runs downwards and is free.
Wood - Stick or pillar like forms, the colour green, it grows upward
and is enduring.
Fire - triangular forms, the colours red, orange, purple and pink.
It spreads in all directions; it radiates and is hot.

These five elements are standing in interdependence to each other so that they can be manipulated.

The enhancing cycle:
(Nurturing, growing)

Water enhances Wood.
Wood enhances Fire.
Fire enhances Earth.
Earth enhances Metal.
Metal enhances Water.
etc.

The weakening cycle:
(reducing, undermining)

Water weakens Metal.
Metal weakens Earth.
Earth weakens Fire.
Fire weakens Wood.
Wood weakens Water.
etc.

The controlling cycle:
(destroying, forming, changing)

Water controls Fire.
Fire controls Metal.
Metal controls Wood.
Wood controls Earth.
Earth controls Water.
etc.

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua; top;

Ba Gua

Ba Gua can be translated with eight trigrams.
A Trigram is build out of three divided or undivided lines placed on top of each other. An undivided line is called a Yin Yao and a divided line is called a Yang Yao. Has a Trigram an odd number of Yin Yao so its nature is Yin. Has it a odd number of Yang Yao its nature is Yang.

Heaven

Marsh

Fire

Thunder

Wind

Water

Mountain

Earth

Yang

Yin

Yin

Yang

Yin

Yang

Yang

Yin

In Xuan Kong Feng Shui the Later Ba Gua, the original Ba Gua, the river chart and the Luo Shu are linked with each other. Out of this relationship the usable stars to consider are given. A Ba Gua is normally an octagon, but for easier writing they are usually displayed as quadrates with a three by three division.
The displayed view of a Ba Gua is opposite to the western map layout. This means that the south is at the top, where as the north is at the bottom. The west is right, and the east is left. This is an ancient Chinese standard and is used in Feng Shui.

Later Ba Gua
(Hou Tian Ba Gua)

SE

Wind

S

Fire

SW

Earth

E

Thunder

W

Marsh

NE

Mountain

N

Water

NW

Heaven

In the Hou Tian Ba Gua the trigrams have been rearranged by Wen Wang. A word for word translation means eight trigrams of the later heaven.

Original Ba Gua
(Xian Tian Ba Gua)

SE

Marsh

S

Heaven

SW

Wind

E

Fire

W

Water

NE

Thunder

N

Earth

NW

Mountain

Xian Tian Ba Gua means the original eight Trigrams. A word by word translation would give eight trigrams of the earlier heaven. It is believed that Fu Xi (about 3300 BC) has arranged the trigrams in this order.

Luo Shu

4

9

2

3

5

7

8

1

6

In ancient times it has been recorded that a giant turtle has been found in the river Luo with dot markings on its back. These dots could be transformed into numbers. Added together, vertical, horizontal or diagonal the result will be always fifteen.
This pattern is also the starting point of the flying stars.

The He Tu

Fire
2
7

Wood
3
8

Earth
5
10

Metal
4
9

Water
1
6

The He Tu river chart has a similar story as the Luo Shu. Legend has it that Fu Xi has seen a Dragon-horse emerging from the Yellow River and on his back has been a dot arrangement of black and white. For simplicity reason these dots have been shown here as numbers. The numbers have been connected with the elements of the later Ba Gua, where as the centre has received earth as element.

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua; top;

The flying Stars

The nine different energies which are different according to direction and time are called flying stars. Usually bad stars can under certain circumstances be good or useful. The earth and mankind are in a constant change. This has to be taken into consideration for an Fengshui audit.
The behaviour of the stars is constantly changing and repeated in specific intervals.

Three sixty year cycles

In 2637 BC it has been noted that the sun, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and our moon are aligned in a straight line. A constellation repeated every 60 years, 2637 BC has been taken as the first year of the first sixty year cycle. Three sixty year cycles together are forming one great cycle. They are divided into upper cycle, middle cycle and lower cycle.

Nine periods of twenty years

The great cycles are again divided into nine cycles of twenty years. This cycle stands in relation to one cycle of the great dipper. It is believed that the stars influence the earth luck.

The 25th great cycle has started on the 4th of February 1864. We are now in the last quarter of the 7th period which will end on the 4th of February 2004. This great cycle will reach its end on the 3rd of February 2004.

Nine stars

Time intervals during this great cycle

Period numbers

Cycle name

1864 - 1883

1

upper cycle

1884 - 1903

2

upper cycle

1904 - 1923

3

upper cycle

1924 - 1943

4

middle cycle

1944 - 1963

5

middle cycle

1964 - 1983

6

middle cycle

1984 - 2003

7

lower cycle

2004 - 2023

8

lower cycle

2024 - 2043

9

lower cycle

The nine different stars (Qi) have following basic characteristics.

Depending on the time a harmful star can also be good. For example in the period seven (Period 7 = 1884 - 2003) #7 Purple is the prominent star and for that it is fortunate.

Name

Element

Basic characteristics

#1 White

Water

Good

#2 Black

Earth

Second most harmful

#3 Green

Wood

Harmful

#4 dark green

Wood

Good

#5 Yellow

Earth

Most harmful

#6 White

Metal

Good

#7 Red

Metal

Harmful

#8 White

Earth

Good

#9 Purple

Fire

Good

You recognise already that the numbers are corresponding with the numbers of the Luo Shu. The elements have been taken from the I Ching. Also it is possible to see the flying path of the stars. Follow the stars in sequence of the numbers. (5-6-7-8-9-1-2-3-4)

4
dark green
wood

9
purple
fire

2
black
earth

3
green
wood

5
yellow
earth

7
red
metal

8
white
earth

1
white
water

6
white
metal

The example shown here would be a house from the 5th period.
From the direction of the house the facing and the sitting star are determined.

Here the house is shown facing South.
The Mountain star (sitting star) is responsible for the health of the occupants.
The facing star is responsible for prosperity.

2 1
4

6 5
9

4 3
2

3 2
3

1 9
5

8 7
7

7 6
8

5 4
1

9 8
6
Black = Time Star (bottom)
Brown = Mountain Star (left top)
Blue = Facing Star (right top)

Most important for an Fengshui audit are the Mountain star and the Facing Star. Good stars are enhanced and bad stars are weakened. Also the annual stars that are flying in are considered. The Ming Gua (life energies of every person) of the occupants need to be checked to. Special attention is given to certain star combinations. A combination of #2 and #3 could indicate Quarrels and lawsuits. #8 and #9 could mean some happy events like a wedding are coming. But it also must be seen how the different areas of a house are used and how the stars are supported by outer forms. All energies will be analysed and optimised according to the form school and the principles of the five elements.

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua; top;

Ming Gua

A Ming Gua is an element and Trigram that is assigned to one and each individual person. From a Trigram good and bad directions for a person are determined. The eight house Fengshui school is also determining good and bad areas of a house this way.
When calculating the life number (Ming Gua) you have to be aware that the years are given are according to the solar calendar. The beginning of a year is usually the 4th or 5th February.

The eight Ming Gua have different good and bad directions. In the table the good directions are shown as F1 up to F4, and the bad directions as H1 up to H4. The naming is in accordance to Master Joseph Yu.

Direction

S

SW

W

NW

N

NE

E

SE

Ming Gua

1

F3

H1

H4

H3

F4

H2

F2

F1

2

H3

F4

F2

F3

H1

F1

H4

H2

3

F1

H4

H1

H2

F2

H3

F4

F3

4

F2

H2

H3

H4

F1

H1

F3

F4

6

H1

F3

F1

F4

H3

F2

H2

H4

7

H2

F2

F4

F1

H4

F3

H1

H3

8

H4

F1

F3

F2

H2

F4

H3

H1

9

F4

H3

H2

H1

F3

H4

F1

F2
Fortunate directions are marked F1 up to F4, where F1 is the best direction.
Harmful directions are marked H1 up to H4, where H1 is the worst direction.
From this we can divide all people into two main groups.
East group people have Ming Gua 1, 3, 4 and 9.
West group people have Ming Gua 2, 6, 7 and 8.

F1 = SHENG CHI (Sheng Chi);
Is active and full of life
F2 = TIEN YI (Heavenly Doctor);
Brings good health and rewards for hard work
F3 = NIEN YEN (Longevity);
Is well organised and brings prosperity
F4 = FU WEI (Stability);
Is constant and brings good luck in general.
H1 = HOO HAI (Life threatening);
Brings excessive bad luck.
H2 = WU KWEI (Fife ghost);
Brings sickness, theft and fire.
H3 = LUI SHA (Six demon);
Brings lawsuits and conflicts.
H4 = CHUEH MING (Mishaps);
Brings quarrels and arguments.

Yin and Yang; Qi; 5 Elements; Ba Gua; Flying stars; Ming Gua; top;

designed, maintained and copyright ©2004 Jürgen Wessel

JW Feng Shui; Bangkok / Thailand