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No matter how small an area we have
to work with, we can use grasses and bamboos to create a space for solitude, a
sacred space, or just a space to sit and relax ,listening to the gentle
movement and music of ten thousand leaves murmuring a lullaby in the gentlest
of breezes."
"By doing this we hope to make our
surrounding environment so supportive of our attitudes, aspirations and
opportunities as to make real changes for the better."
' Qi
Concepts'
Psychologist Carl Jung wrote,
"The Chinese mind, as I see it
at work in the I Ching, seems to be exclusively preoccupied with the chance
aspect of events. What we call coincidence seems to be the chief concern of
this peculiar mind, and what we worship as causality passes almost
unnoticed...While the Western mind carefully sifts, weighs, selects,
classifies, isolates, the Chinese picture of the moment encompasses everything
down to the minutest nonsensical detail, because all of the ingredients make up
the observed moment."
What is the meaning of Feng Shui:
Feng Shui pronounced “foong
shway” means Wind and Water. This is more of a literal translation
than explanation. "Wind is what cannot be seen, but can be felt and
water is what cannot be grasped.” This is a good description of Qi, the
subtle, illusive all pervasive stuff of life. Whether we can read much more
into the meaning than that I think is a matter for the individual to reflect
on. Certainly, wind and water both exist as the two most abundant and powerful
substances on the face of the earth. Both their individual mass and energy is
astonishing and when combined quite awesome. Without wind in our lungs and
water in our bodies, we would last a very short time. In fact, no forms of
life, animal, vegetable, bacteria or fungus could exist at all.

Tai Chi. The Yin and Yang
The Yin and Yang, the balance of opposites and the
duality of life. Represented by the symbolic Tai Qi. Yin and Yang are the
negative and positive energies governing all human life and all things in the
universe. Yin the black segment in the Tai Qi is the heavy, passive, feminine, receptive or
contracting quality of nature and life.
Yang the white segment in the Tai Qi is the rising, forceful, masculine
expansive side of nature and life.
Neither the qualities of Yin and Yang are better than
each other, they are equally attracted, repelled, dependent and stimulated by
each other, hence the small spot of the opposite colour in each segment. They
are constantly in flux flowing back and forth, expanding, contracting, and
maintaining a balance within the universe.
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Feng
Shui Garden Bamboo and Ornamental Grasses.
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Above:The Chinese characters for Feng
(top) meaning wind and Shui (bottom) meaning water.

Festuca 'Golden toupee'

Phyllostachys nigra

Uncinia New Zealand Hook Sedge

Carex 'Ice Dance'

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What Is Feng Shui?
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Feng Shui is a vast and complex
subject and to cover the broader subject in depth is beyond the scope of this
site so the subject matter is limited to Form School practice which covers the
basic principles to be applied in our gardens. For further reference there are
many good books available including "Qi
Concepts" from which most of this text has been
reproduced.
What
is Feng Shui? The principles of Feng Shui are based on philosophy, natural
science, Chinese metaphysics and the art of encouraging positive and beneficial
influences. It is the ancient Chinese practice of channeling these positive and
invisible influences and energies by a variety of different avenues or means
through mediums such as attraction, alignment, direction, association and
location in order to promote and enhance the harmony and well-being of our
surrounding environment.
By
doing this we hope to make our surrounding environment so supportive of our
attitudes, aspirations and opportunities as to make real changes for the
better.
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| How
does Feng Shui
Work?
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Feng Shui aims to improve our lives by
unblocking the flow of these energies and encouraging the passage of good and
useful energy or Sheng Qi as known in Chinese. By allowing Sheng Qi free flow
through our spaces and our immediate environment, it is encouraged to
accumulate gently around and in our homes, gardens and workspaces improving our
lives and that of those around us in general.
"Where Sheng Qi gathers life is richer and much fuller of
opportunities".
Qi is a concept unfamiliar to a Western mind or way of thinking
however, it’is a concept that is easily grasped. As we will discover as we
explore further, particularly when we discuss energies and their cycles and
phases and how they interact strengthening, weakening or destroying and
nourishing each other.
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| The West and the
21st Century.
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Today in the modern West land
is in short supply, it is expensive, it is in many cases tired or has been
overworked or polluted in some way. Town and country planning, and building
regulations, roads, utilities as well as the need for services, schools,
education, medical care and employment opportunities all dictate where and how
we should live.
All
these factors and more are adding daily to the growing number of problems and
restrictions that people in the modern West are faced with; impinging on any
effort by an individual to apply the principles of Feng Shui and improve
their surrounding environment and their lot in general.
However no matter how small an area we have to work with we can use ornamental grasses and
bamboos to create a space for solitude a sacred space or just a space to sit
and relax listening to the gentle movement and music of ten thousand leaves
murmuring a lullaby in the gentlest of breezes.
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