Which Feng Shui Approach Should I Use? Modern-day or Classical?
Laura Cerrano
Adopting the practice and lifestyle of Feng Shui is a never ending discovery of new insights, perspectives and possibilities. Interpretations of this information varies from person to person as this practice is very subjective, being filtered from experiences, opinions, and observations.
What are the common approaches to Feng Shui?
Modern-day (i.e. BTB Feng Shui, intuitive, stationary bagua, yinyang, five elements, etc)
Classical (i.e flying stars - moving bagua, form school, yinyang, five elements, bazi, date selection, etc)
Depending on who you talk to, there can be a strong dislike for modern-day feng shui because its said to be a “cookie-cutter” approach. However, on the other hand, some will steer away from classical feng shui because that approach can feel too strict and unpractical. Even within the classical feng shui community, its not uncommon to find lineages debating amongst each other about who’s classical feng shui approach is ‘right’ vs ‘wrong’. With all that said, I am happy to share there are instances when these two seemingly opposing approaches can agree with one another when addressing certain structural design features of a building and kitchen appliance arrangements.
Due to these internal conflicts, for a combined 28 years, I’ve been researching and mindfully testing and measuring modern-day and classical feng shui approaches. From my own experiences and observations, I’ve found each approach offers unique perspectives on how to observe, interact and enhance the energy of the land, buildings and people. How so? Modern-day Feng Shui embraces the intuitive spiritual side of the practice, investigating predecessor energy, while inviting you to connect and see the hidden metaphors throughout the land and architectural structure of the home. This approach also highlights the importance of intention setting and actions needed to support those manifestations, paired with the reinforcement of ceremony and ritual. Flying Stars (classical Feng Shui) embraces specific formulas that provide you with the natal chart of your home, paired with important cycles of change to be aware of in the current moment while also helping you to forecast the future (i.e. annual changes for each year, month, etc).
Let’s take a look at the popular topic of deciding which direction to face when working inside your home.
Modern-day: set yourself up in a ‘commanding position’ - clear vantage point of the doorway, solid wall at your back.
Flying Stars: based on your home’s natal chart, face the best direction within your home and overlap that with the annual year. You could take that to the next level and rotate where you sit each month and maybe even change room locations too.
Which feng shui methods do I use? Remember, Feng Shui is very subjective and I’ll share what I’ve observed for myself through testing and measuring.
I often reference flying stars to locate my ideal facing direction to harness the best energy possible when working. However, I can only do this to a certain extent. Meaning, I can’t always turn my chair or desk, or relocate myself to a new room each year and each month because its not always practical. When that situation arises, I turn to Folk Feng Shui.
Folk Feng Shui is borrowed beliefs from ancient and modern times. I resonate to this method because it goes beyond the tangible connection of the mundane world and offers another avenue in how to create solution sets. Quickly, if you use salt water cures, talisman statues, coins, red strings, or crystals these are all examples of ‘folk feng shui cures’. You’ll find folk feng shui used in both modern-day and classical feng shui approaches. The time I rely on this approach is when I can’t adjust my self to avoid certain negative annual or monthly flying star energies. To offset those situations I’ll use salt water cures, talismans and prayer. I find this helps reassure my mind, all is being done to harmonize the energy of that given space, and have found that experience to be true.
Even though I begin with flying stars, I’m still mindful of retaining a ‘commanding position’. Why? According to environmental psychology, having a clear vantage point of a doorway leading into a room can provide a sense of refuge, support and clarity. Leaving your back exposed to the entryway can make you feel uneasy. I resonate to this perspective from my own experience and often position myself to see the doorway when sitting, while making sure my back is cradled with a supportive structure behind it.
Naturally, I’m also aware of my behaviors, decisions and actions to encourage the most favorable outcomes. In other words, adopting good spiritual hygiene practices, staying on top of my emotional intelligence and social intelligence to help cultivate a harmonious work environment.
Whether you embrace modern-day feng shui, classical feng shui or both, each one intends to offer a supportive ‘road map’ to living a healthy, happy and abundant life. A great way to know which method of feng shui appeals to your senses is by hearing yourself say, ‘ that makes sense’. That simple phrase is a great indicator of you are understanding the feng shui logic of that given approach you are learing about and experiencing.