Tag Archives: Feng Shui

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon | Part 5 | Location Location Location

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The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon – Part 5 – Location Location Location

 

Potomac River From The Lawn at Mount Vernon
Potomac River From The Lawn at Mount Vernon

A spectacular view of the Potomac River greets visitors as they step out onto the portico, just like it did in Washington’s day and last year, when this photo was made.

The Potomac side of the house also contains the only consistent downstairs bedroom. The quiet and personal Little Parlor is also on the Potomac side.  The larger West Parlor was used for entertaining guests.  At one time the Little Parlor was also used for a bedroom, providing further confirmation that the quiet (or yin) side was the Potomac side at the rear of the mansion.  Mount Vernon has some support from buildings in the northeast and southwest, but no support at either the Potomac side or the facing northwest side.  After comparing survey maps done by George Washington, and doing my own on-site reading, I’ve determined that Mount Vernon has a facing direction of 329° northwest.

The Potomac River flows at the rear at the house, violating the basic Feng Shui principle of support at the back.  There is no mountain to emit the qi essential for the health of the people, nor was there a mountain to protect the building from winds and weather. 

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon sits on a hill like a beacon, both beautiful and vulnerable.

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon | Part 3 | Where When How

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When studying the Feng Shui of Mount Vernon our emphasis at first is on the way the house is built and the place it sits.  Then we consider the elemental forces at work, and finally we add the flying stars into the mix.  The elements represent the basic character of each star.  The stars either help or hurt the inhabitants of the house…sometimes they manage to do both. 

The bottom line is that when the stars combine and interact with each other the effects influence those living in the home.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Nature of the Stars

•1.   White Star:  The Angel of Sheng Qi (water) loves wisdom.

•2.   Black Star:  The Monarch of Sickness (earth) can bring sickness.

•3.   Green Star:  The Phantom of Misfortune (wood) can be aggressive.

•4.   Dark Green Star:  The Clever and Indecent Imp (wood) is flirtatious and artistic.

•5.   Yellow Star:  The Devil of Ferocity (earth) is a dangerous star.

•6.   White Star:  The Angel of Gallantry (metal) is good for men and the military.

•7.   Red Star:  The Spirit of Solemnity (metal) talks a lot!

•8.   White Star:  The Angel of Wealth and Happiness (earth) is peaceful and calm.

•9.   Purple Star:  The Angel of Vigor (fire) is helpful, but not careful of the company he keeps.

When we develop a flying star chart we divide the house into 9 sectors…one of those in the center.

Each sector contains a star for resting and health, a star for activity and wealth, and a star that serves as the environment for the others.  Each year an annual star arrives in each sector, adding its own “personality” to the mix. 

Every twenty years a different star group becomes the ruling energy.  Right now we are in the period of 8. So, the 8′s are ruling and all current readings depend on where the 8′s are and how well they are supported.  In George Washington’s time things were a bit different.

For the purpose of Flying Star Feng Shui, time is measured in 20 year ruling periods. We will concern ourselves in this study, with the periods of George Washington’s time.

Period 3: 1724-1744

Period 4: 1744-1764

Period 5: 1764-1784

Period 6: 1784-1804

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon | Part 2 | Five Element Theory

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Mount Vernon Bowling Green

Mount Vernon Bowling Green

The Five Element theory is another way to explain the qi in our homes and businesses. It is a way to describe the relationship between the different stars, showing how one will help or hurt the other if given a chance. To read the diagram, start at metal and go clockwise.  Metal produces water, water produces wood, wood produces fire, fire produces earth, and earth produces metal.  Next, look clockwise, again starting with metal, and go across an arm of the star.  Metal controls wood, wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, and fire controls metal.  If you go counterclockwise you have the reduction cycle.  Metal reduces earth, earth reduces fire, fire reduces wood, wood reduces water and water reduces metal.Makes sense, doesn’t it?  All we have to do now is figure out how to use this information to make our homes and businesses more prosperous.Next, we’ll add the Flying Stars to the mix.  Before long, it will start making sense.

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon | Part 1 | Qi

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The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon – Part One -QI

Do you know the difference between “Real” Feng Shui and “Psuedo” Feng Shui?  Lots of folks out there haven’t a clue.  I’ve decided to post exerpts of my book “The Feng Shui of George Washington’s Mount Vernon“  In it I explain what Feng Shui really is, and how we can use it. 

mt vernon walkway

What is Feng Shui?

The art we call Feng Shui has developed from an ancient Chinese environmental study, Feng meaning wind…and Shui meaning water.  What once was the fairly simple study of the influence wind and water have on a home site has developed into a detailed examination and manipulation of the life force energy known as “qi” (chee). 

Different types of qi come from different directions in accordance with the year, month, day and hour.  It is attracted to and carried by people, gathered and moved by water, and collected and emitted by mountains.  It is affected by the shape and position of those mountain and water features, as well as by the climate and seasons.  Qi is useful according to its purpose and its timeliness.

Brigham Young, had probably never heard of qi yet he gave a profound description of it when he said, “The elements with which we are surrounded are as eternal as we are, and are loaded with supplies of every kind for the comfort and happiness of the human race.” Those “supplies” he spoke of consisted of qi. 

mt vernon morning

He went deeper when he stated, “There is an eternity of matter.  Astronomers estimate that there is between us and the nearest fixed star matter enough to organize millions of earths like this. There is an eternity of matter, and it is all acted upon and filled with a portion of divinity.  Matter is to exist; it cannot be annihilated.  Eternity is without bounds, and is filled with matter; and there is no such place as empty space.  And matter is capacitated to receive intelligence.”

That statement on matter, “filled with a portion of divinity” and “capacitated to receive intelligence”, is to date the best, most precise description of qi I have ever come across.

Feng Shui can tell us many things about our homes and the homes of our ancestors.  We know our environments have a lot to do with our lives.  What we learn from Feng Shui is just how much influence our environment really has on us.

God sends our blessings to us, by wind and water, through the earth beneath our feet and the heaven above our heads. Whether we call it Feng Shui or wind and water, it is up to us what we do with those blessings.

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon – Part 1 – QI

Feng Shui This | Holiday

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Tiptoe through the holidays...

Tiptoe through the holidays...

Ok, here we go.  Holidays are fast approaching and here comes the family drama that goes with them.  Ever wonder what happens to some families during the holidays?  Why do people get cranky, irritable, stupid and rude?  Not your family?  Well, they could just be putting on a happy face while they’re there.  What if they go home thinking, “Thank God, we got through that alive.”  We may try to be cheerful during family gatherings, but sometimes those happy faces can’t make it through the evening.  Children are especially sensitive to irritable energy.

So why?  One reason is that there could be a few jackasses in your family,  just like in everyone elses.  But one other very likely cause of family discord is the disturbance of an energy known in Flying Star Feng Shui as 5 Emperor.   Consider it this way.  Imagine that all year there’s the spirit of a cranky old Emperor in your house.  You don’t see him but he’s there all the same.  He sits quietly as long as he’s not disturbed.  But, when furniture gets moved around and people start coming in, making noise and brushing up against “his” area, he gets pissed.  When that happens that irritation spills over to the visitors and you have a bunch of people snapping at each other for no real reason other than they’re feeling the prevailing energy of the room at that time.    Kind of like walking into a room after a fight.  You feel it, you’re uncomfortable, but you’re not quite sure what’s been going on.

So, what do we do?  If discord is a holiday tradition in your family you can consult a Feng Shui Practitioner to advise you on how to avoid upsetting your “Emperor”, or you can just be very, very gentle with all the areas in your home…especially when it comes to moving furniture, slamming doors, and generally causing a disturbance.   And, play holiday piano music.  The sound of metal is calming, even to cranky old Emperors.

Feng Shui This | Creek in My Back Yard

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Kentucky Creek

Kentucky Creek

So, you have a creek in your back yard…or you want one!  What does feng shui have to say about that?

Usually in feng shui we want the water to be out in front and a sturdy mountain of some sort out back.  This is the armchair principal that compares a house to a comfortable chair.  You have a nice, secure high back, two stuffed arms to protect your sides, and a beautiful view out front.

But, sometimes that beautiful view is out back.  Well, with flying star feng shui we consider the energies coming to the house as determined by the date the house was built, the way it was built, and the degree of the facing.  So, if your flying star chart shows good, vibrant water stars out back…then it’s a great place for a creek.  If not…well, usually we can find a way to fix the problem.  In the meantime, enjoy the view.