Poor George.  The home he loved so dearly played a large part of his early demise.  Within 2 years his wife, Martha, died and Mount Vernon began its spiral into neglect.  Mount Vernon was never successful as a private home after his death.  After falling into near ruin the estate was bought in 1858 by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.  They have painstakingly restored it to its former beauty.  Mount Vernon is second only to the White House in the number of visitors it welcomes; a fit and beautiful tribute to the father of our country.

Mount Vernon Palladian Window

When we look at the years following Washington’s death we see that the 7th period and 8th period water stars were not supported.  This explains why the mansion had deteriorated so badly in those years.   With no support, there would be no money. 

In 1853 the Mount Vernon Ladies Association was formed to purchase Mount Vernon for $200,000.  Period 9 was ruling and the water star had its water.  The water was headed down the river, so wasn’t strong, but it still was enough to help bring the mansion to the attention of patriots who would contribute what they could to bring Washington’s house back to its previous glory.  Wealth had returned to Mount Vernon, but it would be another 40 years before it would get comfortable.  In 1904 the 3 water star was back in the Potomac, bringing home vibrant energy once more.

Cattle at Mount Vernon

The President and Mrs. Washington returned from Philadelphia in 1797 when he completed his second term as President.  The period changed in 1784 to period 6.  Because President Washington would spend six to eight hours a night in bed, and another three hours or more each day in his study, the office side of the house is the most influential on his life in these last two years. 

At Mount Vernon, the 6th period mountain star and the 2 water star are in the Potomac River.   In 1799 the 2 annual is in the river at the rear of the house, and the 5 annual is being carried in with each meal from the kitchen.  Both of these stars are capable of bringing sickness.

President Washington had retired to Mount Vernon, content and determined to live out the rest of his days at home and at peace, away from politics and power, enjoying his family and his beautiful home.  His happy retirement wouldn’t last nearly long enough.

President Washington became ill on the 12th of December 1799 and died two days later on the 14th, at home in his bed of a throat infection, most likely brought on by a chill from exposure to snow and ice.  Perhaps the most interesting part of the chart is the 7 water star.  The 7 represents head and lungs. The 7 defines the sickness that killed President Washington.  With the 5 and 2 combining to cause sickness, the 7 comes into the mix from the window at the front of the house, and President Washington dies from an infection in his throat, the connector of head and lungs. He was 67 years old.

Mount Vernon was perfectly suited to be the home of the young soldier who was appointed as Commander of the Virginia Militia and later promoted to Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.  It supported him in his campaign to develop a strong federal government, break from British rule, and even his eventual election as the first President of the United States. There is a time and a season for everything.  That the house supported General Washington’s bravery and determination was appropriate when he was a younger man.  As an elderly statesman this same bravery and determination kept him out in foul weather when he should have headed for home. His resistance was down, and he contracted a fatal throat infection after working outside in the snow and becoming chilled.

So, the moral to the story, you ask?   A house that supports a military man, a leader and a president may not be a good house for a retired statesman.

It’s my belief that the house was intended to support the country, through the man. 

The Feng Shui of Mount Vernon – Bottom Line

Reading the Charts

All charts are drawn with the front of the building at the bottom of the page. The numbered stars in each chart represent different types of qi.  Written in the form of a triangle, each number has its own special attributes.  The way they interact with each other, the environment and the people, combine to give us the Feng Shui of the building.

Flying Star Feng Shui

Mountain stars come first at the top left and are in charge of the inhabitants.  They require stillness and solid forms.  Mountain stars are dispersed by water and movement.  Directly to the right is the water star, in charge of the money and more active pursuits.  Water stars are carried on the wind, carried by people and animals, and are encouraged by real water.

At the bottom of the triangle is the time star, providing the environment for the other two. Combinations are written; Mountain-Time-Water.  For example:  7 mountain-1 time-8 water, or 7-1-8.  In individual charts yearly and monthly stars may be shown at the bottom of the triangles.

George Washington's Sheep

Early Feng Shui Chart

Fourth Period: 1744-1764

Washington’s early additions to Mount Vernon helped to provide interior mountains to the house, adding nice, quiet places for the mountain stars to gather. This added to the stability of the home, and the suitability of the Feng Shui chart.

General Washington also opened up the central hallway at that time, giving the water stars a better flow pattern if the doors were closed, but creating the effect of “wood water” if both doors were opened.  This causes qi to rush through the house too quickly.  The qi will not be retained, and the house loses the benefits.  When the doors are closed there is still room for the qi to pool, but opening both doors at the same time would have caused problems.

When we look to see what’s supported, we immediately see that the 9 mountain star has a large section of the West Parlor closet and fireplace (978).  The 1 water star has two windows in the front of the house, and would also have been carried in the front door by anyone passing through. The 9-1 and 9-8 form combinations called, “Happy Events”.

In the Dining Room we find that the 1 mountain star has interior support at the closet, while the 7 water star comes in through the window.  The 7 and 1 join in this room to create a combination known to cause exile when the ground slopes away.  Since Mount Vernon is situated on the top of a hill, the ground does indeed slope away from the house.  This feature will be even more important when annual stars are brought in to play.

Starting at the front of the house we find that the 1 and the 6 water stars are at the door.  People coming from the west would bring the 1 and those coming in from the north would bring the 6. The 6 water star brings fame to military officers.  When combined with the 1 mountain star it can bring wealth as well.  The 6 would be a well used star at Mount Vernon.

The 2 water star is well supported in the Potomac, and the 2 mountain star is somewhat supported at the staircase.  The 2′s will cause sickness when supported by the proper forms. When the 7 water star came into the Small Dining Room it would go to the front wall where the 2 mountain star resided. The 7 represents the head and lungs, with the 2 causing illnesses.  George Washington suffered for years with mouth problems.  Although this was by all accounts a happy home it would not have been a healthy one.

Mount Vernon via Google Satelite

Now… we need to figure out when the mansion was built.  Then we will have to decide if and when renovations were sufficient to change that date and effectively treat it as if it were being built as a new house. 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

To determine the period of the chart, we have to know what period Mount Vernon was built or extensively remodeled. 

When the mansion was first built it was much smaller and the house was known as Hunting Creek Plantation.  It would be considered a period 3 structure.  George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington lived there with his family for 4 years before moving to the Fredericksburg area and deeding the Mount Vernon house to his eldest son, Lawrence.  Lawrence Washington renamed the plantation after the British Navy Officer, Admiral Edward Vernon.  He had served under Admiral Vernon in the Caribbean.

Mount Vernon was renovated by Lawrence between 1743 and 1752, raising the roof and creating a second floor.  The house would have become a period 4 structure after these major renovations. Lawrence Washington died in 1752, leaving Mount Vernon to his wife. 

George Washington bought the rights to Mount Vernon from the widow of Lawrence.  When she died, he inherited Mount Vernon outright.  From that moment it would forever be known as, “George Washington’s Mount Vernon”.

At this time George was a busy young man.  In 1753 he joined the Virginia Regiment, fought in the French and Indian War, and in 1755, became an aide to General Braddock.  In 1758 he left the military and began extensive work on Mount Vernon, raising the roof again and creating a third floor.  Work on the mansion continued when he married Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759.  By then he was all of 27 years old. Mount Vernon retained its period 4 chart.

After finding the period of the house we must decide what direction it faces.  This house has no distinct facing or sitting and has confused many as to which is the front and which is the rear.  We will use logic to determine which is yin (quiet) and which is yang (energetic). 

Like a good comfortable armchair, a house should have a mountain in the back and some smaller supporting features on each side.  Mount Vernon sits on the highest point of the area.  However, there are outbuildings, and these serve as mountains for the stars in their areas (arms for the armchair). 

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon Walkway View

The large expanse of lawn, with its circular drive, brings visitors to the mansion today as it did in George Washington’s day.  It is a very yang feature.  General Washington himself laid out the plans for the driveway, ordered trees planted along it, and arranged for the symmetrical placement of outbuildings.  Many of those trees are still standing, and have grown large and strong along with the country he worked so hard to build.  Everything at Mount Vernon is there for a reason, and was intended to be beautiful as well as functional.

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

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

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