Feng Shui is the oriental ancient art of placement – a guiding philosophy to bring harmony by looking at our environments and how the balance of energies can affect every part of life. Feng Shui (Pronounced “Feng Shway” or “Fung Shui”or Fung Shuway,” depending if you are Mandarin, Cantonese, or American) means wind and water. The followers of Feng Shui believe that all we are and do is connected to the environment, Mother Earth and Chi, the natural order and energy in the Universe. Both the architecture of a home, as well as placement of furniture and other items in the home, can affect the balance (Yin and Yang) of energy flows within the house.
| Yang | Yin |
| Active | Passive |
| Hot | Cold |
| Life | Death |
| Summer | Winter |
| Male | Female |
| Day | Night |
| Odd | Even |
| Sun | Moon |
| Fire | Water |
There are a number of things that you can do to improve the environment in your home in accordance with Feng Shui. Some of the main factors in Feng Shui are the flow of chi, or the life force, within a home, and the maintenance of balance within the environment. There should be several pathways through the home from the home’s main entrance to enhance the natural flow of chi. A stairwell directly in front of the home’s entrance is not considered conducive to this, as it directs life’s energy flow directly upstairs instead of through the entire house. Chi also likes rounded corners that promote the free flow of energy. The placement of furniture and plants can also have an effect on the flow of chi.
Chinese numerology is based on the concept that certain words for numbers may have the same sound as another word, where that word may have a meaning either lucky or unlucky. The number 4 is considered unlucky by the Chinese because it sounds like the word “death” in Cantonese. Likewise, the number 13 is also considered unlucky because it adds up to the number 4. The number 8 is considered lucky because it sounds like the Cantonese word for “prosperous”. Sometimes combining an unlucky number with a lucky number can create a lucky combination. For instance, putting the number 4 in front of 8 changes the normally unlucky number 4 into a phrase that means “determined to prosper”. If you encounter an unlucky number for an address for a house, such as 444 Happy lane, you can counteract the bad luck by putting the home address inside a circular house address plate.