Бесплатный фрагмент - Dynamic Feng Shui

Introduction

Feng Shui is not a superstition, but a science of harmony with the environment.

The modern world requires new approaches, but the essence remains the same: energy should flow freely and in a balanced manner.

— Master Yang Yizhun
(1866–1936)

An outstanding master of the late Qing Dynasty – early Republic of China, systematizer of the theory of Flying Stars (Xuan Kun Fei Xing)

Harmonizing living spaces, going beyond purely aesthetic and functional design, is an interdisciplinary task at the intersection of design, environmental psychology, and traditional environmental theories. One of the most developed and systematized concepts in this field is the Chinese art of feng shui, which offers a comprehensive language for describing human interaction with energy flows (qi) in space. However, its practical application in the modern world faces a number of methodological challenges: the subjectivity of interpretations, the difficulty of synthesizing multi-level information (individual, spatial, and temporal), and, consequently, the low reproducibility of recommendations.

The goal of this work is to develop a formalized, algorithmic methodology for dynamic feng shui that can overcome these challenges. The work aims to create a transparent, reproducible, and adaptive system for analyzing and adjusting space, taking into account both static and dynamic factors, as well as the interests of multiple users. The proposed approach is based on a critical analysis of existing practices, a synthesis of classical knowledge, and its formalization in the form of hierarchical algorithms tested using analytical prototype cases. This methodology potentially lays the foundation for the creation of expert systems and the integration of feng shui principles into modern digital environmental design technologies.

Chapter 1.
Theoretical and methodological foundations of Feng Shui in the context of modern environmental design

“The five elements are the language of the Universe. Understanding their interaction allows we speak with space and transform it.”

— Master Lillian Too (born 1945)

A modern popularizer of Feng Shui, author of numerous international bestsellers. Her works made complex concepts accessible to the global audience.

1.1. The Five Elements (Wu Xing) as a language for describing energy interactions in space

The five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water — form the fundamental language of feng shui for describing all energetic interactions. They are not literal substances, but rather categories of energy quality that exist in a relationship of generation (the Sheng cycle) and destruction (the Ke cycle). Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood. At the same time, Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water, Water controls Fire, Fire controls Metal, and Metal — Tree.

In the practice of space harmonization, each element is associated with specific colors, shapes, materials, and symbols. Understanding and utilizing these connections allows one to consciously influence the energetic climate of a space: enhancing favorable aspects and weakening or transforming negative ones. The five elements serve as a universal code that can describe both the characteristics of a person (through the Gua number), the characteristics of a place (cardinal direction, room type), and time (Flying Stars). Thus, the Wu Xing represents a key coordinate system for the multidimensional analysis of space.

1.2. Gua numbers and cardinal directions: individual and locational aspects of qi

A person’s individual energy in feng shui is described by a Gua number, calculated based on their date of birth. This number, which relates to one of the five elements, determines favorable and unfavorable directions for a specific person, as well as their personal element requiring support. For example, Gua numbers 1 are associated with Water, 9 with Fire, 3 and 4 with Wood, and 6 and 7 — with Metal, 2 and 8 — with Earth. Taking into account the Gua number is essential for personalizing a space, especially in private areas (bedrooms, offices), where the goal is to enhance the resident’s personal luck and potential.

The locational aspect is determined by the compass direction (cardinal direction) of a room’s sector. Each direction has an inherent, unchanging element: East and Southeast — Wood; South — Fire; Southwest and Center — Earth; West and Northwest— Metal; North — Water; Northeast — Wood. This static characteristic creates the basic energetic background of the room.

The conflict or harmony between the cardinal direction element and the user’s personal Gua element constitutes the first layer of complexity in analysis. Ideally, these energies should support each other: for example, a Metal person (Gua 6 or 7) benefits from being in the west or northwest sector (Metal element), which enhances their own energy. Otherwise, balancing through other factors or corrective tools is required.

1.3. Flying Stars (Xuan Kun Fei Xing) as a dynamic model of temporal influences

The most complex and dynamic aspect of classical feng shui is the theory of Flying Stars. It introduces the variable of time into the analysis, positing that the energy map of a room changes annually, monthly, and even daily. During each time period, stars numbered 1 through 9 “fly” into the room’s sectors, each carrying positive, negative, or neutral energy and associated with a specific element.

For example, stars 1, 4, 6, 8, and 9 are considered positive (bringing good fortune in various areas), while stars 2, 3, 5, and 7 are considered negative (bringing illness, quarrels, and losses). The influence of a flying star can either enhance or completely negate a static room profile based on the cardinal direction and room type. Ignoring this factor, especially negative stars, can negate all other harmonization efforts. It is the Flying Stars that demonstrate the impossibility of creating these recommendations once and for all and confirm the need for a dynamic approach.

1.4. The Problem of Synthesis: The Conflict of Static and Dynamic Factors in Feng Shui Practice

The key methodological challenge of modern feng shui is the synthesis of multi-level, and sometimes contradictory, information. Within a single room, the following operate simultaneously:

1. Static factor of the cardinal direction (element A).

2. Static factor of the room type (element B).

3. Individual factor of the resident/residents (elements Gua B, G, D…).

4. Dynamic factor of the Flying Star (element for correction E).

What’s more important: a negative star in the living room or the favorable element of the head of the family’s Gua? How to choose one key element for correction if several people with different Gua elements live in the same room? Traditional practice, relying on the master’s intuition and experience, often provides subjective and opaque answers to these questions. The lack of a clear, formal hierarchy of factors leads to low reproducibility of results and hinders learning. This work offers resolve this contradiction by developing a formalized algorithm with explicit priority rules, which transfers feng shui from the realm of art to the realm of reproducible technology.

Chapter 2.
Critical analysis of existing approaches and formalization of knowledge

“Traditions must be alive, not frozen. Feng Shui must “adapt, but not lose your essence.”

— Professor Wang Youde
(1898 – 1975)

A Chinese scholar and historian who researched the evolution of feng shui from the ancients geomantic practices to modern interpretations.

2.1. Review of classical treatises and modern interpretations (literature review)

The historical development of feng shui encompasses numerous schools and treatises, from the classic texts of the Bazhai (Eight Palaces) and Xuan Kong (Flying Stars) schools to modern Western adaptations. Fundamental works, such as the Bazhai treatises, laid the foundations for calculating Gua numbers and determining auspicious directions. The Xuan Kong Fei Xing theory, detailed in specialized manuals, introduced dynamic, temporal analysis.

Modern authors such as Lillian Too, Nancy Wajdra, and Sarah Rossbach have adapted ancient principles for a Western audience, emphasizing interior design and practical application. However, as academic works (e.g., Mak & So, 2011) note, this popularization has often been accompanied by simplification and commercialization, leading to a dilution of rigorous methodology and an increase in subjectivity.

An analysis of modern digital solutions (mobile apps, computer programs) revealed their main drawback: they are reduced to either static furniture placement advice or a simple horoscope based on a Gua number, completely ignoring the complex dynamic synthesis of factors, especially Flying Stars and conflicts between multiple users. Thus, there is a gap between deep, but difficult to systematize, traditional knowledge and the demand for objective, replicable, and technologically advanced solutions for environmental harmonization.

2.2. Methodological problems of expert consultations: subjectivity and static nature

Traditional consulting practice, despite its value, has a number of systemic shortcomings that limit its reliability and scalability.

1. Subjectivity and low reproducibility: Recommendations from different professionals for the same project can vary dramatically depending on their experience, intuition, and affiliation with a particular school. This calls into question the objectivity of the analysis and makes the results dependent on the consultant’s personality.

2. Static: Many recommendations are given as final, without taking into account the annual dynamics of the Flying Stars. As a result, a correction that is effective one year may prove neutral or even harmful the next, which disorients the client and undermines confidence in the practice as a whole.

3. The problem of synthesis under multiple data conditions: The lack of a transparent, formalized hierarchy of factors forces the practitioner to rely on intuition when resolving conflicts. Consequently, the decision-making process becomes opaque to the client and difficult to convey to students.

4. The difficulty of taking into account the interests of several residents: In shared spaces or when analyzing an entire family apartment, it’s necessary to reconcile divergent, and sometimes even conflicting, personal preferences stemming from different Gua numbers. There’s no standardized algorithm for such aggregation in traditional practice.

These problems point to the need to move from an expert-dependent art to a technological methodology based on explicit rules.

2.3. Principles of constructing a formalized algorithm: hierarchy of factors and decision tree

The solution to these methodological problems lies in the development of a formalized algorithm that transforms expert knowledge into a sequence of logical steps — a decision tree. The key principle is establishing a clear hierarchy of factor importance, allowing for unambiguous prioritization when factors conflict. Based on an analysis of practical cases, the following hierarchy was derived:

1. STEP1: Absolute priority for correction of negative Flying Stars.The safety of the space is paramount. Availability The presence of a negative star (especially 5 Yellow or 2 Black) in a room overrides all other considerations. In this case, the key element for the room is the one required to weaken (control) the negative star.

2. STEP2: Analysis of personal premises under positive/neutral stars.For bedrooms, offices and other personal areas where there is no threat from From the Flying Stars perspective, the primary goal is to strengthen the resident’s personal energy. Priority is given to their Gua element (STEP 2A).

3. STEP3: Analysis of common areas with positive/neutral stars.The following algorithm is used for the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and hallway Balancing. Elemental combinations are analyzed for each user.

(cardinal direction, room type, Gua). The selection rules are then applied: if the same element is identified for most users, it is selected as the final element. If the elements are different for everyone or distributed evenly, priority is given to the element of the room type as the most stable functional marker.

This approach ensures objectivity, reproducibility, transparency, and consideration of dynamics, forming a reliable foundation for algorithmization.

2.4. Development of reference matrices: elements of cardinal directions, types of premises, Flying Stars

For a formalized algorithm to function, a reference knowledge base — a set of consistent reference tables (matrices)—is required. As part of the methodology, the following matrices were developed and standardized:

• Matrix of the elements of the cardinal directions: Behind every compass direction the basic element is fixed (e.g. South – Fire, North – Water, Center – Earth).

• Matrix of elements of room types: Each functional area assigned a dominant element based on its purpose and energy (e.g. Bedroom (adults)

• Earth, Study – Wood, Kitchen – Fire, Bathroom – Water, Hallway – Metal).

• Flying Stars Stat Matrix: For each of the nine stars defined: a) the element used for its correction (weakening, if the star is negative, or support, if positive); b) the quality of energy (positive, negative, neutral).

These matrices serve as constant input data for the algorithm, eliminating discrepancies and ensuring consistency of analysis. Their presence allows for the transition from abstract reasoning to precise, formal calculation of the key element for any room at any given time.

Chapter 3.
Methodology of dynamic analysis and selection of key elements

“Time is a river, and the energy of the house changes with its flow. He who does not takes time into account, builds a house on sand.”

— Master Sheng Huanzhi (1900–1982)

A practitioner and theorist who paid particular attention to dynamic aspects Feng Shui, especially the influence of time cycles on space.

3.1. Step-by-step algorithm: correction priority, personal zones, common areas

The proposed methodology is implemented as a clear, step-by-step algorithm, applied to each individual premises for each analyzed time period (e.g., year). The algorithm is a decision tree: