Feng shui is an ancient and complex discipline. Over the centuries it has enjoyed diverse cultural influences and branched into many forms. Modern feng shui in America can trace its origins to three main schools of thought:
Form feng shui: Developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC– 219 BC), this school of feng shui looks for protective influences in the shapes of surrounding landscapes and structures.
Form feng shui recognizes that the land around us is shaped primarily by wind and water, and the quality of the chi they carry. Each landform, whether rolling, green hills or sharp, craggy mountain peaks, gives off its own type of energy. Some arrangements of landforms are beneficial and protective; others produce harmful chi. Form feng shui helps us choose a good location for our homes, and can help us modify undesirable land elements in our present homes. It can also be applied indoors to the way we position our furnishings. Many schools of feng shui incorporate elements of the Form method into their traditions.
Compass-based feng shui: Developed in the Sung Dynasty (960 AD–1279 AD), this method uses an 8-point compass based on a numeric system with magnetic north as zero. Each direction has its own characteristics, energies, colors, shapes, and elements. Applying this compass to a home or office can reveal information about the pattern of energy that flows there. Individuals can then enhance their environments with the proper colors, shapes, and materials for each energy area. Compass forms of feng shui often overwhelm beginners—particularly those uncomfortable with mathematics—and as a result, they have not caught on as readily in the United States. Even in China, people often hire feng shui masters to help them interpret the complex system of numbers that affects their lives.
Black Sect, or “Black Hat” feng shui: This relatively new, Buddhist-inspired school of feng shui, originally from Tibet, uses relative positioning rather than compass directions to determine the specific areas of importance within a home.