Saturday, June 20, 2009

Feng Shui Dictionary - Brought To You By The Letter "I"

It's been a cool, somewhat chilly day so far. I had the misfortune to catch a cold, and though nursing oneself to health is pretty cumbersome prospects I am thankful I did not catch the dreaded H1N1 disease! I hope you have armed yourself with a diet of fresh veggies, fruits as well as extra vitamin supplements to keep your immune level high and strong. Everyone needs to take care in order to surpass this most dreaded type of influenza.

Anyway, enough with health chatter and let's get back to topic! Here's some education for Feng Shui enthusiasts - an excerpt of my book The Feng Shui Dictionary.

Here's the Dictionary's Letter I section in its entirety. I'd love to hear from you for feedback regarding this ebook - we are now planning an updated version soon.


I Ching (The Book of Changes)
I Ching, also known as Yi Jing, the Classic of Changes and the Book of Changes, is considered to the be oldest known Chinese classic text. This text is regarded as an explanation of a system of divination, and comprises of a series of symbols, poems, commentaries and guidelines. It also describes an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy that is intrinsic to ancient Chinese cultural beliefs.

Illness
A recurring illness of occupant is a sign of less than desirable Feng Shui. If the occupants of the home or office often take turns getting sick, steps are needed to improve the general energy of a location.

Incense Burner
The use of incense in China is an ancient practice spanning centuries, back in the prehistoric times. Incense-burning activities hold spiritual, cleansing and religious meanings.

Censing has a long history in China. Generally, people cense their clothes to show courtesy and censing later became a practice favored by intellectuals. Before the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.), incense burners made of ceramics, porcelain, brass, iron and tiles already came into being. During the Xuande reign (1425 - 1434) of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the making technique of bronze incense burners reached its peak.

Chinese incense items are not always available, the use of incense sometimes deeply discouraged by government. But Chinese perfumers have managed to produce some fine quality products. Some incense made in China come from a secret source. Incense use in religious ritual was first widely developed in China, and eventually transmitted to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Incense holds an invaluable role in East Asian Buddhist ceremonies and rites as well as in those of Chinese Taoist and Japanese Shinto shrines. It is reputed to be a method of purifying the surroundings, bringing forth the Buddhist Alamkaraka (Realm of Adornment).

In Chinese Taoist and Buddhist temples, the inner spaces are scented with thick coiled incense, which are either hung from the ceiling or on special stands. Worshippers at the temples light and burn sticks of incense in large bundles, which they wave while bowing to the statues or plaques of a deity or an ancestor. Individual sticks of incense are then vertically placed into individual censers located in front of the statues or plaques either singularly or in threes, depending on the status of the deity or the feelings of the individual.

Feng Shui utilizes the power of incense to muster up favorable Fire element, as well as for cleansing properties. It is said that burning incense dispels negative Qi, or energy, from a premise to allow the arrival of cleaner, fresher and more positive Qi into a premise. Thus incense burning is an important step in Qi cleansing and space clearing ceremonies in Feng Shui.

Indoor Gardens
Indoor gardens are a form of Feng Shui practice. Placed in the correct sector of the home, these bring exceptionally good fortune. If you want an open-air design in your home that calls for indoor gardens and landscaped interiors, make sure that these are located in the East, the Southeast or the South sector of your home. Following this advice allows you to blend harmoniously with the elements that make up your living space. Do not place your indoor garden in the sector which corresponds to the Southwest or the Northeast. This will cause disruptions in your family life and could also harm the marriage.

Interior Feng Shui
The arrangement of furniture to create auspicious vibrations. This refers to the layoutu of the home and the allocation of rooms according to Feng Shui guidelines. It also refers to the selection of curtains and carpets and other soft furnishings. The ideal Feng Shui home creates a warm ambience where Yang energy and auspicious Qi flow freely from room to room.

Did you like this post? You can find out more about the Feng Shui Dictionary by clicking here!

Blessings and all the best,

Corey

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