Many people equate Feng Shui consultants with miracle-making abilities. Clients sometimes think that Feng Shui consultants can wave a magic wand, apply a formula and make all their problems disappear or turn them into millionaires when they follow certain water formulas. Feng Shui does not work like that. It is not magic. Feng Shui consultants are not graduates of Hogwarts!

Let's go back to the basics. Feng Shui is about tapping and making use of the correct Qi in the environment, thus maximising the potential of the environment around your property to improve your quality of life. There are many positive improvements that Feng Shui can bring to a person's life but one has to be cautioned that there are also limitations in what Feng Shui can do, particularly if the role played by Feng Shui is not understood correctly.

When the Qi in the environment is working for you, you feel better, you are more energised, more motivated, more alert, you are able to respond to opportunities better and thus this contributes to your ability to perform better at work and enjoy positive relationships with those around you. When you are happy and relaxed, you are able to pursue your goals with a clear mind. Often, wealth and increased prosperity or affluence is an outcome of that positive state of affairs.

But having the best Feng Shui in the world is of no benefit if the person does not take any action. Sometimes, people have the misconception that once they utilise Feng Shui, there's no need to lift a finger - the formula (or if you are into New Age Feng Shui, the trinket, amulet or figurine) will do everything for you. As much as I don't want to shatter anyone's illusions, Feng Shui cannot make money or miracles from nothing. Old fashioned hard work is also required.

In Feng Shui, there are techniques and systems that can be used to produce quick results or bring about results that are more instantly notable. For example, using Water formulas often brings about faster results than using Mountain formulas. But of course, Water also does not bring about lasting results. For that, you need to use Mountains. Similarly, the Eight Mansions system produces more steady and gradual results and is suitable for long-term outcomes whilst the Flying Stars system produces quicker, short-term outcomes. But no matter what system is used, not taking action is simply a zero-sum gain. So today, I'm going to share with you why action matters more than most people realise, when it comes to matters of Feng Shui.

The Philosophy of the Cosmic Trinity

One of the core concepts of Chinese Metaphysics is the theory of the Cosmic Trinity. The Cosmic Trinity refers to the three factors that influence our lives: Heaven, Earth and Man. Each of these three factors exerts an equal influence on us, which if you are into percentages, is around 33.33%.

Heaven refers to a person's Destiny, the life path that is laid out for a person at the time of his birth, as influenced by the stars, elements and Qi present in the solar system at the time of the person's birth. Chinese Astrology, either through BaZi or Purple Star Astrology, is how consultants decipher what a person's Destiny is.

Earth refers to the environment in which a person lives in or works in. It is this aspect of the cosmic trinity that Feng Shui looks to address and help improve.

Finally, Man refers to the actions and choices that a person makes in life. His beliefs, education, aspirations and virtues.

Each of the above three factors is inter-related. They do not function in isolation. For example, in an ideal situation, a person would have good Heaven Luck (a superior Destiny), good Earth Luck (excellent Feng Shui) and good Man Luck (the ability and wisdom to make the right choice and take the right action). When all three factors operate in tandem, everything is smooth.

However, when there is a problem with any one of these factors, then it also impacts on the other components. For example, if a person is not going through favourable Heaven luck, according to his BaZi (Eight Characters or Destiny chart), then the chances of that person being able to find a good house or live in a place with favourable Feng Shui (i.e. the Earth Luck component) is reduced. Accordingly, he has to rely on the action he takes or the choices he makes (i.e. the Man Luck component) to overcome any obstacles or problems he is facing.

Likewise, if a person is not destined to be a millionaire for example, then from a wealth perspective, that person starts out at a disadvantage. In these instances, Feng Shui can help bring about some improvement but the rest has to be old-fashioned hard work and financial prudence - making the right choices and taking the right action.

Many clients and students of Feng Shui find it difficult to understand this concept because often they try to reason or understand how it all works together. The Cosmic Trinity is really a metaphysical chicken and egg scenario - we could go on and on about which comes first, which matters more and which should be prioritised. I think it's much more important for people to appreciate the concept and understand that the Cosmic Trinity illustrates the point that taking action and taking the right action at the right time, is just as important as having the right Feng Shui.

Doing the Right Thing, At the Right Time

BaZi is a good example of how action is just as important as knowing what destiny has in store for a person. When a client comes for a BaZi analysis, as a consultant, we help our clients understand their life path, understand their talents and abilities, how they could capitalise on their best years and lie low during the difficult years. But, I always emphasise to clients that it is one thing to know what Destiny has in store for you and knowing your personal potential, but it is another thing to actually achieve it. For that, a person needs to take action and make the right choices.

For example, let's say that someone has great potential to be a writer or perhaps a music star. If this person simply sits at home and does nothing but watches television or idles his time away, then his potential is not achieved because he did not take any action and thus, did not put himself in a position to maximise his talent and potential. Knowing your abilities and potential is one thing. But not doing anything means you are not going to achieve the greatness you were destined to achieve.

So what does this all mean when it comes to Feng Shui? Firstly, my goal in this article is to enable my readers to understand and appreciate why Feng Shui is not a miracle practice, and why it is not magic. It is simply because it is just one of the components in the Cosmic Trinity.

Secondly, it is important that people appreciate the limitations of Feng Shui. Yes, in my previous articles, I have written about how Feng Shui, when properly utilised, can create Emperors and be used to build empires. But all this does not happen because of Feng Shui alone. There is a Heaven component to it and a Man aspect to it as well. Often, it is hard for Feng Shui enthusiasts to understand why after paying a considerable amount of money and spending hours on fine tuning their house, they are still not millionaires or still not getting what they have wanted to achieve. The Cosmic Trinity offers the answer to that question.

Thirdly, it is important that anyone who intends to seek the advice of a Feng Shui consultant, knows that Destiny analysis is an important component in the practice of Feng Shui. Through the use of BaZi (also known as Eight Characters or Four Pillars of Destiny) or Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), Destiny Analysis provides the means to achieve a diagnosis of a person's challenges or problems in life. Feng Shui is only the prescription. Some Feng Shui practitioners make recommendations or suggest Feng Shui remedies without carrying out a personal destiny analysis of their clients. When Feng Shui remedies are suggested without an analysis of a person's Destiny through BaZi or Zi Wei, it is like giving a 'cure' or a prescription without a proper diagnosis, it is unlikely that the remedies will be effective.

It is possible that some Feng Shui practitioners do not like to talk about limitations. Perhaps it may be because shattering people's dreams is difficult and unpleasant. Or may be it is easier for them to give hope to their clients rather than to tell them that the only way for them to be wealthy or successful in this lifetime is to work hard! And perhaps, it doesn't sound like what most people want to hear in this age and era of instant gratification. But if Feng Shui is to gain recognition as a creditable profession, then it is important for people to know that Feng Shui has its own inherent limitations because Feng Shui consultants are not in the business of creating miracles and the public must understand this. For starters, it will certainly go a long way towards preventing people from being taken for a ride when it comes to Feng Shui because they can now understand the context in which Feng Shui is utilised, and what it can and cannot do.

This is not to say that Feng Shui is of zero help either. If your Destiny is not so favourable or advantaged, with hard work and focus on a person's part, plus a little extra push from Feng Shui, achieving your goals and dreams in life is not impossible. You may not get to your aim as quickly and speedily as a person with a better Destiny, but you could still get there eventually.

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