BALANCE in feng shui refers to the presence of the hard and the soft, the dark and the light, the yin and the yang. With regard to the landscape, feng shui suggests a harmony of various elements of nature like rocks, boulders, soil types, water and even the quality and type of vegetation.
Feng shui is first and foremost a tradition tied to the land. The relationship of the feng shui practitioner with the land is the expression of a bond, of understanding the flow of energy in the earth and being in harmony with it.
By listening to the earth we become attuned to the energy of the universe because this energy is manifested in the air as wind, on the earth as water and land, and in the sky as stars. In the world of an authentic feng shui practitioner, the earth is an entity animated by energy. Energy flows in it, through it and around it.
Energy in flat open spaces is different from that in mountainous areas. Similarly, energy in a valley is different from that on a plateau. This means that each type of landform has a specific kind of energy associated with it.
Avoid land which is too wet, where waterlogging is possible. And avoid land which is too dry; where vegetation gets starved of water and burnt by the sun. In other words there must not be too much yin or too much yang. Balance at all times is the key to finding places with good feng shui.
Traditional feng shui masters recommend that you avoid purchasing land which is located at dead ends. Theoretically such land has a road coming straight at it, and symbolically the inmates of the house are put in a tight corner.
In addition to the natural structures of one’s building, it is equally important to be wary of other man-made structures which can bring misfortune or ‘shar chi’. Apart from balancing the ‘chi’ of the whole area, structures like transmission towers and large criss-cross beams direct ‘poison arrows’ towards the land facing them.
Land close to graveyards, cemeteries, crematoriums and hospitals are also taboo as they emanate strong yin vibrations that are supposed to overwhelm the breath of life.
It could be difficult at times to find a land which is regular in shape, and either a square or rectangle, but it is advisable to look for such plots. Regular shaped plots have a steady and good flow of energy levels travelling diagonal across the meridians. Irregularly shaped plots forming triangles, trapezoids and even parallelograms are considered less auspicious with regard to the energy flow due to their shape. If the plots are ‘L’ or ‘T’ shaped it can be simply subdivided into two regularly shaped plots so they are easier to handle. If you own an irregularly shaped plot which cannot be subdivided you need to look into the possibility of shaping the plot by using plants or trees to camouflage the irregularity.
