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Dear Karen,

Question: have a set of antique furniture which was given by my mum. I measured the furniture and it fits the good measures of the Feng Shui Ruler. Is this good?

Yes most Chinese antique furnitures do have a set of measurements that follows the Feng Shui ruler. In the past, there are highly skilled Feng Shui `practioners' who specialise in carpentry work.

As the furniture was given by your mum (to confirm: from her home?) if so, it is OK.

For other antique furniture that you want to purchase, where possible check it's origin. This is because it is said that furnitures do absorb the ch'i from its surroundings and for example when we purchase a home, a FS Master would normally also ask who were the previous owners especially if the house has been built for quite some time. This is the same rationale used to check on the antique furniture's origin.

For the dining table, one of the best materials is still wood. New furniture needs sometime to absord ch'i from it's surrounding. Glass and marble are less favoured dining table material because of it it's "hard surface" (which is Yang). Do note that "plastic " or polycarbyte are also considered " hard " and Yang. Yin materials is considered to provide generally a more `cosy' especially for the home.

Can you also elaborate more on the Feng Shui Ruler?

Under Yin Feng Shui or Feng Shui for the dead, great importance is placed on measurements e.g. of the grave tombstone etc... Currently, not many Feng Shui Masters know this skill as Yang Feng Shui or Feng Shui for the Living is `more widely' used today. This is mainly because of land scarcity and the need to cremate the dead. Cremation is said to have a neutral effect on the decendants of the dead. Secondly, Feng Shui for the living is `more lucrative'.

I understand that most users will ask this question: Is it important to follow Feng Shui measurements?

Lets look at these points:-

In the present day, there are many furniture designers and furniture makers. It is not possible to use the measurements on the Feng Shui ruler. Even if some furniture makers are aware of it, they may not believe in Feng Shui.

Most of us are not able to custom design home furnitures. Even if we do, we may only custom design e.g. built in cupboards but not possible for every furniture in the home e.g. dining table, sitting room table and chairs etc...

So what should we do?

I like to point out there are two main practises on this:-

(1). Some Feng Shui Masters/Practioners may say... use your sixth sense or the " Intuitive " form of Feng Shui and buy what you like that "meets" your needs. This is a sensible approach and the most practical in today's world. Simply go get what you like.The author agrees with this.

(2). Some Feng Shui designers (through their learning of Feng Shui) have incorporated some Feng Shui friendly features e.g. furniture with `rounded' corners. Do note: not "wavy" furniture as in the water element but furnitures that are `suppose' not to give off poision arrows from it's edges. The author also agree with this.

This is equally acceptable as most of us do read about poision arrows from nearly every FS website to nearly every FS books. You can consider the use of Feng Shui dimensions as `secondary' importance to Feng Shui.

In fact, one sad thing about the commercialisation of Feng Shui is that, within Feng Shui discipline alone there are many specialization e.g. you will usually find Feng Shui practioners mastering only a few techniques namely Pillars of Destiny and Flying Star because they are `lucrative' to teach or apply. It would take " years " to Master one specialization of Feng Shui and only true Masters would have Mastered all areas and such Masters are indeed rare. Another factor is that many of these good Masters are not versed in English and you only get view points coming from mainly `English educated' Feng Shui practioners.

Unfortunately, because the rest of the disciplines are not lucractive, you will most likely see these not practised at all. For example, theories like the Eight House Theory or the Eight Mansions or 4 good or 4 bad directions cannot "make money" but are valid e.g. to determine your suitable house. Some commercial practioners may consider these theories as either `secondary' disciplines.. or `non-exisistent' or discounted totally. This could also happen to other `secondary' Feng Shui tools like the Feng Shui dimensions/rulers. This is indeed a sad case for Feng Shui on the whole.

However, many Feng Shui authors consider Feng Shui dimensions to warrant at least a chapter devoted to this topic. Creditable authors include Dr Evelyn Lip, who had included Feng Shui dimensions in every of her Feng Shui book. Derek Walters mentioned it in his book Feng Shui. Even Lillian Too, uses Feng Shui auspicious dimensions for all her Feng Shui books and if I am not mistaken, she believes this has `helped' her books to sell.

When we do research at Geomancy.net, we first believe that each Feng Shui module has it's own specific use and secondly as far as possible to bring up two sides of the coin and let users judge for themselves. No hidden agenda on this. We will continue to provide you with view points from Chinese speaking Feng Shui Masters who do not have a strong presence in the predominantly English speaking Feng Shui community.

One interesting point:

Do you know that the Singapore Government got a Feng Shui consultant to advise on the measurement of the main entrance door of all Public Housing Board Flats?

This is a little known `published' fact that all the main entrance doors of Housing Development Board Flats are of auspicous Feng Shui dimensions. Imagine, more than 90% of all Singaporeans live in such public flats!

Most FS Masters do talk about the importance of the `mouth' of the house i.e. the main entrance door. As mentioned above, this is considered a `little known fact' because of the racial diversity in Singapore. The `worry' is that this may offend other races especially the e.g. Malays who are Muslims and may get the wrong idea that Feng Shui is a religion.