While these Feng Shui teachings are well-known and practiced in the Western world, neither of them is actually a reputable and separate Feng Shui system. The two major schools of Feng Shui are San He and San Yan. Therefore, each of the described below practices belongs to one of these traditional Feng Shui schools.
Compass School of Feng Shui
Probably everyone who is acquainted with Feng Shui heard of so-called compass school. It should be mentioned that compass school is not a separate teaching, but more of a general name for classical Feng Shui systems that use a compass. In general, any system of traditional Feng Shui can be called compass school because all the practitioners of classical Feng Shui use a Feng Shui compass, or Luo Pan, as one of their major tools.
Form School of Feng Shui
There isn’t really such a thing as form school of Feng Shui. It is just a method of the San He system for assessing the environment through forms (rivers, mountains, buildings, etc.) that surround the dwelling. So-called form school belongs to San He system of Feng Shui, and its major principles are in observing the environment attentively and carefully with the purpose of determining what effect it might have on person’s life. Celestial animals are commonly used by this method as a Feng Shui cure. However, all the methods of traditional Feng Shui involve such an analysis of the environment.
New Age Western School – Black Hat Feng Shui
The brightest example of New Age Western Feng Shui is Black Hat Sect. The Black Sect teaching was brought to the USA in the 1970s, and announced to have its roots in Black Hat Tantric Buddhism. The fact, however, is that Buddha never encouraged Feng Shui because considered it a distraction from meditation and part of the illusion. Nevertheless, due to the simplicity of its basic principles, this Feng Shui movement became extremely popular in the Americas and Europe.
The Black Hat Feng Shui doesn’t require using a compass – the position of Bagua areas is determined on the basis of front door’s location. That is, career area is always in the middle of the front door wall, rear left corner is always wealth area, rear right corner – love area, and so on.
Intuitive Feng Shui
This Feng Shui method does not actually belong to any of the classical Feng Shui schools. It became popular not too long ago, and does not require a practitioner to know any of the Feng Shui concepts. What it involves is arranging the environment in a way the practitioner feels appropriate and favorable. This method cannot be considered reliable since intuition is the basis of it, and intuition cannot be measured or checked to make sure it led to the correct decision.
It should also be mentioned that there are many practices that may be used as supplementary for Feng Shui, but are not Feng Shui principles in any way. These include Chinese and Japanese Astrology, Space Clearing, Creating a Sacred Space, and Clearing Clutter among others. While these practices can be used by Feng Shui consultants, they are not, and cannot act as pure Feng Shui practices.
Sources:
- DGFS, LLC. "E-lesson: Schools of Feng Shui." Dragongatefengshui.net.
- Kartar Diamond. Feng Shui for Skeptics: Real Solutions Without Superstition. Four Pillars Pub, 2003.
- Master Francis Leyau. "Different Schools of Feng Shui." Absolutelyfengshui.com.
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