The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap Wind chimes hung in walkways, hallways or inside front doors capture negative energy and transmute it into positive energy, or chi, according to some feng shui specialists. Bells on a door are also said to serve the same function. Welcome to Chi Town Is the key to a happy home in furniture placement? By Pam Marino I call it the Mystery of the Mirrors. When my family moved into our home in June, we were confounded by the floor-to-ceiling mirrors hanging at either end of the hallway to the bedrooms. Our hallway stretches into infinity. For the first couple of days after we moved in, everyone had the urge to turn the wrong way into the hallway, which would bring us nose-to-nose with our own reflections. One day a friend of ours who saw the mirrors for the first time said, "I'll bet it's feng shui." I had heard bits and pieces of information about feng shui (pronounced fung shway) over the years and had the impression that it was some sort of Chinese superstition about keeping evil spirits away. I decided to do some reading on the subject, and the first information I came across said flatly that mirrors have nothing to do with feng shui. Not true, insists John Chung Fung, a Cupertino herb-and-tea shop owner who is teaching an up coming feng shui class for the Cupertino Parks and Recreation Department. The Hong Kong native, who came to this country in 1979, said mirrors absolutely have a place in feng shui. Which brings up one universal truth about feng shui: If you ask a dozen people what feng shui is, you're bound to get a dozen different answers. Part of the difficulty is that numerous kinds of feng shui exist, from classical to compass school, form school and black hat, among others. Many feng shui practitioners practice more than one type. The term feng shui literally means "wind and water." The study of feng shui, considered both an ancient science and an art by some, is the study of the flow of energy through nature. The belief is that people can arrange their surroundings to allow the flow of good energy, or "chi," and block, deflect or counterbalance bad energy, or "sha chi." By striving for balance and harmony in their surroundings, people can bring harmony and even prosperity to their lives, according to those who practice it. "The goal is to see whether your house or your workplace fits into the natural surroundings," Fung said. "If it doesn't fit, it might impact your well-being." If everything fits, using feng shui can also enhance positive energy in a person's life, he said. Feng shui practitioners will study a home or a business, or even a piece of property before it is built on, to determine the energy flow. If there is an imbalance, they suggest ways to remedy the situation. The five elements of fire, wood, earth, water and metal must all be in harmony with one another; if not, they can be balanced by adding or subtracting items. Depending on the type of feng shui they advocate, practitioners may suggest anything from rearrangement of furniture to changing colors, to the addition or subtraction of items in the home, to the placement of symbolic items like mirrors or wind chimes. For instance, placement of furniture could block the flow of good energy in a home, say some practitioners. Or a house that faces a T-intersection could be receiving bad energy flowing directly at it, or even too much good energy. The wrong colors could promote arguing between couples. Mirrors, even small symbolic ones, can deflect bad energy that may be pointing toward a home. Inside a home, mirrors can multiply good energy, some prctitioners say. To a Western mind it could come across as superstition, but advocates say that what the subconscious is bombarded with can have either a positive or a negative effect on people. Stories abound of people who felt uneasy in homes or businesses, but after utilizing feng shui found comfort and even an improvement in their lives. A full explanation of all the complexities and subtleties of feng shui fills books--there are about 150 on the market--and even longtime students say they are just beginners. "Feng shui is one of those disciplines that takes a lifetime to understand," said Karen Lane, who will be teaching a course for the Fremont Union High School District Adult Education Department in Sunnyvale next month. The original feng shui is thought to have been developed by ancient Chinese scholars working for the emperors; different sources place the beginnings anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 years ago. A compass, called a lo pan, was used, along with the study of astronomy and complex mathematical equations, to determine where and how to place buildings and how to arrange the interiors. Cate Bramble, a Southern California-based practitioner of classical feng shui, said an electrical engineering professor who studied the practice concluded that what the scholars were doing was attempting to align human habitations with their local geomagnetic fields. "We always thought the Chinese were very superstitious people; they look a lot more wise than we give them credit for," Bramble said of the scholars. But somewhere along the way, feng shui went from a strict scientific discipline to numerous versions of a practice that some say does cross the line into superstition. Most historical sources say that the emperors kept feng shui a closely guarded secret, as one way to ensure they would remain in power. But somewhere along the way the secret got out. Stories vary on just how that happened. One story tells of how an emperor purposely made public false feng shui practices to confuse the people as to which ones were real. Thousands of years and thousands of miles later, the confusion--and at times, controversy--over feng shui principles continues. The man who is credited with bringing feng shui to America, Lin Yun, has also been criticized for adding a spiritual element to the practice, something classical advocates, who use compasses and calculations, say doesn't belong. Students of Yun's defend his teachings, saying they have found them to be helpful. Despite the differences, since feng shui was introduced in this country more than 10 years ago, there has been an explosion in the number of books, classes and practitioners. Public interest has grown, as evidenced by the popularity of local classes. Although both about feng shui (and both starting the same day, Jan. 27), the Cupertino and Sunnyvale classes are very different. Fung takes a very practical approach to feng shui. For him, it is about seeking balance in life. He encourages people not to blindly accept feng shui, but to use reason as to whether a practice makes sense to them. "If you believe it within reason, you can improve your life," Fung said. Practicing feng shui, he said, gives him peace of mind. Fung, who also teaches a class in Chinese herbs, said he sometimes uses a compass, but he relies on the tool less than some others who practice feng shui. The Sunnyvale class will teach people how to use compasses, however. Instructor Karen Lane has been taught both classical and what's called black-hat feng shui. She believes compass readings are valid and said her clients' lives have been improved through their use. The growth in public interest in the subject has stretched into business--Donald Trump is said to swear by his classical feng shui consultant--and even local real estate agents are finding that employing feng shui principles is helping them with sales. Cupertino agent Nichole Lea, who practices feng shui principles in her own life, said she has noticed a growing number of clients of various cultures using feng shui in either the sale or the purchase of property. While some may look for success, and even riches, in business and life in general, those who believe in feng shui said it is not the be-all and the end-all. Most interviewed said that feng shui only affects 20 to 30 percent of a person's life. "It will not affect everything ... it's not a magic bullet," said Palo Alto-based practitioner Holland Franklin. As for the Mystery of the Mirrors, I asked several practitioners about it, and I got several different answers. It could be that the previous owners were trying to increase the flow of good energy, or produce a calming effect, or they might even have installed them the wrong way and their placement is producing too much bad energy. Or maybe they simply wanted to enlargen the space. I realized we'd probably have to pay someone--the cost of analyzing an average house is $200 to $300--to come in and check it out. For now I'll just tell myself we've got an endless hallway and an endless amount of good chi running through our home. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.