THE PREMISE
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art that has been practised for thousands of years. It is based on the idea that there should be a "balance" or harmony in the world. Everything around us has its proper place. If something is out of place and the balance is disturbed, this disruption can materialize as a feeling of uneasiness in the people around it, or as violence or lack of prosperity in the area.
Feng Shui, in all its various forms, acts to restore that balance and harmony. This balance can be in difference ways, such as health, prosperity, wealth and love. And a lot of it really works. The cities of Hong Kong and Singapore are prosperous capitals compared to their neighbors because they are located in places where the Feng Shui is perfect for a bustling metropolis. Even the house of Bill Gates, richest man in the world, is said to be located in the perfect location in the hills to bring its owner great wealth.
But why does Feng Shui not work for some people? In order to answer that, we need to look at its history.
THE HISTORY
Feng Shui originated from ancient China, a land that developed other skills and arts such as medicine, martial arts and the origins of chemical warfare. The knowledge of these skills were highly priced, and the masters of these skills understandably did not want their secrets to be known to others, for fear that the knowledge could be used for wrong purposes, or that the masters would lose their status and prestige once the knowledge became commonplace.
It is therefore expected that the masters might not have handed down all of their knowledge to their students. These students might have compiled whatever knowledge they had, and guessed the remainder that they did not learn from the masters. Some of these students were geniuses, able to replicate the miracles their masters had performed. Others were not so skilled, but used whatever knowledge they had to make a living for themselves. This scenario, when applied to Feng Shui, explains the various schools of Feng Shui that exist today. Some schools do work wonders, but there are also those that produce very little tangible effect.
There are many people who call themselves Feng Shui masters these days, more so now with the growth of the internet. So how do we tell which ones can really help you? Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do. After all, someone can say they are a master of a reputable school of Feng Shui even though they are merely charlatans. The best thing we can do is to find someone who has had their lives improved via Feng Shui, and get the name of the Feng Shui practitioner who helped them.
THE FAITH
However, another important aspect of getting Feng Shui to work is your belief in it. Just like the idols of the ancient Aztecs and the Cross of the Christians, Feng Shui figurines and artefacts act as "focuses". It will work if you believe in it.
For example, in modern pharmaceutical tests, the researchers always say that a drug is successful because it worked on a large percentage (say 75%) of their test subjects. But what about the other 25%? If the drug really works, why didn't it work for them? It could be that their body's physiology was different. But in most of the cases, the reason is psychological. If you truly believe that the medicine will not cure you, it won't, no matter how good it is. "It's all in your mind", as the psychologists like to say.
The same goes for Feng Shui. If you buy a Feng Shui figurine but think it's just some voodoo magic that probably won't work anyway, I can assure you that it won't work for you. You need to have faith in it. If you believe that Feng Shui can help you improve your life, it will.
Steven maintains the Mandarin Duck Feng Shui website at http://www.mandarin-ducks.com . It provides information on how mandarin ducks are able to help improve relationships using Feng Shui principles.