The Terrain

The four basic conditions of good Feng Shui of a plot according to the Form School of Feng Shui is to have the following:

• Higher ground at the rear of the plot,

• Wide space in front of the plot,

• The Dragon side (the left side taken from within the plot looking out towards the street) should have waterways,

• The Tiger side (right side taken from within the plot looking out towards the street) should have a road.

Living in a plot that has the combined conditions of the above 4 is being considered to have good Feng Shui. It means you will be prosperous, healthy and successful and your tribe will grow.

The first 2 conditions have been discussed in the previous chapters. In this chapter we will discuss briefly the significance of the Dragon and the Tiger in Feng Shui.

The Dragon is an auspicious animal, it is revered by the Chinese for it connotes activity and prosperity. While the Tiger is considered as a harmful and vicious animal that is being feared and venerated. Hence, keeping the Tiger (the right side from within the property facing the street) passive or inactive is advisable as activity on this side will provoke the Tiger that might cause harm to the tenants of the house.

In China, cold winds blow from the North during winter, it is the rule of thumb to have the house sited with its back to the North and the door opening to the South as this satisfies the Four Basic Conditions.

Houses sited South facing North are considered unfavorable because the cold wind will enter the house every time the door is opened and this can cause sickness to the family. This rule only applies to countries in the northern hemisphere but not to countries in the southern hemisphere or tropical zones. This is being misunderstood by many to mean that a door that opens to face the North is a Feng Shui violation.

The ideal siting of a house is sited West facing East where the rising sun greets you with its vibrant energy when you open the door of your house every day. Letting sunlight come into your house is a sure way of eliminating harmful germs and bacteria and to usher in yang chi.

Since it is not easy to have waterways to the left of the plot, a driveway on the Dragon side will serve the purpose.

Corner lots with a road on the Tiger side and a driveway on the Tiger side is bad Feng Shui because the Tiger is being unduly activated.

A garage in the North East section of the house is not favorable as the North East is called the 'Devil's Gate' in Feng Shui. This will bring in bad chi to the house.

In the animal kingdom the Dragon ranks higher than the Tiger, hence the Dragon's position should be higher than the position of the Tiger. (In the Compass School of Feng Shui, the position of the Tiger and Dragon could alter based on the orientation or siting of the house.).

To continue our Feng Shui 'tour', let's say that we are now on a rolling landscape in an elevated area where the plots along both sides of the street have different levels of Tiger and Dragon. This is especially true if the house is being built to conform with the terrain.

The Tiger side higher than the Dragon connotes not having helpful friends in your undertakings. It is advisable to select a plot where the Dragon side (left from within) is higher than the Tiger side.

In a relatively flat area, the garage and the entrance to the house should be placed on the Dragon side. This combines the last 2 conditions of the Four Basic Conditions of Good Feng Shui.