What part do symbols play?
There are many schools of Feng Shui and some make very extensive use of symbols. For example the deity Guan Gong protects the household, the turtle provides support, the horse represents success etc. Others such as the classical Flying Star and Eight Mansions system make very moderate use of them. In fact in these systems, the potent ingredient is not the symbols but rather the elements that make up the symbols. Illustrating an example from the Eight Mansions system, a house that sits north, the Sheng Qi (wood element) wandering star occupies the SE sector. In the Pa Kua, the element of SE is wood. In this case, the wandering star is assisted by the sector. A practitioner would introduce more wood and water, where appropriate, in this area to further enhance this sector. Depending on the circumstances, these wood and water elements can be real plants, a water fountain or items of the colours green and blue. To illustrate another example, this time from the Flying Star system, let’s ass
