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Did
you know that the use of natural proportions was an integral part of feng shui
in ancient China and architecture in the Western world until the twentieth century?
And that feng shui developed from the observation of the patterns and processes
of Nature? I find that each of these realizations is obvious for anyone with a
strong background in sacred geometry and ecology, but proves elusive for those
without such training. Consequently I have become an advocate for the integration
of knowledge of sacred geometry and the laws of Nature into feng shui and environmental
design. When we define
feng shui as the art of harmonious placement, it begs the question, "In harmony
with what?" The answer is "with the patterns, processes and geometry
of life." Sacred geometry is one of the clearest sources for understanding
Nature's laws of harmonious relationships. I
should clarify immediately that sacred geometry is not the same as high school
geometry. It is the ancient world's version of physics and cosmology, or the study
of the actual laws of harmony operating in the material world. These laws tell
water that for it to stay in harmony with itself, i.e., to maintain its identity,
it must freeze into six-pointed snowflakes, because its molecular geometry is
hexagonal. Additionally, sacred geometry involves the study of a few proportions
that are found universally in the physical structure of plants, animals and humans.
Scholars of geometry believe that the incorporation of these natural proportions
into art and architecture is what creates the beauty and harmony we perceive in
the world's most beloved buildings. There
are at least six major benefits from learning and applying sacred geometry: increased
observation skills, heightened awareness of layout of spaces, cultivation of an
eye for beautiful proportions, knowledge of how to subdivide rooms harmoniously,
ability to interpret the symbolic meaning of shapes and numbers to choose appropriate
objects for feng shui remedies, and a deeper understanding of feng shui as rooted
in universal principles and cosmic patterns of creation. One
of the keys to increase your observation skills is to know what to look for and
to understand what you see. A significant part of sacred geometry deals with patterns
and shapes - their attributes, functions and symbolism. Understanding the eight
patterns that create and sustain all life takes feng shui to a deeper level. For
instance Nature uses the meander pattern to moderate the flow of chi, most notably
in rivers, to attain the optimum water velocity for the support of abundant life.
This explains why feng shui favors serpentine walks for the path to the front
door. In fact if you "think like a river" you will know everything feng
shui says about the best locations in respect to streets and roads. For example
if you translate the bend in a road to a river bend, it is clear that a house
on the inside of the curve receives a fresh deposit of nutrient-rich sediment
every spring, and the house on the opposite bank loses ground due to erosion.
More land equals more wealth! Because
geometry is the study of spatial relationships, training in it increases your
ability to quickly recognize the shape and layout of any space, and the relationships
between objects arranged in two- and three-dimensional space. You can correctly
identify, without measuring, the missing and projecting areas associated with
the Chinese cosmological symbol, or Ba Gua, of irregularly shaped buildings. You
can spot mistakes in floor plan drawings within seconds of walking through a building.
Shifting the occupants' awareness about how the space is really laid out is often
the first revelation I provide to them. Solutions to problems then arise from
having correctly perceived the space. Knowing how the walls really intersect is
essential when a project involves remodeling design. Geometry
training strengthens the ability to rearrange a room's furniture within your mind
into viable alternative layouts. I remember one time I got to use this skill on
the way to the first Feng Shui Institute of America Conference. As the entire
group assembled at the airport to be shuttled to a rural retreat center, a bewildered
bus driver said he couldn't imagine how to fit in all this luggage, so we would
have to wait to get a third bus, delaying the beginning of the conference. But
in my geometrically honed minds-eye, I could imagine how to squeeze in all the
suitcases. At the time, the crowd just thought the miracle worker was one of the
conference attendees. It was a great thrill to start my presentation by revealing
my identity as their new geometry teacher with the secret of how to fit three
busloads of luggage into two buses. Geometry rules! Sacred
Geometry provides one of the most important keys to understand the nature of material
form. Geometers have identified four transcendental ratios that are found ubiquitously
in the forms and energy dynamics of our universe (the golden ratio of 1:1.618
or 1:(1+v5)÷2 and the root harmonies of 1:v2, 1:v3 and 1:v5). A vital part
of sacred geometry is the discovery that these root harmonies naturally divide
into harmonious smaller versions of themselves, so that three root three rectangles
fit exactly within one larger one. Employing the root two rectangle was the genius
behind the totally interrelated European paper sizes (A2, A4, etc), which resulted
in each size being one-half the next larger, and no end strips wasted on the cutting
room floor. So knowledge
of the inherent properties of these proportional systems gives a designer the
ability to subdivide large rooms so the smaller areas carry the same "tune"
or proportion as the whole. For instance, in an open-plan house or a large hotel
lobby, sacred geometry can show you where to place couches and tables to carve
sitting and dining areas out of the whole space, so that the proportions of all
the subspaces resonate harmoniously within the same family of interrelated rectangles.
What is the benefit? One's eyes move smoothly through the space and all the areas
seem to fit together as a single ensemble. Harmony between the elements is achieved!
As you move to add sacred
geometry to your design or feng shui knowledge, keep in mind that sacred geometry
education tends to be an oral tradition; it is almost impossible to grasp from
book reading. The most accessible doorway is hands-on experience with a teacher's
guidance, drawing with compass and straight edge, and manipulating 3-D models.
As Plato taught, the mind, heart and body all need to be involved simultaneously. ---------- Richard
Feather Anderson teaches in the EcoDwelling program of New College of California
in Santa Rosa, CA, and offers a weekend course in sacred geometry every quarter
at the Globe Sound Healing Center in San Francisco, CA. Check his website for
a list of available educational CDs, DVDs and booklets: www.richardfeatheranderson.com http://www.soundhealingcenter.com/
http://newcollege.edu/northbay
---------- BIO Richard
Feather Anderson, B.S. Architecture, FSII Feng Shui Master, is an internationally
recognized pioneer in the revival of geomancy, feng shui, sacred geometry, and
labyrinths and is one of the longest practicing geomancers in America, with over
thirty-five years of experience. In 1985 he founded the American School of Geomancy,
the first comprehensive training program in multi-cultural geomancy and feng shui.
Introduced to geomantic wisdom in childhood, he had the good fortune to join the
initial group of non-Asians studying feng shui with Prof. Lin Yun, Rinpoche, and
continued his studies in sacred architecture with Dr. Keith Critchlow, Professor
Emeritus of the Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture, and in Earth Mysteries
with the world's leading authorities. Richard was the feng shui advisor for Esalen
Institute's sustainability site plan, design consultant for the influential Chartres
labyrinth replicas at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, and taught symbolic geometry
in their pilgrimage program at Chartres Cathedral. Through his ongoing workshops,
feng shui consultations and building designs, he offers his unique integration
of sacred architecture, environmental psychology, feng shui, ecology, symbolic
geometry and ancient philosophies to create a more harmonious world. He inspires
others with his own passion, humor and enthusiasm.
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