Throughout Chinese history there has been a plethora of Feng Shui schools with diverging interpretations and various techniques on the subject. As time progressed new discoveries were added, old theories redefined and different schools of thought adopted one another. Today they are still in use and have been categorized into two major schools – the Form School and Compass School. Together they form the platform for what is called Classical or Traditional Feng Shui. Since its reemergence in the late 20th century, traditional Feng Shui has embraced modern scientific theories, interior & exterior design concepts, and “New Age” philosophies, these attributes are part of what is referred to as Contemporary Feng Shui. Today Feng Shui experts employ all available techniques in order to establish the most auspicious and harmonious relationship between the environment and the inhabitants. Each system of Feng Shui is able to "see" something that the others do not, creating more of a wholistic view of what's happening in the environment.

"Today's Feng Shui practice is coloured by inputs from many traditions and cultures, and while the purists adamantly refuse to accept any kind of western or New Age inputs into the practice, there are many very successful practitioners, who bow to the evolution theory of knowledge and accept that, in the spirit of the I-Ching, all knowledge evolves with the times"

- Lillian Too
Feng Shui Author

• FORM SCHOOL (Li Xing Pai)
  (Also known as Xingfa, Luan Tou Pai or Kanchow Method)
  The Form School is the first and oldest school of Feng Shui. It is concerned with locating the best “Feng Shui Spot” (Xue); it involves a study of the natural terrain, watercourses and the “dragon veins” or energy lines of the earth. It concentrates on soil quality, vegetation, geological formations, shapes, sizes and contours of the landscape. In modern times it also analyzes exterior manmade structures and interior architectural features such as property and building shapes, roads, room layouts, furniture arrangement, door and window alignment, interior design, etc. The From School is concerned with the flow of Qi within the landscape and relates to ours five senses along with a high degree of intuitive insight; it is considered to be the "art" aspect of Feng Shui.

• COMPASS SCHOOL (Li Qi Pai)
  (Also known as the Patterns of Qi School or Fukien School)
  The Compass School is concerned with interpreting and analyzing the energies of Heaven (Time) & Earth (Space) and how it impacts the lives of the inhabitants. It is based on the concept that each of the eight cardinal directions exerts a specific type of Qi. The main tool used in the Compass School is the Lo Pan (Chinese geomantic compass), which enables a Feng Shui expert to map the unseen Qi matrix within the time & space continuum and balance the inhabitants' astrology to the dwelling. Astrology and numerology are used extensively to measure the auspiciousness of a site. The Compass School approach is very analytical and relies profoundly on precise mathematical computations and formulae; it is considered to be the "science" aspect of Feng Shui.

• FATE TRIGRAM (Ming Gua)
  (Also known as Ming Kua or Guardian Star)
  The Fate Trigram system helps determines the strength of your Heaven Luck. Your year of birth and gender determines which trigram and "life group" you belong to. It is used to determine the 4 auspicious (lucky) and 4 inauspicious (unlucky) directions that suit your horoscope, as well as the fluctuations of Earth Luck at any given time. This method is best used to determine auspicious facing directions for sitting, working, negotiating, dinning, sleeping, etc. as well as for ideal orientations for furniture and personal belongings. A Feng Shui expert advises on the best directions for "tapping into" specific types of luck such as prosperity, health, & relationship luck. It can also be used to describe your innate personality and determine how compatible you are with any given person (e.g. spouse, family, friends, boss, etc.)

• EIGHT MANSIONS (Ba Zhai)
  (Also known as Pa Chai, Yi Gua, Eight House Astrology or East/West System)
  Eight Mansions Feng Shui determines if the orientation and layout of a building are in harmony with the human destiny (Ren Ming), of a person residing in it. It ascertains an individual's compatibility with their dwelling. This method divides a space into 8 sectors - 4 auspicious (lucky) & 4 inauspicious (unlucky), each sector standing for a specific type of luck, which allows for spatially planning the use of different areas within a space.

• FLYING STARS (Xuan Kong Fei Xing)
  (Also known as Mysterious Subtleties, Universal Void, or Time & Space School)
  Flying Stars Feng Shui addresses the very important component of the changing Qi energy of “Time”. It introduces the predictive element into Feng Shui as it is concerned with the fluctuations of fortune (luck) upon a site over time. It is based on the premise that the luck of building is never static but instead dynamic and changes with the passage of time. Space and direction are always constant, however time changes and with each new cycle of time, it brings new Qi energies influencing health, wealth and relationship luck. Flying Stars is the one of the most powerful and quick acting formulas in Feng Shui. Its potency comes from the combination of time (heaven) and space (earth), which generates a unique Qi matrix for every site. An accurate compass reading (space) along with a building’s construction date (time) determines the "natal chart" of a building. Contained within this energetic blueprint there are lucky sectors and afflictions within a space at any given time, produced yearly, monthly, daily and even hourly. Flying Stars represent a potential for great opportunities, and this potential can be cultivated to stimulate and activate good fortune luck.

• FOUR PILLARS OF DESTINY (BaZi)
  (Also known as Ba Tze, Ziping, Paht Chee, or Eight Characters)
  Four Pillars of Destiny is a form of what is commonly referred to as Chinese Astrology. It is an ancient system for constructing a personalized astrological horoscope that determines the elemental constitution and time cycles of luck for an individual. It is a method of fate calculation based on analyzing and interpreting the Five Elements present at the time birth. Its influence involves four components or “Pillars” of time – the Year, Month, Day and Hour of birth. The Five Elements configuration within the natal chart (static) and the influence of time luck cycles (dynamic) helps accurately predict possibilities, not certainties, in an individual’s life path. It is an excellent method for predicting and revealing life potentials such as, career prospects, marriage opportunities, health indications, wealth fluctuations, etc. A qualified astrologer or Feng Shui expert is able to calculate an energetic blueprint of a person’s life and advise them on proper planning and how to execute the right decisions that will bring them to the best possible outcome during various phases of their life. Four Pillars of Destiny complements the practice of Feng Shui, as it is also employed to personalize the Feng Shui for an individual, which allows a Feng Shui expert to tailor their advice on very specific recommendations geared towards the individuals needs, such as, lucky elements, colors, Feng Shui cures, suitable environments, directions, auspicious & inauspicious timing, names, etc.

• BLACK HAT SECT FENG SHUI
  (Also known as BTB or Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui)
  Introduced into the United States in the late 1970's by His Holiness Grandmaster Professor Thomas Lin-Yun Rinpoche, founder and supreme leader of the contemporary Black Sect Tantric Buddhism at its fourth stage. The Black Hat Sect teachings are a synthesis of wisdom and shamanic teachings, rooted in both Tibetan Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Bon religion of Tibet. It incorporates the essence of Taoism, Confucianism, Yin-Yang philosophy, Eclecticism, Exoteric & Esoteric Buddhism, I-Ching, Theory of Qi, Holistic Healing, Feng Shui, and Folkloric Studies. The Black Hat Sect has also embraced many Western concepts, such as, urban planning, architecture, bau-biology, psychology, modern science, aromatherapy, color therapy, crystal therapy, etc., to enhance its effectiveness and reflect the needs of modern society. Black Hat Sect Feng Shui has adopted many of the traditional schools principles especially those of the Form School and has blended them with spirituality and contemporary tenets.

What distinguishes the Black Hat Sect Feng Shui approach from Traditional Feng Shui?

• Its approach to Feng Shui seeks to sense Qi fields directly, of both the occupants and of the site.

• Determines the Qi matrix of a site based on the entrance door position from which the Qi enters.

• Importance is given to the surrounding areas closets to you, believed to affect your Qi on a greater level.

• Recognizes subjective, intangible forces (Yi), derived from one's intuition.

• Strongly emphasizes on intention, through Body (Mudra), Speech (Mantra) and Mind (Visualization).

• Applies transcendental cures to remedy "unseen forces" and adjust personal Qi (Ren Qi).

• Implements meditation techniques and personal Qi adjustments for better health and well-being.