The basic elements

Bilkis Whelan writes a weekly column, Perfect Harmony, for Tabloid. She is an international author, consultant, speaker and teacher on Feng Shui, Vaastu Shastra, meditation and Eastern astrology. She has travelled widely to study these esoteric secrets with world-renowned Eastern masters

Our world is a combination of elements. The physical objects that we see around us are made up of one or more of these elements. According to the Chinese there are five important elements including fire, wood, water, metal and earth. The Chinese also classify fire as an element although others might not ordinarily recognise it as such. People from the sub-continent also count space and ether as the elements. All of these elements also have shapes, colours, directions, energies and seasons associated with them. Chinese astrology uses a combination of these elements with their yin and yang patterns as one of the bases to predict a person's destiny.

Feng Shui is to the Chinese from East Asia what Vaastu Shastra is to the Indian from South West Asia. They both focus on designing one's home, both inside and outside, with the main goal being to attract positive energies to make one's life smoother, easier, more comfortable and in balance with the cosmic energy that surrounds us. It uses the elements above to help energies flow smoothly in the home and each of its rooms. They each strive to balance the energies; it is the fine-tuning of them that makes good Feng Shui or Vaastu Shastra "happen". Because these elements have predetermined shapes and colours it is usually fairly easy to incorporate them into the rooms and other parts of our house.

Sometime ago in London I had visited a new "alternative" place in my neighbourhood called an "energy" bank. The very name grabbed my attention and so I decided to pay a visit. The centre comprised of just five rooms each with five different themes. Each room incorporated in their design just one of the Feng Shui elements. The difference was that these elements were used exclusively in each room. There was a "fire" room with red floor, red walls, red roof, red chairs, red tables and red lights; it was a nightmare of a room to stay in. It was too yang. Now, I can't see anyone being very comfortable in it as it created restlessness. Each room had its own element, which was used exclusively - so in addition to the fire room, with its profusion of reds - the other four rooms went the same way. The water room was all blues and had the sound of water tinkling away. The metal room used only metal in its furnishings, and the room was all greys and, well, metallic. The wood room had all wood furniture and was green in colour and the earth room was a variety of browns and earthenware. After a tour of the place all I wanted to do was to escape to the balance and harmony of my home.

If they had just used fire as the main element in the design of the first room it could have been a far more comfortable room. Their using only the fire element to the exclusion of other elements caused there to be serious imbalance - what a shame - because they had a terrific idea and opportunity.

Therefore, the shapes of the plot or house where the house is going to be built should be studied. The history of the plot is also researched because you would not want to build on a former burial ground. The house can then be designed after taking compass directions to determine what should face where. After that various formulas of Feng Shui and Vaastu Shastra are used to design the layout of the house, its rooms and the functions of each room. The outside of the house is as important as the inside the design of the front and back garden and water features will all have to be planned accordingly. But before you start inside the house you will need to consider the outside and the overall layout.

When you move into a house you might want to incorporate the principles of Feng Shui/Vaastu Shastra. Maybe you will have to make a few adjustments and alterations. These adjustments or alterations are not always costly or permanent. It also doesn't matter whether the property is a large or small house or whether it is an office, hotel, school, club, salon, restaurant, garden - they all can be designed with the objective of harmony.

You don't have to believe in Feng Shui or Vaastu Shastra for them to be able to work for you. I have designed many places and there is no visible evidence that they have had a Feng Shui or Vaastu makeover but they all have that harmony, a feeling of open space, calmness, comfort and a feeling of coming home.

Interestingly, a house designed following Feng Shui will not look anything like a house designed following Vaastu Shastra. The layout of the rooms will be different, the colours used would be different, the placement of various furniture and seating arrangements would be different in every room. It would be as different as biryani is from fried rice not just in appearance but taste, too. Whether it is Feng Shui or whether it is Vaastu Shastra it is all a personal choice.

The equation is Feng Shui+design=harmony or Vaastu Shastra+design=harmony. Two routes each arriving at harmony much in the same way as 4+3+5=12 and 1+9+2=12. Different route same result. The choice between Feng Shui and Vaastu Shastra is a matter of personal choice.

- Readers can send their questions to Bilkis Whelan at Tabloid: fax 04-3429720 or e-mail tabloid@gulf-news.com. Alternatively, you can visit her website www.bilkiswhelan.com