This special article is posted as a reponse to recent feedback to our articles on the scientific basis and historical research of Feng Shui and astrology. Many wrote emails thanking for the surprising revelations, delighted by the astonishing findings, especially about the serious errors in datings in current Feng Shui and astrology. Of course, there are those who disagree, some in quite emotional defensive manner.

Who is right or wrong has to be a matter of objectively weighing the evidence.

A most important problem is that some people say that study of historic roots of Feng Shui and astrology is not important.

This problem is linked with that a practitioner would access only secondary or tertiary information on Chinese geomancy. The lack of study of ancient texts is a great liability. Even some so-called masters also found it difficult to penetrate the meanings of the ancient texts. The problem is acute for a Westerner who understandably would not be able to access these texts better than Asians. But there are some Westerners who made serious praiseworthy efforts to unravel the Chinese ancient texts.

• Derek Walters wrote of an imperial "Greater Astrology" based on planetary tables as compared to a people "Lesser Astrology" based on the calendar. Chinese emperors, Western and Hindu astrologers use planetary positions. Calendar dates are faulty approximations of astronomical positions.

• Those using the calendar use the running 60 signs for year, month and day. Many do not know that the emperors reset the beginning of the 60 days count to the solar eclipse. The emperors knew that first day of the run should be a new moon. But people use the uncorrected calendar run - their day counts become nonsense and BZEC Day Master can be in deadly error!

• Study of historical texts detects imperial deception in use of forward and backward sequences in ZWDS and BZEC and Xuan Kong Feng Shui. Such does not exist in Western, Hindu as well as Vietnamese astrology, where there is only a forward sequence. Derek Walters wrote that only the forward sequence exists in the imperial Kang Hsi version. The current forward and backward sequences is a fake which dooms at least 50% to wrong horoscopes.

Study of historic texts are essential to recover the right meanings of Feng Shui and astrology:

• Master Yang at his old age studied the Ci Xiong to differentiate the theories from all the books. Qing Nang Xu 2.1, 2.2

To say that study of historic roots is not important is only an excuse for a lack of knowledge which can cause improper applications of Feng Shui and astrology. Is there not a proverb that "Those who ignore the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past"?

There is also the argument related to failure to study the history that we have to adapt to Time. Of course, we have to adapt to Time. But such adaptations primarily relate to applications - principles are unchangeable. Planetary positions causing astrological effects are unchangeable principles. However, methods of measuring the planetary bodies change through Time.

Even the ancient Chinese sages advocated adapting to Time:

• To apply the standards of a bygone era in governing the world [today] is like a passenger in a boat who lost his sword in midstream. Right away he made a mark on the boat, intending to come back at night to look for the sword. His lack of knowledge of how to sort things out was certainly profound. Now to follow the footprints in one small corner [of the world] and not to know how to wander in accord with Heaven and Earth - no confusion is greater than that. Just because something is suitable for a particular time is not enough to make it valuable [always]. It can be compared with making earthen dragons in time of drought or making [sacrificial] straw digs during an epidemic. They are sovereign only at a particular time. Huai Nan Zi 17:1 (a 160 BC text)

Whatever changes made, the ancient sages knew that they must be "in accord with Heaven and Earth". Techniques may evolve but principles remain eternal.

• Thus, animals that eat grass do not rush to change their pastures; insects that live in water do not rush to change their rivers. They may carry out small alterations, but they do not stray from their constant habits. Huai Nan Zi 16:99

It is misleading to talk about "improvements" with Time, when there have been progressive great deteriorations in Chinese astrology and Feng Shui since the Sung dynasty. The existence of the diverse contradicting concepts and schools testify that the deteriorations have caused great inability to judge what are right and wrong in Feng Shui and astrology. People simply say what they like without objective criteria.

The ability of most practitioners to analyse what they learnt and applied is quite lacking. Many just shoot off without proper reasonings.

In my former research organisation I was known as an expert in parametric and non-parametric statistics. I wrote a few papers on statistical analysis of effects of climate on plant development. This is why I started using statistical analysis to find out what are right and wrong in Feng Shui and astrology.

In a monumental breakthrough we found how Ba Zi Eight Characters divination was faked from Zi Wei Dou Shu - see article www.guiculture.com/fs10zwbazi5.htm. Some argued that there would be common things - they do not comprehend that it is the norm for Chinese astrologers to claim that BZEC and ZWDS are unconnected. Hence, our finding of the origin of BZEC from ZWDS is a breakthrough. (For your information, we also found out how Qi Men Dun Jia originated from ZWDS).

I had previously noted in an e-mail:

• For one art to originate from another there must be similarities of a significant nature. 10 Years Luck Pillars, 12 Stages of Life Cycle and 4P - such similarities are insufficient to link BZEC to ZWDS. It is in that practically all 3 dozens stars of BZEC are found among over 100 ZWDS stars that we have statistical evidence that BZEC came from ZWDS. Be statistical!

That practically the 3 dozens stars patterns of BZEC are found in ZWDS statistically means BZEC were taken from ZWDS. Thus, those who could not grasp this does not comprehend what are statistical analysis.

One person had challenged me to find out the hour of birth from 10 cases. If the above statistical implications cannot be grasped by him, what is the use of giving me 10 cases to find out the hour? It is quite time consuming but I honestly would love to use that as research material. However, the "dare-you" challenge to do a monthly, daily, hourly analysis is a bravado which only reflects an "instant food" mentality. A good astrologer will know that casting a horoscope is a careful thing which cannot be swiftly displayed in just a few pages as in an e-mail or web article. The ancient Feng Shui master might take a year before he gave his prognosis. One student asked me to do his ZWDS chart. But I told him to attend the course. During the course he realised why - it requires great interactions before he found his true chart. Sorry, people will have to learn it the proper way.

It is sad to see many websites with a rush "instant fast food" approach as above. Topics are discussed in superficial and immature ways. Much naiveté arises from lack of historical analysis! They just do not have the indepth information.

Argument of "Results"

During a recent international conference one famous Xuan Kong master conceded that many aspects can be shown to have scientific basis. Only, there may be areas in Feng Shui where there may be no scientific explanations. So, he said that one should evaluate the validity of the approach through "results".

Another well known Feng Shui master said he does not care what are the explanations. As long as there are "results", that is what matters with him!

The problem is that every one claims to produce results!

Is the use of "results" a proper way to validate a Feng Shui approach? More important, are the claims of results in the cases objective enough or are they, as insisted by some analyists, mere conjectures and wishful thinking?

See a more detailed article on this issue in www.guiculture.com/fs11results.htm.

"Results" can never replace objective reasoning. Those who advocate "results" often are unable to adopt a scientific approach and fall into near-superstitious mind traps.

• Many who attended our courses in Feng Shui and astrology are shocked to find our scientific explanations how Feng Shui amd astrology work. We explain how Feng Shui works through landform affecting flows of negative and positive ions. We shows how astronomical movements affect solar radiation and in turn affect hormonal regulations in foetus to affect astrological effects. Feng Shui and astrology are actually advance forms of biology!

  No need for superstitious approach.

I have written a number of statistical analysis of Feng Shui and astrology concepts, e.g. www.guiculture.com/fs08asindwestchin.htm about that when shifted one sign the Chinese Zodiac is the same as those of Western and Hindu astrology! One may resist the implications, as he may be practising the wrong dating.

We have found that due to the precession of the equinoxes there is a need to shift the dates by at least one year sign. We posted an article to show that the current year 2011 cannot be Mao the Rabbit but is Chen the Dragon -www.guiculture.com/fs10asny11.htm

Though conventional Chinese astrology says Mao is peaceful, one person found that the Middle East events do not fit "peaceful Mao". He claimed that Mao should be violent! The solution is that the events do not fit Mao but fit Chen the Dragon, confirming the need for one sign shift due to precession of the equinoxes.

The response to that article is interesting as it reflects attempts by some to justify their wrong datings. The events do not fit a "peaceful Mao". So the person tried to say that Mao is actually violent, contradicting the conventional Chinese astrology prognosis.

What we see is a twist and turn trying to avoid the obvous implication of being wrong.

There are some who objected to our strong statements against several concepts and schools in Feng Shui and astrology.

People need to wake up to the serious contradictions and conflicts among the schools in Feng Shui and astrology. These serious contradictions and conflicts mean that there are much errors in Feng Shui and astrology. Are there not these the reasons for the many charlatans in the world?

If a wise one knows their deceptions, should not that wise one needs to discredit these charlatans? Is this not what we are doing - exposing fraudulent schools? Are we to deal with these charlatans with kids' gloves?

• Emperor Kang Hsi made a stinging statement: "Siting experts have a great deal to say, not from books about how the great sages and worthies of ancient times made their selections, but rather from books fabricated by people later on to suit themselves.." (Ole Bruun 2003 p.66).

• Yang Yun Sung labeled them "idiots": Not knowing the mountain huge dropping flat and gone, the hsueh in the flat land is noble and has no challenge. Idiot master misled so many people, again mentioned that funeral and burial, fear the low class and wet (watery) ground. Han Lung Jing 702-703

I respect Western and Hindu astrology, as it was the ancient astrology in Middle East which was the parent source of astrology. Chinese practitioners are naive to think ZWDS or BZEC are special Chinese creations. As astrology is a science, all astrology will essentially be the same - only the current degraded and contradicting versions should be eliminated.

• Related articles:
• Are "Results" Valid Proofs of your Feng Shui Concepts?.
• Issues Preventing Understanding of Feng Shui and Astrology. Part 1. Attitudinal Factors.
• Issues Preventing Understanding of Feng Shui and Astrology. Part 2. Predicting Fates of Kingdoms and Tsunamis.

top