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64-1032: Yongding Town and Daying Town, Luomian Yi Nationality and Miao Nationality Village, Sandan Village, Kuanzhuang Village, Dongcun Village and Chijiu Village In February 2007, Fumin County gained national notoriety when the local authority painted the side of a mountain green in order to "change the feng shui " of the area. The Yi people of Fumin County are divided into the following subgroups ( Fumin County Gazetteer , p. 83). Locations are listed for each subgroup. 25°17′18″N 102°29′06″E  /  25.28833°N 102.48500°E  / 25.28833; 102.48500 Feng shui Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: Feng shui ( / ˈ f ʌ ŋ ˌ ʃ uː i / or / ˌ f ʌ ŋ ˈ ʃ w eɪ / ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy ,

128-426: A lacquered , two-sided board with astronomical sightlines. The earliest examples of liuren astrolabes have been unearthed from tombs that date between 278 BC and 209 BC. Along with divination for Da Liu Ren the boards were commonly used to chart the motion of Taiyi (Pole star) through the nine palaces. The markings on a liuren/shi and the first magnetic compasses are virtually identical. The magnetic compass

192-442: A compass) Others Traditional feng shui was a system designed to aid rural villages from the effects of weather and natural disaster. As a set of consistent rules, feng shui can facilitate collective consensus on development without the need of centralized leadership. Understanding that one's actions could damage the feng shui and fortunes of the entire village, individuals were incentivized to know these rules and carefully manage

256-554: A cosmological explanations of events, feng shui allowed for the expression of otherwise impermissible political opinions. During the Boxer Rebellion , feng shui was used to justify attacks on western missionaries and colonial infrastructure. Under the perceptions of these infrastructural projects and groups were generating bad feng shui, rebels were able to incite their local communities into revolt against foreign influence. Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US , Canada ) or

320-518: A large plaza. It stands on a north–south axis with another building that apparently housed communal activities. Regional communities may have used the complex. A grave at Puyang (around 4000 BC) that contains mosaics— a Chinese star map of the Dragon and Tiger asterisms and Beidou ( the Big Dipper, Ladle or Bushel )— is oriented along a north–south axis. The presence of both round and square shapes in

384-442: A paradigmatic example of pseudoscience. It exhibits a number of classic pseudoscientific aspects, such as making claims about the functioning of the world that are not amenable to testing with the scientific method . The Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest known evidence for the use of feng shui. Until the invention of the magnetic compass , feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and

448-645: A place with ideal qi . It also considers the time of important events such as the birth of the resident and the building of the structure. The Compass branch is a collection of more recent feng shui techniques based on the Eight Directions, each of which is said to have unique qi. It uses the Luopan , a disc marked with formulas in concentric rings around a magnetic compass. The Compass Branch includes techniques such as Flying Star and Eight Mansions . More recent forms of feng shui simplify principles that come from

512-515: A political institution and instead became an increasingly private affair. Many feng shui experts and diviners sold their services to the public market, allowing feng shui to quickly grow in popularity. During the Late Qing dynasty , feng shui became immensely popular. Widespread destitution and increasing government despotism led to feng shui becoming more widely practiced in rural areas. The Qing dynasty attempted to crack down on heterodoxy following

576-577: Is a general term for a crustacean , such as prawn , shrimp , crab , lobster , etc. While its Western name comes from the star pattern's resemblance to a kitchen ladle , in Filipino , the Big Dipper and its sister constellation the Little Dipper are more often associated with the tabo , a one-handled water pot used ubiquitously in Filipino households and bathrooms for purposes of personal hygiene. In

640-648: Is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, "wind-water" (i.e., fluid). From ancient times, landscapes and bodies of water were thought to direct the flow of the universal Qi – "cosmic current" or energy – through places and structures. More broadly, feng shui includes astronomical , astrological , architectural , cosmological , geographical , and topographical dimensions. Historically, as well as in many parts of

704-405: Is an emphasis on continual compromise and balance in order to maintain harmony. Feng shui has been observed to play an important role in the mediation of rural conflict. Through its amoral explanation of differential fortunes, feng shui provides a universal set of cosmic rules communities seek to abide by. This can promote community unity while also creating numerous points of polarization. Through

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768-462: Is called either the "Great Wagon" ( Grande Carro ) or "Orsa Maggiore" ("Greater Bear"). Romanian and most Slavic languages also call it the "Great Wagon". In Hungarian , it is commonly known as "Göncöl's Wagon" ( Göncölszekér ) or, less often, "Big Göncöl" ( Nagy Göncöl ) after a táltos ( shaman ) in Hungarian mythology who carried medicine that could cure any disease. In Finnish ,

832-404: Is inherently a form of ancestor worship . Popular in farming communities for centuries, it was built on the idea that the ghosts of ancestors and other independent, intangible forces, both personal and impersonal, affected the material world, and that these forces needed to be placated through rites and suitable burial places. For a fee, a Feng shui practitioner would identify suitable locations for

896-824: Is the oldest branch of feng shui. Qing Wuzi in the Han dynasty describes it in the Book of the Tomb and Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty follows up with a more complete description in The Book of Burial . The Form branch was originally concerned with the location and orientation of tombs ( Yin House feng shui ), which was of great importance. The branch then progressed to the consideration of homes and other buildings ( Yang House feng shui ). The "form" in Form branch refers to

960-406: Is the star Alcor (80 UMa ). Together they are known as the "Horse and Rider". At fourth magnitude, Alcor would normally be relatively easy to see with the unaided eye, but its proximity to Mizar renders it more difficult to resolve, and it has served as a traditional test of sight. Mizar itself has four components and thus enjoys the distinction of being part of an optical binary as well as being

1024-401: Is to balance yin and yang in the body, the goal of feng shui has been described as aligning a city, site, building, or object with yin-yang force fields. Eight diagrams known as bagua loom large in feng shui, and both predate their mentions in the I Ching . The Lo (River) Chart was developed first, and is sometimes associated with Later Heaven arrangement of the bagua . This and

1088-465: Is to take advantage of vital qi by appropriate siting of graves and structures. Polarity is expressed in feng shui as yin and yang theory. That is, it is of two parts: one creating an exertion and one receiving the exertion. The development of this theory and its corollary, five phase theory (five element theory) , have also been linked with astronomical observations of sunspot . The Five Elements or Forces ( wu xing ) – which, according to

1152-678: The Yellow River Chart ( Hetu , sometimes associated with the Earlier Heaven bagua ) are linked to astronomical events of the sixth millennium BC, and with the Turtle Calendar from the time of Yao. The Turtle Calendar of Yao (found in the Yaodian section of the Shangshu or Book of Documents ) dates to 2300 BC, plus or minus 250 years. In Yaodian , the cardinal directions are determined by

1216-525: The Ming ). The astronomical history of feng shui is evident in the development of instruments and techniques. According to the Zhouli , the original feng shui instrument may have been a gnomon . Chinese used circumpolar stars to determine the north–south axis of settlements. This technique explains why Shang palaces at Xiaotun lie 10° east of due north. In some of the cases, as Paul Wheatley observed, they bisected

1280-453: The Plough ( UK , Ireland ) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major ; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" or "body" and three define a "handle" or "head". It is recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures. The North Star ( Polaris ), the current northern pole star and

1344-652: The Sámi anthem , which begins with the words Guhkkin davvin dávggáid vuolde sabmá suolggai Sámieanan , which translates to "Far to the north, under the Bow, the Land of the Sámi slowly comes into view." The Bow is an important part of the Sámi traditional narrative about the night sky, in which various hunters try to chase down Sarva , the Great Reindeer, a large constellation that takes up almost half

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1408-658: The White Lotus Rebellion and Taiping Revolt , but feng shui's decentralization made it difficult to suppress in popular and elite circles. Under China's Century of Humiliation , feng shui began to receive implicit government encouragement as a method of colonial resistance. Through the militarization of the countryside, the local gentry used feng shui to justify and promote popular attacks against missionaries and colonial infrastructure. This allowed local elites and government officials to bypass foreign extraterritoriality and maintain local sovereignty. This, in addition to

1472-563: The north of the night sky produced the adjective " septentrional " (literally, pertaining to seven plow oxen ) in Romance languages and English, meaning "Northern [Hemisphere]". " Follow the Drinkin' Gourd " is an African American folk song first published in 1928. The "Drinkin' Gourd" is thought to refer to the Big Dipper. Folklore has it that escaped southern slaves in the United States used

1536-705: The "Bear" as the nymph Callisto , changed into a she-bear by Hera , the jealous wife of Zeus . In Ireland and the United Kingdom, this pattern is known as the Plough (Irish: An Camchéachta – the bent plough). The symbol of the Starry Plough has been used as a political symbol by Irish Republican and Irish left wing movements. Former names include the Great Wain (i.e., wagon ), Arthur's Wain or Butcher's Cleaver. The terms Charles's Wain and Charles his Wain are derived from

1600-596: The "Dipper or Ladle" descriptors used in the United States with "Charles's Wagon or Wain" which were common in England. Descriptions of "the dipper" appear in American astronomy textbooks throughout the 19th century. Within Ursa Major the stars of the Big Dipper have Bayer designations in consecutive Greek alphabetical order from the bowl to the handle. In the same line of sight as Mizar , but about one light-year beyond it,

1664-553: The "Great Bear" ( Großer Bär ). Likewise, in the North Germanic languages , it is known by variations of "Charles's Wagon" ( Karlavagnen , Karlsvogna , or Karlsvognen ), but also the "Great Bear" ( Stora Björn ), and to the Norse pagans , it was known as Óðins vagn ; " Woden 's wagon". In Dutch , its official name is the "Great Bear" ( Grote Beer ), but it is popularly known as the " Saucepan " ( Steelpannetje ). In Italian, it

1728-408: The Big Dipper as a point of reference to go north. A mythological origin of the asterism was described in a children's story which circulated in the United States in various versions. A version of this story taken from the pacifist magazine Herald of Peace was translated into Russian and incorporated into Leo Tolstoy 's compilation A Calendar of Wisdom . The Constellation was also used on

1792-478: The Big Dipper. The Chinese name for Alpha Ursae Majoris is Beidou Yi ( Chinese : 北斗一 ; pinyin : Běi Dǒu yī ; lit. 'Beidou One') and Tianshu ( Chinese : 天樞 ; pinyin : Tiān Shū ; lit. 'Star of Celestial Pivot'). The asterism name was mentioned in Warring States period (c. 475–221 BCE) stellar records, in which the asterism is described to have seven stars in

1856-614: The Chinese countryside. Feng shui experts remained highly sought after, in spite of numerous campaigns to suppress the practice. It was only after China's Reform and Opening-Up that feng shui would see a complete resurgence. As economic liberalization promoted social competition and individualism, feng shui was able to find new footing due to its focus on individualism and amoral justification of social differences. Feng shui views good and bad fortune as tangible elements that can be managed through predictable and consistent rules. This involves

1920-419: The Chinese, are metal, earth, fire, water, and wood – are first mentioned in Chinese literature in a chapter of the classic Book of History . They play a very important part in Chinese thought: ‘elements’ meaning generally not so much the actual substances as the forces essential to human life. Earth is a buffer, or an equilibrium achieved when the polarities cancel each other. While the goal of Chinese medicine

1984-487: The Dipper's shape, with the bowl opening up and the handle becoming more bent. In 50,000 years the Dipper will no longer exist as we know it, but be re-formed into a new Dipper facing the opposite way. The stars Alkaid to Phecda will then constitute the bowl, while Phecda, Merak, and Dubhe will be the handle. Not only are the stars in the Big Dipper easily found themselves, they may also be used as guides to other stars outside of

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2048-536: The Puyang tomb, at Hongshan ceremonial centers and at the late Longshan settlement at Lutaigang, suggests that gaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square) existed in Chinese society long before it appeared in the Zhoubi Suanjing . Cosmography that bears a resemblance to modern feng shui devices and formulas appears on a piece of jade unearthed at Hanshan and dated around 3000 BC. Archaeologist Li Xueqin links

2112-756: The Right Wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure which surrounds the Northern Celestial Pole , although numerous other groupings and names have been made over the centuries. Similarly, each star has a distinct name, which likewise has varied over time and depending upon the asterism being constructed. The personification of the Big Dipper itself is also known as " Doumu " ( 斗母 ) in Chinese folk religion and Taoism , and Marici in Buddhism . In Vietnam ,

2176-510: The angle between the directions of the rising and setting sun to find north. This technique provided the more precise alignments of the Shang walls at Yanshi and Zhengzhou . Rituals for using a feng shui instrument required a diviner to examine current sky phenomena to set the device and adjust their position in relation to the device. The oldest examples of instruments used for feng shui are liuren astrolabes, also known as shi . These consist of

2240-500: The asterism. Thus it is often the starting point for introducing Northern Hemisphere beginners to the night sky : Additionally, the Dipper may be used as a guide to telescopic objects: The "Seven Stars" referenced in the Bible 's Book of Amos may refer to these stars or, more likely, to the Pleiades . In traditional Hindu astronomy , the seven stars of the Big Dipper are identified with

2304-490: The colloquial name for the asterism is Sao Bánh lái lớn (The Big Rudder Stars), contrasted with Ursa Minor , which is known as Sao Bánh lái nhỏ (The Little Rudder Stars). Although this name has now been replaced by the Sino-Vietnamese "Bắc Đẩu" in everyday speech, many coastal communities in central and southern Vietnam still refer to the asterism as such and use it to navigate when their fishing vessels return from

2368-453: The constellation include Perkūno Ratai ("The Wheels of Perkūnas "), Kaušas ("The Bucket"), Vežimas ("The Carriage"), and Samtis ("The Ladle"). In the Sámi languages of Northern Europe, the constellation is identified as the bow of the great hunter Fávdna (the star Arcturus ). In the main Sámi language, North Sámi it is called Fávdnadávgi ("Fávdna's bow") or simply dávggát ("the bow"). The constellation features prominently in

2432-608: The contemporary Chinese world, feng shui was used to choose the orientation of buildings, dwellings, and spiritually significant structures such as tombs . One scholar writes that in contemporary Western societies, however, "feng shui tends to be reduced to interior design for health and wealth. It has become increasingly visible through 'feng shui consultants' and corporate architects who charge large sums of money for their analysis, advice and design." Feng shui has been identified as both non-scientific and pseudoscientific by scientists and philosophers, and it has been described as

2496-441: The cultural aspects of feng shui, made the practice a powerful expression of demarcation between foreign and Chinese identities. Following the rise of Communist China, religion and traditional cosmology were suppressed more than ever, in the name of ideological purity. Decentralized heterodoxies, like feng shui, were best adapted to survive this period. As a result, feng shui became one of the only alternative forms of thought within

2560-492: The date in fall, winter, or spring." The asterism name "Big Dipper" is mostly used in the United States and Canada . However, the origin of the term is disputed. A popular myth claimed the name originated from African-American folk songs ; however, a more recent source challenges the authenticity of the claim. In an 1824 book on the history of the constellations' mythology, Jacob Green  [ fr ] contrasted

2624-597: The design to the liuren astrolabe , zhinan zhen and luopan . Beginning with palatial structures at Erlitou , all capital cities of China followed rules of feng shui for their design and layout. During the Zhou era, the Kaogong ji ( Chinese : 考工記 ; "Manual of Crafts") codified these rules. The carpenter's manual Lu ban jing ( 魯班經 ; "Lu ban's manuscript") codified rules for builders. Graves and tombs also followed rules of feng shui from Puyang to Mawangdui and beyond. From

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2688-684: The development of their land and resources. This served to prevent the Tragedy of the Commons . When conflict did erupt during development, feng shui experts played an important role in balancing interests and enforcing orderly development. Different branches of feng shui were developed and embraced in response to differing local geographies. In southern China , this often resulted in villages located on high hills safe from flooding and erosion, with pooling streams that allow for easy irrigation and drainage, fields downstream fertilized by sewage, and graves located on

2752-585: The earliest Indian astronomy , the Big Dipper was called "the Bear" (Ṛkṣa, ऋक्ष ) in the Rigveda , but was later more commonly known by the name of Saptarishi , "Seven Sages." In Inuit astronomy , the same grouping of stars is referred to as "the Caribou" ( Tukturjuit ). Many of the stars within the constellation "were used as hour hands on the night sky to indicate hours of the night, or as calendar stars to help determine

2816-502: The earliest records, the structures of the graves and dwellings seem to have followed the same rules. Some of the foundations of feng shui go back more than 3,500 years before the invention of the magnetic compass. It originated in Chinese astronomy . Some current techniques can be traced to Neolithic China, while others were added later (most notably the Han dynasty , the Tang , the Song , and

2880-411: The figure is known as Otava with established etymology in the archaic meaning 'salmon net', although other uses of the word refer to 'bear' and 'wheel'. The bear relation is claimed to stem from the animal's resemblance to—and mythical origin from—the asterism rather than vice versa. In Lithuanian , the stars of Ursa Major are known as Didieji Grįžulo Ratai ("The Big Back Wheels"). Other names for

2944-470: The first-discovered telescopic binary (1617) and the first-discovered spectroscopic binary (1889). Five of the stars of the Big Dipper are at the core of the Ursa Major Moving Group . The two at the ends, Dubhe and Alkaid, are not part of the swarm, and are moving in the opposite direction. Relative to the central five, they are moving down and to the right in the map. This will slowly change

3008-461: The highest hills far from water and on otherwise unvaluable farmland. To this degree, feng shui could help communities manage their spaces to match their physical, environmental, and aesthetic needs. A core aspect of feng shui has been its understanding of polarity. As opposed to western dualism , in which concepts are completely oppositional and irreconcilable, Chinese polarity sees opposing concepts as constantly changing and inseparable. The result

3072-483: The hiring of feng shui experts, disputes between villagers can be peaceably resolved without losing face. In addition, these impersonal cosmic rules help regulate local jealousies over wealth and prestige. As early as the Tang dynasty , the Chinese state recognized the disruptive power popular expressions of feng shui had over government authority. At the community level, feng shui could play an important role in community mobilization and political protest. By elevating

3136-402: The living and the dead to achieve shū fú . The primary underlying value was material success for the living. According to Stuart Vyse , feng shui is "a very popular superstition." The PRC government has also labeled it as superstitious. Feng shui is classified as a pseudoscience since it exhibits a number of classic pseudoscientific aspects such as making claims about the functioning of

3200-438: The management of qi, an imagined form of cosmic "energy." In situating the local environment to maximize good qi , one can optimize their own good fortune. Feng shui holds that one's external environment can affect one's internal state. A goal of the practice is to achieve a "perfect spot", a location and an axis in time that can help one achieve a state of shū fú ( 舒服 ) or harmony with the universe. Traditional feng shui

3264-535: The marker-stars of the mega-constellations known as the Four Celestial Animals: The diagrams are also linked with the sifang (four directions) method of divination used during the Shang dynasty. The sifang is much older, however. It was used at Niuheliang, and figured large in Hongshan culture 's astronomy. And it is this area of China that is linked to Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) who allegedly invented

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3328-526: The name "bear" has parallels in Siberian or North American traditions. The name "Bear" is Homeric , and apparently native to Greece, while the "Wain" tradition is Mesopotamian. Book XVIII of Homer's Iliad mentions it as "the Bear, which men also call the Wain". In Latin , these seven stars were known as the "Seven Oxen" ( septentriones , from septem triōnēs ). Classical Greek mythography identified

3392-715: The names of the Saptarshi . In addition, the asterism has also been used in corporate logos and the Alaska flag . The seven stars on a red background of the Flag of the Community of Madrid , Spain , are the stars of the Big Dipper Asterism. The same can be said about the seven stars pictured in the bordure azure of the Coat of arms of Madrid , capital city of Spain. The asterism's prominence on

3456-454: The sea at night. In Shinto religion, the seven largest stars of Ursa Major belong to Amenominakanushi , the oldest and most powerful of all kami . In Malay , it is known as the "Boat Constellation" ( Buruj Biduk ); in Indonesian , as the "Canoe Stars" ( Bintang Biduk ). In Burmese , these stars are known as Pucwan Tārā (ပုဇွန် တာရာ, pronounced "bazun taja"). Pucwan (ပုဇွန်)

3520-708: The shape of a dipper or a chariot. The Chinese astronomy records were translated to other East Asian cultures in the Sinosphere . The most prominent name is the "Northern Dipper" ( 北斗 ) and the "Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper" ( Chinese and Japanese : 北斗七星 ; pinyin : Běidǒu Qīxīng ; Cantonese Yale : Bak¹-dau² Cat¹-sing¹ ; rōmaji : Hokuto Shichisei ; Korean : 북두칠성 ; romaja : Bukdu Chilseong ; Vietnamese : Bắc Đẩu thất tinh ). In astrology , these stars are generally considered to compose

3584-424: The shape of the environment, such as mountains, rivers, plateaus, buildings, and general surroundings. It considers the five celestial animals (vermillion phoenix, azure dragon, white tiger, black turtle, and the yellow snake), the yin-yang concept and the traditional five elements ( Wu Xing : wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). The Form branch analyzes the shape of the land and flow of the wind and water to find

3648-501: The sky. According to the legend, Fávdna stands ready to fire his Bow every night but hesitates because he might hit Stella Polaris , known as Boahji ("the Rivet"), which would cause the sky to collapse and end the world. In Chinese astronomy and Chinese constellation records, The Big Dipper is called "Beidou" ( Chinese : 北斗 ; pinyin : Běi Dǒu ), which literally means Northern Dipper . It refers to an asterism equivalent to

3712-521: The south-pointing spoon (see compass ). Traditional feng shui is an ancient system based upon the observation of heavenly time and earthly space. Literature, as well as archaeological evidence, provide some idea of the origins and nature of feng shui techniques. Aside from books, there is also a strong oral history. In many cases, masters have passed on their techniques only to selected students or relatives. Modern practitioners of feng shui draw from several branches in their own practices. The Form Branch

3776-490: The still older Carlswæn . A folk etymology holds that this derived from Charlemagne , but the name is common to all the Germanic languages and the original reference was to the churls ' (i.e., the men's) wagon, in contrast to the women's wagon, (the Little Dipper ). An older " Odin 's Wain" may have preceded these Nordic designations. In German , it is known as the "Great Wagon" ( Großer Wagen ) and, less often,

3840-547: The tip of the handle of the Little Dipper (Little Bear), can be located by extending an imaginary line through the front two stars of the asterism, Merak (β) and Dubhe (α). This makes it useful in celestial navigation . The constellation of Ursa Major ( Latin : Greater Bear) has been seen as a bear , a wagon , or a ladle . The "bear" tradition is Indo-European (appearing in Greek, as well as in Vedic India ), but apparently

3904-548: The traditional branches, and focus mainly on the use of the bagua . The Eight Life Aspirations style of feng shui is a simple system which coordinates each of the eight cardinal directions with a specific life aspiration or station such as family, wealth, fame, etc., which come from the Bagua government of the eight aspirations . Life Aspirations is not otherwise a geomantic system. San Yuan Method , 三元派 (Pinyin: sān yuán pài) San He Method , 三合派 (environmental analysis using

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3968-618: The universe. In 4000 BC, the doors of dwellings in Banpo were aligned with the asterism Yingshi just after the winter solstice —this sited the homes for solar gain . During the Zhou era, Yingshi was known as Ding and it was used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city, according to the Shijing . The late Yangshao site at Dadiwan (c. 3500–3000 BC) includes a palace-like building (F901) at its center. The building faces south and borders

4032-459: The world which are not amenable to testing with the scientific method . It has been identified as both non-scientific and pseudoscientific by scientists and philosophers, and has been described as a paradigmatic example of pseudoscience. Qi ( 气 , pronounced "chee") is a movable positive or negative life force which plays an essential role in feng shui. The Book of Burial says that burial takes advantage of "vital qi ". The goal of feng shui

4096-550: Was used for feng shui since its invention. Traditional feng shui instrumentation consists of the Luopan or the earlier south-pointing spoon ( 指南針 zhinan zhen )—though a conventional compass could suffice if one understood the differences. Not to be confused with the South-pointing chariot which was used for navigation. A feng shui ruler (a later invention) may also be employed. After the Song dynasty, divination began to decline as

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