Debunking The MYTH

FENG SHUI
For Beginners with Dato’ Joey Yap

It was great news for Feng Shui lovers in Johor Bahru when leading Feng Shui consultant Dato’ Joey Yap took the stage at Hotel Grand Paragon on 12th December last year to conduct his 2016 Feng Shui and Astrology seminar, an annual global tour which kicks off in London that covers cities including New York, Jakarta, Singapore, Manila, Vancouver, Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City.

In the 7-hour light hearted yet insightful seminar, the eloquent speaker first discussed how the Fire Monkey Year affected the individual’s personal BaZi Astrology Chart and examined the world economy outlook in 2016. He then presented methods on interpretation and predictions of personal health, wealth, love and relationships as well as highlighting the auspicious dates of 2016 and how they can be used strategically through the decipherment of Qi Men Dun Jia, an advanced form of Chinese astrology. For Feng Shui beginners, many common myths about Feng Shui were debunked in the seminar as they were exposed to classical Feng Shui practices and techniques.

What is Feng Shui?

Classical Feng Shui is a form of ancient Chinese metaphysical science where one learns about the natural environment and the flow of cosmic energies or Qi with the aim to tap into the Qi and harness it to help the occupants achieve their goals. Classical Feng Shui examines the location, land formation and water features of the environment while also takes into account time aspects and the occupants.

Contrary to popular belief, classical Feng Shui is not a religion and it does not involve spiritual practices such as the placement of joss sticks, chanting or prayers to figurines. It is also different from Pop or New Age Feng Shui which is orientated towards the magic and power of good luck charms, ornaments or trinkets.

What is Bazi?

Bazi is a system of understanding a person’s character based on the study of the Five Elemental representation: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. Extracted from a person’s date and time of birth, each individual may plot his or her personal chart to look into the composition of the elements and ‘stars’ that govern his or her life instantly. A BaZi chart also maps one’s potential journey including one’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses as well as any hidden risk or potential opportunities.

What is the Chinese Animal Zodiac?

The Bazi chart is divided into four columns each representing the year, month, day and hour relating to one’s birth. Each Pillar is made up of two components with the top being the Heavenly Stems while the bottom one referring to as the Earthly Branches. Each Earthly Branch represents one of the 12 months in the year, and is associated with one of the 12 animal signs.

However, the zodiac signs do not affect individuals’ personalities, as commonly believed. For instance, people born in the year of the Rabbit do not necessarily love carrots by nature, neither do people born in the year of the Dog more loyal than those born in the year of the Snake. As to ancient folklore about how the order of the 12 animals was determined and how personality traits are linked to the animal signs, they are but mere myths, according to Dato’ Joey Yap.

The Fire Monkey 2016 • Johor Bahru Feng Shui and Outlook

Dato’ Joey Yap was available for a very brief interview during the lunch break answering general questions about Feng Shui and giving us a sneak peek of Johor Bahru Feng Shui outlook for 2016 .

In response to the question on what the important factors were when buying a property, Dato Yap remarked that the location of the property is of important considerations as the immediate environment, especially the mountain and the water features, will have a major influence on the overall Feng Shui. As the saying goes, ‘mountain governs people and water governs wealth’. Hence for residential properties, houses that are situated in hilly areas will be desirable and for commercial buildings, it is auspicious to have water features in front of the properties.

As with Feng Shui of Johor Bahru, people of the city would be pleased to hear that Johor Bahru is blessed with good Feng Shui as it lies on the auspicious dragon’s vein with its head in Johor, an area embraced by water. Johor state is endowed with abundance of land which offers potential for development. There is prosperity in the Centre, East and South West regions of Johor Bahru which are filled with vibrant commercial and industrial activities.

Regarding the prospects for Johor Bahru homeowners and property investors in 2016, Dato’ Yap predicted that the year of the Fire Monkey is not going to be a smooth year as a Metal Monkey in a Fire year is challenging and will bring volatility to the economy. However, opportunities may arise for traders and investors in a volatile market. For investors, it will be the right time to buy. In the long-term, there will be more Singaporeans buying properties here in Johor Bahru and population growth will generate more demands. Investors should look for long-term benefits and do their homework, investing on houses in good locations.

A good life is a result of our decision.