One of the feng shui advice that has received the most bashings is the one about houses that are located at the end of a cul-de-sac or dead end street.
It had been the feng shui pundits favorite punching bag. A little bit too long. Let us see if we can set the record straight and give this myth some rebranding.
To begin to understand why dead-end road houses are bad, we need to look at the rationale behind this proclamation. The general consensus among feng shui practitioners is that the qi is used up by the time it reaches the dead-end. When we look at this logic a little more closely, we can detect some error in this thinking.
To say that the qi is exhausted gives the impression that the qi is a limited quantity. It also imply that the qi is somehow brought in, either by virtue of a road being there or that it is brought in by vehicular traffic, humans or some unseen entity.
Could this be the truth?
Not necessarily so. Qi is everywhere, so to speak and to think it is exhaustible is not correct. To think that the qi is brought in by vehicular or human traffic is also not correct because cars by themselves do not produce qi. The same goes for humans. If these could produce qi, then we would be able to generate qi by having a car running up and down our front yard and we would all get very good qi. This is not only ridiculous but would cause us to suffocate with noxious gases.
There are other reasons offered but I will avoid a long winding write.
This ‘qi’ theory is likely borrowed from the original science of the study of land forms and their feng shui effects. Where rivers meet, as in tributaries or confluences, it is said that it is most suitable and a fertile place for people to live and thrive which is natural as water transport is possible and the terrain would be gentler. All this facilitates commerce and agriculture.
Where the water stagnates, as when the water through the formation of inlets, it is said to be not good. This is logical as this stagnating water would be stale, lacking in freshness and not suitable for the support of marine life. Flotsam and rubbish would collect making it unhealthy. In qi terms, it is said to be dead.
Contemporary feng shui probably borrowed this teaching and applied them to dead-end roads which is incorrect.
Whether a house comes with good feng shui depends on its position, environment, landscape, orientation and occupants amongst other factors. Even if a house is located at a dead-end cannot be generally said to be not good.
To correctly determine feng shui requires the assessment of the qualities of its harmony of yin-yang (go here for a quick explanation of yin-yang) and the interplay of Gua is fundamental. (oh, I forget to explain this but for a quick reference, click here, which will direct you to my earlier blog).
Sorry again. It is really not to easy to explain how to use this gua and yin-yang thing in this short write but hopefully in time. Basically, I hope I have made enough sense to declare that dead-end houses are bad. So, do not get so worried if you have inherited or have bought such a home. Let not feng shui masters scare you. They do not know better.
If you find yourself in a dead-end home and do not want to pay for feng shui services (which can be costly), here are 2 cents worth of advice. Keep a good balance of light. This would mean neither too much glare nor so dark you can’t read without switching on that lamp. This of course applies only during daytime. Keep your immediate verandahs and compound free of creepers and low trees to avoid an excess of yin. Clear rubbish off your front yard, in fact clear rubbish both outside and inside and that includes the barn and the store!
Keep your house well aired. There are certain instructions regarding your gate and garden and furniture and curtains and bed etc but get the above right and we are off to a good start. Good luck!
This book is a translation of a text by FengShui Master Jiang Da Hong (ca1640) with my explanations and comments. The root text is a section on yang dwellings from his book “5 Songs of the Heavenly Principles”.
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Hi, is it a bad feng shui if the house is facing the septic tank ( indah water) ?thanks n regards
Hi Annie,
Do you mean a treatment tank or perhaps those obsolete oxidation ponds (never could understand why these were ever allowed)? These are the types that were built in the 60′s to the 90′s but I am not sure whether they are still in use as IW may have routed all the waste to a treatment plant.
Let me answer in a general way. If the septic tank is near you, for example like just across the road 50 feet away, even though it is small, it is not good.
If it is one of those along Old Klang Road or NPE slip to the smart tunnel, its effect is much magnified. Feng Shui deals with effects and this would include sights, smells and sounds basing on the principle that the things around us has its nature. Their nature express and impose upon us and dealing with them is one expression of Feng Shui.
Hope this helps.
Hello,
I just bought a home at the end of a cul de sac. My drive way is a straight shot from the road and my door is slightly to the right. Is this negative Feng Shui? Should I buy a mirror?
Oh, and my back yard has a busy road behind it. (Did not know it was busy until I moved in).
Thank you for any help!!
Again, no straight answer. However, some guidelines.
a. If the house is off the line of the road leading in, it is acceptable. If not, then use a wall or shrubbery to deflect and redirect. Result to achieve is that the road leading in does not seem to punch at your home. (the quality of the fengshui will be judged from the orientation and when the house was built)
b. Mirrors are not used this way. Part superstition and part ignorance.
c. Busy backyard may also mean it is easily intruded? Wise to consider this well. If the noise level is unacceptable, then do something to reduce that noise. Irrespective of what the quality of the fengshui is, managing the noise level is the preferred option.