Feng Shui Case Study - Noor's Shop
On this short little trip to India, I had many opportunities to look at towns and villages and try to view their affairs with feng shui eyes.
In one bazaar, I stood at the corner of Noor’s fish wholesale store in the midst of the incessant honking and tooting. Here was a great look at busy India at her best. It was also a great exercise in figuring out why one shop had more business than another.
Noor’s is obviously the fish stop of choice. I see customers crowding round waiting to pay as he chopped and sliced away. It was a different story with the shop next door. Now, Noor and this other shop are both located at a T-junction. Typical of Indian bazaars, the lanes are narrow and overcrowded with pedestrian and motor cycle traffic along with the push carts, bicycles and rubbish. The tiny shops open into the road (no sidewalks here) and one shop is just a few feet from the next.
If you remember, Noor is located at the corner of the junction and his competitor is just next door. Noor sits on higher ground, that is, the road slopes down in the direction of the other shop. Feng shui wise, the neighbor, let’s call him shop B, has a frontage that is slightly lower than the road. In terms of accessibility to traffic and visibility, both would be about equal. The other factors which would be relevant in a feng shui study like frontage, incoming roads and structures are about equal for both. All this makes it more interesting if we were, to say, be asked by shop B to give feng shui advice.
Feng Shui Tip : Would the lower frontage of shop B play a significant part? This is possible. A shop with the road higher than its frontage is at a distinct disadvantage. Depending on the actual reading, a correction here may improve business.
Another factor to consider would be the relative distance of the T-junction from the individual shop fronts and entrance. The Sanyuan feng shui adherent would love to check out the ‘PaiLung’ or ‘ranking the dragons’ theory. A slight difference in distance would mean a change of angles which would offer a different interpretation of the difference in the popularity of the two shops.
Along similar lines, those of other schools may have their say, for example, after plotting out the relationship of the twelve palaces. Yet another school may interpret after having consulted the luopan compass for the relative relationship of the junction, door and of course not forgetting the traffic flow.
Would the colors of the shop play a part in its poor business? The colors of shop B distinctly look more ‘silent’. Perhaps a color that is appropriate after checking out the qi flow would help?
In the final assessment, the correction of interior and exterior colors, the adjustment of frontage would be the key components. I learnt that Noor is said to have the more complete range of fishes. No mention was made of their prices but word of mouth is a very powerful thing. For instance, there is another shop on another lane which is airier, bigger and cleaner looking but business is quiet. It would be interesting to see how feng shui plays out against those factors which we cannot change like reputation, perceived fairness in pricing, honesty, quality of service and the like.
On a related aspect, the nature of business has a relationship with the traffic flow. The traffic flow has within it the ‘sentiment value’. A shop like Noor’s is located in an area where those who come to the place are shoppers in a hurry. Anyone who comes to the door is on business and is not there to have a lazy cup of chai. It is also a place of butchering, blood and gore.
For a business to tap in to this sentiment, its business must be along that line. A dine-in vegetarian food outlet would not survive. An ear-ring and cheap costume jewelry might. They are fast exchange business in tempo with the pace of the business qi. I think this facet cannot be overlooked if we want to have a correct and true assessment.
On this aspect of sentiment, the newspaper stand on a busy pedestrian thoroughfare in a central business district would make good business because this is in tandem with the pace and setting. Likewise when it comes to checking out the feng shui of a home or business establishment, such similar details would surely be relevant too.
