Understanding The Life Aspirations School
by Elizabeth Moran
08/12/2000

      In order to understand the Life Aspirations School / Method (the division of a home into areas of prosperity, family, etc.), you must first understand what the bagua (aka pa kua) is.

      The bagua is non other that the 8 trigrams arranged in the Post (or After) Heaven sequence. But before we get into that, let's take a step back and learn about the Pre (or Before) Heaven arrangement of trigrams. While not depicted here, this arrangement denotes perfect balance and harmony. The Qian trigram (heaven and father) is opposite or balanced by Kun (earth and mother). The first daughter (Xun, wind), second son (Kan, water), and the third son (Gen, mountain) are opposite their gender counterparts. On a natural level, fire balances water, lake balances mountain, etc. While there is much more to say about this arrangement, understand it is a portrait of still life. It represents the perfect, ideal world. It's motionless. Is life motionless?

      This leads us to the After Heaven sequence, the arrangement used in feng shui. In Chinese, it's called Hou Tian-"after the appearance of the phenomenal world." The arrangement denotes the movement and transformation of qi's forces. Here, the trigrams move in accordance with the forces of yin and yang, the cycles of birth, growth, decay, and death. Beginning in the east with Zhen (wood), thunder heralds spring. Likewise, the sun rises in the east giving birth to a new day. Xun's (wood) gentle wind nourishes expansion and growth. At its climax, Li's fire burns the growth to produce earth, Kun. Moreover, summer falls into autumn. The sun sets in the west (Dui). Get the idea?

      In the early Warring States periods (475-221 B.C.E.), the principles of the five phases, the eight trigrams, and the Luoshu numbers each existed separately. By the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-C.E. 220), the principles combined into an integrated whole.

      So what does this have to do with the Life Aspirations School/Method? This method proposes that each direction corresponds with a life aspiration. Using the Post Heaven sequence of trigrams, simply place the bagua over the floorplan of your home. The southern section of your home corresponds to Li / fire (recognition and fame); the SW to Kun/earth (marriage); the W to Dui/metal (children), the NW to Qian/metal (helpful people); the N to Kan/water (career); the NE to Gen/earth (education/knowledge); the E to Zhen/wood (health and relationships); and the SE to Xun/wood (wealth).

      This method originated in Hong Kong. No one knows who assigned each aspiration to its direction. They seem to be arbitrary assignments. I guess one can say the appropriation is loosely based on the bagua, but I believe this is a stretch. For example, take Li. Fame and recognition is 'bright,' indicative of fire. I guess a case can be made for Zhen's family aspiration. Zhen-wood-the growth of a family. Well, okay.

      To 'activate' each aspiration, simply use the associative phase (or what many mistakenly call element). Put fire in the south to activate fame. Put earth in the SW to activate marriage. Put metal in the W to activate the children section. And, on and on.

      But, friends, this is very superficial. It has us believe that we're all the same. That life does not move and transform. Are we all cookie cutter cutouts? Our each of our homes the same? Does this make any sense? Frankly, this method and Black Sect play into the Western obsession with parts. You can't deny that since Isaac Newton we pick things apart. We need to be >rational and logical. We're into the minutia instead of thinking holistically, globally. It's even affected our advertising. Remember that 70s commercial, "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a toasted sesame seed bun"?

      This method (and Black Sect) also play into the McDonaldsization of our >society. We want things faster-better-NOW. We want things easy. We just want to know where to put our coach! But, it's not that easy. If you want to learn about feng shui, it takes patience. There is no quick fix. Of course much of it is common sense. Regarding design, you FEEL what is right. If a window is shut and it's stuffy, open the window. If it's too dark, put a light on. While this is good feng shui, the meat of it can't be learned in a lecture or weekend seminar. It takes devotion and a willingness to uncover the truth. ASK QUESTIONS! Don't take what you read or hear at face value.

      With the advent of 20th century physics, modern scientists have come to understand that the whole must be explored and accounted for. Do your really think fame qi knows to go south? That marriage qi can only be found in the southwest? On a purely common sense level, this is ridiculous. In my opinion, this method has no merit.