Guide To Study

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Geomancy

  • The Earth Spirit: Its Ways, Shrines, and Mysteries—John Michell (1975; 1989)—the best book to start with to grasp the notion of sense of place and to acquire a background on the roots of geomancy. Paints a broad overview of earth-centered, spiritual traditions from around the world and the variety of places regarded as sacred. It elucidates the beliefs about the Earth as a living being held by ancient cultures, which shaped their culture, customs and form of geomancy. It surveys the belief that: the Earth Spirit animates the landscape; resides most vibrantly in the places we call sacred; as well as the methods used to detect the abode and movement of the Earth Spirit. 96 pp., pb.

  • The Ancient Science of Geomancy: Living in Harmony with the Earth—Nigel Pennick (1979; 1988)—still the only book covering all the disciplines comprising geomancy and its worldwide traditions. A coherent compilation of the nearly lost bits and pieces of a once universal sensitivity to Nature and human concern with appropriate siting, divination of the center of a culture's world, definition of boundaries, correct orientation, meaningful shapes and measurements. Woven with cross-cultural examples spanning the gamut from the cosmological underpinnings to the practical applications of geomancy. Concludes with a brief history of the modern war against geomancy. 171 pp.,pb.

  • Sacred Earth: The Spiritual Landscape of Native America—A. Versluis

  • Earth Harmony: Siting & Protecting Your Home, a Practical and Spiritual Guide—Nigel Pennick (1988)—examines European equivalent to feng-shui. Harmonious placement through understanding of connections between human organism, invisible energies, astrological influences, etc. Covers foundation offerings, protection symbols, power spots, layout of cities, division of land and suggestions for modern geomancers. 259 pp., pb.

  • The New View Over Atlantis—John Michell (1969; revised 1989)—the book that sparked the modern revival of earth mysteries studies. Covers geomancy, sacred number, sacred geometry, UFOs, astronomical alignments, etc. Michell argues that ancient megalith builders knew about earth energies, that the interrelated units of measure used in monuments worldwide were derived from the earth's size and shape, and that ley alignments and megalithic science are remnants of Atlantean science. 224 pp., pb.

  • The Power of Place: Sacred Ground in Natural & Human Environments—James Swan, ed. (1991)—an anthology of 25 selected presentations from the first two Spirit of Place symposia (1988-89) which brought together an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural group of authorities who have focused in holistic, scientific/spiritual/intuitive ways on issues of placemaking and the need to understand and preserve sacred places. Included are Lawrence Halprin, Tom Bender, Rachel Fletcher, Elinor Gadon, Stanley Krippner, Edwin Bernbaum; American Indian leaders Vine Deloria, Jr., Medicine Grizzlybear Lake and Jay Hansford Vest on the meaning of place, proper relation to power centers and the sacred geography of the Blackfeet; geomancers Prof. Lin Yun, Richard Feather Anderson, Richard Leviton and Peter Hjersman; and Earth Mysteries/Science researchers - physicist Elizabeth Rauscher on the Earth's electromagnetic field (especially at power spots), aerospace engineer James Beal on the effects of the Earth's EM fields on human health, and industrial designer William Becker and anthropology-geography professor Bethe Hagens on planetary grid theories. A "traditional views of place" section covers India's goddess shrines, the Himalayas, the American Indian "spotted fawn" matrix of sacred places, Greek theaters, European megaliths, Irish holy wells, and a Zen Buddhist temple garden. 362 pp., pb.

  • The Twelve Tribe Nations John Michell

  • The Idea of a Town: The Anthropology of Urban Form in Rome, Italy and the Ancient World—Joseph Rykwert (1976, 1989)—a city is more than streets, buildings and plazas. A plea to regard the city as a totality, a symbolic pattern deliberately created by its inhabitants to place themselves in a knowable universe and give cohesion to their community. A study of the myths and rituals used in the ancient world to choose the site, cut the boundaries, locate plazas, shrines, install guardians of center and boundaries, embody the four quarters and basically organize the city according to divine laws. 242 pp., pb.

  • Secret Games of the Gods: the Origin of Board Games in Magic and Divination—Nigel Pennick (1989)—the most comprehensive survey of cross-cultural methods of divination devoted to understanding the vast array of influences that affect human lives. Several chapters reveal the geomantic aspect of board games related to the four-fold division of time and space, the microcosmic layout and orientation of cities and fairs, establishment of the omphalos and cosmic axis and finding our place in time and space. 244 pp., pb

  • The City Square—Michael Webb (1990)—evolution of the plaza worldwide, since Medieval period. When read with an understanding of geomancy, becomes a good source of information to study plazas and squares as geomantic centers. 220 pp., hb.

Feng Shui

  • An Anthropological Analysis of Chinese Geomancy—Stephen Feuchtwang (Laos, 1974, 1985)—the first, and still most complete, serious, non-belligerent analysis in the English language of the basic concepts and functional use of Chinese geomancy. It describes both the Compass and Land Form Schools, the geomantic interpretation of the landscape, four directions and time, and feng-shui for town-planning, houses and graves. References to geomancy in Japan, Vietnam and Africa. (Completed in 1965 as an M.A. thesis at the Univ. of London. Feuchtwang quite generously allowed this to be published, unedited, to save subsequent investigators from a duplication of effort.) 264 pp., hb.

  • Living Earth Manual of Feng-Shui—Stephen Skinner (1982)—the best and clearest overview of the various schools of feng-shui, their history, focus and philosophy, including telluric geomancy, land forms or geography, and mutual influences between heaven and earth or astro-ecology. Discusses siting in tune with the elements, seasons and the channels of energy (dragon veins) in the earth, and the careful alteration of the landscape and adjustment of buildings and city layouts to enhance the flow of ch'i in the earth and humans. Discusses several different ways to use the compass (lo p'an) and corrects the common misinterpretations made by westerners in reading the divisions of the compass directions. 160 pp., pb.

  • Interior Design with Feng-Shui—Sarah Rossbach (New York: E. P. Dutton. 1987, 1991)—has become the standard handbook for those studying and applying feng-shui as taught by Professor Lin Yun, Grand Master of Black Sect Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. Explains how the shapes of rooms and lots, the placement of doors, windows, stairs, beams, furniture, etc., the relationship to hills, waterways, roads and neighbors can affect various aspects of one's life. Shows how to plan a room layout using the ba-gua (8-trigram wheel) to enhance career, health, prosperity, relationships, etc. Includes valuable exercises for enhancing personal ch'i and transcendental solutions for inauspicious arrangements. 178 pp., pb.

  • Feng Shui Design: The Art of Creating Harmony for Interiors, Landscape and Architecture—Sarah Rossbach and Master Lin Yun (New York: Viking Penguin. 1998) 192 pg., hb.

  • The Feng-Shui Handbook: A Practical Guide to Chinese Geomancy and Environmental Harmony—Derek Walters (1991)—an integration of the Land Form and Compass Schools, in a workbook format with exercises for readers to test their understanding as they proceed. Provides the clearest explanations and illustrations yet in print of the principles underlying many enigmatic feng-shui conventions and the theories of ch'i, sha and five elements. Shows how to recognize and determine the beneficial or detrimental influences of the forms of urban or rural landscapes (i.e., buildings and natural surroundings), and of the orientation of a site or building in relation to surroundings and the points of the compass. Step by step instruction in the use of the Lo P'an, geomancer's compass, and the process of matching one's horoscope and personal characteristics to the surroundings. Extensive discussion on how to identify and adjust the effects of land-form characteristics based on the five elements theory. Interior design with the eight trigrams using the Compass School approach. 224 pp., pb.

  • Feng-Shui: The Chinese Art of Placement—Sarah Rossbach (1983)—earlier book on Black Sect Tibetan Tantric Buddhist approach, with practical placement tips. Reveals the common sense explanations for how feng-shui principles are applied toward reading the energies of the landscape and arranging towns, cities, buildings and furniture. 169 pp., pb.

  • Feng-Shui: A Layman’s Guide to Chinese Geomancy—Evelyn Lip (1953; 1987)—good introduction to Compass School. Overview of principles of yin-yang, 5 elements, 10 stems, 12 branches, 8 trigrams which one must understand to study the use of geomancer's compass and ruler. Rules-of-thumb concerning shape and placement of houses, with discussion of feng-shui use of color. 125 pp.,pb.

  • Feng-Shui: The Chinese Art of Designing a Harmonious Environment—Derek Walters (Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster, N.Y., 1989)—includes demystified explanation of Lo Pan, geomancer’s compass, used for calculating most fortunate and pleasing locations and placements in Compass School of feng-shui. [Out of print. Look for in used and out-of-print bookstores or university and larger public libraries. Some of this information is fortunately now available in Walters' Feng-Shui Handbook.]112 pp., pb.

  • Feng-Shui for the Home—Evelyn Lip (1990)—Simple explanations of the origins and symbolic meanings of feng-shui recommendations, use of geomancer's compass and magic square to analyze vibrant ch'i areas and flows and create beneficial orientations. Brief rules-of-thumb on siting and shapes of buildings, and layout and decor for living rooms, bedrooms, gardens, etc. 83 pp.,pb.

  • Feng-Shui for Business—Evelyn Lip (1990)—urban design; siting, orientation, design of buildings; symbolic use of plants and signs; office warming ritual—using compass, magic square, astrology. 106 pp.,pb.

  • Chinese Geomancy—Derek Walters/deGroof (1990)—reprint of one of the most thorough and detailed studies of feng-shui, made 100 years ago by J. J. M. deGroof with clarifications and commentary by Walters. Focuses mainly on feng-shui of grave sites. Gives more details on the compass, other divination techniques. 216 pp., pb.

  • Elements of Feng-Shui—Joanne O'Brien & Kwok Man Ho

  • Feng-shui: The Science of Sacred Landscape in Old China—E. J. Eitel (1979)—written in 1877 by a British missionary, who, despite comments revealing his Western rationalist bias, manages to create a valuable document on feng-shui from an era when it was still openly practiced in mainland China. Provides the philosophical underpinnings of Chinese natural science regarding the principles ruling Nature (Li), "as above, so below" doctrines, the numerical proportions or balance of Nature as codified in the ba gua and compass, the breath of Nature, land forms and how all these elements create the physical world and affect human life. 84 pp., pb.

  • Feng-Shui and Western Building Ceremonies—Derham Groves —113 pp., pb.