I have to admit that in my early days, I also got lured into the Black Hat Feng Shui school, believing that everything was a piece of cake. After conducting some additional research, I came to the conclusion that something seemed off about the way this school presents the Bagua Map (Luo Shu) and its whole application.

Looking back, I consider myself fortunate that I switched to the traditional school of Feng Shui. In this article, I’ll explain in great detail why following and believing in BTB Feng Shui is very harmful to your health, money luck, and overall happiness.

The fact that a made-up system, with all its clever marketing techniques, seeks to trick people into thinking that their system is the real deal is pretty disturbing. The Chinese emperors had produced many myths (hetu, ming gua) in the past that led illiterate people to believe that their interpretation of feng shui was accurate.

Of course, if you keep telling someone a lie, eventually they will start believing it. The spread of misleading information was, in fact, more prevalent in the early 2000s than it is now. Numerous experts, such as Heluo or Kartar Diamond, are making a significant impact on the suppression of online misconceptions and red herrings. I wish more professionals would support this initiative.

I strongly believe that as Feng Shui Period 9 approaches—which stands for “greater awareness”—people will become more knowledgeable about the classical form of Feng Shui in order to achieve the maximum outcomes.

Of course, this raises the question about what constitutes the genuine version and what is regarded as a fake Feng Shui. I’d like to cite Wikipedia before I go into depth, point by point. “A black hat is someone who compromises security primarily out of malice or for personal gain. They lack any established internal rules or norms of conduct.

Would you entrust a group like that with your wealth or health? I most definitely wouldn’t! In contrast to the BTB Feng Shui version, let’s see how real classical Feng Shui actually operates:

Decluttering is NOT part of real Feng Shui

Clutter inside a home and organizing everything neatly cannot be called a part of Feng Shui. I agree that the qi flow prefers a tidy environment, but it is more concerned with the materials and forms that are present inside a space. By material, I refer to the 5 Element Theory, whereas a wooden table is considered a wood element and its corresponding form (form school), such as a square, is classified as a part of the earth element.

There is no denying that living in a pleasant, tidy home will make you feel more energized. However, there are those people who feel completely OK with their own organized clutter, like writers. In conclusion, maintaining a home clean of dust, mildew, and filth, creating a yang-based environment that favorable energy enjoys, is more important to Feng Shui than decluttering.

Using Quadrants to identify the energy sectors:

To be explicit, unlike in the black hat bagua map, energy does not flow or respect square or retangular quadrants. The universal energy moves diagonally in an up or down swirling motion. The scientific theory governing how energy moves is not presented in a square shape. Further, using the pie chart (classical flying star school) method to determine the energy sectors of the home, it can be noted that the center is obsolete. The center is just a little more than a small dot in the center of the home energy chart.

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Space Cleansing procedures:

It is common practice in the spiritual community to burn sage or Palo Santo incense sticks to purge an area of bad energy. There is no doubt that a strong belief can move mountains and that incense cleansing can benefit an individual, but neither of these things will influence the universal qi flow in your home.

The energy of the construction period was locked up from the Earth’s and Heaven’s Qi once the ceiling and roof of the home were completed. No amount of incense purification can assist in altering the prevailing energy. Once more, only form, color, and substance have the ability to affect Qi flow. Don’t be tricked; this is a facet of BTB Feng Shui and is not being used by consultants with years of expertise and formal training.

Interior design

To some extent, a home’s energy flow is influenced by interior design. If Qi meets the incorrect form, it might turn against you or support favorable energy. However, when viewing numerous interior design shows, it is frequently evident that the designers lack a thorough understanding of authentic traditional Feng Shui. When we take the Feng Shui form school into consideration, we often notice that designers try to create an architectural design impression but have profound inauspicious effects with regard to Feng Shui.

Using the Black Sect Feng Shui Bagua Map

Black Hat Feng Shui is when a fixed Bagua Map or energy map of the house is used without taking time or cardinal directions into account. As in astrology, our cosmos is in constant movement, never standing still. This is why our earth continually rotates. No matter the compass direction, would it make sense to superimpose the same static energy map on every home on Earth? No, this is illogical because this version has been overly simplified for the general public. Additionally, trying to impose the Bagua map onto your yard space is a highly popular trend. A home energy map is only for interior use and should not be applied externally, for example, in garden design.

The Black Hat School uses imaginary explanation of each quadrant:

• South Area = Fame (always color: red)*
• SW area = Marriage/Relationship ((always color: pink)*
• West area = children success (always color: white)*
• NW area = helpful people (always color:  grey)*
• North area = Career (always color: black,blue)*
• NE area = Wisdom (always color: light blue)*
• East area = Family (always color: green)*
• SE area = Wealth  (always color: purple)*

* Please do not follow the aforementioned Bagua Map. More information on an actual Ba-gua energy map of the house may be found here.

Westernized interior color psychology

Yes, there is no doubt that color psychology may affect people’s behavior in a variety of ways, whether it be to calm the mind or to encourage active behaviors like hazard, passion, love, or desire when it comes to the color red. In Chinese Feng Shui, colors have different meanings as each color has connotations with a different element (see Feng Shui 5 Element Theory). Please do not combine these two systems; they must be viewed as fully separate systems that cannot complement one another.

Symbolism in Black Sect Feng Shui

Symbolism in the Black Sect Feng Shui is a big commercialized part of getting you to buy expensive schnick schnacks or ramsch in the hope that a small bracelet will help block any negative energy. No, you don’t need to turn your house into a Buddhist shrine with hundreds of Chinese or Asian objects on display. Real Feng Shui is done in such a way that no one will ever notice the cures. The worst part is that you are being overcharged for something that you can acquire at Bed Bath and Beyond or any other home improvement store for a fraction of the price.

The positioning of remedies and enhancers is done in such a way that a guest won’t even be able to tell that they are there to modify the energy flow in a certain sector. Regardless of your culture, religion, or preferences for interior design, you can apply Feng Shui principles. That even well-known Feng Shui experts utilize the black hat technique to abuse Feng Shui for their own gain truly astounds me. If you see some master or consultant offering remedies, please stay far away, as their own personal gain is more important than helping you.

Of course, there are occasions when symbolism is appropriate, but this should only be done if the object satisfies all the criteria for form, color, and substance, taken Qi and location into account. Inside our house, there is a sizable statue of the Chinese god Guan Yu and terracotta soldiers. The soldiers are displayed on the shelf where I require a metal remedy since it is made of metal. The Guan Yu is on exhibit in the area where I require the earth element because it is made of porcelain. Please keep in mind that SIZE MATTERS. A small statue, about 3 inches tall, will not have much of an impact on Qi. However, a 50-inch cure at the same location would make a huge difference.

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Here are some typical BTB Feng Shui symbols that don’t really relate to traditional Feng Shui:

Wind chimes: Advertised as the ultimate remedy to clear away all negative energy. Not so fast, as wind chimes are made of metal and should only be used in locations where the metal element is required. It is not recommended to use them indoors.

• Bamboo flutes: It is said that hanging them from an exposed beam will improve qi flow. The flute won’t change the energy, though; in fact, it can exacerbate it.
• Hanging crystal to redirect the Qi flow: It might in some parts, but because of the energy’s intensity, it won’t always obediently follow a small dangling crystal ball from the ceiling. Other measures would need to be taken to further balance the room’s energy. To further balance the energy in the space, additional actions would be required.
• Mandarin ducks: Your love life will improve if you put a couple of Mandarin ducks in the southwest corner. This is another innovation of black hat Feng Shui. In South Korea, giving newlyweds a pair of Mandarin ducks as a wedding gift is customary as a way to wish them happiness and a long love life. Yet again, this is a cultural symbolism aspect, got hijacked by the black hat school.
• A dead fish in your aquarium is very bad for the energy in your house: Get a new fish if you like, and move on with your life. Speak to a shop about what you might be doing incorrectly if more fish are dying. This has nothing to do with real Feng Shui.
• Books in bedroom causes unrest while sleeping: Another myth spread by the BTB Feng Shui school. It is perfectly fine to have a book shelf in the bedroom. I even suggest reading a good book before bedtime instead of watching TV..
• A staircase needs to have 9 stairs otherwise it is inauspicious: In Asia, the numbers 8 and 9 are regarded as lucky numbers. So, it stands to reason that having nine steps would bring fortune. Another example of symbolism seen in Chinese and Southeast Asian culture is this one.

The toilet flushes down your wealth

The BTB Feng Shui version is very good at spreading fairy tales that are ripe for any children’s book. The toilet is an essential part of our human body. Can you imagine that every single person on earth is flushing down wealth every time they go to the toilet? Let’s not talk about having diarrhea. It would imply that you can already declare your bankruptcy in public by going to the restroom too frequently in one day. This is nothing more than a good story to listen to and laugh about.

Read more: Bad Feng Shui mistakes to avoid

Have a red door because it is in the South quadrant

In black sect Feng Shui, you are told that the north is always at your front door, regardless of whether the cardial direction is different. You are advised to paint your door red to enjoy good fortune. Most of the time, it can actually be disastrous to have a red front door in case the flying star energy does not support such.

Using a Bagua Mirror for negative energy

In a different post titled “38 Feng Shui Mirror Placements,” I included a lengthy section about bagua mirror placement. You can read more information there if you’re interested. For now, it is another superstition to think that a small mirror can ward off all evil. Imagine trying to block a gigantic, fast-moving energy train with a small 10×10 cm Bagua mirror when it is approaching your door (house on t junction). It won’t work in the slightest, and you shouldn’t trust it. It’s equivalent to hanging a horseshoe in Western culture over your front door for good luck. It is just a wonderful decorative object with symbolic meaning.

A mirror in the dining room doubles food

Another false claim made by practitioners of black hat Feng Shui is that putting a mirror next to the dining table multiplies energy and, consequently, food. This is a pretty beautiful one, but I haven’t seen, heard, or experienced anything to support it yet. A great way to pull your legs Presently, we refer to it as “fake news”.

Compass with Black Hat Bagua Map

Some black hat practitioners have noticed that more and more people are gaining awareness that a compass reading is necessary for an accurate Feng Shui consultation. However, these unskilled practitioners are modifying the areas using the black hat bagua map‘s color coding. The actual qi flow in these quadrants is not taken into account. Some might have gotten it executed right just by chance and luck, but I would predict that most are done wrongly and will eventually have the opposite effect on the residents.

A brief account of the founding of the Black Hat school:

The Black Hat Tantric Buddhist Sect, or BTB Feng Shui school, began in the 1970s and made their practice public by aggressively marketing and promoting it, leading everyone else to believe that this school is the authentic way to practice Feng Shui. The founder made everyone believe that the origin came from the Buddha’s teachings.

However, this is wholly untrue. Since I am living in a Buddhist country and am familiar with its history, Lord Buddha actually advised his followers against engaging in any other activities since it would distract them from meditating and achieving the highest possible state of consciousness. Everyone became convinced that this had to be accurate and genuine as a result. The message was further propagated by a large number of other practitioners who got on board. The founder, Mr. Yun, eventually promoted himself to become Grand Master Yun.

He undoubtedly exhibited a tremendous ability to promote himself and his ideals to a global audience. Later, as part of his black hat teaching, he also developed the New Age Bagua Map, which is now frequently found on Google Page One of the search results. To be clear, this is not performing classical feng shui in the form in which the Chinese ancestors have done so for more than 7000 years. A person’s own strong conviction, however, can frequently move mountains and is tough to dispute, even when the incorrect system is being implemented.

Black Sect Feng Shui Grand Master Lin Yun is 99.9% wrong

Isn’t it odd that every home on earth receives the same treatment regardless of who lives in it, their age, profession, gender, or the cardinal directions? If you have read this far, I will share with you a well-known true fact regarding the sect’s leader, Master Lin Yun, where he admits to his Black Sect Feng Shui followers that 99.9% of his predictions were incorrect:

From the Chinese Daily News, Issue No. 7110, July 8, 1997

Anyone with common sense, in my opinion, would not adhere to such a deceptive interpretation of Feng Shui. Do yourself a favor and abandon it in favor of embracing the time-tested classical school of Feng Shui. It has been used successfully for many centuries. Also keep in mind that all of the great emperors made use of the classical system. You can be your own powerful emperor as well!