What is divination?

Divination (from Latin divinare ‘to foresee, to be inspired by a god’, related to divinus, divine) is a mode of thinking to get insights into a question or situation using different divination methods such as I Ching, astrology, dowsing, tarot, runes, reading leaves or coffee, numerology and so on. I wonder if you can pretend you’ve never had precognitive and audacious thinking in your life and imagine what it is like to go through a typical day. Read more about Divination and Divination: A Window into the Unseen World and Its Role in Feng Shui

I Ching / Yijing: Book of Changes

I Ching is a Chinese method of divination and one of the oldest known Chinese philosophy texts and is composed of 64 hexagrams based on the combination of eight trigrams and is used in feng shui. Somebody wise said, “Be happy for all the time you don’t need, I Ching.” because if you do, you’re probably at a difficult time in your life.

“The Book of Changes is thought to be the oldest of the great Chinese classics and to date from perhaps as early as 1300 BCE. The book may also go back to the earliest phases of human thought because the I Ching is really the ground plan in the way in which not only the Chinese think, it’s almost a mapping of all the thinking processes of man.” The I Ching is the basis for polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s binary code and, consequently, the basis of our current digital technology. Psychologist Carl Jung used the Book of Changes to examine notions of synchronicity or ‘meaningful coincidence.’ Alan Watts considered the I Ching to be a conceptual model that charted the thinking processes of the human mind.

Alan Watts was aware of the fact that the system of arithmetic which is used by digital computers came from the I Ching, ie the binary code: “We have a binary system of arithmetic zero and one in varying arrangements. Digital computers use a number system which consists only of the figures zero and one, out of which you can construct any number and this was invented by Leibniz, who got it from the Book of Changes.”

Carl Jung used I Ching with his patients during therapy sessions. “… A certain curious principle that I have termed synchronicity, a concept that formulates a point of view diametrically opposed to that of causality. Since the latter is a merely statistical truth and not absolute, it is a sort of working hypothesis of how events evolve one out of another, whereas synchronicity takes the coincidence of events in space and time as meaning something more than mere chance.”

Dowsing

Dowsing is the ancient art of finding or gathering information. The principle behind it is that we can tap into any information field through our bodies and senses. Dowsing rods and pendulums are tools for externalising the intuitive responses that we have about people, situations and things.

Dowsing can be used for many things including:

• finding geopathic stress directly and over a distance from plans
• testing for feng shui problems and remedies
• locating underground water and minerals
• testing for allergies, etc
• locating lost people and objects
• evaluating present issues and solutions

Astrology

” Why do some people read horoscopes? Possibly because they want ‘someone’ to tell them what is going to happen. What about ‘designing’ what is going to happen?”
Edward De Bono

“People are constantly looking for explanations and striving to understand and make sense of their experiences, thoughts, and actions, as this makes us feel more in charge of our lives.” says Dr Jill Wilkinson, a senior psychologist at the University of Surrey. Whether it is I-ching, tarot or astrology some parts of ourselves want to be assured and want to know that we are going to be all right in the future.

“Giving up the need to know why things happen as they do are two of life’s greatest challenges. The hardcore truth is that we may never know why things happen as they do. Because we grow up with teachings about right and wrong, punishment and mercy, it is natural to fall into a pattern that seems to offer us a type of safety net, namely if we do not do anything wrong, nothing sad, bad, or undeserving will happen to us. Unfortunately, life is not that organised, and certainly, it does not script itself around our definition of fairness. Horrible things do happen. One woman spoke about her husband being murdered and how does she release that? Another woman wrote about coming to terms with the death of her daughter. ” Caroline Myss

‘Astrology is one of numerous valid worldviews available at the mythic level of consciousness, and it accomplishes a sense of connection to the cosmos and a role for the self in the vastness of the universe. It is not, however, a rational science with predictive power (which is why it has consistently failed empirical tests devised by astrologers themselves).

From the mythic level, we want to preserve the experience of belonging and the capacity for membership in a community. But within any level of reality, there are more valid and less valid views, as determined by the criteria for that level. Astrology is part of the mythic level, and there are good and bad astrologers. Although none of them have thus successfully passed any rational-empirical tests, that is not the actual criteria of the mythic level. The mythic level, like all levels, attempts to provide coherence, meaning, connection to the cosmos, care of others, and pragmatic guidelines. The mythological version of this (of which astrology is a subset) is an interpretive scheme that provides meaning, ethos, mythos, and sanction for the separate self at that level. Mythology and astrology speak to this level in all of us and when in touch with that level, provide a wonderful connection to our vital roots. Good astrologers do this in valid and worthy ways; bad astrologers do not (judged within that level). Of course, it is one thing to tap into that lover level, quite another to remain there (or to champion that lower level as if it were the ultimate level of reality). Those making higher claims for astrology, when they cannot be substantiated, are suspect in any case.

On the other hand, a rational scientist who despises every variety of mythology because it a lower level (and cannot pass rational-empirical tests) is simply someone out of touch with his or her roots. Integrated individuals are comfortable with all of the levels of reality as manifested in and through them, and can speak the languages of all chakras as various situations warrant. As always, it is only the exclusive attachment to any one (chakra) that causes most of the problems.’ – Ken Wilber

It appears astrology is a belief without corroborating evidence. What I see people yearning for, when turning to astrology, is a sense of connection to the cosmos. But they would do better to turn to the Kosmos. Thus is, instead of plugging into the gross dimensions of physical planets connected to their personal egos, let their awareness rise gently into the transpersonal realms. Not merely a horizontal connection to physical planets, but a vertical connection to soul and spirit, subtle and causal, ultimate and nondual. The spiritual impulse hidden in astrology and diverted onto the cosmos needs to be released into the Kosmos, released into that ultimate Embrace which holds the planets in the palm of its hand and spins galaxies in its stride. Not psyche and cosmos, but psyche and Kosmos, holds the secret to the connection long sought, – Ken Wilber

Books on astrology related to feng shui
Feng shui Astrology – Jon Sandifer, 0-7499-1709-1
The Ki – Takashi Yoshikawa, 0-312-02594-7
Nine Star Ki – Michio Kushi, 0-9628528-0-5
Astrology – Darby Costello, 0-7513-5449-X
Nine Star Ki – Bob Sachs, 1-85230-334-4
Secrets of Japanese Astrology – Takeo Mori, Dragan Milenkovic, 0-348-0290-2
Earth Medicine – Kenneth Meadows, 1-85230-117-1
On Divination and Synchronicity – Marie-Louise Von Franz, 0-919123-02-3
Chinese Numerology in Feng shui – Lilian Too, 983-9778-72-2
Feng shui & Destiny for Managers – Raymond Lo, 981-204-620-8
Feng shui and Destiny – Raymond Lo, 1-85646-026-6

A young man asked Winston Churchill what are the characteristics of becoming a politician. Churchill said, “It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”

Tarot

Tarot started as a popular, trump-based Renaissance card game in 15th-century Italy which is now a very popular tool for examining the present in relation to the past and future. Nowadays, tarot is popular as ever with over 61 billion views on TikTok. The common misconception about tarot divination is that it can predict the future. The main function of tarot is to gain clarity, and perspective about your life, resolve conflict or troubling issues as well as find patterns and narratives that influence you. The tarot is composed of 78 cards which are organised into 22 cards of Major Arcana which chart and symbolise the stages of your psychological and spiritual growth and 56 cards of Minor Arcana which cover subplots and give further insights. There are also four suits within Minor Arcana: cups represent your creativity and heart/emotions, swords relate to mind/ego, pentacles relate to the worldly needs/aspects such as body, food, accommodation and finances and wands relate to the levels of our energy needed to start new projects.

The tarot pack is a simple visual tool that can easily be reconciled with the 9 archetypical energies of the feng shui bagua. Using the tarot in feng shui will help to give you a quick, practical analysis of a situation. See the bagua tarot spread below.

When reading tarot, shuffle the cards with a question in mind. It might be useful to write it down beforehand to gain extra clarity and focus. There are different spreads for different scenarios and needs. Place the cards face down in your chosen spread or particular order. Turn the cards up and start connecting the meanings between them according to the spread matrix. If a card is reversed, ie upside down, it means that the energy of that pattern or archetype is blocked and you need to work on it, or you’re coming from fear as opposed to trust, truth and love. Reverse cards, metaphorically speaking suggests that you’re in the process of turning things around as long as you’re conscious about the issue and you’re willing to work on it. Some tarot readers don’t subscribe to reverse card meanings which potentially could be limiting.

Examples of tarot spreads

Celtic cross spread which suggests ways to move forward by looking at the present, past and future aspects.

Tarot spread for the current situation – Celtic cross spread

Simple tarot spread for an issue

Bagua tarot spread
You can use tarot cards to do a bagua-type spread for the current year. Ask, “What are opportunities and challenges for the current year that I need to be aware?” If you get a reverse card, it means that the energy of that aspect/house/gua is blocked and needs extra work or attention on an inner level and external, environmental, and feng shui level.

Tarot bagua spread for the year

Customised tarot spreads
You can make your own tarot spreads depending on your needs, creativity and preference. For example, you can make a tarot spread for your chakra system, starting from the root chakra and ending up with your 8th chakra with the intention of getting any insight into what’s going on on these levels. For your feng shui purposes, you can draw a tarot card for each room of your home or workplace.

“We can predict the future, when we know how the present moment evolved from the past.”
Carl Jung in 1933 lecture on synchronicity

Runes

Rune stones (or cards) are used as a divination tool. Rune stones come in a set of 24 ancient alphabetic symbols. Runes were originally an ancient Germanic alphabet used for writing and then for divination and magic. From about 100BCE to 1600CE, runes were used throughout northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles and Iceland. Runic inscriptions have been found as well in North America, which suggests that the Vikings arrived in the Americas long before Columbus.

Patterns of Divination: Parallels between Middle Eastern Geomancy (The Art of Sand), Feng Shui, and the I Ching.

The Middle Eastern tradition of geomancy, known as the Art of Sand, displays remarkable parallels with Chinese feng shui and the symbolic numerology seen in the I Ching and turtle shell divination. These systems all employ chance-generated patterns – whether marks scratched in sand or cracks on shells – interpreted against a web of elemental and celestial correspondences to guide harmony, fortune and individual wellbeing.

Symbolic Patterns and Random Markings
The process of geomancy in the Middle Eastern context involves creating marks in the sand – either by casting grains or using a stick – as a form of divination based on essentially random generation. These marks are grouped into sixteen standard figures, each associated with fundamental binary oppositions, reminiscent of the hexagrams and trigrams of the I Ching. This echoes the legendary origins of the I Ching itself, which is attributed to patterns observed on the shells of tortoises or through cracks produced by heating them. In both traditions, randomness in the initial markings becomes a conduit for symbolic order, interpreted through established systems.

Elemental Correspondences
Every figure in traditional geomancy is linked to a direction, planet, zodiac sign and one of the four classic elements – earth, air, fire and water – as well as a season. This mirrors the Chinese cosmology of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) in feng shui, where each element is distinctly tied to environments, personality traits, and health. Both geomancy and feng shui work from systems in which elemental attributes shape the meanings and consultative uses of marked patterns. Even the square magic of the Lo Shu diagram – historically mapped onto the tortoise’s shell – is interpreted using elemental and directional attributes; further, the concept of centre, balance and rotation therein is integral to feng shui spatial design.

Landscape, Harmony and Fortune
The broader aim in these traditions is always to interpret natural or “random” signs to promote social and spiritual harmony, prosperity and wellbeing. Feng shui determines the auspicious placement of buildings, graves and rooms according to “dragon lines” or earth energies; Middle Eastern geomancers read the sand to uncover truths about one’s present and to recommend remedies or proper actions. Both methodologies reflect a belief in the interconnectedness of heaven, earth and humanity, mediated by pattern recognition and symbolic reasoning in the landscape – quite distinct from the Western notion of divination as merely fortune-telling.

Parallels to Turtle Shell Divination
The ancient Chinese technique of turtle shell divination involved interpreting naturally-occurring cracks as omens or answers, a method that prefigured the I Ching’s formal system of trigrams and hexagrams. In myth, the trigrams themselves were first discerned by Fu Hsi while observing such random patterns, whether on the tortoise’s back or in nature. This randomness, brought into meaningful order by the diviner, forms a striking parallel to the sand marks of geomancy, where the unplanned becomes a guide to the planned.

The post Divination modalities that are used in feng shui. I Ching. Dowsing. Astrology. Tarot. Runes. The Art of Sand. appeared first on Feng Shui London UK • The Capital Feng Shui Consultant.

These systems should be understood as culturally situated belief systems rather than scientifically established methods of predicting outcomes. Their value may lie in their symbolic meaning, ritual function, relationship to cultural heritage, and capacity to help people approach significant occasions with deliberation and intention. They do not guarantee success, prevent misfortune, or replace practical, professional, legal, medical, engineering, or financial judgement.

What Is Date Selection?

Date selection is the practice of interpreting the perceived suitability of a particular day or time for a specified activity. Its principles depend on the tradition being used. Some systems draw upon lunar and solar calendars, seasonal divisions, astronomical observation, numerological patterns, planetary symbolism, religious calendars, or personal birth data.

The underlying idea is that time is not always treated as neutral or uniform. Within these traditions, particular moments may be understood as having different symbolic or qualitative characteristics. A practitioner may therefore seek a time that is believed to be aligned with the purpose of an event, the people involved, the location, or a wider cosmological pattern.

In Chinese traditions, date selection often uses the lunisolar calendar, the sixty day cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, solar terms, and almanac rules. In South Asian traditions, muhurta may draw on the Hindu calendar, lunar phases, tithi, nakshatra, weekday, and astrological relationships. In Western electional astrology, a chart may be cast for a proposed moment and assessed according to the placements and relationships of celestial bodies.

These methods are distinct. They should not be treated as interchangeable, even where they use similar words such as auspicious, favourable, compatible, or inauspicious.

When Is It Used?

People may use date selection for occasions that represent a new beginning, an important threshold, a family transition, a business activity, or an ancestral or religious observance. It is often used alongside practical arrangements rather than instead of them.

Common examples include:

• Weddings, engagements, marriage registration, and anniversary ceremonies
• Moving into a new home, housewarming events, and opening an ancestral hall
• Beginning construction, renovation, excavation, foundation work, or major repairs
• Opening a shop, business, office, clinic, restaurant, or professional practice
• Launching a product, service, public project, or creative venture
• Beginning a new job, position, course of study, or professional undertaking
• Signing agreements or beginning a commercial partnership
• Organising meetings, annual dinners, community events, and organisational ceremonies
• Funeral, burial, memorial, and ancestral observances
• Installing a tombstone, memorial stone, or ancestral tablet
• Replacing significant household items, such as a stove or fish tank

The purpose of date selection differs between individuals and communities. For some, it is an inherited family or religious practice. For others, it is a symbolic ritual that helps formalise a transition. In commercial contexts, it may be incorporated into an opening ceremony without being regarded as a determinant of business performance.

Chinese Date Selection Systems

Chinese date selection has a long relationship with calendrical knowledge, cosmology, divination, ritual, and the organisation of social life. Scholarly work on early Chinese divination notes that temporal cycles, numerical patterns, and spatial arrangements formed part of systematic frameworks for interpreting change and relating human activity to the wider cosmos.[cambridge][cambridge]

Traditional Chinese almanacs are an important resource. Often called Tong Shu, Tong Sheng, or Huang Li, they may provide information about lunar dates, solar terms, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, daily classifications, and activities regarded as suitable or unsuitable. The almanac is not merely a list of dates: historically, it brings together calendrical, cosmological, ritual, and practical information.[cambridge][wudang]

There is no single Chinese date selection system. Different schools, teachers, regional traditions, family practices, and professional lineages may use different methods. A practitioner may rely on a general almanac, a personalised assessment, or a combination of systems.

Examples include:

• The 64 gua or hexagrams: Based on the Yijing tradition, these methods use hexagram patterns to interpret change, timing, and the symbolic character of a proposed action.
• Qi Men Dun Jia: A traditional Chinese metaphysical system that may be used for timing, strategic analysis, divination, direction selection, and decision making.
• Liu Ren: A family of divinatory systems, including Da Liu Ren, concerned with the interpretation of a specific time in relation to a question or intended action.
• Tai Yi: A classical Chinese cosmological and divinatory tradition that has been associated with celestial patterns, timing, and statecraft.
• The Twenty Eight Lunar Mansions: These are traditional lunar stations used in Chinese astronomy and calendrical traditions. Their symbolic associations may be considered in date selection.
• Celestial Stars: Some methods assess named stars, spirits, deities, and symbolic influences linked to particular days, months, or years.
• The Seven Celestial Planets and Four Remainders: Often called Qi Zheng Si Yu, this system refers to the seven traditionally visible celestial bodies and four further celestial markers. It reflects the close historical connections among astronomy, astrology, calendrical calculation, and cosmology in China.
• Personal BaZi date selection: BaZi, or the Four Pillars, uses the year, month, day, and hour of birth within the stem and branch framework. Proposed dates may be considered in relation to the birth data of key participants.
• Sun and Moon formulae: A broad category for methods that give particular importance to solar, lunar, seasonal, and calendrical relationships.
• He Luo date selection: Methods associated with the Hetu and Luoshu, symbolic cosmological diagrams used within Chinese correlative thought.
• The Twelve Officers or Twelve Deities: Daily classifications used in almanac based systems. The classification of a day may be considered in relation to the purpose of an event.
• Tung Gong or Dong Gong methods: Almanac based approaches found in some date selection lineages. Terms and rules may differ across teachers, publications, regional traditions, and translations.

Chinese date selection is often used in relation to moving home, beginning building work, opening a business, weddings, ancestral rites, and funerals. However, an appropriate date in one method may be regarded differently in another. This does not necessarily indicate error. It may simply reflect differing cosmological assumptions, technical rules, or degrees of personalisation.

Vastu Shastra and Muhurta

Vastu Shastra is a broad body of South Asian architectural and environmental knowledge concerning settlement, dwelling, orientation, form, proportion, and the relationship between built space and cosmological order. It is often discussed alongside muhurta, the selection of an auspicious moment for beginning an event or ceremony.

In practice, the relationship between Vastu Shastra and muhurta varies. Some practitioners treat them as closely connected, especially for property related activities. Others distinguish architectural design principles from astrological timing. Regional practice, religion, language, family tradition, and professional lineage all shape how these ideas are understood and applied.

Muhurta may consider the Hindu calendar and astrological factors such as:

• Lunar day or tithi
• Lunar mansion or nakshatra
• Weekday or vara
• Lunar phase
• Solar and planetary positions
• The intended purpose of the activity
• In some approaches, the natal information of the principal person or household

Muhurta may be sought for marriage, entering a new home, beginning construction, performing a housewarming ritual, purchasing property, beginning a business, or undertaking religious observance. Traditional muhurta resources commonly distinguish timing for events such as weddings, housewarming, property purchase, and vehicle purchase.[drikpanchang]

It is important to distinguish cultural importance from scientific validation. Muhurta is a traditional astrological and religious framework. It can hold personal, family, and cultural value, but it should not be presented as a scientifically validated means of ensuring success or avoiding harm. Building projects must still follow planning law, building regulations, health and safety procedures, structural engineering requirements, accessibility standards, and sound financial planning.

Western Electional Astrology

Western astrology also includes approaches to choosing a time for an event. This is commonly known as electional astrology. A practitioner may assess the proposed moment using a horoscope, considering the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, houses, and aspects between planets.

Western electional astrology may be used for a marriage, company formation, business launch, relocation, contract, travel, surgery, creative project, or public event. As with Chinese and South Asian date selection, the method is rooted in a wider symbolic worldview in which celestial patterns are interpreted as meaningful.

Western electional astrology does not use the same calendar structures, terminology, or cosmological assumptions as Chinese date selection or muhurta. It should therefore be described on its own terms rather than simplified as merely a Western version of feng shui date selection.

A Critical and Respectful Perspective

Date selection can be meaningful without being treated as deterministic. It may support intentionality, reflection, cultural continuity, family participation, and the ceremonial marking of life transitions. For example, a household may choose a date for moving into a new home partly because it fits a traditional calendar, but also because relatives can attend, the property is legally ready, utilities are connected, and the move is practical.

The scientific evidence does not support claims that astrological or divinatory date selection can reliably predict the success of a marriage, business, building project, medical procedure, or other complex outcome. Such outcomes are influenced by multiple social, economic, psychological, environmental, organisational, and chance factors. This distinction matters particularly where a belief based recommendation could delay essential medical care, interfere with legal obligations, create unnecessary fear, or lead to coercion.

A responsible approach to date selection therefore includes several principles:

• Treat the practice as a cultural, spiritual, symbolic, or personal framework, rather than a guarantee
• Be transparent about which tradition and method are being used
• Recognise variation across regional, historical, and lineage based practices
• Prioritise safety, law, ethics, affordability, and informed professional advice
• Avoid fear based claims, fatalistic language, or pressure on others
• Use the selected date to support preparation and meaningful ritual, not to replace practical decision making

Do Western and Eastern Astrological Systems Overlap?

Western astrology typically uses the zodiacal belt along the ecliptic, the apparent annual path of the Sun. Its twelve signs are equal thirty degree divisions, and in most contemporary Western astrology they are tropical: anchored to the seasons and the March equinox, rather than directly to the present positions of the constellations. Chinese astronomy and astrology developed a different celestial mapping system, including the Three Enclosures and Twenty Eight Lunar Mansions. Chinese astronomers identified approximately 283 smaller asterisms, rather than using the Western framework of zodiac constellations.

Chinese date selection is often primarily calendrical. It may use lunar and solar cycles, the ten Heavenly Stems, twelve Earthly Branches, the sixty term cycle, solar terms, and the Twelve Officers. Although the twelve Earthly Branches are associated with animal signs, these animals do not correspond directly to the twelve Western zodiac constellations. They organise cyclical time, including years, months, days, and two hour periods, rather than functioning as equivalent ecliptic constellations.

Indian astrological traditions share some historical astronomical links with wider Eurasian systems, while retaining distinctive concepts and methods. Vedic astrology commonly uses a sidereal zodiac, which references stellar positions, as well as the twenty seven or twenty eight lunar mansions known as nakshatras. This creates a partial conceptual parallel with the Chinese Twenty Eight Lunar Mansions, although the divisions, names, calculations, historical development, and interpretive uses are not identical.

The overlap, therefore, is at the level of human observation of the same sky and the shared importance of recurring celestial and seasonal patterns. The differences lie in how cultures have divided the heavens, constructed calendars, created symbolic meanings, and developed techniques for interpreting time. Academic research also documents historical cultural exchange across Eurasia, including the transmission and adaptation of astrological concepts, but this does not make the traditions interchangeable or prove their predictive claims.

From a scientific perspective, astronomy studies the physical properties and movements of celestial objects using observation, mathematics, and testable models. Astrology and traditional date selection are belief based interpretive systems. Their historical, cultural, and personal significance can be acknowledged, while recognising that there is no robust scientific evidence that astrological systems reliably predict individual outcomes or determine the success of events.

Questions and Answers

Is date selection part of feng shui?

Date selection is a part of feng shui. Feng shui is principally concerned with the relationship between people and their physical environment. Chinese date selection focuses on time and calendrical cycles. Practitioners may combine them when advising on moving in, renovation, construction, or business opening, but each has its own methods and history.

Is there one correct system?

No. There are many systems, including general almanac methods, BaZi based approaches, Qi Men Dun Jia, the Twenty Eight Lunar Mansions, muhurta, Western electional astrology, and local or family traditions. The most appropriate approach depends on the cultural and religious context, the location, the purpose of the event, and the practitioner’s training.

Can different systems give different dates?

Yes. Different systems use different calendars, technical principles, meanings, and assumptions. Even two practitioners working within the same tradition may use different texts or lineage rules. A difference in recommendation should be explained clearly rather than framed as proof that one person is necessarily wrong.

Are Western and Eastern astrological systems based on the same stars and models?

There is some overlap, but they are not the same system. Western, Chinese, and Indian astrological traditions all developed through close observation of the visible sky, including the Sun, Moon, planets, seasonal cycles, and stars. They therefore refer to the same physical celestial bodies. However, they organise, measure, and interpret the sky through different calendrical systems, celestial reference points, symbolic frameworks, and cultural histories.

Does a favourable date guarantee success?

No. A date selected within a traditional system is not a guarantee of a particular outcome. Business success depends on factors such as market demand, finance, operations, staffing, product quality, and governance. A successful marriage depends on many relational, social, legal, and practical factors. Construction success depends on competent design, permissions, safety, materials, workmanship, and maintenance.

Can date selection be used for a funeral or burial?

Yes. In several traditions, funerals, burials, memorials, ancestral rites, and tombstone installation are among the events for which dates may be considered. However, legal, religious, logistical, and bereavement related needs should take precedence, especially when timely arrangements are required.

Can I use date selection alongside ordinary planning?

Yes. A balanced approach is to use date selection as an optional symbolic or cultural layer while ensuring that practical requirements are met. For a business opening, for example, a selected date should still be compatible with licences, insurance, staffing, accessibility, stock, safety, communications, and customer readiness.

Is date selection scientific?

No. The belief that cosmic, astrological, or divinatory systems can determine or predict outcomes has not been established through scientific evidence. However, the study of date selection as a cultural, historical, anthropological, psychological, or ritual practice is a legitimate area of scholarly interest. Research on Chinese calendrical traditions and divination helps document how systems of time, celestial observation, political authority, ritual, and everyday life have been historically connected.

References

Cao, T. (n.d.). Stars in Chinese astronomy. In H. Selin (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non Western cultures. Springer. https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-1-4020-4425-0_8863

This conference paper compares Chinese and Western constellational systems and discusses cultural differences in the interpretation and grouping of visible stars.webofproceedings

The World of Chinese. (2024, November 4). Adoption of the Western astrological signs in ancient China. https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2024/11/western-astrological-signs-in-ancient-china/

Feuchtwang, S. (1987). Tung Shu: The ancient Chinese almanac, edited and translated by Martin Palmer with Chung Mak, Hin Ho Kwok Man, and Angela Smith. The China Quarterly, 110, 371–372. This review describes the traditional almanac as a calendrical document containing dates, directions, divinatory material, and remedies.[cambridge]

Goodkind, D. M. (1991). Aiming for birth in the year of the dragon. Population and Development Review, 17(4), 663–686. https://doi.org/10.2307/1973601. This peer reviewed study examines the social consequences of beliefs concerning the auspiciousness of the Dragon year, illustrating how astrological beliefs can influence reproductive timing and demographic behaviour.

Li, S. (2020). Explore the cultural difference between Chinese and Western constellations. In Proceedings of the 2020 International Conference on Humanities, Arts and Design. https://webofproceedings.org/proceedings_series/ART2L/ICHCAD%202020/ZL_2012065.pdf

Pankenier, D. W. (1995). The cosmo political background of Heaven’s Mandate. Early China, 20, 121–176. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0362502800004466. This article addresses the historical importance of celestial phenomena and cosmological order in early Chinese political thought.

Raphals, L. (2013). Divination and prediction in early China and ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press. The work discusses sources and methods of divination, including the systematic organisation of mantic signs through temporal cycles, numbers, and spatial arrangements.

The post Date Selection in feng shui, Vastu Shastra, and Astrological Traditions appeared first on Feng Shui London UK • The Capital Feng Shui Consultant.