Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Gilles Deleuze, the renowned French philosopher whose work continues to inspire explorations across a wide range of disciplines. Deleuze’s innovative concepts, such as multiplicity, becoming, and the rhizome, encourage me to approach my relationship with space in new and imaginative ways. His idea of rhizomatic thinking, which values non-linear connections, networks and openness to transformation, aligns closely with the holistic and dynamic approach of feng shui. Deleuze’s philosophy pushes me to see my environment not as a static backdrop but as an active field of possibilities, ever open to reconfiguration and creative engagement. These resonances between Deleuze’s thought and feng shui prompted me to reflect further in this blog.

Feng shui, as a Chinese metaphysical philosophy, centres on the harmonious arrangement of spaces to optimise the flow of qi and support well-being. It is deeply rooted in ancient cosmology, balancing the dynamic interplay of yin and yang and the five elements within terrestrial and celestial environments. Deleuze’s philosophy, on the other hand, emerges from twentieth-century continental thought, foregrounding the fluidity of being, the importance of difference and repetition, and the affirmation of multiplicity and becoming. Both traditions value process, transformation and the ongoing creation of new realities, but their metaphysical foundations differ: feng shui privileges cosmic harmonisation and resonance, while Deleuze focuses on experimental assemblages, creative change and the vital energy of differentiation. Together, they invite me to treat my environment as a living field of possibilities, where both ancient wisdom and radical modern philosophy offer ways to think and act differently in relation to space.

In the discipline of feng shui, I often ask how to align my space to promote well-being. When I approach my home or working environment influenced by Gilles Deleuze, process-oriented questions open new directions for transformation. In this post, I explore how Deleuzean questions, rooted in affirmation, multiplicity and becoming, can reinvigorate feng shui and reveal the field as a living practice with our surroundings. I invite you to ask some of these questions in relation to your home and workplace.

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The Ancient Art Meets the Timeless Realm

For millennia, feng shui has been understood as the art and science of harmonising human environments with the flow of qi (vital energy) through careful attention to spatial arrangement, temporal cycles, and directional orientations. Traditional practitioners meticulously calculate compass bearings, assess landforms, and consider the temporal dimensions of the Chinese calendar to optimise environmental conditions. Yet what if the most profound aspects of feng shui lie not within the coordinates of time and space as we conventionally understand them, but in dimensions beyond these familiar parameters?

This exploration proposes a radical reconceptualisation of feng shui practice, drawing upon recent discoveries in theoretical physics, transpersonal psychology, and mystical philosophy to imagine feng shui as it might be practised in realms that transcend ordinary spatiotemporal coordinates. By examining positive geometry, the teachings of non-dual wisdom traditions, and the nature of consciousness itself, we can begin to articulate innovative approaches to environmental harmonisation that operate at deeper, more fundamental levels of reality.

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“Those who criticise without creating, those who are content to defend the vanished concept without being able to give it the forces it needs to return to life, are the plague of philosophy. All these debaters and communicators are inspired by ressentiment.”
—What is Philosophy?

In Deleuze and Guattari’s eyes, philosophy stagnates when reduced to mere defence or reanimation of dead dogmas. They urge philosophers to create concepts, not just reflect upon or preserve them. This principle of creative production, as opposed to rote reproduction, stands as a vital challenge to anyone working with tradition, especially those of us immersed in ancient systems like feng shui.​

As a practising feng shui consultant and a PhD researcher in environmental psychology, this resonates deeply with my personal and academic journey. Feng shui is often discussed through its classical philosophical principles – chi, yin and yang, five elements, bagua, and intricate calendar cycles. But is there a risk in treating these ideas as fixed artefacts, immune to the creative forces that keep a tradition alive?

Philosophical Creation and the Living Nature of Feng Shui

Deleuze’s distinction between creative thinking and static reflection can reformulate how we approach feng shui today. Classical feng shui concepts were themselves products of creative synthesis by thinkers responding to their contexts—a process of invention far removed from static dogmatism.

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