THE FENG SHUI OF CANARY WHARF

Government and big business in China use Feng Shui to improve their situation; is this a trend that the West looks set to follow? To understand the application of Feng Shui in the U.K it is easier to look at well known examples where Feng Shui is used such as Canary Wharf.

Everyone has heard of Canary Wharf; the prominent centrepiece to the mid 1980's building boom in the heart of London's Docklands. This was to be a new financial centre expanding out from the city, but why did this not occur? One thing many people do not know is that the developers used Feng Shui in designing Canary Wharf.

Why, therefore, is Canary Wharf not busy? We know about Olympia and York's bankruptcy and the lack of business generated in the area. Is it that Feng Shui does not work or are there other factors that have not been taken into account?

When one of my students mentioned to me that the developers had used Feng Shui, I had a look for myself for the reason behind the lack of business in the area. The building is sitting North and facing South which is good in terms of Feng Shui, meaning that the general luck of the building will not fluctuate too greatly. In front of the building there is a small park which attracts the chi, representing money. In Canary Wharf water on the right (east direction) represents money and on the left (west direction) water signifies bad health and losing money.

According to the Feng Shui chart, at this moment in time we are in the lower round 7th fortune which represents West, so in the West London area, business will thrive and in the East London area - for example Tobacco Docks Shopping Centre and Docklands Property will generally will be quieter. This is because the luck of the World is presently in the West, so the area opposite, the East will be quiet. This is according to the Flying Star 3 Round 9 Fortune.

The height of the central building looks impressive, but it is also the tallest building in the area with nothing to balance and support it of a similar height. In a Feng Shui way, people working in such a building 'due to its isolation' therefore have to work harder to make money.

The height of the building represents wood and the triangle on top represents fire. The water Element is represented by the river Thames, which surrounds the building. This helps the wood, which in turn creates fire through the use of the triangle. This connection of the elements creates mental activity, enhancing the intelligence of those working in the building. An example of this is one of the tenants, a leading national paper who won an award for excellence, no doubt aided by their need to work so hard to overcome their financial obstacles - the area and design of their surroundings.

This is all well and good, however I found that there are still quite a few ways to improve the Feng Shui of the building. Also the one major factor still not fully taken into account is that the general luck of the area does not pick up for 19 years and reach its peak for another 86 years, it will then be as busy as it was from 1904-1923 when the luck was last in the East.

This can explain the IRA bomb disaster in 1996 nearby. When the luck of an area is not there, then it will attract all kinds of bad problems, the fact that this is not the first time this has happened only goes to prove this. According to the "I CHING" of Feng Shui the area will start getting a little busier in 1995 (because the energy of the Earth started moving in to the North East-8 fortune).

UPDATE - JAN 2002

In 1998 construction began on two new towers adjacent to the existing one, on either side. Now, in 2002, the towers are nearly complete. As construction progressed, we have seen the area become more and more busy. The original tower is now completely occupied. In Feng Shui terms the tall buildings close to each other will provide more support and strengthen the chi. In addition, the 3 buildings are situated in a triangle. This also creates a lot of energy.

However, since the 11th September, people have been worried that the area will be a target for attacks by Islamic Fundamentalists. With London's City Airport only a few minutes away, people are understandably anxious that it would be easy to launch a suicide attack on the area.

So in terms of Feng Shui, it seems that the 3 Round 9 Fortune is absolutely correct. Like in 1996 with the IRA attack, just when the area seemed to be picking up, after September 11th a lot of people will be holding back. The area still has to wait until the energy is right.

The Curse of the Dome



Just across the river from Canary Wharf is the site of the Millennium Dome. The Dome was built as part of the extravagant millenium celebrations planned by Tony Blair's Labour party, at a total cost of nearly £1 billion of public money. Even before it was built the Dome attracted a great deal of controversy, and was forced to close after only a year due to a lack of public interest. It has been widely criticised as a waste of public money, and even now as it lies empty at a cost of more than £100,000 a week, the Government is unable to find a buyer.

In Feng Shui terms the site is excellent. Situated on the Greenwich Peninsula, the Dome is in the stomach of the Dragon. This is because the river Thames surrounds it. Therefore this should make the site very busy.

The solution

So, why has the Dome been such a failure? Firstly the site was originally a chemical works, and over the years had become extremely contaminated. Before construction could begin, all of the soil in the area had to be removed and replaced. However, I am certain that the cleanup operation cannot have been thorough enough. In Feng Shui terms, 70cm of soil will have to be replaced with good soil to decontaminate the area properly. The soil used must be fertile, and moist without being mud.

Also, it is necessary to use the services of a Buddhist Master who can use the Great Compassion Dharni Water to bless the whole area. In addition, 4 pieces of bamboo on which the Earth God mantra is written have to be placed deep inside the ground in the four corners of the site.

In Feng Shui we talk about magnetic fields, so if the magnetic fields in an area become contaminated, the area cannot be successful. Also, the door needs to be facing the active star in order to bring the good chi in.

Although some people know how to use Feng Shui, success ultimately depends on the level of their knowledge. Sometimes Feng Shui has to be combined with mental power in order to make it more effective. Using Feng Shui can make billions; not using Feng Shui can lose you
billions. If the Government follows my advice, it is still not too late to turn its fortunes around and remove the curse of the Dome!

END OF UPDATE.