The dragon is most auspicious - being powerful and protective. Qi is known as dragon's breath. The dragon side defines the left and correlates to yang and male energy.

Feng Shui practice is broadly divided into form and compass types.

Form school places emphasis on Qi manifesting in the visible: in shape, structure, and physical direction but without complex mathematical formulas.

Compass schools use calculations to reveal energy with basis in accurate compass or luopan measurement, however still consider the impact of form within these computations.

F o r m  reads the energy expressed in landforms, waterways, buildings and defines it in poetic terms such as Long mei/Dragon vein, Xue - lair, White Tiger, Crimson Phoenix, Ming Tang - bright hall. It considers flow of energy in pathways, entrances, structure arrangement and the nature of energy in a substance. Qi is seen and felt in surroundings.
Conceptual correspondences are drawn: for example not just unattractive or unhealthy but 'narrows therefore opportunity/wealth lessens'.
Experiential common-sense is the source of considerations such as:
· sides of the river subject to erosion and hence reduction in prosperity
· traffic - finding the front door
· position - desks in anxiety prone situations reducing concentration.

C o m p a s s  schools assign qualities of Qi depending on direction. The computation origin may be constellation based or gua/trigram -Yi Jing derived. Emphasis may be placed on Early Heaven or Later Heaven sequences. Part of the Qi may be unseen, for instance the emphasis of time. Some styles identify areas of energy correspondence such as illness in a particular body part, or effect on a person based on their family relationship or age.

Methods include:
Fei Xing or Xuan Kong - Flying Star
Wen Hom - Mysteries of the Void Imperial Flying Star
Ba Zhai - Eight Mansion
San He - Triple Combination
San Yuan - Three periods
Directional Ba Gua
Water Dragon

Sometimes calculations are categorised as Luopan. This is not in itself a school, but a special compass surrounded by directional divisions applied to specific formulae and of varying types depending on formulae preference. It can be used for calculations derived from various schools. A luban ruler may be used for auspicious dimensions.

Traditionally knowledge and formulae were jealously guarded and handed down in oral tradition or coded or riddled in documentation. Practice evolved to be resourced and controlled by the ruling elite. Students earned the right to education through family lineage or significant endeavour. Recent years have seen an explosion of feng shui knowledge in the west, and with that confusion for the layman in piecing together and weighing published parts. Sometimes cultural practices-superstition have been included which scientific rationalism finds harder to embrace or not relevant to western lifestyle. Sometimes the energetic is embraced without common-sense. The role of the Feng Shui consultant is to be classically trained and successfully weigh all these influences relevance to a project and client needs.

Usually as many methods are integrated as required and the site and appropriateness/opportunity allows.

Ultimately it is the result that counts.

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