Reading Water
What good water looks like, what water in the bright hall brings, and what foul water, stagnant water and a sweet spring each mean, with Taipei’s two rivers.
By Sheng Pin Kai·Last updated
In feng shui, water must be clear and sweet, winding and silent, and seen from the lair it must show neither where it comes from nor where it goes. Water gathered in the bright hall brings wealth. Foul water in the hall bodes ill, and stagnant water in the home means the livestock die and the family line is cut off.
The basic rule
Water must first of all be clear and sweet, winding as it flows, and silent. Seen from the lair of a dragon vein, the water must show neither where it comes from nor where it goes. This is the basic rule for reading water.
The book’s example: Taipei’s two rivers
The book takes the Taipei Basin as it was at the time of writing. Two rivers run through the basin. From the Green Dragon position on the left comes the Xindian River, and from the White Tiger position on the right comes the Keelung River. The two meet at Guandu and flow out to sea, winding a long course through Taipei on the way. With water in the bright hall, the basin is by nature a site of great eminence.
But by then both rivers had long been polluted. Not a single fish could be seen in them, and the stench stung the nose of anyone walking along the banks. This is foul water.
Water and the bright hall
Water gathered in the bright hall by nature brings wealth, health and clean government. Once the water is polluted, the bright hall still brings wealth, but it is not clean wealth.
The day the rivers run clear again, heaven shows a favorable sign, and the bright hall is made new.
Foul water, stagnant water and a sweet spring
Foul water: any foul water in the bright hall always bodes ill.
Stagnant water: stagnant water within the home means the livestock die and the family line is cut off.
A sweet spring: a spring of sweet water always brings rank and renown, or produces great scholars.
This is why water holds an important place in feng shui. The water of a site’s layout is also measured with the compass for its direction; for how, see The Eight Yellow Springs.
Source: The Way of the Earth's Veins (天纪：地脉道)
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