Vastu is an ancient vedic science/philosophy. Vastu was first revealed by the Source of Supreme Consciousness to a Vedic Sage who was seeking answers as to how a person could live a life relatively free of the sufferings and insecurities that even then had plagued man for much too long.

Many feel that the early Buddhist monks brought Vastu from India to other parts of Asia were it evolved into the various schools of feng shui. Vastu is sometimes called the "missing key" to feng shui. Others feel that the two philosophies are totally separate and were revealed to different cultures in different places depending on their needs.

In any case even though their differences may be irreconcilable in many areas, they marry so beautifully in other areas. It takes more than one tool to build a house. Use whatever will enhance the energy of the site.

It is suggested that if moving or building to apply the principles of Vastu as the value of correct foundation cannot be over-emphasized, particularly to a seeker of enlightenment. If in a home with faulty Vastu and moving is not an option, employ feng shui cures.

Knowledge of Vastu will help the feng shui practitioner and energy worker. Once it is understood how cosmic energy flows in relation to the site, it will be possible to troubleshoot and stop or predict health problems, misfortune, divorce or other sufferings before they manifest.

One might ask how the site can affect one's health, happiness and fortune. Think for one moment about the documented disadvantages of living under or close to a huge electrical transformer. The bio-magnetic field of a plot when seriously disturbed by the addition of a structure is no less dangerous.

The principles of Vastu are simple.

Divine Energy enters the site from the Northeast. It rises and splits. Half flows toward the Southeast, and half flows towards the Northwest before rising and flowing on towards the Southwest.

The North east has a double positive current and the Southwest a double negative. South of Southeast and West of Northwest are positive. North of Northwest and East of Southeast are negative.

The Northeast is called Deva Moola or God's Place. Water is the element. Any time in nature there is water and light, there will be life. The energy of the Northeast is very light and brilliant.

The East is the direction of Knowledge, Southeast is the direction of Fire, South is the direction of Death, Southwest is the direction of Devils, West is Rain, and Northwest is Vayu or Windforce.

North, Northeast and East are in the positive field of the site.

South, Southwest and West are in the negative field.

Therefore it is best to have a plot that faces North or East (particularly if seeking enlightenment) as you would want to open your door onto God's field, the directions of Wealth, Divinity, or Knowledge, rather than onto the negative field of Death, Devils, and Rain.

It is interesting to note that the area of the ba-qua that lines up with the front entrance refers to the North regardless of what direction the house faces. It is also interesting that the entrances to the pyramids are facing North. North is the preferred direction for one's structure to face in Vastu.

Vastu can help a person puzzled by a recent change in fortune or health following a move.

Water is the element of the Northeast. The Northeast must always be lower and more open than the Southwest. Depressions such as built in pools, ponds, valleys or wells should not be placed in the negative field as any hole or depression will increase the energy of a field. To create a depression in the South or Southwest is to invite death and misery into the site. The natural flow of energy is disrupted and it can be likened to the backing up of a septic system, bringing untold suffering to the inhabitants.

When the Northeast is lower and more open than the Southwest, the site becomes very rich in energy and the inhabitants experience great blessings.

Heavy objects decrease the energy of a field and are to be in the negative field. A mountain or a hill in the Southwest can bring great fortune and good health. Heavy objects should not be placed in the Northeast as no energy will be able to enter the site. However wells, pools, and other depressions are very good to have in the Northeast.

The directions in which one eats, sleeps and cooks, are also very important.

One should not sleep in the Northeast, especially if suffering from mental or emotional disturbances or trying to conceive a child.

The Northeast corner of the house, both inside and out should be very open. Some mistakenly put alters or religious statues in the Northeast corner as it is the "Place of God."

This is not a good idea as the Northeast can be likened to the windpipe of the site. It does not matter if one is choking to death on a religious artifact or on a green bean. The result is the same. It is best to keep everything out of the Northeast corner of all the rooms, particularly the main Northeast corner of the house and yard.

The Northeast strongly affects the emotions as the element is water. Many mental disturbances or emotional disturbances are indicative of a defect in the Northeast quadrant of the plot or house. Sometimes a defect in the Northeast may result in cancer of the head or neck.

One should not sleep in the Northeast, especially if ill as recovery, if any, will be slow. Children who sleep in the Northeast quadrant of the house may experience learning or behavioral difficulties. If having difficulty conceiving a child, move the bedroom to the Southwest.

The bedroom should be in the Southwest. The Northwest quadrant would be the second choice. Southeast bedrooms can bring great irritability and insomnia.

It is best to face east when studying. The kitchen should be in the Southeast. Northwest is the second choice. If a building or conglomeration of buildings are causing too much of a disruption to an energy field, sometimes natural disasters will occur. It is very important to chose a site that is in harmony with cosmic and bio-energies.

In Vastu, the concern is in how the structure or compound affects the natural energy field, not so much how the flow affects the inhabitants. If one is not willing or able to build in harmony with the natural order or to make the necessary plot level corrections, the plot will one way or another shake the inhabitants off, be it by illness, bankruptcy, divorce, or even death. The worse the Vastu or the less suited for habitability, the more rapid the ill effects.

This will shed some light as to why a certain house or site may appear to be jinxed or is repeatedly up for sheriff sale, etc. In many cases, making a few corrections to the plot level will alleviate the problem for future generations. Feng Shui (pronounced "fong shway") is a Chinese philosophy about the relationship between humans and their environment. It is about how everything is connected and affects your well-being. Based on the laws of nature, its theories offer us a way of understanding why certain things occur and how to create a comfortable environment that lets us live and work efficiently and progressively.

Developed over 5,000 years ago as a system of how to survive and excel in harmony with nature, feng shui theories came from logical assumptions about natural causes and effects that endured through time. Passed down from generation to generation, only a select few understand the phenomenon of feng shui in its entirety. The complexity and correct application of feng shui takes many years to learn from a master. The ideas presented here offer some of the basic concepts that explain the principles of feng shui.

Feng shui is based on the Taoist philosophies of nature: these include the Yin-Yang Theory, Five Element Theory and the trigrams of the trigrams of the Yi-Jing. Everything is made of qi (pronounced chee) or energy which is organized into five elements: metal, fire, water, wood and earth and associated to the trigrams. Do not think of the five elements as static physical elements but energies like frequencies which have direction and a unique wavelength. The Five Element Theory explains how qi cycles in nature, constantly changing from phase to phase, since energy is neither created nor destroyed. Consequently, everything around us is connected and has the potential to affect our well-being. Today, feng shui is a multi-disciplinary study encompassing architecture, urban planning, geography, astrology, electromagnetism, landscape design, environmental psychology, and many others.