This coronavirus pandemic spiraled out of control. The need for a global balanced leadership becomes painfully apparent, as some world leaders are, through their arrogance, proved incompetent. Do these leaders represent us through our votes? Do we want them to? We want to invest in a comfortable and safe home. Not possible, if we loose our jobs. How can we protect our surrounding environment, if we can not pay the bills? After this world crisis is over, what life lesson does each and every one of us, keep? Perhaps history and ancient wisdom can help us find answers to these questions. Here is a brief narrative on how a true leader presides.

King Wen reigned between 1100-1050 BC, in Zhou, Shaanxi region, north China. He was one of four most honored sages, that contributed in writing the I Ching. He is known as a cultured and reverent leader (his name ‘Wen’ means ‘the Cultured’ or the ‘Civilizing’, source Wikipedia). The I Ching, is the book of truth, the ‘Truth Classic’. In essence it is a book of divination, than contains the ancient Chinese Cosmology (Tai Chi), reflected by 64 hexagrams. This Cosmology refers to the Truth between Heaven(Universe), Earth – Humanity and the Truth that permeates all, Change, known as the Tao of I (truth of change).

“After making adequate arrangements for those seeking shelter in the realm of Zhou, King Wen tried to promote prosperity. On one hand, he began to levy taxes from the people and on the other, he instructed people how to profit and practice economy. To set an example, he performed a grand ceremony but used just two bamboo trays, instead of the traditional eight, offering a very simple sacrifice with truthfulness and sincerity. The Duke of Zhou describes the way to restrain oneself to allow others to prosper.”

Taoist Master Alfred Huang and The Complete I Ching

In short; a leader leads by example. She or he, should be truthful and when necessary, restrain themselves to allow their people to prosper.

How does Feng Shui apply here and where does it help? In order to understand its significance, we must comprehend what these hexagrams are and how they affect our interior and exterior living environment.

We are all familiar with the eight (8) directions, 1-North, 8-North East, 3-East, 4-Southeast, 9-South, 2-South West, 7-West and 6-North West. In Feng Shui each direction corresponds to a specific trigram. These are the eight primary trigrams, out of which the total of 64 hexagrams derive (8×8=64). The number five (5) is placed in the center.

Eight primary trigrams (move clockwise from bottom center, North and end up bottom right, North West)

Bottom trigram is North

Center left is East

Top trigram is South

Center right is West

Like mentioned above, the I Ching contains 64 hexagrams; each one carries its own narrative, meaning and sequence. The sequence of the hexagram, is Confucius’s explanation of transiting from one hexagram to the next. There is a beginning, middle and end. Then its starts all over again. Ever Change. Balance is found in the center. Every year one (1) of the nine (9) numbers positions itself in the center. The center has two numbers; a) one designated number represents a year cycle and b) a second visiting number, represents that specific year. Each number is a trigram, therefore these two numbers form a specific hexagram. This year (Feb 5, 2020 to Feb 4, 2021), the hexagram found in the center of a room, building or any space, is 41. The significance of the 41st hexagram is the law of balance between giving and receiving.

In the last 20 years we have experienced a socioeconomic phenomena I like to call ‘the polarization of wealth’. Many finance specialists, even prior to 2000-2008, tried to warn us about the few, collecting through negative use of globalization, the world’s cash flow. This created a top heavy financial environment, that can easily be knocked out by a tiny, invisible enemy. It appears that when the human race omits to take care of its own members, other living beings and of course its host planet, nature retaliates. And wins. Easily. Any and all human endeavors can not withstand the power of nature’s flow. It constantly moves, shifts, rotates and changes. Change is good when we do not resist it. Resisting earth’s desire to have all her children thrive, not select few, puts us in a battle we can never win. What we can do, is fix what we have destroyed. One task at a time. How? In 2020/21, Feng Shui offers a solution for our current problems. The solution is to apply the law of balance between giving and receiving.

Simple? No. Easy? Yes.

Last but not least, one could easily think of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and his famous quote “Panta rhei”, “Everything flows(changes)”. Did the ancients understand the world better than we do?