When talking about Feng Shui, most would refer to the location of the front door, kitchen, and bedroom, as well as the sitting and facing direction of the home (compass direction).
However, the environment surrounding your home is equally important, if not more.
Sometimes, negative Feng Shui Forms (形煞) can bring such strong negative Chi that can deem a house unsuitable for long-term stay. These negative Chi, or Sha Qi (煞), can manifest into loss of wealth, accidents, and sickness because it can change the energies that goes into your home. This school of thought came mostly from the Form School of Feng Shui (Luan Tou/ 巒頭), where you analyze what can be seen by the naked eye.
I’m sure all of you would want to avoid loss of wealth, accidents, and sickness. That’s what this article is for – to teach you how to identify these negative Feng Shui Forms so you can avoid them.
These negative Forms can be classified into 5 categories: Sharp, Corner, Rushing, Arrow, and Pressing. (Some words here may be lost in translation)
Before we begin, let me make one point clear:
Mere Presence of Negative Forms Doesn’t Mean You’ll Be Affected
Many factors need to be considered to determine whether the negative Feng Shui Forms have an impact on you.
First, these Forms should not be facing your front door. Meaning, if you’re standing inside your home looking out of your front door in a straight line, you shouldn’t see these Forms.
Second, these Forms should not be facing your windows. The same method mentioned above applies.
Third, the distance and the size of these Forms should be considered.
For instance, you’ll soon learn that street light poles are a negative Form and assume that you can see one through your front door. But when you take distance into consideration, the street light is about 20 feet away from you from right across the street. In this case, you shouldn’t worry about that negative Form because the light pole is too far to impact you.
Throughout this article, I will include the factors to consider when explaining what these Forms are. Let’s dive right into it.
Sharp Sha (尖煞)
Sharp Sha is one of the most common one we see today. Its shape is typically triangular, or something thin and tall. Here are some examples:
- Street light poles
- Flag poles
- Sign posts
- Bell towers
- Church towers
- Electric towers
- Chimneys
- Very tall and thin trees
- Mountain’s peak
For some, their presence is a sight for sore eyes. For others, they feel indifferent. For a few, it can give off a slight feeling of unease.
Let me use a more extreme example. Imagine having knives installed into your ceiling, with their sharp edge pointing downwards. You know the knives are not going to hurt you (unless there’s an earthquake or other catastrophes). However, its presence will make people uncomfortable. How do you think that’s going to affect someone who’s living there for years?
Though this example is not the best, it shows what Sharp Sha can make people feel.
The strength of this Sha is determined by its height and its proximity. The taller it is, the stronger its energy. If it is far away, it’ll have no impact to your home’s Feng Shui.
This Sha should not be located directly at the front of your front door or window. Even if that’s the case, you’re fine if it is far away from you. If it is at the side of the front door or window and does not form a straight line, then its effects on you are minimal.
Cure for Sharp Sha
The common cure is to place a concaved Bagua mirror on top of your door, assuming that the Sha faces your door.
A small bagua mirror, like the one below we sell on our Feng Shui shop, would be a good enough cure:
For Sharp Sha from natural objects such as trees and mountain peaks, some masters suggest a flat mirror on top of the door accompanied with wind chimes. As for the type of wind chime, the front door’s location relative to the house should be considered.
However, I do have doubts on the efficacy of mirrors and wind chimes against Sharp Sha.
Other masters suggest using a front garden comprised of earth and rocks (or a pair of stone lions at each side of the front door) as cure, especially if the Sha energy coming to your front door is strong. That’s because sharp triangular objects represent the Fire Element, and Earth can weaken Fire. The Water Element is not suggested simply because they clash with each other.
Maintaining your home’s exterior is crucial for good Feng Shui. Addressing issues like cracked walls can significantly improve energy flow. Learn more about wall crack repair to ensure your home remains in optimal condition.
Corner Sha (角煞)
Corner Sha is typically the corner of a building and the corner of the rooftop of a house. Similar to other Sha, it has to face the front door for its effects to be more damaging.
How does Corner Sha affect humans? Here’s an example that most of you can relate to.
Have you ever sat at the corner of a dining table? Some feel discomfort, and my guess is that it’s how the Form affects people. Some cultures even say it’s bad luck for people sitting on the corner of the table.
The strength of the Sha energy depends on the building’s material and the size of the building. The corner of a wooden building is weaker than a brick or concrete building. The bigger the building, the stronger its Sha energy.
Also, don’t forget the distance of the Sha to your front door. If its far away, then there’s no need to worry about it.
Cure for Corner Sha
Just like the Sharp Sha, the go-to cure for Corner Sha is the Bagua mirror, like the one below that we sell in our shop. Some masters suggest that the size of the mirror should be proportional to the strength of the Sha energy. Also similar to Sharp Sha, stone lions can be used if the Sha energy is strong (using Earth to weaken Fire).
Personally, I would just avoid houses like this.
Rushing Sha (衝煞)
I’m sure many of you who knows a bit about Feng Shui knows what this is. The most common Rushing Sha comes in the form of a T-junction.
Why is Rushing Sha bad? Here’s an explanation taken from my previous article about T-junction:
“One of the main reasons is that the Qi, or “energy”, coming directly from the road is coming straight towards the house. This type of Qi is detrimental to the occupants of the house because it’s too fast and strong. Just think of wind or water currents that are flowing at very high speeds. Physical objects within its path will definitely sustain some type of damage.”
The strength of this Sha is determined by the size and length of the road and how busy the street is. The longer and narrower the road, the greater the strength. Conversely, the shorter and wider the road, the weaker the strength. The lesser the traffic, the weaker its strength.
Cure for Rushing Sha
A few masters think that there is NO Feng Shui cure for houses at the end of T-junction. I tend to agree, and I think the best you can do is to minimize the effect.
Other masters suggest using a Bagua mirror to reflect the Sha energy.
Shop Our Feng Shui Bagua Mirror Collection
The use of a Bagua mirror can have a disadvantage to yourself. Since you are using the road as you leave and enter your home, the light reflection from the mirror can potentially be a driving hazard.
If the scale of the Rushing Sha is huge, I personally do not think Bagua mirrors is the best cure.
A better cure is to use a wall of bushes proportional to the Rushing Sha. Ideally, the bushes shouldn’t be too close to the front door because it affects how Qi enters your home.
A cure from the ancients suggest placing a big piece of stone slab at the end of the T-junction. My interpretation for that cure (and I could be wrong) is for the rock to stop incoming traffic from crashing into the residence.
Arrow Sha (射煞)
For some, this Sha is also known as the “Poison Arrow”. Some Feng Shui masters think the T-junction is also a form Arrow Sha.
That is not entirely true. Arrow Sha are more common in urban settings, where the front door faces a narrow gap formed by two buildings. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a road. But if it is, the gap has to be narrow to form the Arrow Sha.
The strength of this Sha is determined by the size of the building and how narrow the gap is. The narrower the gap, the stronger the incoming Sha. The taller and bigger the building, the longer the gap and the stronger the Sha energy.
Some masters claim that the Arrow Sha need not point to the front door or window for its negative effects to manifest. They say that the room where the wall is struck by the Arrow Sha will be affected, and it is best to use that room as storage or restroom. I personally don’t think that’s entirely true.
Another thing to note about Arrow Sha. If there’s a building at the opposite end of the gap and attached to the two buildings forming the gap, the Qi flow is blocked. Although the Form is still there, the incoming Qi is greatly reduced. For some masters who are focused more on the flow of energy, they will disregard the Arrow Sha altogether in that situation.
Arrow Sha is not limited to the narrow gap in between buildings. Some masters think that light reflections (mostly sunlight) are also a form of Arrow Sha.
These light reflections can come from the glass windows from another building (in urban areas) or from water reflections. Although sunlight is a much-needed source of Yang energy, it becomes a Sha energy if the reflection hurts your eyes and affects your living.
Cure for Arrow Sha
I personally have this problem, and the cure for light reflection is simple. What I do is just to use my blinds to block the light reflection when it’s shining directly into my eyes. That’s it!
As for the Arrow Sha from the gap of two buildings, there’s no cost-efficient cure if it’s facing your front door. You may try using a Bagua mirror like the one below to see if it’s effective.
Pressing Sha (壓煞)
Pressing Sha is more common in urban areas. It is when you have buildings much taller than your building that are located in front or on the side of where you live. The taller, bigger, and closer the building, the stronger the Pressing Sha.
How tall is tall? How close is close?
If you have two apartment buildings side by side almost attaching to each other, the taller building generally has to be twice as tall for Pressing Sha to exist.
For proximity, it’s too close if your home would be crushed when the taller building crashes your way. This does not really apply when the buildings are side by side to each other, and not all floors would be affected. There are actually precise calculations to identify this.
The effect is worse if the bigger and taller building is right in front of your home. That’s because it hinders the ability for your home to absorb Qi from the outside.
Pressing Sha doesn’t just apply to buildings. Freeways, subway tracks, and bridges can also form Pressing Sha if they are too close to where you live.
Cure for Pressing Sha
Unfortunately, there is no cure in this situation. Though some masters in Asia would suggest the “Mountain Sea Town” Feng Shui item for bridges and freeways, I have doubts on its efficacy. Other skilled masters who knows there is no cure would make short-term Feng Shui adjustments to help the client monetarily so they can move out of the place.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should be able to identify the common Feng Shui Forms that bring Sha energy. Some Sha can be cured, and others can hardly be cured.
If you have a Form Sha that’s affecting your place right now, be wary if a Feng Shui master tries to sell you items as cures for this Sha. Most of the time, the master is just trying to squeeze more money out of you (or to calm you) without delivering a proper cure. Your best bet is to move into a place where these negative Forms are absent.
Do you have these negative Feng Shui Forms that’s affecting you? Share your experience with us by commenting below!
Feng Shui practitioner and blogger of Feng Shui Nexus. I’ve witnessed the efficacy of Feng Shui, astrology and divination. Here, I share my knowledge and experiences with you to get you closer to your goals and dreams. Subscribe to get email updates or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
EBook email not received, Thank you Carol A, Abbate c**@verizon.net
Hi Carol,
I added you to the subscription list again. You should receive all the ebooks by email.
Also, I’ve removed your email address from here to protect your privacy. (or else spammers will get to you!)
-Victor
This was such a satisfying article to read. It codified a lot of intuitive feelings I’ve had about architectural situations that make me uncomfortable. It gave me a more structured way to think about them, going beyond “that’s ugly” or “it makes me feel claustrophobic/nervous/uneasy”. I appreciate how you covered the important of context and scale too.
Hi Janina,
I’m glad you enjoyed the article! Thanks!
-Victor
Hi. I plan to purchase a piece of land next to a river. I love water views and would like to build my own residence there. Unfortunately I was told that it might not be good fengshui to be surrounded by too much water,as the lands on the opposite side of the road are beach fronts. Although the sea is not visible from this land. Is this true?
Hi Kays,
“Too much water” means differently from person to person. It is best to consult an expert to get your answers.
-Victor
Hi Victor
Thanks for the article and your invaluable honest tip.
I have a question I hope you you are able to help.
The full length window and the master bedroom window is directly facing the rooftop of the next block building. It is at least 2t feet apart. Is this bad feng shui? And what can I do to counter this?
Many thanks.
Nathasha
Hi N,
What’s 2t feet apart? I’m hoping it’s 20? The further it is, the less concerned you need to be.
-Victor
Hi, I have two things i’d like to discuss.
Firstly, my front door faces my worst direction which is southwest, according to my Gua number which is the 1. I felt a very bad energy since my moving and had actually very bad moments inside this house, way before knowing of feng shui.
A couple of years agoI put a Bagua mirror in front of the door but nothing changed apparently. My vital energy seems always very low and increases greatly when i’m away. Is there anithing i can do to reduce this inominous influence? I’d rather not put symbols like ancient statues or chinese object though.
Second issue is about my next year. I’ll move to another town for one year. I’m in search of an apartment and would like to make the right choice in order not to repeat the same mistakes. So, i’m taking into consideration all the apartments whose front door faces north, south, southeast or east, to respect my Gua auspicious directions. The problem is i read the news about the flying stars in 2020 and they are very negative for three of the directions above. What to do? is it better to chose a house (considering it will be just for one year) with the front door in a good gua position even if the yaear that will be visited by a negative flying star or is it always better to prefer one of my best directions knowiing it will affected by affliction?
Thank you for your attention.
Hi Anna,
You are mixing two different schools of Feng Shui into one. Do the homework separately and then compare notes. If I were you, I would consider hiring a local professional unless you had schooling and training in Feng Shui.
-Victor
I refer to the classical feng shui school. What you mean i’m mixing up two?
Hi Anna,
Classical Feng Shui has multiple schools. Do your Eight Mansions separately from Flying Stars, or else you will get super confused.
-Victor
I’m afraid you are making me super confuse. tell more in order to understand. judging alone doesn’t hel. Some examples could go to the core of the complaint.
Anna
Hi I have a question my kua number is 4 and my front door faces north east is there any cure for this as I read it is bad feng shui
thankyou
Hi Amanda,
Facing direction is different than where the door is located, and where the door is located takes higher priority than its direction.
Divide your house according to the eight directions to determine whether your front door is in an auspicious area.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Thank you so much for sharing.
I have a couple of queries that came up during my reading of your fascinating texts and that I would love to have your expert opinion on:
1. There is a big lamp attached to the house in front of my front door (about 20 feet away), shining directly on my door, but their is no beam or colon sustaining it, it it just attached the neighbor’s wall. Is this OK? Or should it be cured, and if so, how?
2. Is a kitchen stove that is located in the NW of the house a bad thing when the head of the house is a woman and the NW is one of her bad directions?
3. Do central heating and electric lamps activate the fire element?
4. Should the bagua of the ground floor be exactly repeated on the other floors of a mansion (with 4 floors)? Or should the bagua be redone for each floor depending on the direction of the stairs?
5. Flying stars: could question 4 also apply to the flying star chart (knowing that its is part of another school)? (chart of the ground floor must be replicated or not onto the other floors?)
6. Flying stars: in an 8 facing house (1 mountain – 8 facing; period 8 – SE3), should all cures involving metal be excluded? Or just in those sections of the house having also an 8 facing star?
7. Do you believe in curing with natural wu lou (calabash)?
Thanks a lot!
Bart
Hi Bart,
For #3, I don’t think it activates. For #7, it depends on the situation and the wu lou, but I have doubts on its efficacy. For other questions, I can’t give you a definite answer in most of your questions without more info. I suggest that you consult an expert to have all your questions answered.
-Victor
If a home has a waterway, canal, coming straight to meet/border the backside of property, is this a bad thing?
Hi Rebecca,
You need to find an expert to take a look, because there are MANY factors to consider (direction, strength, shape, elevation, etc.).
-Victor
Hi Victor, I am house hunting, recently saw a house with a beautiful pool, plus there is a beautiful bay water view. But as I drove to the open house I realize the street leads direct to the house. The house is at located right angle and L shape road. There is trees and some plants blocking the straight up oncoming traffic, and the house is on a quite neighborhood with low traffic. The address is 95 shore Rd plandome, NY. I not sure if this is a bad feng shui house. Really appreciate any help, thank you.
Hi Tina,
To see whether the incoming traffic will affect you, you need to measure it’s incoming direction, it’s surrounding, and everything that’s mentioned in this article: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-home/feng-shui-houses-t-intersection/
-Victor
Hello,
I live on an 8 house development, all the houses have sharp triangles ie roof angles and slopes – very pointed. My front door faces east and I have put metal objects in all front windows.
Is this correct or should I do something else.
I also want to help a neighbour opposite whose front door faces west
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
If the pointy roofs are far away from your house/front door, you shouldn’t worry. If you’re using Five Elements Theory to counter triangles, know that triangles belong to fire, and fire counters metal. A better approach is to use Earth elements to weaken the fire.
-Victor
hi Victor, the villa I am going to rent is next to a telecom tower, and the main door is facing my neighbors front door too, is it a bad fengshui and is there any cure to it?
I am worried that the tower will bring bad energies.
hope you can give me an advice. Thank you ????
Hi Jenalyn,
Having front doors facing each other is only an issue when the two of you are fighting to gather Qi, so I wouldn’t know in your case.
As for your telecom tower, it could be an issue if there’s high voltage. See this article as reference, but keep in mind that telecom towers are different: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-home/power-lines-bad-house-feng-shui/
-Victor
Hi Victor,
We are looking for a house to buy, but it there are some beautiful homes that face unlucky directions for my KUA number. For example, I’m in the west group, but a house I’m interested in faces the east (front door and garage doors), are there feng shui cures for this?
Also, my husband is in the east group, how do we harmonize this difference as far as house directions, etc.
Thank you,
Averie
Hi Averie,
For house’s direction, use this article as your guide: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-home/feng-shui-directions-eight-mansions-house-kua/
For couple with different Kua numbers, read this article: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-rules/applying-feng-shui-couples-opposite-kua-groups/
-Victor
My bedroom window is blocked by another building right next to it leaving only a less than a meter gap between . I don’t get direct sunshine light from the window. And my bedroom is always dark . And my bed’s head id against the window . what are the Feng Shui effects on my life . and what should i do ?
Hey Tom,
This means you won’t be getting much Feng Shui from that window. Although sunlight is usually preferred to lighten up a room during the day, you can brighten it up with more lights. Having your bed’s head against the window is this instance is ok, but you still need a solid headboard though.
-Victor
Hi Victor. Lately, where I do live, probably due to the lack of space and needs for more privacy, I have seen many houses with less windows facing outside. The majority of windows are generally facing an common internal area. Does feng shui treats this kind of house differently of a regular house or the concept is the same? Thanks!
Hi Macros,
The three jewels of Feng Shui is sunshin, fresh air, and clean water. With less windows facing outside, you’ll get less benefit from Feng Shui. For internal facing, the Qi is nowhere close the Qi from the outside because of less open space (think of strength of incoming wind). Could be a good or bad thing, depending on the windows location relative to where you rest/dwell.
-Victor
Hello Victor,
I have kua 6 (west group person) and, in BaZi, my day master is Ren Chen (Yang Water Dragon) and my year pillar is Xin Wei (Yin Metal Goat). I have a (too) strong BaZi chart and my Five Elements (Wu Xing) lack wood and fire. In fact, self element analysis says that I have Metal: 2 | Water: 3 | Earth: 3 | Wood: 0 Fire: 0.
The place I will live in has windows facing West and South; the building in which my apartment is situated faces West and I believe West is also the facing direction of my apartment because there is the street where the movement and activity happens and also have windows facing it. In the South I only have a neighbor living in a house and no streets or alleys are passing through there. So, although more light comes from the windows facing South (only by a bit, though) than from those facing West, I assume West is the facing direction in this case. My front door is in the North sector of the 8 Mansions, facing North. In North sector I have no windows and almost anything else excluding entrance door.
My questions are:
1. Is my assumption of the apartment’s facing West direction correct?
2. If it isn’t, only South can be the facing. In both situations we are talking about an apartment from the east group side, and I am a west group person. Which means.. I have a strong confusion. North is a good sector for the front door from apartment’s kua point of view, but not for my kua. The bedroom is in the South sector, which is Sheng Qi – very good for the house, but not for my kua. I will put my bed facing with the head West (my best direction) and also in commanding position and not directly in front of door/window. But is this an auspicious arrangement?
I plan to decorate the bedroom with wood furniture and objects simply because I like them. Wood is good for the Sheng Qi (wood) sector and also good for the South sector, facing South (fire). But is it good for METAL kua me? Should I nourish these wood and fire elements from the sector or bring elements from exhaustive (or even destructive) cycle.. earth, water? I am really, really curious about this and I would be glad if you can answer this. 🙂
3. Kitchen occupies East and South East sectors of the 8 Mansions (not the whole of those sectors because part of them are missing half sectors) and faces South. ..But kitchen should be in an inauspicious sector relating to house kua, but instead it is in an inauspicious sector(s) relating to MY kua. Is there anything to do regarding this?
Thank you for your patience reading this. Have a nice day!
Hello Victor,
I have kua 6 (west group person) and, in BaZi, hour pillar is Ren Zi (Yang Water Rat), my day master is Ren Chen (Yang Water Dragon), month pillar is Ji Hai (Yin Earth Pig) and my year pillar is Xin Wei (Yin Metal Goat). I am above 20 but under 30 years, so I believe I’m in month pillar stage of life. I have a (too) strong BaZi chart and my Five Elements (Wu Xing) lack wood and fire. In fact, self element analysis says that I have Metal: 2 | Water: 3 | Earth: 3 | Wood: 0 Fire: 0.
The place I will live in has windows facing West and South; the building in which my apartment is situated faces West and I believe West is also the facing direction of my apartment because there is the street where the movement and activity happens and also have windows facing it. In the South I only have a neighbor living in a house and no streets or alleys are passing through there. So, although more light comes from the windows facing South (only by a bit, though) than from those facing West, I assume West is the facing direction in this case. My front door is in the North sector of the 8 Mansions, facing North. In North sector I have no windows and almost anything else excluding entrance door.
My questions are:
1. Is my assumption of the apartment’s facing West direction correct?
2. If it isn’t, only South can be the facing. In both situations we are talking about an apartment from the east group side, and I am a west group person. Which means.. I have a strong confusion. North is a good sector for the front door from apartment’s kua point of view, but not for my kua. The bedroom is in the South sector, which is Sheng Qi – very good for the house, but not for my kua. I will put my bed facing with the head West (my best direction) and also in commanding position and not directly in front of door/window. But is this an auspicious arrangement?
I plan to decorate the bedroom with wood furniture and objects simply because I like them. Wood is good for the Sheng Qi (wood) sector and also good for the South sector, facing South (fire). But is it good for METAL kua me? Should I nourish these wood and fire elements from the sector or bring elements from exhaustive (or even destructive) cycle? Earth, for example, exhausts fire and is the grandchild of wood so it will be ‘attacked’ by it. Element cure is applied to type of Qi in sector (sheng qi, bing qi etc.), type of qi relating to cardinal position of the sector (SW, W, E etc) or both? I am really, really curious about this and I would be glad if you can answer. ????
3. Kitchen occupies East and South East sectors of the 8 Mansions (not the whole of those sectors because part of them are missing half sectors) and faces South. ..But kitchen should be in an inauspicious sector relating to house kua, but instead it is in an inauspicious sector(s) relating to MY kua. Is there anything to do regarding this?
Thank you for the article, I like it. Have a nice day!
Hello There My name is Carol Graydon , & my issue is that I moved in to this place 12 months a go now & I had no choice in the matter as it’s public Housing but my issue is in the Street there’s four Big Electrical Street Poles & it dose bother me a lot & there’s another House in front of my Unit that’s not Public Housing it’s privately own & today it’s on the market for sale & I’m not to sure if they will pull it down & billed a two story place even though there’s a driveway on side of the Unit we’re I live my question is is there anything that I can do to pervert the bad Vibes that I know are coming from it as one is bad enough but four of them is quite something else
Hi Carol,
Since you have no control over the poles, the best you can do in this situation is to apply “out of sight, out of mind”. If you can see the poles from your desk/sofa, just use your blinds to block the sight of the poles.
-Victor
Looking to buy a 1 story home and the neighbor across the street built a large 2 story shed which faces our home. Is this bad feng shui (the pressing sha) or is too far away to affect us since it’s across the street?