Technology is changing the way we live at a faster speed than we can imagine. In our digital world of big data, analytics, algorithms, solutions and artificial intelligence, ignorance and denial can mean being left behind before we realize it.
No individual, business, organisation, groups nor society is immune to this change, not even an age-old wisdom of Feng Shui. From a metaphysics perspective, there are equally strong evidence to support this direction.
In consideration of the twenty-year time cycle, the coming of age (starting from 4th February 2024 till 3rd February 2044) is strongly related to the Period 9 which suggests that technological breakthroughs, new energy, data mining, mind mapping, virtual economics and commercial currency exchanges will take us to the next level as it is happening now.
Robotics, drones, driver-less transport, biotechnology, advanced materials, genomics and life sciences create opportunities for us to lead longer, healthier and more productive lives.
The advent of digital penetration forces us to think ahead and with a certain level of foresight, one will be able to assimilate and benefit from the inventions of things to come.
For example, cellular phones in the mid 80's changed the way we communicate bringing us from phone booths to pagers and onto our current day smart phones which has condensed a camera, diary, notebook, translator, compass, jukebox and TV into a palm-size device.
During the early 2000's, compact discs and videos were all the rage. Then came the world wide web and the internet and once again, the sole technology of streaming online crippled many a well-known names in the entertainment industry, cascading down to the retailers. It also changed the way we shop, dine, move around and assess information.
Today's world is one of the sharing economy. Any industry, big or small, focused or mass marketed, general or personalized, will be subject to open scrutiny before the consumer compares and decides what to buy, who to go to and how things will be delivered.
Feng Shui is no exception. In fact, the evolution of how Feng Shui works remains extremely relevant to the advances that are going on around us daily.
1. Traditional Tools are being updated.
From the awesome looking Lo-Pan (Feng Shui compass) to the charts that are being manually calculated, technology has enabled us to compress these into modern devices and mobile apps that cut down time and human errors.
2. There are Eyes in the Skies.
Satellite advancements have allowed us easy access to most places on earth. These images are extremely useful in an early assessment of a property. Google Earth provides us the topography while Google Map offers us precise panoramic locations for us to even measure the directions of various properties within a precinct.
3. Communication is freed up.
Gone are the days when the Feng Shui Master says and you only listen. Open dialogues and multiple exchanges are the way things progress. With emails, mobile calls and WhatsApp, the speed of information flows seamlessly.
4. Content and Deliverance.
Simplicity is key. Feng Shui solutions must be transferred in easy-to-understand and non-technical formats. This may require the Feng Shui Master to improve on his presentation and style. Once again, any decent practitioner should always improve and provide the best to clients with technological help. With an endless outreach, it is imperative for Feng Shui consultants to update and upgrade themselves to stay current.
5. There are no Secrets in Feng Shui.
As mystical as it looks and feels, information is free flowing and easily available. The only trouble is an information overload that adds to more confusion. As it happens to any business, this will eventually filter down to true and factual contributors. The only way for Feng Shui to go is to Change and Improve in research, applications, sharing and deliverance.
6. Do-It-Yourself Feng Shui.
It is inevitable that anyone out there would very much like to try out Feng Shui at his comfort and pace. Clear and concise methods can be produced for anyone to try this out without threats of something bad happening if done wrong. Basic Feng Shui trials should be made simple and logical. At a higher level and where specific skills are required, your understanding will put you in a good position to assess better when a professional consultant is called in.
7. Enhancing the Overall Feng Shui Experience.
Maintaining relevance of a traditional practice in a new world and time is often daunting. Done well with the help of information and backed up with up-to-date information technology will cement the trust and create a good working relationship between consultant and client.
Traditionalists and purists will argue that traditional methods be maintained and continued to be practiced. I agree. If it is for the pursuit of teachings, dissemination and research. The world today has minimized the chances of a total disruption or shutdown or satellites falling from the skies all in one go. If ships today sail around the world safely with satellite help, if Traditional Chinese Medicine practice uses modern methods of prescription, if traditional banks go digital, why can't Feng Shui move along ?