Not many people know that before Feng Shui was practiced on living in order to improve their current fortunes, it was used on the dead, specifically in the process of studying and selecting burial spots. This practice was known Kan Yu, and in fact, one of the oldest books about Feng Shui is known as the Book of Burial. It was only around the time of the Zhou dynasty (around 1100 to 221BC) when Feng Shui began developing into the practice known today. Today, Feng Shui has been split in Yang House Feng Shui (for businesses and homes) and Yin House Feng Shui (for burial sites).

Yin House Feng Shui in its original form mainly involved assessing land form qualities in the following aspects – Dragon (mountain ranges), Land Embrace (branches of mountain ranges that embrace the land), Water (the quality, shapes and directions of rivers) and the Meridian Spot (the point in which all the beneficial Qi of the land converges). The purpose of Yin House Feng Shui was primarily to seek what is termed as Auspicious Land. In ancient times, the Emperors of China went to great lengths to find such land in order so impart their successive generations with fortune and prosperity.

Yin House Feng Shui is a good way to ensure that existing wealth stays within the family and is not squandered by irresponsible descendants. This practice offers a better assurance that at least the next two generations will have a serious shot at continuing their progress and achieving success. A properly done Yin House is impervious to economic downturns, stock market fluctuation and conmen. To actually disrupt the favorable luck of a Yin House, a physical disruption would have to happen to the tomb, such as descendants foolishly moving the tombstones, or a natural disaster that changes the landforms surrounding the grave.

When Yin House Feng Shui is done properly, the Feng Shui of the Yang House can be empowered and enhanced. It’s another way of looking after one’s family even after one is gone. This is why selecting an Auspicious Land for a burial plot is the first step of Yin House Feng Shui. This selection is best done ahead of time, since reduces any delay in searching for a plot, and the accidental selection of a bad plot can be avoided. By pre-selecting a burial plot, one also gets to specify each and every detail of the Yin House and who and how it should benefit the family, which can’t be done once dead.

To determine whether or not a burial plot is good, a Feng Shui practitioner must be well-versed in Landforms, and must know how to follow the movement of the Dragons, while observing the landforms to find the Meridian Spot. To grow wealth some of the landforms a practitioner should look out for is the Huge Door Star, an Earth element that appears shaped like a square with a flattened peak. If shaped like a Y, it is also a considered a Wealth Star and has the ability to generate income from real estate and property-related endeavors. There is also the Military Arts Star, with an evenly shaped, rounded top, and is beneficial for fund and financial management.

Meanwhile, the embrace is meant to cocoon the Meridian Spot and secure the Qi. A generous embrace is favoured over a cramped one, since it means a more spacious Bright Hall. The equal size and length of the embrace on either side also who will benefit more. A larger and higher Green Dragon Embrace (left) favors the males in the family, while a larger and higher White Tiger Embrace (right) would favor the females.

In Yin House Feng Shui, proper date selection is important must be undertaken on the day of the burial and the day the tombstone is erected and aligned. Since today’s funeral procedures do not allow lengthy delays between death and burial, using a Tombstone Alignment Date based on the BaZi of the recently deceased and other factors to activate the Feng Shui of the burial plot is the modern day’s answer to this problem. The tombstone is key to Yin House Feng Shui and so it is best to have plotted its alignment out ahead of time too.

For those in desperate need for a change of fortune, such as those on their deathbed, in prison, or facing a lot of bad luck may consider a Live Tomb. This involves tapping into the power of Heaven and Earth together to forcefully transfer Qi into the person. Though initially used to preserve someone’s life or to extend a lifespan, today it is used for anything from assisting in the conception of a child to increasing wealth.

Due to our cultural aversion to death, Yin House Feng Shui is not something many people are comfortable considering, especially since it requires a great deal personal involvement. Since the benefits only affect people other than the one it is applied to, it is also not something many consider since they cannot reap immediate benefits from it. However, Yin House Feng Shui still remains a legitimate and worthy option for increasing wealth, because after all, what good is wealth if it can’t be shared with the people who matter most?