The Four Celestial Animals are key principles in the Form School, the earliest and most traditional method of Feng Shui. This school focuses on landforms in the immediate environment. Over the last centuries, Form School Feng Shui has become less popular, especially in the west. Today, many people feel that landforms are no longer relevant, so we have turned to other methods of promoting positive energy in our homes. It is a shame to throw away the old ideas completely since we can learn much from the ancient Feng Shui masters.

In Form School Feng Shui a home should have the Four Celestial Animals at each of the four main compass points outside the home. Shapes and landforms in the environment surrounding a home represent the Four Celestial Animals: the Green Dragon, Red Phoenix, White Tiger and Black Turtle.

Let’s look at each of these animals individually:

The first of the Four Celestial Animals is the Green Dragon, who sits to the east of the house, where the sun rises. Representing spring, the Green Dragon brings wealth and wellbeing to the home. In Form School Feng Shui the Green Dragon is represented by a low hill to the east of the home.

At the front of the house is the Red Phoenix, facing south towards the sun representing fire and summer. The Red Phoenix brings fame, success and new opportunities to the home. The environment at the front of the house should be flat or have a slight dip and a line of energy flowing through it which in ancient times would have been a river or stream but can now include a road or path. Think of the Red Phoenix as a footstool that your house can rest its feet on.

As we follow the movement of the sun, to the west of the house sits the White Tiger. The White Tiger represents autumn and is represented by a low hill to the west of the home. The White Tiger prevents luck from running away from the home so it is key not to have a yard that slopes away from the home on the west.

Finally at the back of the home, facing north is the Black Turtle, which is a high mountain providing strong protection, support and stability to the home.

Rather than focusing on the directions of the Celestial Animals, today's house placement is more concerned with how the house sits in its surroundings. Think of it this way: When you sit in an armchair, your back is well protected, your sides are supported, and your front is open. Imagine your house sitting in the chair. This is how your house should sit in its environment: protected at the back, supported at the sides and with an open view at the front.

Natural landforms are hard to find in our modern environment, especially if you live in a city or town. Nonetheless, we can create our own shapes, forms, and structures to achieve the same protection and wellbeing that the ancient Feng Shui masters sought.

Standing at our front door, facing outward, we should be able to see some support for the sides of our home. This support can be provided by another house, a fence, a hedge, a row of trees, or a garden wall. In an ideal world, we would not want this support to be higher or farther away than our own house.

At the back of our house, we want to feel as protected as possible. Ideally, the house should be shielded by a tall structure, which might be a wall, a fence, or a row of trees. The protection at the back of our home should be the height of our home or slightly taller so that the home does not feel oppressed.

Lastly, the front of our home should have an open area that dips or is flat. There should be some form of chi line which can take the form of either a road or a river. You should be able to see over the front door if there is a barrier between it and the road or river.

A perfect world would have our home sitting in the middle of its plot, but unfortunately this is not always the case. If your home does not have natural landforms and there is little or no opportunity to physically create them, you can use symbolism. Always remember if you are using symbolism to place the item in position while performing the three secrets reinforcement:

In the area of the Green Dragon stimulate dragon chi by planting a tall tree or hanging a wooden wind chime. If you have no outside space on this side of your house add something made out of wood to this side, or hang a picture incorporating a dragon on the far left wall of your home (the left as you look out of your home)

The Red Phoenix area requires movement to stimulate yang chi. This can be done by hanging a wooden wind chime, a crystal, or by creating a moving water feature at the front. The front of the house is also a good place to celebrate the Red Phoenix by planting red flowers and plants.

In the area of the White Tiger the ground should not slope away from the house. If this is the case, hang a metal wind chime, or erect lights in the outside area. If you have no outside space on this side of the house hang a picture of a white tiger, introduce a metal sculpture or hang metal coins on the far right wall of your home (the right as you look out of your home)

In the area of the Black Turtle you can stimulate turtle chi by adding water or mirrors to the back of your home. For the utmost protection ensure that the back of your house is private. If you have open ground at the back, instill a sense of privacy with structures, fences, hedges, trees, etc. If you have no outside space at the back hang a picture depicting a black turtle, or a picture of a mountain scene on the far rear wall of your home.