According to the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, Cape Town is a most auspicious city. It has every component of a safe and protected city, as its configuration is that of an armchair; high protection from the back (Table Mountain), arm rests to the side (Lion’s Head & Devil’s Peak) and an earthen seat to the front. Add the wealth-creating properties of water and you have the ultimate Feng Shui city.

The sea in Table Bay is the Ming Tang, which means ‘space in front of site’. It is a place where qi (energy) is received and retained. Robben Island, sitting in the bay, ensures that the qi slows down before it reaches the harbour. The high backrest and armrests form a barrier so that the qi that enters isn’t dispersed and lost. Instead a harmonious flow of energy is created, centred on the city bowl.

The Chinese believe that all energy in the Universe can be defined by the five energetic phases of; Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. They are further defined in terms of Yin and Yang, representing duality, where two complimentary but opposite forces are at work in the environment, such as day vs. night, sun vs. moon, movement vs. stationary. The yin stationary mountain, compared to the yang open ocean, is beautifully balanced in Cape Town.

The Mother of all Cities

Cape Town is known as the “Mother City”, originally because it was the first city in South Africa, but this maxim holds much more significance than that. In Feng Shui, this mountain shape is called a Jumen Mountain. This is the shape of the earth element associated with mother, nurturing and protection. Jumen means big door and is considered a very fortunate kind of mountain for the control of wealth. The creation of wealth, on the other hand, has much to do with the element of water, with which Cape Town is surrounded. Its strategic position on a very important and wealth creating sea trade route, was the reason for its first settlement.

The mountain, which is of earth element, controls water and this indicates the potential for Cape Town inhabitants to be prosperous. This is demonstrated by the economy of the Western Cape Province, which is higher than the national average. Creating a balance between the wealth (yang) and relaxation (yin) is much harder in a flat city, where people live at a fast pace, because their environment is too Yang, and there is little to slow them down. The presence of both Yin and Yang are necessary to create a balanced life, and the well-known relaxed attitude of Capetonians, surely comes from Table Mountain’s Sheng Qi (vibrant energy) and the well-balanced gi in this city with perfect Feng Shui.

Do you believe in Feng Shui? Let us know what you think by posting your comments.