Environment | The Energy of Fernie

If you have ever spent time in Fernie, you know that it is an incredibly special place. Not only is it a stunningly beautiful valley completely surrounded, in all directions, by Rocky Mountains, but the magnificent Elk River also cuts a majestic swath right through the valley. Coal, Lizard and Fairy Creeks all wind their way down their perspective valleys, plunging into the Elk, creating Qi (energy) that can be felt by all who live or spend time here.

As a Classical Feng Shui Consultant, the very first thing I look at when assessing a property or home for a client is the geography. What are the natural and man-made features outside of the home or space? The Classical Feng Shui texts state that over 70% of the energy of any home or space is determined by location – in other words, it comes from the environment that surrounds it.

This can be done on a macro level, to assess the energy of any given place, whole region or town. The natural environment that is considered, does not only consist of mountains and bodies of water but also forests and ecosystems, and in the best-case scenario these include a robust wildlife population. It only makes sense that if the environment is thriving in a healthy and natural state, so too will the people who live there. In modern day Feng Shui, manmade features such as roads, buildings, fences and hydro poles etc. all affect energy, and must be taken into consideration when assessing any home or property.

In Feng Shui, the word Dragon refers to a range of mountains and it is from Dragons that Qi emanates. The quality of the Qi in any area is dependent on these Dragons and a good quality Dragon produces excellent quality land, and excellent quality land attracts or produces exceptional people. Individual mountains are classified according to their shape and forms and this determines the energy it collects or produces. Mountains are conductors of Qi so if they are located correctly and of favourable forms, they will bring good quality Qi to that location. In Feng Shui Water refers to open spaces where Qi converges and collects. In its natural state this is real water, a lake or large river. Qi will also collect in open spaces like fields, parks, and intersections, etc.

So, the type of mountains and bodies of water make a difference in the energy they create. Fast moving rivers, bring a different energy than slow meandering ones, like the Elk River. When the energy is moving slower, it brings a mellower Qi, that can accumulate and disperse more easily. As for the mountains, the jagged Rocky Mountains offer a stronger energy than softer rounded mountains with trees growing right to the peaks.

In the case of Fernie, where many of the mountains are rocky at the summit, this creates a more intense type of Qi and this will attract the same type of person to it. The people of Fernie are often referred to as hard core, because of the intensity in which we are known to play and compete. There is a race here just about every weekend of the year it seems. And people come from all over the world to participate in these races. Based on this philosophy, our environment effects our lives and contributes to the quality of them.

One of the main principals of Feng Shui and one that further explains the philosophy of how energy affects our lives, is known as the Cosmic Trinity. It surmises that 33% of our lives are governed by Heaven Luck – or our destiny, which is believed to have arrived at the time of our birth - the fate that is predestined and determines where you born and the family you were born into. Another 33% is considered Earth Luck – which is where we live and the energies that reside in that place based on geographical formations, landmarks, bodies of water and mountains as well as man-made forms. And the remaining 33% is based on Man Luck, or basically what we do with our lives, in the daily acts of accumulating wisdom through learning and education, doing virtuous things, and in general, being kind and compassionate beings, all helps to create our destiny. Simply put, how we conduct our lives, creates the outcome of them. Also known as karma. Basically, what you put out comes back.

We are energetic beings and are attracted to energy that resonates with and feels familiar to us. In Feng Shui it is believed that we choose a place based on the vibration and Qi of that place. Is it any wonder that Fernie is growing at an exponential rate, and that tourism is one of our main industries? Just ask anyone who lives or visits here, it truly is an energetically magical place to be, and you can feel it!

By Christa Moffat
Mountain Shui