An interview with Victoria Mohajerin. Based in the heart of London, Victoria was introduced to feng Shui from early childhood with kudos to her culturally-conscious Chinese mother. With a Law degree and Post graduate studies in Security and Society, she decided to travel overseas to the birthplace of feng shui to probe the theories behind the practices. She has trained professionally with numerous internationally renowned Masters including, Grand Master Raymond Lo and Mr. Simon Brown but gives humble gratitude to those unknown talents in this industry who speak little English and yet gifted her with many gem techniques. Her specialism is applying Classical Feng Shui to millennial living, business, family life and mindfulness. She is an avid student of feng shui, focused on research and continues her professional advancement with the UK Feng Shui Society and the International Feng Shui Association.
- How do you describe feng shui to someone with no previous knowledge? Please finish this sentence: ‘Proponents of feng shui believe that ….” there is a simple universal model to achieve harmony and abundance in every aspect of one’s life. The most accurate application of feng shui formulas to any space, creates the desired vibrational energy patterns between a person and their environment to improve those areas of life.
- In your opinion, what relevance does feng shui have in the modern western world?
My initial thoughts are, I am always uneasy with using the terms ‘Western world,’ and ‘Eastern World,’ as if unwittingly segregating one whole. Both continents have applied their modem thinking in each era and for centuries complimenting each other’s governmental and social structures.
So back to question! Many of us can relate to a strong desire to achieve more and to do so, our life styles have to fit the current trend otherwise we struggle to ‘keep up the Joneses’. This trend is like behaving as a mechanically propelled vehicle – being driven by circumstances instead of being in the driver’s seat. In our attempts to gain our desires, we can easily forget the concept of Yin-Yang – (balance). In truth, there are compromises in reaching one’s goals. For example, travel and being away from loved ones, meeting continuous time-lines which raise stress-levels, negotiating through traffic, concerned for an elderly or children, health symptoms left unchecked out of fear, wishing your bank balance was higher than it is, and to name but a few.
Feng shui serves as a wonderful modality to regain control by zooming into the existing and yet unknown good quality energies of your home. These micro energies can push you to take the right actions at the right time which leads to a desired result. Equally, it helps you avoid placing yourself in challenging scenarios through miscalculated decisions. It is in this practice, that your life begins shift, sensing how things become more easy and effortless; healing relationships, enhancing communication, improving leadership qualities, more confidence, opening up wealth opportunities and contributing to your family or businesses. My two favourites are having a higher consciousness of your wellbeing and managing behavioural patterns.
Since the pandemic in 2020, many of us have been working from home and the boundaries between home and our careers have become further blurred. It’s even more pressing in this climate to plan a healthy future, to ensure you create a home that serves both purposes without huge compromise.
- How did you get into feng shui? Where and how did you learn feng shui?
For me personally, it was not one single event that triggered my interest in feng shui. As a 7-year-old child of dual heritage, I was always fascinated by different cultures. My grandfather was a Traditional Chinese Medical Doctor, an art influencing my mother’s interest in feng shui, and so for years I observed how she placed and repositioned certain items around the home. Frankly, I used to think the Chinese ornaments and colourful trinkets added to the exoticness my parent’s traditionally designed Middle-Eastern home. In my formal educational years, I began to apply an evidence-based approach to my work and personal life. Soon placing aside what I came to misunderstand feng shui to be nothing more but mere superstition with a positive placebo effect. Of course, my mother continued to do her ‘feng shui thing’ and insisted accompanying me at every house viewing before I made an offer.
Years later, I had the time and opportunity to research different modalities on health and wealth. I often found myself peering through the feng shui sections of the Watkins book store in London. I decided to pick up a hefty classical feng shui book jam-packed with ‘Water and Dragon vein’ formulas, sophisticated illustrations with compass readings with numerical sequences and patterns.
The most intriguing part of my journey was when I finally probed my mother over theories behind her practices, in essence what she came to describe correlated with material from the classical texts. Soon after, I used a specific feng shui technique and my house sold far higher than the marketed price. Even the estate agents were flabbergasted. By then, I began to grasp the ‘why’ – ‘the logic’ behind the application.
Since 2016, I have travelled to China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore to undertake formal studies with Feng Shui Grand Masters and awarded international and UK feng shui accreditation. However, Chinese metaphysics is such a rich subject and my peers in this industry will agree that there is infinite learning in this subject.
- Why typically do people come to you for feng shui advice?
Generally, people reach out to me in 7 key areas;
Finding an investment property, growing their business, career and promotion, redesigning and decorating their homes, healing relationships, better opportunities for marriage and improving mindfulness and health. Since the pandemic in 2020, over 60 percent of my work is in relation to setting up an office space from home, followed by reducing stress in adults and children. My advice is drawn from a number of sources, including my client’s own natal energy chart and the energy cycle they are going through. This enables me to skilfully adjust their homes to influence their activities. It’s far from a cookie-cutter approach!
- What are your specific ethics in terms of working with feng shui clients? What are your key professional values for feng shui?
In all honesty, I find talking about the level of one’s own ethics can sound as if you are giving yourself a pat on the back. Value is added when others make observations and comment through personal experiences. For me, ethics is about integrity and having an open discussion with my clients despite knowing that it can be a sensitive conversation. My values are about my principles and upholding the highest standard of feng shui practice. I have partnered with numerous multi-agency organisations, families and individuals. At the core of all meaningful relationships is the level of trust and trust means different things to different people. I strive to serve my clients with trust based on credibility, honesty and confidentiality. The majority of my clients appreciate discretion and sincerity.
- What has been your most challenging feng shui job and why? What did you learn from it?
Generally, most clients have a reason to reach out to me and want me to apply a feng shui solution to their problem. When I first started my consultations, I found it rather awkward to recommend moving bedrooms specifically to support peaceful sleep due to recovery or insomnia. Naturally, there were some perplexed expressions at the thought of swapping bedrooms. Then, there was the business of using the backdoor temporarily for the remaining 3 months instead of the main front door – (perfectly doable!). That created another bemusing moment as the couple looked at each other astonishingly but said, ‘Sure.’
In the end, it’s my duty to explain the rationale behind the diagnosis and recommendations. Thank fully, over the years, I attract clients which want to resolve a problem and want results in a short space of time and are willing to listen. What I have learnt is that in feng shui tactfulness with clients can only get you so far. For example, in supporting an alternative recommendation to please your client the quality of the desired outcome may be compromised and sometimes there are no alternatives. Therefore, I don’t shy away from the best solutions, which may appear barmy to someone new to feng shui. We have a professional conversation, I explain the logic, we have a little giggle over the new changes, the techniques are implemented and they get their outcome. Job accomplished!
- Describe a feng shui project that you found particularly interesting or rewarding.
In 2018 I began by introducing the concept of Form school feng shui across a number of emergency services. The primary intention was to support the health and wellbeing of front-line employees working shifts. Especially as they are exposed to high-level stress environments and managing critical incidents. Second to this was achieving improved productivity and in-turn improving the quality of service delivered. What was pleasantly surprising, was the level of invested interest from partners, architects, commercial services and the staff themselves to be bold enough to try something new. The reward was when the data and feedback collated from months of work, illustrated how the feng shui applications reduced stress and created a healthier working environment, contributing to increased confidence in service level users. Today, I am proud to have progressed further and introduced the concept of Flying Stars!
- What aspect of feng shui are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about sharing the wisdoms of feng shui as a life transformative tool to as many people as possible. I hope that one day it is seen less as a ‘luxury’ and is embedded into our society and accessible to people from all cultures and backgrounds. My passion is compounded when I hear of the feng shui cases that have brought about simple joy and happiness where there was almost none. - In terms of your feng shui consultations and/or teaching, what is your USP (Unique Selling Point)?
I practice Chinese Metaphysics holistically because many aspects of feng shui are better enhanced through the overlaying of its sister modalities. I also tutor one to one and in small private groups. The 5 key areas I consult and advise on are:
- Property Selection – Advising on the best house, office building and shop suitable to support you and your family before investment. A detailed analysis of the best compass directions for your house to face and back against including best land formations to support the property.
- Pre-design Project – Design interiors according to Feng Shui principles and personalised natal energy chart before you build, renovate or purchase a property.
- Classical Authentic Feng Shui Report – Detailed analysis; highlighting the strengths of a property and how to activate the sectors at the right time to achieve what you want. Explaining the weaker areas of the property and how best to make use of them to benefit you.
- BaZi – [Astrology Forecasting] – Chart Analysis; In-born talents and skills. Wealth opportunities, balancing health, strengthening relationships and how to change behavioural patterns. Understanding the way to solve a problem in your life by using the right time to take specific actions to benefit you.
- Qi Men Du Jia – [Strategic Forecasting] – Chart interpretation; Gaining leverage over your competitors by understanding the hidden opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in order to make an informed decision to get what you want.
- What direction is your feng shui work currently taking you? What lies ahead?
The direction my feng shui work is taking in me focuses on 3 areas for 2021-2022. The first road is taking up the propositions to join a number of feng shui international schools to teach various aspect of Chinese Metaphysics. It’s an exciting opportunity as I have found it rewarding to watch students bloom and take on projects they had only dreamed of when they first began their feng shui journey. I enjoy supporting the new students and practitioners – something I was fortunate to have had when I joined the UK Feng Shui Society. I would like to give special thanks to Carol Hessian and Liz Wells at this point.
The second area is my mission to organise a mentorship scheme for the feng students in collaboration with my peers. This is with the aim to enable feng shui students to have access to exclusive teachers and an opportunity to grow their knowledge.
The third area is to work with the UK Feng Shui Society to collate and bring together a catalogue of evidential case studies to show case learning and what good practice looks like.
- What advice would you give to a new feng shui enthusiast?
There is a saying, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” As new students enthusiastically advance in their studies, there will be a natural juncture filled with confusion and what appears to be conflicting information from one source to another. Studying with the right teachers is important in starting out your feng shui journey and it a life-long path depending on your own level of commitment.
For a student, my top three do’s are:
- Be inquisitive and apply logical. Don’t take information on face value and don’t shy away from probing your teachers. If at first the answer does not make sense, be patient. Your teacher will take into consideration your level of knowledge depending on the question you pose.
- Many students may have existing day jobs and starting out on their feng shui pathway. Find time to test and experiment with the theories to practice your skills and sharpen them.
- Join an accredited feng shui body for support and development.
For a student my top 3 don’ts are:
- Don’t be disheartened when you feel you have invested a lot of time and resources in trying to find the ‘right teacher.’ Nothing you have learnt would have gone to waste.
- Whilst online consultations are the new trend, don’t solely rely on mechanical measurements, for the best feng shui analysis comes from observing things from both inside and outside the location.
- Don’t compromise on integrity. Even when the client does not find your solution practical, don’t try and fit in something that will appease them for a placebo effect and yet with no link to real feng shui.
As feng shui practitioners we are responsible for ensuring the art is held in the highest esteem.
More info: – info@fengshuibyvictoria.com
Read more about Victoria Mohajerin as FSS Consultant …..Here
