In the United States and other western countries the Chinese art of feng shui is mostly thought of as a way to put one's life and home in harmony.
Reuters spoke to Anna Marie Vlad, architectural designer, Greenwich, Connecticut who says, 'I do think about the way the placement of rooms, of entries, of furniture in rooms.'
But in China this ancient art can be used as a strategic tool for power.
Angel de Para is a master of classic Chinese feng shui, and says, 'In Asia my observation of it Feng Shui is used as a weapon. It's not used for harmony.'
De Para says people can also use feng shui as weapon for success in business or finance. His feng shui calculations include location, compass directions, the CEO's birthday and derivatives.
'Based on my clients needs. What are their goals and desires? I try to match the location to their goals and desires so they peak at the moment they're expecting their strategy to peak.' she said.
For instance the energy of the so-called Lipstick building worked well for convicted swindler, Bernie Madoff. It's here that Madoff ran a $65 billion ponzi scheme that bilked thousands of investors worldwide.
'That building reflected the people that were going to be attracted to that building were going to be gathering large sums of money from the masses.' she said.
De Para says that energy can be used in a positive or negative way. Madoff chose the negative.
Classic or traditional feng shui is actually quantitative analysis, and can even be used to pick stocks.
'Because you know their corporate headquarters and you know the individuals running the companies. So, you already know two of the factors right there. Then when you look at the data and you project backwards, you can see if reflects a pattern, then you can project going forward.'
