With the aid of the numerous media available and active promotion nowadays, public awareness and interest in Fengshui have increased significantly over the years. This will even be more pronounced in Li Fire Period 9 (离火九运), a 20 years period beginning 2024. 

But such situation creates a predicament, not only for those who wish to learn Fengshui, but also for those who wish to apply Fengshui techniques on his or her house based on self learning or from Fengshui books. 

That book guides us on using Eight Mansions Fengshui, but I have heard one should use Xuan Kong Fengshui instead, as it is supposedly more comprehensive?

Some said techniques or systems that dates further back in history are more 'authentic'?

Should I study Heavenly Stars or Xuan Kong Fengshui? But it seems San Yuan Fengshui is more popular? Which should I use if different techniques contradict each other? Which is correct? 

Such dilemma is not much different from another metaphysics field such as Astrology. The usual familiar Whole Sign House system versus Quadrant House System. Modern, Medieval or Hellenistic system.

I have always said this, do not waver and wander around the outskirts of the knowledge because of this seemingly dilemma. For example, both Whole Sign House and Quadrant House definitely works. I have seen students repeatedly going back and forth from one system to another in their learning journey, due to either the lack of confidence or because of the trends and influence of other practitioners. Hence, lacking proficient in that particular field.

Before you ask about the differences of the various techniques or systems in practice, first dive deeper and engage with one system rather than right-away doubting at the first sign of unfamiliarity. If you do that, you will most often find yourself merely scratching the surface and neither proficient in either. 

Whatever Fengshui techniques you wish to explore, be thorough with it and use it consistently. Eight Mansions Fengshui, whether in its simple or complex derivations, works. Xuan Kong, San Yuan etc. works. They may, and most often, will contradict when assessing auspiciousness, but remember we are looking from different perspectives, but 'Dao' 道 is the same, they are correct. 

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Image Credit:
AI-generated artwork of Saitama (One Punch Man), created using ChatGPT with DALL·E by OpenAI. Character © ONE, Yusuke Murata, and Shueisha.