By Janet Shin
A recently released Korean movie, “Myung-dang” or “Feng Shui” as its English title, is about an auspicious site. The scenario is based on a factual fiction with its time setting from the late Joseon Kingdom. A historical person in this movie is Heungseon Daewongun who was father of Gojong, the 26th King of Joseon, who ruled the country from 1863 until 1907 and also was father of Sunjong, the last king of the country. Sunjong reigned Korea only three years and was deposed by Japanese coercion in 1910. This movie is about the last royal authority and their usurpation of the throne taking advantage of feng shui.
We can tell that the fortune-telling, such as feng shui, saju and face readings were broadly abused by politicians in the past while they were practiced by ordinary folks in various ways in their daily routine. In the course of veiled feuds among politicians, they took their hands in the selection of the Crown Princess and introduced some with bad saju so the prince would die young. This was exploited to change or maintain political power. In the meantime, ordinary people picked an auspicious day for the wedding ceremony exchanging the saju of bride and groom. They tried to make kimchi or important sauces only on selected days.
Feng shui was mostly practiced on selecting tomb sites in those times. It was believed to protect their health and ultimately bring success and wealth. Some of these practices became our traditions while others were abolished or forced out to dusky alleys.
The creed of tomb feng shui originated from a belief that there is a certain divine sympathy between the ancestors and descendants. Accordingly picking an auspicious tomb site for one's parents when they pass away was important to determine the maintenance of the family. Geomancers who know how to pick an auspicious site were often called upon by the rich and the power. Nevertheless the success and safety of their own lives were not guaranteed
Back to the story of Daewongun in the film, although he was of royal lineage, he had lived a mortified life disguising his ambition for the throne and barely survived the surveillance of the power politics, the Kim family of that time. In order to make his son the next king of the country, he took advantage of feng shui and deprived the Kim family of an auspicious site that was supposed to be their tomb site. However a clairvoyant geomancer warned him the site was meant for the King of only two generations and the family would perish after that.
Did he end up picking this tomb site having been warned with this? Yes, he did. The aspiration for power is so immense and even foolhardy that people often miss the righteously assigned happiness in their life.
Unfortunately, the prophecy was followed by the fate of Joseon as well. Joseon ended its era after the two final kings, Gojong and Sunjong. Needless to say, it also meant the collapse of the family of Daewongun.
Information : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teachings, the “Four Pillars of Destiny” and oriental ways of fortune telling or fortune tellers? Janet teaches Saju for the public at Seoul National University of Education. For further information, visit Janet's website at
or her blog,
https://blog.naver.com/janet_shin
.You can also contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin.kor@gmail.com
The writer is the author of “Life's Secrets.”