When coming across feng shui, there are various terms and theories that can be very confusing for the beginning student. One of the important theories in feng shui is the Yin/Yang theory. I’m sure many of you have come across the Tai Chi symbol, shown below, on various Chinese cultural related items to Asian influenced interior objects. 
However, the images are not always depicted the same; sometimes the black is placed on the left and the white is on the right or sometimes the image is rotated 45 o and the black could be on top or visa versa. The correct position of the image is to have the white on the left and the black on the right as shown in the image here.
So we know the Tai Chi symbol has two parts that look like tadpoles. One is white with a black dot which is the Yang and the other is black with a white dot which is the Yin. Now, you would think that the white would be Yin, and the black Yang because in English we read from left to right. However, in Asia, reading is from top to bottom, right to left. So, if you keep that in mind, you will never get it wrong and you will remember that black and Yin is on the right.
Now that we have that clear, let’s try to understand the meaning of Yin/Yang. Please be aware that this is just a very simplified version. The universe is one and is constantly changing. When the universe is balanced we find harmony. The dot in the center of the tadpole means that in every yin there is yang, and in every yang there is yin and the two will never be separated. So, yang influences yin and visa versa. Yin is the feminine and yang is the masculine.
Next time we’ll talk about how this relates to feng shui!
