Mountain and Water Dragon Geneva and Lac Léman Region by Kajal Sheth Situated at the tail end of Lac Léman and cradled between the Alps and the Jura mountains, Geneva is little more than town-sized in area and yet has risen to prominence as one of the leading financial and banking centres of the world. During my regular visits to the city, I was curious to find out if Geneva’s prosperity could be explained using principles of Feng Shui. The obvious starting point for my research was to study the lake and its surroundings. After all, water symbolizes wealth in Feng Shui! Analysis of Form Lac Léman is one of Europe’s largest freshwater lakes. Fed by the River Rhone, the lake is over 50   Illustration 1: Bridges and island ‘locking’ the water as it flows past Geneva. Goy Moon shaped mountains in the background   miles long. It is open and wide as it approaches Geneva and narrows significantly as it flows past. As it leaves Geneva, a small island ‘locks’ the water and several bridges crisscross the lake like strings drawn around a purse. One of the fundamental principles of Feng Shui states that water coming in must be open and wide. This ensures that wealth can be received easily and abundantly. Water leaving must be small and narrow. This ensures that wealth can be enjoyed and saved. This is definitely true in the case of Geneva. The mountain range surrounding the lake makes an impressive formation. Primarily Goy Moon in shape, the range forms a protective embrace around the water reinforcing the qualities of containment and storage.   Illustration 2: The fish shaped Lac Léman with its mouth near Montreux and tail at Geneva Encouraged by my findings, I turned my attention to the rest of the lake. The shape of the lake is striking! Lac Léman’s shape closely resembles a fish. An open mouth receiving the water of River Rhone near Villeneuve and Montreux, a curved body widening as it reaches Lausanne and then narrowing noticeably to form a tail as it flows past Geneva. Sam Hap Analysis There are two main aspects to the study of Feng Shui – form and compass. Having analysed the form of the region around Lac Léman, it was also important to consider the compass orientation. The source (mouth) of Lac Léman is in in the East; its widest part is close to < in the North-West and its tail towards < in the South-West. A pattern seemed to emerge! The three directions and the corresponding 24 mountains formed part of the Sam Hap combination of . I applied the Sam Hap Water Dragon Formula to the lake to see if the towns and cities dotted along the shores of Lac Léman corresponded to the qualities of the 12 Palaces which form part of the formula. The flow of the water from its source was anti-clockwise from , making this a Yin Wood Form, in which, Chang Sang (birth) is at , Dai Wong (peak) is at and Mao (tomb) is at .   Illustration 3: Sam Hap 12 Palaces around Lac Léman   The Chang Sang position symbolizes birth and vitality. The cities of Villeneuve and Montreux correspond to this position. It is interesting to observe that one of the mountain peaks dominating the skyline in this region is a Tang Lung formation, which also has the attribute of Chang Sang , birth and vitality! True to the quality bestowed by the form and compass schools, Montreux is a busy, bustling, young town; active and full of energy renowned internationally for its festivals and open-air summer concerts. Spectacularly located, it draws a lot of tourists from around the world as well as young people to its fine schools. Interestingly, the logo used to represent Montreux in all its promotional material is the Narcissus, a flower that relates to spring, the east and the start of a new year! Nearby, Vevey corresponds with the Mo Yuk Palace . This palace is associated with pleasures of life including sex and alcohol. Not surprisingly, Vevey boasts some of the finest vineyards in this region. One of its tourist attractions is the "Train des Vignes" which takes visitors through the unique vineyards and picturesque villages of the Lavaux region. On offer are wine-cellar visits, wine appreciation seminars and guided wine walks! Moving further North, we go through the Palaces of Koon Tai and Lum Kun symbolizing growth, education, career and status. This region is dotted with many prestigious centres of learning and culture attracting an international population of students and tourists. Next, we reach the summit amongst the 12 Palaces, Dai Wong , symbolizing strength, power and a flourishing energy. The city corresponding with this palace is the prosperous and dynamic Lausanne. Nicknamed “Switzerland’s San Francisco”, Lausanne is a city of incredibly steep hills tiered above the lake on a succession of compact, south-facing terraces. An impressive cathedral crowns the highest point. The palaces from Chang Sang through to Dai Wong represent rising energy starting with birth, growth and maturity. Very appropriately, the shape of the lake echoes this energy in form. Starting from the mouth at Chang Sang, the lake reaches its widest near Dai Wong. The mountains in this area are relatively low and open, enhancing the benefits of the beneficial energy. Having reached the summit at Dai Wong , the energy of the water dragon now starts to decline with the Palaces of Shua (start of decline), Bang (Illness) and Sai (death). A succession of small towns and villages lie to the West of Lausanne. One immediately notices the more genteel and calming atmosphere in this region. The pace is much more relaxed and leisurely in comparison to the neighbouring cities to the East. Finally, we come to Geneva, which corresponds to the Mao Palace, also known as the Tomb, the bank, the storage vault of treasure! This palace can ‘lock’ the water, not allowing it to flow out easily, making it easier to save and store the wealth, hence it is the ideal place for the lake to end. Significance of Numbers Geneva covers an area of 282 sq km. The numbers 2 and 8 correspond to Heaven Chi Dragon and is therefore ideal for wealth. The part of Lac Léman that officially belongs to Geneva is 38 sq km. In the Early Heaven Elements, 3 and 8 belong to the same family, Wood. The icon that has come to symbolize Geneva in every postcard and tourist material is Jet d’Eau, a high-pressured jet of water that reaches a height of 140 metres. The combination of numbers 1 and 4 means Water feeding Wood, which translates as good career! Interestingly, the entire stretch of the lake – from Chang Sang in the East, Dai Wong in the North-West and Mao in the South-West - forms part of Switzerland. This part of the lake forms the cultural and economic focus. The other side, corresponding to the palaces from Chua (Hopeless) to Yung (Maturity of Pregnancy) belongs to France. In conclusion, one can only marvel at this creation of Nature where Form and Compass schools of Feng Shui have joined hands to create a location of spectacular beauty offering the finest in education, commerce, culture and tourism.