Eight directions, eight trigrams
Each compass direction carries a trigram from the I Ching: three lines, solid or broken. Each trigram rules one area of life and one element. The centre belongs to health and to earth.
| Direction | Trigram | Image | Life area | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Kan | Water | Career | Water |
| North-east | Gen | Mountain | Knowledge | Earth |
| East | Zhen | Thunder | Family & health | Wood |
| South-east | Xun | Wind | Wealth | Wood |
| South | Li | Fire | Fame | Fire |
| South-west | Kun | Earth | Love | Earth |
| West | Dui | Lake | Children & creativity | Metal |
| North-west | Qian | Heaven | Helpful people | Metal |
Two schools, one dial
Compass school
Areas follow true directions. Set north on your plan and eight sectors fan out from the centre of each room. Wealth sits in the south-east. Use a phone compass standing at the centre of the room, or your property's site plan.
Front-door school
A three-by-three grid lines up with the wall that holds the room's door. No compass needed. Wealth sits at the far left as you walk in. Many Western practitioners use this method.
In the front-door school, picture the grid as you stand in the doorway looking in:
| Row | Left | Centre | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far wall | Wealth | Fame | Love |
| Middle | Family | Health | Children |
| Door wall | Knowledge | Career | Helpful people |
The wealth corner
Xun is the wind that moves through trees: steady, gentle growth. Its element is wood, and water feeds wood, so living plants and clean moving water are its classic cures.
A jade plant or money tree, a small fountain, purple or green fabric, and good light.
Bins, clutter, dead or spiky plants, and broken objects.
Heavy metal pieces. In the element cycle, metal cuts wood.
Command position
The bed, the desk and the main sofa are where you spend the most time. Each should let you see the door without being directly in line with it, ideally with a solid wall behind you.
- Place the piece diagonally across the room from the door.
- Back it onto a solid wall rather than a window.
- Avoid a bed whose foot points straight out the door.
- If the room won't allow it, a mirror that shows the door from where you sit is the usual remedy.
Chi flow and clutter
Chi is the energy that moves through a home the way a breeze or a person would. It should meander, not rush or stall.
Straight runs
A front door lined up with a back door or big window lets energy rush out. Slow it with a plant, rug or screen.
Open centre
Keep the middle of a room light and clear. It holds the health area and links every other one.
Sharp corners
Corners aimed at a seat or bed are called poison arrows. Round tables and soft plants ease them.
Elements and cures
The feeding cycle runs wood, fire, earth, metal, water, and back to wood. The controlling cycle crosses it: wood parts earth, earth dams water, water douses fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts wood. A cure adds the element an area is missing, or the one that feeds it.
Kua numbers
Compass-school practice gives each person a kua number from their birth year. It places them in an East or West group, each with four favourable directions for the headboard and the desk. The feng shui year begins at the lunar spring, around 4 February, so if you were born before then, use the previous year.
East group
Kua 1, 3, 4 and 9. Favourable: north, south, east and south-east.
West group
Kua 2, 6, 7 and 8. Favourable: west, south-west, north-west and north-east.
Enter your birth year in the planner's Feng shui panel, switch to Compass, and your four directions appear as green arcs on the dial.
Room by room
Bedroom
A solid headboard against a solid wall. Bedside tables on both sides for balance. No mirror facing the bed, and a clear floor underneath.
Home office
Desk in the command position, facing into the room with the door in view. Keep cords and paper out of sight.
Living room
Seating in a loose circle, the main sofa backed by a wall. Leave an easy path from the door to the seats.
Dining
Round or oval tables help conversation and soften corners. Keep the area around the table clear so chairs pull out easily.
Find your kua number
Feng shui has many lineages and teachers differ on the details. Take what makes your home feel calmer and leave the rest.