Use your Gua Number and find out…
Virtually everything we do in feng shui revolves around the Bagua, an octogonal map of how energies relate to one another and flow through the world. Each of the eight segments individually is called a Gua, and every one of these corresponds to an element, trigram, direction, and number. Gua numbers reveal which directions are our best, luckiest, and most auspicious, in addition to those that are the worst and bring the most hardship.
This article will help you calculate your Gua number and reveal your best and worst directions. It will also give you recommendations for enhancing or remediating your portents. Shall we?
The Human Element
For people, these numbers are referred to as the Ming Gua and are calculated based on date of birth and gender. The calculation is tedious, so I’ll spare us both and recommend an online calculator 😉 Find your Gua number and locate it on the table below. UX tip: filter out all other numbers by typing your Gua into the white field under the Gua number column.
Ming Gua Numbers (Northern Hemisphere)
| Gua Number | Direction | Trigram | Element | Life Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N | Kan (Water) | Water | East |
| 2 | NW | Kun (Earth) | Earth | West |
| 3 | E | Chen (Thunder) | Wood | East |
| 4 | NE | Sun (Wind) | Wood | East |
| 6 | SW | Qian (Heaven) | Metal | West |
| 7 | W | Tui (Lake) | Metal | West |
| 8 | SE | Ken (Mountain) | Earth | West |
| 9 | S | Li (Fire) | Fire | East |
| Gua Number | Direction | Trigram | Element | Life Group |
Why is there no 5?
The number 5 is attributed to the middle square of the Lo Shu, making it the center of the Bagua (all this will make sense soon, I promise!). Being in the middle means it has no direction of its own. If your Ming Gua result comes to 5, it becomes a 2 for males and an 8 for females, because all three elements are ruled by Earth.
Life Groups: East and West
Gua numbers are divided into two groups, East Life and West Life. These reveal the directions that are generally considered to be auspicious or inauspicious and can be likened to day charts and night charts in astrology.
East Life Guas are 1, 3, 4, and 9.
Favorable: E, SE, S, and N.
Unfavorable: W, NW, NE, and SW.
West Life Guas are 2, 8, 7, and 6.
Favorable: W, NW, NE, and SW.
Unfavorable: E, SE, S, and N.
The focus of this article is on the Ming Gua, which is the Gua of a person. Houses and structures also have Gua numbers and the same Lo Shu portents we’ll cover shortly. I’ll teach how to locate the Gua of a structure and how that overlays with your own Lo Shu portents in forthcoming article.
The Lo Shu and Bagua
While being East Life or West Life determines which directions are broadly favorable or unfavorable, each Gua has its own unique relationship to every direction, which means it has a specific type of impact. These are called the Lo Shu Portents, which correspond to what the Chinese referred to as The Purple Star, or Greedy Wolf. In the West we know this constellation as the Little Dipper or Little Bear. It consists of seven visible and two invisible stars that the Chinese thought to be of great importance for mankind.
It is believed that the energy coming to us through the Greedy Wolf constellation was either benefic or malefic depending on which star it was being filtered through. These were mapped onto the Lo Shu Square, widely known in the esoteric West as the magic square of Saturn. This number sequence is overlayed onto the Bagua.
Use the following table to locate the nature of each direction based on your Gua number. You can filter the table to exclude all other results by typing your Gua into the blank white box on the lower left. To learn more about each portent, including suitable placements and activities, and how to strengthen or mitigate the influences, click the tabs below the table.
The Lo Shu Portents
SHENG CHI: PROSPERITY
Sheng Chi translates as “upward moving energy” and is your absolute most favorable, auspicious direction. It draws prosperity and strength, wealth and promotion. This portent should be strengthened and emphasized as much as possible in your home and general orientation.
This is an excellent direction for the front door, your headboard, and to face while working at your desk. It’s also a good direction to locate wealth or prosperity altars and do workings to achieve these aims. When seeking a promotion or doing something where you can use all the luck you can get, face your Sheng Chi if it’s at all possible/ practical.
This portent is the Wood element, and thus can be strengthened with Water.
TIEN YI: HEALTH
Tien Yi translates as “Doctor from Heaven”, as such this portent relates to health and wellbeing. It is an ideal location for headboards to be located, so that the top of the head points in the direction of the Tien Yi while sleeping. This is true for healthy individuals, but especially those who are sick or convalescing. It is also a good direction for the ‘Fire Mouth’ of the stove (the direction from which the gas or electricity comes into the back of the stove), as it imbues the food you cook and the central Yang energy of the household with healthy Chi.
The Tien Yi can also be used to help dispel malefic influences. It’s an excellent direction to place protective talismans, recite remedial mantras, or do health-promoting activities like yoga or chi gong.
This portent is ruled by Earth and is thus strengthened by Fire.
YEN NIEN: RELATIONSHIP HARMONY
Yen Nien translates as “harmony between people”. Its influence promotes good will and cooperation between yourself and others. It should be emphasized by those who want for a partner or children, during times of strife between loved ones, or to facilitate smooth ongoing relations.
It’s an ideal location for a living room or dining room, or places where you interact regularly with others. Face your Yen Nien when offering apologies or olive branches. Place significations of happy partnership or talismans in this space to strengthen or draw connections between yourself and other people. This is an auspicious sector that promotes peace and right relations, making it a good orientation for spiritual, magical or mundane practices intended to draw favor or influence others. It is related to military pursuits and victory for this reason.
The Yen Nien is ruled by Metal and is thus strengthened by Earth.
FU WEI: PRIME LOCATION
Fu Wei translates as “clarity in thinking”. It is always the same direction your Gua number corresponds to, making it deeply compatible with your own natal Chi but not overly empowering. While still positive, it is the least so of the auspicious directions.
It should be used for meditation, contemplation, or studying, and is a good direction to face when making decisions that require clear thought or performing activities like writing or journaling. It is said to provide a favorable but unspectacular life with an acceptable livelihood, especially if the back of the house points in this direction. It offers some degree of protection from bad luck and inauspicious feng shui.
It is not a good direction for the gas lines or electricity to enter the stove, because the fire influence burns up the natal Chi, contributing to dryness and other imbalances.
The Fu Wei is ruled by Wood and can be strengthened with Water.
CHUEH MING: RUIN
Chueh Ming translates as “total loss” and is the most harmful portent. It is said to result in total ruin and indicates the loss of loved ones, job, money, and assets. It is also seen as the location of death.
Keep in mind that everyone has a Chueh Ming. There is a lot going on in life, literally and figuratively from every direction, so don’t let it worry you unduly.
Try to avoid positioning front doors, stoves, and sleeping positions in the direction of the Chueh Ming. The only recommended placement for this portent is the toilet, to flush bad energy out of the space.
This portent is ruled by Metal, so Water or Fire cures will help reduce its malefic influence. It is recommended that everyone employ at least one cure in their Chueh Ming.
HUO HAI: ACCIDENTS
The Huo Hai is the location of accidents and disaster. Safety and security should be checked in this sector, as it tends to signify troubles with legalities and disputes, minor injuries and broken bones, loss of money, and whatever causes worry.
Keep the Huo Hai clear of clutter and anything that might cause accidents. It is best not to face this direction while engaged in activities that may lead to accidental injury. These can include the position you face using your cutting board or stove, a work bench where you use tools, and so on.
This sector is suitable for kitchens and bathrooms so the energy can be flushed or burned away. It is also appropriate for storage spaces, closets, and guest rooms, due to their low activity.
The Huo Hai is ruled by Earth and is thus mitigated by Metal or Wood. Metal is the element of diligence and care. As is so often the case, minor accidents are much less likely to occur when these two principles are applied to action.
WU KUEI: DISCORD
The Wu Kuei is also referred to as the Five Ghosts or Five Demons location.
It is associated with bad luck and discord at home and work. It can lead to theft, loss of finances and employees, and injuries to children. Important doors should not be placed in this sector. The Wu Kuei is associated with fires, so if one is likely to occur (a place you use candles, have a fireplace, or the kitchen), keeping a fire extinguisher near is recommended.
This sector is where hauntings and paranormal activities are likely to originate, and is therefore an excellent position for altars to help mitigate malefic influences. The Wu Kuei is a natural position for shrines to the dead and ancestors, which should include cups or bowls of regularly changed fresh water. Giving offerings to spirits that you may have offended or wish to curry favor with is advised here, but preferably left outside the home.
The Wu Kuei is a good position to place protective wards and perform banishings, uncrossings, or evil eye remediation. After performing such an action, conclude using your Sheng Chi to ask for blessings from those spirits who wish you well and are responsible for your success, health, and wellbeing.
The Wu Kuei is ruled by Fire, and is thus dampened by Earth and doused by Water. For further remediation, keep a ceramic bowl of sea salt in this sector inside the house. Outside, plant a rosemary bush (or keep one in a terra cotta pot).
LIU SHA: BAD LUCK
The Liu Sha is the location of the Six Curses. It brings bad luck and anything that goes wrong without being disastrous.
This portent is associated with loss, laziness, and sex scandals. It can also manifest in accidents, legal problems, financial loss, and illness of family members and employees. On the up side, it is related to literary pursuits.
The most suitable rooms for the Liu Sha are the bathroom and kitchen. It is also a good position for a garden, especially with tall or fast growing plants.
The Lui Sha is ruled by Water, and is thus remediated by Wood, or damned by Earth.
