The Feng Shui ba gua is a map of how energy moves within any given space (bedroom, garden, desktop, plot of land or even a bookshelf). Understanding how to use the ba gua map will reveal the invisible pattern of energy within these spaces.

The Feng Shui ba gua is also a powerful tool for enabling you to see that your home is an extension of your true self.

Once you’ve learned how to lay out the ba gua map it will reveal exactly what’s happening in different areas of your life so that you can make changes.

Meanings of the Feng Shui Bagua Areas
It gets confusing when you are starting out as so many different names are used to describe the same thing. The Feng Shui ba gua is traditionally an eight sided figure with ‘ba’ meaning eight and ‘gua’ meaning sector or area.

In traditional Chinese Feng Shui they call it the Pa kua. As the Feng Shui ba gua or pa kua is always divided into nine equal areas you’ll also see it represented as a square which is known as the Lo Shu Square. A Feng Shui ba gua or pa kua is a Lo Shu Square with its corners sliced off!

Ba gau / Pa kua	Lo Shu Square

 
   
Multi-layers of the Feng Shui ba gua areas
There are many layers (or meanings) of the Feng Shui ba gua and you don’t need to get bogged down with every layer at this stage of the game. However, knowing that each area is associated with an element and set of colours is always useful.

The nine Feng Shui ba gua areas explained
Now let’s take a deeper look at the nine Feng Shui ba gua areas to see how they relate to your life.

1. Career
The career area of the Feng Shui ba gua not only relates to how you earn a living it also indicates your life path or soul purpose. The idea is that if you are truly on the correct path things will seem easy or just click into place. You’ll feel enthusiastic and confident about what you do and where you are going. Focus on this Feng Shui ba gua area if you are having problems at work or can’t decide what your next career move is.

2. Relationship
The relationship area of the Feng Shui ba gua relates to your primary relationship with your sexual partner plus the relationships you have with friends, family or anyone for that matter. If you are single or having marital problems this is an area you’ll want to concentrate on. This area also relates to the relationship you have with yourself. If you are peaceful and happy with yourself your relationships with others are likely to reflect this.

3. Family & ancestors
The family & ancestors area of the Feng Shui ba gua relates to your immediate family, ancestral heritage and superiors – all of whom may support you or provide you with a solid foundation from which you operate. Focus on this area if you have family squabbles or parent issues.

4. Wealth
The wealth area of the Feng Shui ba gua is not solely about creating material wealth. It also relates to your personal abundance and whether you feel truly blessed in life. Do opportunities come your way? Does your family acknowledge you for your good deeds? Have you just been promoted at work? You’ll want to concentrate on this area if you experience cash flow problems or feel plagued by bad luck.

5. Health
The health area of the Feng Shui ba gua relates directly to health issues and whether you feel energised with a sense of life balance. If you feel unwell, overwhelmed, stressed and lacking in vitality this is the area to concentrate on. Just as health is an integral part of our lives enabling us to function optimally, the health sector sits at the centre of the ba gua affecting all the other areas.

6. Helpful friends, travel and guides
Helpful friends, travel and guides relates to your support system in life. Do you have helpful friends to turn to in a crisis? Is there someone there to guide you in times of strife? It also relates to how much you give of yourself. According to the laws of karma, if you are willing to give of yourself (emotionally and spiritually) you’ll also find support when you need it the most.

This area also relates to your spiritual guides and whether you derive help through intuition or a higher source. Another facet of this area of the Feng Shui ba gua is its connection to travel and overseas opportunities.

7. Creativity & children
There is no greater expression of creativity than children! If you are having problems conceiving or your children seem unhappy or ill at ease this is the area to attend to. Creativity also relates to how you spend your spare time or how you express yourself – through sport, the arts, outdoor activities etc. This area of the Feng Shui ba gua also relates to your ability to bring things to a close and to materialise what you want in life.

8. Study, knowledge & meditation
Study, knowledge and meditation is related to study, inner knowing or intuition and meditation. It’s the ideal place to retreat to when you need to switch off and recharge your batteries. It’s also the ideal place to study and develop your inner wisdom. If you always feel harassed and short on time for yourself you’ll want to take a look at this area of the Feng Shui ba gua.

9. Fame & aspiration
The fame and inspiration area of the Feng Shui ba gua is related to how you perceive yourself, what you aspire to and where you want to be in life. Are you moving towards your goals and realising your dreams?

Fame & aspiration also relates to issues of self esteem and social standing. If you don’t feel good about yourself this will be the area to watch. Balancing the energy in fame & aspiration will bring inspiration, clarity of vision and a greater spiritual awareness.

Focusing on a specific area
Whilst you were reading through the descriptions, I’m sure you were thinking about which Feng Shui ba gua areas could do with improvement. However, when starting out it’s always best to pick just one area to focus on first.

How to lay out the Feng Shui ba gua in your home
Draw out the ba gua map before you begin making sure that the areas 8, 1 and 6 are at the bottom of the page. Keep this with you so that each time you enter a new space you’ll have a reference point.

Align the bottom edge of the ba gua map with the front door of your home. The front door will always fall in either 8, 1 or 6. Now, stretch out the rest of the ba gua map (mentally) to fill the remaining space of your home.

The following three diagrams indicate the position of the front door. You’ll notice that the ba gua map has been stretched out to fill different shaped homes.

Which front door should you use?
If you enter your home via a side entrance or the garage door it’s always best to start re-using the front door of the home. The front door represents the ‘mouth of chi’ and is where positive energy enters to nourish your home. If you never use it you won’t be maximising on the positive chi that’s waiting to come in!

If you have an odd shaped home
When your home is an odd shape, parts of the Feng Shui ba gua will be missing. Other areas will be extended. As long as you keep the front door aligned with the bottom edge of the ba gua map you’ll be OK. The Feng Shui ba gua can still be stretched out to form a square in the same way.

Look at two examples of irregular shaped homes below.





What do missing corners and extensions actually mean?
If you notice that areas of the ba gua map are missing or some are extended (as above) do not panic! Sometimes missing corners can be termed as negative space or ‘bad’ Feng Shui. However, a missing corner simply represents a dip or loss in energy that needs to be strengthened. It is there to show you that change is possible in this area of your life if you correct the imbalance of energy.

Extensions or projections will usually indicate that the energy is healthy or flowing smoothly in this area of the ba gua. Changes or cures that you place in extended areas tend to have double the effect!

Important Note
An extension is where an area of your home protrudes beyond the ba gua map. An extension must take up less than half the total surface area from which it protrudes. For example, bay windows are considered to be extensions. If it takes more than half the total surface area it is called a missing corner or negative space.

Time to reassess!
Have you laid out the ba gua map over the floor plan of your home yet? Have you identified any missing corners or extensions?

Once you’ve done this you’ll be able to see how the energy is circulating around your home and what Feng Shui ba gua areas need strengthening.

This is why the ba gua map is one of the most useful Feng Shui tools. It helps you create what you want in your life so go lay out your ba guas rightaway!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT FENG SHUI

>

2) FINALLY -
No More Feng Shui Confusion!