Above is the feng shui bagua map. You may have seen this before in an octagon shape with lots of weird symbols. The bagua map I’ve created is a modernized representation, but they mean the same thing. I’ll spend some time sharing with you how to use this map and go into some detail about each area.

The feng shui bagua map is a concept that feng shui practitioners use to look at your environment. This concept can be applied to your entire property, to the floorplan of the house or building, to the floorplan of your bedroom, and even the layout of your desk. The square is a three by three grid and can stretch and shrink to fit over your floorplan.

The first rule is to align the bottom of the bagua to the entrance wall of your space. An easy way to start is to use your bedroom. Stand in the doorway of your bedroom and look into the room. Then you hold this bagua so that the far right corner is Relationships. That would make the back left corner the Abundance area. If we were looking at your desk, you could divide your desktop into a three by three grid and apply the bagua similarly. The far right corner is Relationships, and the back left corner is Abundance.

Now I’ll share a little bit about each area!

New Beginnings:

This area is related to new beginnings of any kind: creation, family matters, and the season and energy of spring and is symbolized by the color green, the number three, columnar and tall shapes, and the element of yang wood. It has that magnificent burst of energy associated with a sprout pushing out of the ground and the excitement of the first beautifully sunny and warm day of spring. This is a great area to activate if you have trouble starting new things.

Abundance:

This area is related to wealth, abundance, prosperity and self-worth, represented by the color purple, the number four, columnar and tall shapes, and the element of yin wood. This is one of the “favorite” areas of the bagua. It’s not just about money though. Your wealth in the world is dependent and related to your self worth, so this area is also about having an abundance of the positive aspects in your life.

Health:

This area is related to your overall health, signified by earthy colors yellow-orange-brown, the number five, square shapes, and the element of earth. If you look at the location of this area, it’s in the center and is sometimes referred to as the “tai chi”. Because it’s in the center, the health area is affected by and affects all eight bagua areas around it.

Benefactors:

This area is related to helpful people, benefactors, the energy of heaven, travel and the father, all symbolized by the color gray, the number six, circular shapes, and the element of yang metal. Oftentimes we need the help of others (whether that be people or from the heavens) to move forward. Adjustments can be done in this area to activate the energy to bring supportive energy and people into your life.

Completion:

This area is related to completion, children, any sort of output or offspring, joy, and the season and energy of autumn. The color white, the number seven, circular shapes, and the element of yin metal relate to Completion. This area is about closure and the end of things. But the end of things brings new beginnings as well. This area would be great to activate if you have trouble completing projects.

Knowledge:

This area is related to knowledge and self-cultivation, represented by the color dark blue, the number eight, square shapes, and the element of yang earth. This area is also about our spiritual inclinations to grow and develop our inner lives. It’s also about your level of skill and knowledge in mundane areas of your life.

Recognition:

This area is related to fame, passion, recognition, reputation and the season and energy of summer. It is symbolized by the color red, the number nine, triangular shapes, and the element of fire. This is also an area for people who want to be seen and recognized. It governs your level of passion and how the world sees you and is a great area to activate if you are starting any new endeavors that require public support.

Path in Life:

This area is related to your career as well as the season and energy of winter. The color black, the number one, wavy shapes, and the element of water symbolize this area. This is the path you walk in life, and how you express your work in the world. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a traditional career, but it pertains to how you move through the course of your life.

Relationships:

This area is related to relationships, partnerships, the mother and marriage, symbolized by the color pink, the number two, square shapes, and the element of yin earth. This area is probably the second most popular because it can activate attracting a primary relationship.

The bagua is one of the most important aspects of feng shui, as it assists in determining what parts of your space relate to each specific type of energy. Without properly defining this, you cannot properly execute feng shui. Look into which bagua area relates to an area that you need to work on, and get started!

by Anjie Cho