The Kua Chart in Feng Shui

In Chinese philosophy, one's gender and year of birth determine which directions one should face. This is a concept unfamiliar to most westerners, although, if you think about it, no more strange than choosing a partner based on their zodiac sign. The idea is that you succeed when you are properly aligned, and that misalignment causes you to suffer and impedes your progress. A "Kua" chart assigns a number and element to members of your gender who were born in a particular year. That number and element are then used in the Feng Shui design of your home space.

Each Kua number has a preferred orientation for a bedroom's position within a house, and for the orientation of the bed within that bedroom. So, for instance, if you are a female born between Feb 4th 1969 and Feb 3rd 1970, then your number is 2. For people with the number 2, this ancient Chinese system describes the following auspicious and inauspicious orientations: prosperity comes from orienting towards the North East, health comes from orienting towards the West, a good relationship comes from orienting towards the North West, and mild good luck comes from orienting to the South West. Conversely, mild bad luck comes from orienting towards the East, quarrels come from orienting towards the South East, separation comes for orienting towards the South, and total loss comes from orienting towards the North.

Applied to Bedroom Feng Shui, this means that a person with a Kua number of 2 should pick a bedroom on the west side of the house, and then orient the bed so that the head is pointing either towards the west for good health, or the North West for a better relationship. Placing the bed to the south east could cause marital squabbling, and placing it to the south could cause a break up.

In order to to promote prosperity, each Kua number also has a preferred direction to face while working at a desk or workshop. Kua numbers may help you to decide on family seating assignments at the dining room table, and even in the living room during important discussions.

Your Kua element identifies the energy that will strengthen you, and should be emphasised in places where you work and where you sleep. Also, making sure that your element is not overly depleted in any part of the home, will insure that you feel at ease in your living space. When your element is brought into balance, your resonance with it amplifies your "Qi" (pronounced Chi, and meaning vital force).

Using the same example shown above, a female born that year is associated with the element of earth. Earth can be introduced to a room with a picture of a mountain range; the use of ceramic tiles, pots, and vessels; potting soil; flag stone; marble counters; stone table tops; and with the addition of beautiful stones (like those rounded by a river) and minerals (like crystals, which amplify Qi) displayed prominently as part of the decor.

Since the Feng Shui principles recognize fire as that which creates earth (If you think about cosmology, the formation of planets associated with the conflagration of star coalescence, and the volcanic processes that form continents and islands, this idea of fire creating earth has scientific merit) you can enhance the earth energy in a room by adding symbols of fire to the symbols of earth. For example, adding a candle to a bowl of pretty rocks, brings in the earth and fire elements as a joined pair. A crystal chandelier is comprised of light bulbs representing the fire element, and crystals representing the earth element. These examples are simply meant to show you how you can creatively enhance a room to suit an individual, using Feng Shui. Your Kua chart number and element will help you to design your home and office so that they support you by balancing and enhancing your Qi.