The Bagua, Explained

This extended post provides you with a detailed review of one of Feng Shui’s essential tools, the Bagua.

An eight-sided energy map, the Bagua uses your space as a metaphor for your life, helping you bring the power of Intention to important things like your health, finances, and intimate relationships.

The Bagua is an ancient and profound instrument with almost limitless implications which I’m able to outline only briefly here (despite the length of this post!).

Use the map to identify the parts of your life that need a boost and place appropriate enhancements in those areas.

Attending to just one or two areas at a time will keep your Intentions clear and give your enhancements the best chance of success.

Follow along with the attached Bagua map, orienting it so the entry to your space aligns with one of the three areas at the bottom.

I invite you to leave your questions and ideas in the Comments. I’ll be happy to answer them in future blog posts.

The Bagua

Bagua Area: New Beginnings & Family
Represents your parents and ancestors; growth, strength, flexibility, vitality.
Element: Wood
Color: greens & blues
Shape: Vertical column
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Botanical prints, green items, plants.
– Things made of wood or that look like wood.
– Family photos (except in the Bedroom).
– Vertical items like floor lamps and columns.

Bagua Area: Wealth & Prosperity
Represents your abundance and prosperity as well as your sense of gratitude.
Color: purples and golds
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Items that symbolize prosperity to you.
– Things for which you feel truly grateful.

Bagua Area: Fame & Reputation
Represents your integrity and how you are known (and wish to be known) in the world.
Element: Fire
Color: Reds
Shape: Triangle
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Lighting, candles.
– Red items.
– Triangular shapes.
– Animal prints, leather items, photos of animals.

Bagua Area: Love and Marriage/Intimate Relationship
Represents your most important romantic relationship, your ability to nurture yourself and your lover, mother earth, devotion.
Color: Rosy Pink
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Pairs of things.
– Things symbolizing intimate relationships.
– Items that have the color pink in them.

Bagua Area: Children, Legacy and the Future
Represents your sense of joy, openness and discernment, as well as your ability to complete projects.
Element: Metal
Color: Whites & light pastels
Shapes: circles, spheres, arches, ovals
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Items that help you visualize the future: a vision board, for example.
– Things that symbolize the completion of important projects.
– Metal things.
– Rounded things – circular or oval items, archways.

Bagua Area: Travel & Helpful People
Represents getting out in the world to make things happen; your ability to get and give help, and to create synchronicities.
Color: greys & pastels
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Travel souvenirs, a globe or maps.
– Photos and artwork honoring people who have made a difference in your life.
– Symbols/photos of people you would like to come into your life.
– People in whose lives you have made a difference.

Bagua Area: Life Journey/Career
Represents the journey of life, including your career. The Water element also symbolizes cash flow.
Element: Water, both moving & still
Color: black, very dark colors
Shape: Sinuous
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Artwork about water, a water feature or fountain.
– Glass and mirrors.
– Sinuous textiles.
– Dark colors.

Bagua Area: Knowledge & Self-Cultivation
Represents the cultivation of knowledge, skill-building, contemplation. “A place where wisdom can develop.”
Color: dark colors: greens, blues
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Art symbolizing study, stillness, contemplation.
– Books, a place to read and study.
– A personal retreat.

Bagua Area: Center/Tai Chi
Represents your physical and emotional health. A clear, open Center helps keep all the other areas connected and in balance.
Element: Earth
Color: Yellows, earthtones
Shape: square
Good enhancements for this area include:
– Keep this area open if possible, helping Chi energy flow freely in your space.
– Square items.
– Earthenware and ceramics.

Don’t forget to leave your questions and ideas in the Comments!

Q. of the Week: Two Bedroom Questions

This week I’ve received two questions about creating good Feng Shui in the bedroom.

Let’s get to them:

Question #1: PM asks, “I have mirrors on the closets in my bedroom. Can’t move them for sure. Is there a way to remove their negative effect?”

Mirrors create negative Feng Shui after dark when their hard reflectiveness keeps Chi energy moving and bouncing restlessly around the room as you are trying to sleep. If mirrors can’t be removed, the best solution is to cover them at night.

Add a rod to the wall above your closets and hang curtains you can open to get to the closets by day and still cover the mirrors when it’s time to relax at night.

Question #2: Kristin asks, “Sometimes I must flip my position in bed to fall asleep, putting my head where feet usually go. Is this Feng Shui related?”

The Chi energy that’s contained within each of us, and each of our spaces, is changing all the time. It sounds as though you are very sensitive to these changes.

I’d advise setting up your bed with both a head- and a foot-board so you feel safe and protected no matter which way you’re facing.

Does this answer the questions?

How to Deal with “Cutting Chi”

No matter how well you’ve set up your space, some pieces of furniture still feel slightly threatening every time you get near them.

And it’s true: the sharp edges on tables, chairs, cabinet and file cabinets really can hurt! In Feng Shui this is called Sha, or cutting Chi.

Soften the impact with beautiful textiles: table runners from places like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn do a wonderful job softening the atmosphere without taking over the room.

A Feng Shui Space-Clearing Ceremony

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a Feng Shui Space-Clearing Ceremony?

A Space-Clearing ceremony transforms negative “predecessor energy” in your space that may be a result of the misfortunes, illness, or death of previous occupants of the space.

Negative energy may also remain after misfortunes occur in your life, that you’re ready to move on from — illnesses, arguments and so forth.

Here’s a picture of the altar I set up for a typical ceremony.

The ceremonies differ depending on the size of the space and situation faced by the occupants, but the essentials remain the same each time.

It begins with my getting in tune with the existing energies in the space and continues as I clear and transform them, especially from places where energy is truly stuck.

The ceremony involves all of Feng Shui’s Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water), plus items that anchor and enhance each area of the Bagua.

This particular home was about to be renovated so I set the altar up on a kitchen counter that would be demolished the very next day.

My clients called me back to conduct a Blessing Ceremony when the renovation was complete.

A space-clearing ceremony makes every space feel fresh and new — the perfect way to give yourself a fresh start. Please let me know if you’d like to learn more about transforming the invisible energies in your space.

Q. of the Week: How to Place the Bagua

This week’s question is a classic Feng Shui query:

Judy asks, “Should I apply the Bagua to the whole-house floor plan or each room?”

The Bagua map is completely scaleable, meaning it can be applied to everything from an entire home to individual rooms.

To analyze the Feng Shui of your space, begin by applying the map to your whole home to get an overview of your space.

Identify where individual rooms are located, what’s in the center of your home — the Health area — and discover which areas might be missing, extended or otherwise irregular.

Once you have this overview in mind, if you wish you may begin to apply the Bagua to individual rooms. It’s especially important to do this under two particular circumstances:

to enhance areas that are missing from the Bagua of your home, and

to enhance parts of your life that need special attention, in addition to the adjustments you are making based on the Bagua analysis of your entire home.

Does this answer your question? Please let me know!