The Feng Shui Bagua uses your space to map your life, identifying the life areas where you need to make key changes.
The Bagua Map is Feng Shui’s way of bringing the power of your Intention to your health, intimate relationships, money matters and more. It helps you bring good Chi energy to all of the important parts of your life.
An eight-sided energy map, the Bagua is an ancient and profound instrument with almost limitless implications.
The map gives you specific ways to enhance the energy of life sectors that need your attention.
Since the Bagua can have such a powerful effect on your life, it’s essential to use it carefully and correctly.
Attending to just one or two areas at a time will keep your Intentions clear and give your enhancements the best chance of success.
For a complete guide to the Bagua and how to use it correctly in your home, get my new 50-page e-book, Map Your Space To Change Your Life, for just $5.99.
To use the map, align the entry to your home with the bottom of the map. Your entryway will align with either the Travel & Helpful Friends, Life Journey, or Knowledge & Self-Cultivation area.
Let’s look at the map and some of the enhancements available to you.
New Beginnings & Family
Represents your parents and ancestors; signifies growth, strength, flexibility and vitality.
Element: Wood
Color: greens & blues
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— 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.
Click here for even more Feng Shui tips for New Beginnings & Family in your life.
Wealth & Prosperity
Represents abundance and prosperity as well as your sense of gratitude for the abundance you already have in your life.
Color: purples and golds
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— Items that symbolize prosperity to you.
— Representations of things for which you feel truly grateful.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Wealth & Prosperity.
Fame & Reputation
Represents your integrity and how you are known (and wish to be known) in the world.
Element: Fire
Color: Reds
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— Lighting, candles.
— Red items.
— Triangular shapes.
— Animal prints, leather items, photos of animals.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Fame & Reputation.
Love & Marriage/Intimate Relationship
Represents your most important romantic relationship, your ability to nurture yourself and your lover, mother earth, devotion.
Color: Rosy Pink
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— Pairs of things.
— Things symbolizing intimate relationships.
— Items that have the color pink in them.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for the Marriage & Relationships in your life.
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
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— 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.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Children & Future sector.
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 Feng Shui enhancements:
— 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.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for the Travel & Helpful People in your life.
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
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— Artwork about water, a water feature or fountain.
— Glass and mirrors.
— Sinuous textiles.
— Dark colors.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Career & Life Journey.
Knowledge & Self-Cultivation
Represents the cultivation of knowledge, skill-building, contemplation. “A place where wisdom can develop.”
Color: dark colors: greens, blues
Good Feng Shui enhancements:
— Art symbolizing study, stillness, contemplation.
— Books, a place to read and study.
— A personal retreat.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Knowledge & Self-Cultivation.
The 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 Feng Shui enhancements:
— Keep this area open if possible, helping Chi energy flow freely in your space.
— Square items.
— Earthenware and ceramics.
Click here for more Feng Shui tips for your Tai Chi area.
For a complete guide to the Bagua and how to use it correctly in your home, get my new, updated 50-page e-book, Map Your Space To Change Your Life, for just $5.99.
I live in a studio apartment and can change the “bedroom area” and the “livingroom area” around but I have a couple of problems. My “kitchen” is in the “Helpful People & Travel area” and worse yet my “bathroom” is in the “Experience & Knowledge” area. To top all this off, my main apartment door and short hallway is in the “Life Journey & Career” area. What can I do from here to cover all areas of the bagua or at least place solutions (specific ideas please)to make up for those areas that are totally out of wack here. I would appreciate any help you can offer and thank you for your time.
Hello Flo,
Thank you for your comments and questions. You are right, your situation is complex and can definitely use some Feng Shui attention and correction. Please contact me privately at ann@openspacesfengshui.com so we can begin to discuss your particular challenges and how to best address them.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Thought you might be interested in this.
http://www.wheredoes.com/articles/142994/bagua-views-eight-viewpoints-for-feng-shui
Bagua maps oriented for feng shui so you don’t have to turn them around to look at them. Pretty useful if you like the americanized version of feng shui or even if you want to glance around your room from your computer without getting your chart out.
my kitchen is in my helpful people area, what can i do to enhance this area?
Hello Donna,
I would suggest reading the posts on this site about the Kitchen, and possibly purchasing my book about the Bagua Map which contains many, many suggestions in this regard. Thanks!
Hello, my ‘living space’ is in the basement of my daughters townhouse. So my entry is the stairs going down. how do I apply the bagua? Thank you.
Audrey,
Apply the Bagua so that the front is positioned where you actually enter your own private space – at the bottom of the stairs, I would imagine. Good luck!
Hi, I just started doing this and basically moved into a twp flr house and wanted to know dp I map each floor according to the map or differently. Help
Hello, please take a look at my book on this topic as it contains all the information you need to use the Bagua Map. Thank you.
Hi I’m trying very hard to do this right, my front door facing south, my lay out of my house is rectangular with a attach garage to the North, so I lay bagua over my lay out of my house, as like the bottom of the bagua at the front door? And what do I do for upstairs and basement? Thank you.
Hello Shane,
I would need to see your floorplan as the attached garage plays a role in the Bagua placement and arrangement. Please let me know if you would like to set up a mini-consultation. Thank you.
Hi Ann – how do I align the bagua with a railroad apartment? We have four rooms in a row, and so no real front or back to speak of.
Thanks for your helpful website!
-Jon
Hello Jon,
It may seem strange, but we align the Bagua on a railroad apartment just the same as on any other space. The sectors all end up being long and narrow, but true to Feng Shui. Use the front door to orient the Map. Good luck.
Hi Ann! I am constructing (framing) an office space within an existing building. The existing space is rectangular, at the back of the building (imagine the building broken up into roughly thirds), and faces West/sits East. For me, I will enter the building from the East through the back door.
So, I have two main questions:
1. Do I need to consider the existing building’s characteristics or can I treat the open space within the building as a “blank canvas” and simply focus on a compass-based plan to design the floorplan?
2. Is there any rule against constructing/framing an octagonal room?
Thank you!
Hello Matt,
It’s always important to consider the entire shape of the building you are in, to understand where your own space is located within it. But ultimately you only have control over your own space, so that layout is the most important from a Feng Shui standpoint. Use the back door as your entry door for laying out the Bagua, and go on from there. And there is no rule against constructing an octagonal room.
I’m in an apt that I secured in a rush. It never felt good or safe. I have the map am a 3 east person and in a job that’s sketchy. I can’t move for 9 mos unless break lease / can this be resolved?
Hello Bernie,
This sounds like a complex situation; Feng Shui may be able to help stabilize things in your life. Please look around the blog for solutions and suggestions, and let me know if you would like to set up a consultation.
Hi! I’m trying to map our house that is currently under construction and I’m unsure of where I should align the bagua, as my house has an irregular entry. Basically, there’s a large front walkway that goes right up to a porch/landing and my door is on the right, not face out the the street. Would I still count the front of my home as the entry sector even though my door doesn’t face it? Or would I flip the map so that the door is aligned to the bottom of the bagua (which makes the front of my house the right side of the bagua)?
Hello Willa,
Is it too late to turn your front door to face the street, as it properly ought to do? This is the best possible solution for many reasons. If not I would have to see your floor plan; let me know if you wish to set up a consultation.
Hi Ann,
I just got your book and my ‘wealth’ area on the bagua map is my ‘cave’ – it’s the part of the house where we store things we don’t really need and it’s humid, the water heater is in there, it’s a large empty room – a bit cold and dampy. What do you recommend? I could put some items that represent wealth in that area but it really needs to be renovated. Any ideas? Thank you!
Hello Alixe,
Thank you for buying my book – I am glad you are finding it informative and useful. I suggest that you make sure this room is as dry, clean, and tidy as possible – make it a room where Chi energy can happily flow. Open the door to the room fairly frequently to keep energy moving as well. Meanwhile, prior to your renovation, energize your Wealth sector by identifying this sector in other rooms and enhancing it there.
Kitchen Help…. Using the “Western bagua” map my kitchen is located in the top left corner of my house, which per the “Western bagua map” this is the SE (but directionally is in the NE corner of the house). When using the bagua do we ignore the true directions of the house?
Hi Debbie – Yes, when you use the Form School Bagua Map, which is the one I use, then you ignore the true cardinal directions of the home/office/area. Cardinal direction is still very important for many other reasons, of course, including light, wind direction etc.
My house has a balcony that makes an L around half of the house and to enter the house you must enter the balcon first. I’m assuming this balcony should be included in the bagua, right?
But should I consider the bagua front door the entrance to the balcony (not really a door) or the door between the balcony and the living room (wich is the one we lock)?
Just to make it clear, the “balcony door” is a small gate. I feel like I really must include the balcony in the bagua. And doing so, this gate would become the front door, cause it would be weird to have the front door inside and not in the edge of the bagua…
Hello Clarice,
Yes, you are correct to include the balcony gate in your Bagua, and to use it as your front door, as it is structurally attached to your home. Thank you for a good question.