Ba Gua is one of the tools used in Feng Shui to help map out your auspicious area for placing things in your environment. Pronounced “Ba Gwa “ it serves as a map or grid of 8 areas that correlate to various aspects of your life in relation to your living environment. It is used to analyze the flow of Qi in your home and which way is the best for you maintain positive energy around you.
BaGua in translation is “Ba means 8” and “Gua means triagram”. The Ba Gua is an octagonal shaped map with 8 different sections. Each section traditionally in Chinese has an I Ching symbol relevant to that direction. Each area of the BaGua is called Gua and the I Ching symbol for the area is called a “Yao”. Each Yao is a diagram made up of Yin and Yang energy and how the relate to one another. Two short lines like hyphens are Yin or Feminine and one long line is Yang or masculine.
Here is a brief description of each one of the Eight Yao of the I Ching that correlate to the BaGua directions.
KUN-Kun is the area in the furthest upper right corner in the BaGua. Kun means Earth. It is represented by three female or yin lines . It signifies the extreme mother or female. Mothers are the source or origin of life. The direction for the Yao is southwest and the element for this is Earth.
JEN/ZHEN – is the Yao that is between Hsun and Ken in the BaGua. Zhen means Thunder. It is Represented by one Yang line and two upper Yin lines. It represents Health and Family. The direction for Zhen is East. Its element is Wood.
LI– If you were to look at the starting point 0 on the Lo Pan ( Chinese Compass) Li is the Southern direction. It is the upper most Center top Yao in the BaGua. This Yao represents Fame and Reputation. It is also referred to as the area of illumination in the BaGua. This is because our fame and reputations illuminate who we are. The element for this area is fire It is two Yang lines with a Yin line in the middle
DUI-Dui is the Yao in between Kun and Chien in the BaGua. This area represents Children and Creativity. The direction for Dui is West. Two bottom Yang lines and one upper Yin line is Dui. This area promotes joy, imagination and even romance. The element for Dui is Metal.
KEN/Gen– Is located in the farthest lower left corner of the BaGua. The word Gen means Mountain.
This area represents Knowledge, Cultivation Skills and Spirituality the direction for this Yao is North East and its element is earth. Is one upper Yang line followed by two lower Yin lines
KAN– The direction for Kan which means water is the direct opposite of Li which is North. This is the
Area in the Bagua for Career and its element is also water. Kan is one Yin line then one yang line then one yin line again. In Chinese spirituality it is the meeting of fire and water that is considered the orgasm in sex. First you peak and then decline.
HSUN/XUN– Xun means the wind. This is the area of the BaGua for wealth and prosperity. The direction is SouthWest and the element wood. Two Yang lines followed by a Yin line is Xun.
QIAN/CHIEN-This Gua or Area of the BaGua is where the transformation for Yin to Yang is complete. Its the strongest of all the types of Yang and is the complete opposite of Kun. It is located in the farthest lower right corner of the BaGua. It represents the alpha male, a king, father or emperor. The direction is NorthWest and it is the area for helpful people and travel. The element for this Yao is Metal.