4. DETERMINE YOUR OWN FENG SHUI
Elements
In order to determine your feng shui, you now must refer to the reference chart provided below, and find out what your personal elements and directions are. The 1) year and 2) time of day you were born determine your two personal elements. Once you know these two elements, you can figure out whether their relationship is good, bad, or neutral (see cycles in Step 2).
Year of Birth ElementSign Jan 25, 1925 - Feb 12, 1926 Wood Ox Feb 13, 1926 - Feb 01, 1927 Fire Tiger Feb 02, 1927 - Jan 22, 1928 Fire Rabbit Jan 23, 1928 - Feb 09, 1929 Earth Dragon Feb 10, 1929 - Jan 29, 1930 Earth Snake Jan 30, 1930 - Feb 16, 1931 Metal Horse Feb 17, 1931 - Feb 05, 1932 Metal Sheep Feb 06, 1932 - Jan 25, 1933 Water Monkey Jan 26, 1933 - Feb 13, 1934 Water Rooster Feb 14, 1934 - Feb 03, 1935 Wood Dog Feb 04, 1935 - Jan 23, 1936 Wood Boar Jan 24, 1936 - Feb 10, 1937 Fire Rat Feb 11, 1937 - Jan 30, 1938 Fire Ox Jan 31, 1938 - Feb 18, 1939 Earth Tiger Feb 19, 1939 - Feb 07, 1940 Earth Rabbit Feb 08, 1940 - Jan 26, 1941 Metal Dragon Jan 27, 1941 - Feb 14, 1942 Metal Snake Feb 15, 1942 - Feb 04, 1943 Water Horse Feb 05, 1943 - Jan 24, 1944 Water Sheep Jan 25, 1944 - Feb 12, 1945 Wood Monkey Feb 13, 1945 - Feb 01, 1946 Wood Rooster Feb 02, 1946 - Fan 21, 1947 Fire Dog Jan 22, 1947 - Feb 09, 1948 Fire Boar Feb 10, 1948 - Jan 28, 1949 Earth Rat Jan 29, 1949 - Feb 16, 1950 Earth Ox Feb 17, 1950 - Feb 05, 1951 Metal Tiger Feb 06, 1951 - Jan 26, 1952 Metal Rabbit Jan 27, 1952 - Feb 13, 1953 Water Dragon Feb 14, 1953 - Feb 02, 1954 Water Snake Feb 03, 1954 - Jan 23, 1955 Wood Horse Jan 24, 1955 - Feb 11, 1956 Wood Sheep Feb 12, 1956 - Jan 30, 1957 Fire Monkey Jan 31, 1957 - Feb 17, 1958 Fire Rooster Feb 18, 1958 - Feb 07, 1959 Earth Dog Feb 08, 1959 - Jan 27, 1960 Earth Boar Jan 28, 1960 - Feb 14, 1961 Metal Rat Feb 15, 1961 - Feb 04, 1962 Metal Ox Feb 05, 1962 - Jan 24, 1963 Water Tiger Jan 25, 1963 - Feb 12, 1964 Water Rabbit Feb 13, 1964 - Feb 01, 1965 Wood Dragon Feb 02, 1965 - Jan 20, 1966 Wood Snake Jan 21, 1966 - Feb 08, 1967 Fire Horse Feb 09, 1967 - Jan 29, 1968 Fire Sheep Jan 30, 1968 - Feb 16, 1969 Earth Monkey Feb 17, 1969 - Feb 05, 1970 Earth Rooster Feb 06, 1970 - Jan 26, 1971 Metal Dog Jan 27, 1971 - Feb 14, 1972 Metal Boar Feb 15, 1972 - Feb 02, 1973 Water Rat Feb 03, 1973 - Jan 22, 1974 Water Ox Jan 23, 1974 - Feb 10, 1975 Wood Tiger Feb 11, 1975 - Jan 30, 1976 Wood Rabbit Jan 31, 1976 - Feb 17, 1977 Fire Dragon Feb 18, 1977 - Feb 06, 1978 Fire Snake Feb 07, 1978 - Jan 27, 1979 Earth Horse Jan 28, 1979 - Feb 15, 1980 Earth Sheep Feb 16, 1980 - Feb 04, 1981 Metal Monkey Feb 05, 1981 - Jan 24, 1982 Metal Rooster Jan 25, 1982 - Feb 12, 1983 Water Dog Feb 13, 1983 - Feb 01, 1984 Water Boar Feb 02, 1984 - Feb 19, 1985 Wood Rat Feb 20, 1985 - Feb 08, 1986 Wood Ox Feb 09, 1986 - Jan 28, 1987 Fire Tiger Jan 29, 1987 - Feb 16, 1988 Fire Rabbit Feb 17, 1988 - Feb 05, 1989 Earth Dragon Feb 06, 1989 - Jan 26, 1990 Earth Snake Jan 27, 1990 - Feb 14, 1991 Metal Horse Feb 15, 1991 - Feb 03, 1992 Metal Sheep Feb 04, 1992 - Jan 22, 1993 Water Monkey Jan 23, 1993 - Feb 09, 1994 Water Rooster Feb 10, 1994 - Jan 30, 1995 Wood Dog Jan 13, 1995 - Feb 18, 1996 Wood Boar Feb 19, 1996 - Feb 07, 1997 Fire Rat Feb 09, 1997 - Jan 27, 1998 Fire Ox Jan 28, 1998 - Feb 05, 1999 Earth Tiger Feb 06, 1999 - Jan 27, 2000 Earth Rabbit
In feng shui, the goal is to create harmony between your environment and yourself. Your personal elements should guide your interior design decisions. For example, if you were born in a metal year, you would want to have earthy elements in your home because earth creates metal in the productive cycle (that's good!). However, you would not want too many symbols of fire, since fire melts metal in the destructive cycle (that's bad!). For refreshers about the productive and destructive cycles, jump back up to step 2.
This all gets pretty complicated when there is more than one family member in the household. In this case, the main breadwinner of the home's elements should be used for all the common living spaces, but each person's room (e.g., bedroom) should be based on his/her own elements.
Trigrams
Each person and home has its own trigram (that is, house). Use the table below to determine your personal trigram. Your home's trigram is determined by the direction the back of your home faces. The best situation is when your personal and home's trigrams match (that the back of your home faces the way that the chart below says it should face). If you ain't that lucky, you should still be content living in a home that's part of the same group of East or West houses as your personal trigram. If even that doesn't match up, never fear; there are remedies such as plants, fountains and wind chimes that will counterbalance the fact that you are living in a less than optimal home for you.
Trigram - translationSymbol, keyword, aspirational keyword, element
Male
(year born) Female
(year born) Back of home faces Positive directions Negative directions EAST HOUSES Li - the clinging
Fire, magnificence, fame, fire 1919, 1928, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000 1913, 1922, 1931, 1940, 1949, 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994 S
Prime S
Health SE
Longevity N
Prosperity E
Disaster NE
Six Shar SW
5 Ghosts W K'an - the abysmal
Water, entrapment, career, water 1918, 1927, 1936, 1945, 1954, 1963, 1972, 1981, 1990, 1999 1914, 1923, 1932, 1941, 1950, 1959, 1968, 1977, 1986, 1995 N Prime N
Health E
Longevity S
Prosperity SE Death SW
Disaster W
Six Shar NW
5 Ghosts NE Chen - the arousing
Thunder, progress, family, wood 1916, 1925, 1934, 1943, 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997 1916, 1925, 1934, 1943, 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997 E Prime E
Health N
Longevity SE
Prosperity S Death W
Disaster SW
Six Shar NE
5 Ghosts NW Sun - the gentle
Wind, penetration, wealth, wood 1915, 1924, 1933, 1942, 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996 1917, 1926, 1935, 1944, 1953, 1962, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1998 SE Prime SE
Health S
Longevity E
Prosperity N Death NE
Disaster NW
Six Shar W
5 Ghosts SW WEST HOUSES Chien - the creative
Heaven, strength, mentors, sky 1913, 1922, 1931, 1940, 1949, 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994 1919, 1928, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000 NW Prime NW
Health NE
Longevity SW
Prosperity W Death S
Disaster SE
Six Shar N
5 Ghosts E K'un - the receptive
The earth, obedience, marriage, earth 1914, 1917, 1923, 1926, 1932, 1935, 1941, 1944, 1950, 1953, 1959, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1998 1915, 1924, 1933, 1942, 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996 SW Prime SW
Health W
Longevity NW
Prosperity NE Death N
Disaster E
Six Shar S
5 Ghosts SE Ken - keeping still
Mountain, pause, knowledge, earth 1911, 1920, 1929, 1938, 1947, 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992 1918, 1921, 1927, 1930, 1936, 1939, 1945, 1948, 1954, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1999 NE Prime NE
Health NW
Longevity W
Prosperity SW Death SE
Disaster S
Six Shar E
5 Ghosts N Tui - the joyful
Mouth, joy, children, lake 1912, 1921, 1930, 1939, 1948, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1993 1911, 1920, 1929, 1938, 1947, 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992 W Prime W
Health SW
Longevity NE
Prosperity NW Death E
Disaster N
Six Shar SE
5 Ghosts S
Each home is divided into 8 sections that correspond to pa-kua directions. Four directions are "good" or positive:
- Prime - the same direction the back of your house faces; a good side of the house for bedrooms and doors
- Health - this direction brings vitality and good heath; good for master bedroom, dining room, and doors
- Longevity - this direction brings peace, harmony and good health; good for bedrooms, for elderly folk, and the dining room
- Prosperity - this direction brings progress, promotion, wealth, and vitality; good for the front door, the kitchen door, an office, or desk
Four directions are "bad" or negative:
- Death - this direction is related to accidents, illness, and other misfortunes; good place for the toilet (but never the front door)
- Disaster - this direction brings arguments, legal problems, and anger; good place for the toilet, pantry, or storage area
- Six Shar - this direction is related to procrastination, loss, and scandals; good for the toilet or kitchen
- Five Ghosts - this direction is related to fire, theft, and financial problems; good for the toilet or storage area
Now with ALL of this information, what you do is turn your attention back to your floorplans (or dirty napkin), look at the Pa-Kua laying over the drawing, and find out what parts of your house are positive and what parts are negative. Then heed the advice above, and make sure that the positive areas are where you eat, work, and sleep, and that the negative areas are storage areas, pantries, and bathrooms.
