Take note that while the illustrations in this and all my feng shui books show the direction south at the top of any compass, this does not mean that south is on top when you are taking the directions of your home. You need the compass to find out where the south is in your home. You need the compass to point it out to you! It is the same with all the other directions and sub-directions.
9 – how to align a compass correctly
A key skill in feng shui is learning to align a compass correctly so that the direction indicated on the compass face shows a correct reading of the direction.
This is because the whole science of feng shui is predicated on the way direction energy moves and interacts within any given space.
It is useful to know that feng shui theory has much of its roots intertwined with the Taoist view of the Universe and of existence. Hence, the flow of chi energy is measured both within a microcosm as well as encompassing the entire macrocosm of space. It is up to us to delineate and define the space we are working with; we need to take the orientations of that space and also know the impact of the space that falls outside this boundary.
In feng shui language, this is referred to as the big tai chi – the bigger surrounding space – and the small tai chi, which can mean the space of the entire home, the space of the entire apartment building, or the space of the individual whole apartment. It can also mean the space of individual rooms. Understanding this concept of big and small tai chi opens up huge possibilities in applying and interpreting formulas. However, it also has implications when it comes to delineating compass sectors of rooms and homes.
What to do about varying readings
Localized accuracy is an important factor. This means learning to align the compass for the whole apartment or home, and then repeating it locally in each of the individual rooms for more accurate readings. It should not come as a surprise that every room would show some small variations in the readings of directions. In such cases, go with the localized reading, as this gives you the correct energy directions of the particular space being investigated.
When the difference in orientation and direction exceeds 15 degrees as you move from room to room, this could indicate some quite severe imbalance of the energy within a room or home. This is often a clue that the furniture arrangement and placement of decorative items is out of sync with the natural flow of energy there. It is then advisable to make some changes to the placement and arrangement of room furniture. One simple and effective method to get the balance right is to move the furniture around until the variation in readings falls below 5 degrees.
Use a ruler to make sure your compass is accurately aligned with a door or wall.
10 – determining the general direction of your home
When you start using your compass you may be faced with a dilemma about how you can best work out the correct orientation of your home.
Now that you know how to read the compass correctly and accurately, it is useful to clarify some of the points of confusion you will meet up with in the course of analyzing the personal feng shui of your own space, and also when you try to apply the Tips dealt with later in this book.
There can be quite a number of problem areas in feng shui; one of the more confusing issues facing the novice practitioner is how to determine the correct orientation of a home. Exactly which direction should we take if we are to determine the facing direction of a home? It is easy enough when a home is a perfect regular shape and the main door faces the same direction as the general orientation of the home itself – then there is no room for doubt whatsoever. But what if the door faces one direction, and the house is oriented to another direction? Which then is the direction to take for feng shui analysis and reference?
Finding a solution can be particularly troublesome, because different masters can recommend different approaches. So here are three important alternatives to consider when you are determining any orientations.
Of the three alternative orientations, I use my judgement on the basis of on-site investigation. All are feasible and have certain respectability. I personally know different masters who use all three different options based on their perception of the house being investigated, and all use this with some success. So my advice is to use your own judgement after duly considering each of the three options. Please also note that, in feng shui, homes that have a clearly defined main door have the best potential for enjoying continuous good fortune. Homes that lack this cause chi flow to be uncertain and unstable, thereby creating the cause of uncertain luck.
You can determine the general direction of your home by taking the direction of the main door facing a nearby road, or the door of the home that is most frequently used by the family. However, if you cannot decide which to use, walk around the house several times and feel exactly where maximum yang energy is coming from. Only then can you feel confident that the orientation you have taken is correct.
When you want to get the orientation of your home, start at the main door. Stand there and look out; the direction you are facing directly in front is the facing direction and this is generally regarded as the orientation of your home.
Three ways to take directions
1 Take the direction that is indicated by the main door, i.e. when you are standing at the largest entrance door looking out. Determine the direction that this door faces. This is one direction that can qualify as the main direction for you to use.
2 Take the direction that is indicated by the main road outside your house. This is the direction from which maximum yang energy comes into the home. So, if the house is oriented towards a road, take this as the facing orientation of the house, even if the main door itself actually faces another direction.
3 Take the direction of the door that is the most frequently used by the members of the family. This is because one definition of the main door is that which is most frequently used. As the main door is said to represent the “mouth” of the home, this is another correct orientation to take.
11 – finding the orientation of interior space
Another common problem faced by novice practitioners, especially those who have read different books on the subject, is how to determine the general orientation of the inside of the home.
When you are advised to activate a specific corner of your home confusion arises when the corner is indicated by its direction. For instance, if you are asked to activate the north in order to energize your career luck, this immediately begs a whole series of questions. How do you determine the north corner? Does this mean the north corner of the entire home? And, if so, what if the north corner is missing? and so on.
Taking these practical dilemmas one at a time, the first matter to be resolved is to learn to determine the orientations of the home so you can identify the eight compass “corners”