Beloved, there is such immense value in discovering your Feng Shui element. Doing so can allow you to bring things into your environment that will equip you to thrive and enable you to position yourself in directions that will improve energy flow in your life. Below, you will find guidance on how to discover your Feng Shui element and trigram. This journey of self-discovery will serve you in creating a harmonious and peaceful life.
What is your Kua number and Pa Kua number?
Feng Shui elements are ways in which you align spiritually to the world around you. Part of these elements is knowing your essence colors. These are colors that feed your spirit and improve your overall energy. You should aim to integrate essence colors into your home.
For example, if you’re a number 9, then your element is fire. Wood is the element that feeds fire, so bringing in minor red colors in the form of natural sunlight, wood, or plants will help support you in your home. Red is used because it represents the fire element. Your essence colors help keep your energy aligned. They’re the best colors for items that touch your body, such as clothing, bedsheets, and even the color of your car. Also, bringing wood and green colors into your home represents wood that feeds the fire.
Calculating and Understanding Your Trigram
Please note, Your Personal Best Direction is your best location for prosperity and great fame, and it’s recommended to have your back facing this direction for productivity. When setting up your desk at home and the office, position yourself with your back to this direction. It is essential to set your back in these directions in your living room and dining room, and you will be constantly supported while sitting. If you want to improve sleep, put the headboard of your bed facing the best sleeping direction.
Calculating the Male Trigram
- Subtract 1 from the birth year if born between January 1st and February 5th.
- Add all the digits of your birth year until it reduces to a single number.
- Subtract this single number from 11. The result is your Trigram number.
- If the result is 5, the Kua becomes 2. (i.e., a man born on 1/23/1978 would use 1977 – see rule #1, 1+9+7+7=24, 2+4=6, 11-6=5, 5 becomes 2)
Calculating the Female Trigram
- Steps one and two are the same as above.
- Add 4 to this single number. The result is your Trigram number.
- If the result is 5, the Kua becomes 8. (i.e., a woman born on 1/23/1978 would use 1977, 1+9+7+7=24, 2+4=6, 6+4=10, 1+0=1)
Discovering Your Feng Shui Element
Your Number is 1, and Your Element is Water
You are flexible yet focused and determined. You’re empathetic, artistic, and given to deep thought but tend to worry too much and maybe overly sensitive.
- Essence Colors: Black, indigo, or dark blue
- Colors that feed you: Gold, silver, and grey
- The element that feeds you: Metal
- Water’s shape: Wavy and curvy patterns
- Water material: Metal fountains, aquariums, and pools
- Personal Best direction: Southeast
- The best location for sleeping: North
Your Number is 2, and your Element is Earth
You are a very strong caregiver and can be a great leader, but with Earthly intentions.
- Essence Colors: Terra-cotta, yellows, browns, and beiges
- Colors that feed you: Red and purple
- The element that feeds you: Fire
- Earth’s shape: Square, low objects associated with the feeling of stability
- Earth’s material: Large scale furnishings, sand, clay, ceramics, marble, granite, river rocks, crystals, adobe brick, and stucco.
- Personal Best direction: Northeast
- The best location for sleeping: West
Your Number is 3, and Element is Wood
You are usually even-tempered, but you can have sudden outbursts. You like to be moving and hate a job where you have to sit still for long. You are enthusiastic and can be loud at times.
- Essence Colors: Greens – but the color is not as effective as the element.
- Colors that feed you: Black and blue
- The element that feeds you: Water
- Wood’s shape: Rectangular, columns, patterns vertical or horizontal
- Wood material: Trees, plants, and fresh flowers
- Personal Best direction: South
- The best location for sleeping: East
Your Number is 4 and Your Element is Wood
You are insightful and often driven, but you can change your mind abruptly and frequently like the wind’s direction. You tend to be creative and artistic.
- Essence Colors: Greens – but the color is not as effective as the element.
- Colors that feed you: Black and blue
- The element that feeds you: Water
- Wood’s shape: Rectangular, columns, patterns vertical or horizontal
- Wood material: Trees, plants, and fresh flowers
- Personal Best direction: North
- The best location for sleeping: Southeast
*Don’t worry, we didn’t miss anything here. There isn’t a five trigram.
Your Number is 6 and Your Element is Metal
You are a natural-born leader and authority figure. However, you can be headstrong with powerful masculine energy.
- Essence Colors: White, gold, silver, copper, reflective colors, and pastels
- Colors that feed you: Earth tones, Browns, Yellows, Cream
- The element that feeds you: Earth
- Metal’s shape: Oval, arches, and round as when metal contracts
- Metal objects or material: Rod iron, steel, and copper any objects made of metal
- Metal’s texture: Smooth, as are the surfaces of metal when formed or heated
- Personal Best direction: West
- The best location for sleeping: Northwest
Your Number is 7 and Your Element is Metal
You are being artistic, creative, friendly, and talkative.
- Essence Colors: White, gold, silver, copper, reflective colors, and pastels
- Colors that feed you: Earth tones, Browns, Yellows, Cream
- The element that feeds you: Earth
- Metal’s shape: Oval, arches, and round as when metal contracts
- Metal objects or material: Rod iron, steel, and copper any objects made of metal
- Metal’s texture: Smooth, as are the surfaces of metal when formed or heated
- Personal Best direction: Northwest
- The best location for sleeping: Southwest
Your Number is 8 and Your Element is Earth
You are very stable; however, you can be stubborn. You are very youthful.
- Essence Colors: Terra-cotta, yellows, browns, and beiges
- Colors that feed you: Red and purple
- The element that feeds you: Fire
- Earth’s shape: Square, low objects associated with the feeling of stability
- Earth’s material: Large scale furnishings, sand, clay, ceramics, marble, granite, river rocks, crystals, adobe brick, and stucco
- Personal Best direction: Southwest
- The best location for sleeping: Northeast
Your Number is 9 and Your Element is Fire
You are incredibly active, sometimes to the point of being ill or burning yourself out. You are very passionate, however, and you can be hot-tempered.
- Essence Colors: Reddish like a flame, reds and purples, burgundy, cranberry
- Colors that feed you: Green
- The element that feeds you: Wood
- Fire’s shapes: Triangles, pyramids, and tall pointed shapes
- Fire material: Candle, the color red, full-spectrum lighting, candles, lamps, and night-light
- Personal Best direction: East
- The best location for sleeping: South
Before You Go
This exercise is a beautiful first step in aligning your home and personal life with the practice of Feng Shui. As you begin to dig deeper, you will come to a clearer understanding of what feeds your spirit and how you can create an incredibly rich and meaningful life. A home in harmony creates an alignment on a spiritual level.
Are you eager to learn more about Feng Shui in a supportive community? The Inner Circle of Feng Shui is an affordable membership where you will learn from others, lean on one another, and celebrate the small everyday changes on your Feng Shui journey. You can read all about the membership here. I hope to welcome you into The Inner Circle of Feng Shui soon, beloved!