Feng Shui Bagua ↔ Directional Correspondences

2026-januaro-10

BY NICOLE LAU

Directions Are Not Arbitrary: Compass as Cosmic Map

Face north. You feel different than facing south. Stand in the east corner of a room. The energy is different than the west corner.

Why?

Because directions are not arbitrary. Each compass point corresponds to specific cosmic forces, elemental energies, and life qualities.

Chinese Feng Shui Bagua (八卦) maps eight directions to eight trigrams, elements, and life areas. Western directional magic maps four (or eight) directions to elements and powers.

These are the same system. Directions encode universal energy patterns.

Feng Shui Bagua: The Eight-Direction Map

Bagua (八卦, "Eight Trigrams") is the octagonal map dividing space into eight directional sectors, each with specific correspondences.

The Eight Directions:

1. North (北, Běi) - Kan (坎)

Element: Water (水)
Trigram: ☵ (one yang between two yin)
Life area: Career, life path
Quality: Flow, depth, wisdom
Color: Black, dark blue
Season: Winter

2. Northeast (東北, Dōngběi) - Gen (艮)

Element: Earth (土)
Trigram: ☶ (one yang above two yin)
Life area: Knowledge, self-cultivation
Quality: Stillness, mountain, contemplation
Color: Yellow, brown
Season: Late winter/early spring

3. East (東, Dōng) - Zhen (震)

Element: Wood (木)
Trigram: ☳ (one yang below two yin)
Life area: Family, health
Quality: Thunder, arousing, new beginnings
Color: Green
Season: Spring

4. Southeast (東南, Dōngnán) - Xun (巽)

Element: Wood (木)
Trigram: ☴ (one yin below two yang)
Life area: Wealth, abundance
Quality: Wind, gentle, penetrating
Color: Green, purple
Season: Late spring/early summer

5. South (南, Nán) - Li (離)

Element: Fire (火)
Trigram: ☲ (one yin between two yang)
Life area: Fame, recognition
Quality: Light, clarity, passion
Color: Red
Season: Summer

6. Southwest (西南, Xīnán) - Kun (坤)

Element: Earth (土)
Trigram: ☷ (three yin)
Life area: Relationships, partnership
Quality: Receptive, nurturing, earth
Color: Pink, yellow
Season: Late summer/early autumn

7. West (西, Xī) - Dui (兌)

Element: Metal (金)
Trigram: ☱ (one yin above two yang)
Life area: Children, creativity
Quality: Joyful, lake, completion
Color: White, silver
Season: Autumn

8. Northwest (西北, Xīběi) - Qian (乾)

Element: Metal (金)
Trigram: ☰ (three yang)
Life area: Helpful people, travel
Quality: Creative, heaven, leadership
Color: White, gray
Season: Late autumn/early winter

Plus Center:

Element: Earth (土)
Life area: Health, balance
Quality: Grounding, integration

Western Directional Correspondences: Four/Eight Directions

Western magical traditions (Wicca, ceremonial magic, indigenous practices) also map directions to elements and powers.

Four Cardinal Directions:

1. North

Element: Earth
Quality: Stability, grounding, material world
Season: Winter (or midnight)
Tool: Pentacle/disk
Color: Green, brown

2. East

Element: Air
Quality: Intellect, communication, new beginnings
Season: Spring (or dawn)
Tool: Sword/athame
Color: Yellow, white

3. South

Element: Fire
Quality: Passion, transformation, energy
Season: Summer (or noon)
Tool: Wand
Color: Red, orange

4. West

Element: Water
Quality: Emotion, intuition, flow
Season: Autumn (or dusk)
Tool: Chalice/cup
Color: Blue, silver

Eight Directions (Celtic/Hermetic):

Add four inter-cardinal directions (NE, SE, SW, NW)
Each combines qualities of adjacent cardinals
Creates octagonal sacred space (like Bagua!)

The Convergence: Mapping East to West

Direction	Feng Shui Bagua	Western Magic	Convergence
North	Water (career, flow)	Earth (stability) OR Water*	Grounding/depth energy
East	Wood (growth, family)	Air (new beginnings)	Rising, expansion, dawn
South	Fire (fame, passion)	Fire (transformation)	PERFECT MATCH
West	Metal (completion, joy)	Water (emotion, dusk)	Completion, reflection
Northeast	Earth (knowledge)	Earth+Air (wisdom)	Contemplation, learning
Southeast	Wood (wealth)	Air+Fire (growth+energy)	Expansion, abundance
Southwest	Earth (relationships)	Fire+Water (passion+emotion)	Connection, nurturing
Northwest	Metal (helpful people)	Water+Earth (support)	Structure, assistance

*Note: Some Western traditions place Water in North, Earth in West—this creates even closer match with Bagua!

Key Insight: South = Fire is universal. Both systems agree. Other directions have variations, but the underlying principle is identical: directions correspond to cosmic energies, not arbitrarily but based on solar/seasonal/magnetic patterns.

Why Directions Have Meaning: Cosmic Alignment

1. Solar Path

East: Sun rises = new beginnings, growth, yang rising
South: Sun at zenith (Northern Hemisphere) = maximum yang, fire, peak energy
West: Sun sets = completion, reflection, yin rising
North: Sun absent (midnight) = maximum yin, water/earth, rest

2. Seasonal Cycle

East/Spring: Growth, wood, expansion
South/Summer: Peak, fire, transformation
West/Autumn: Harvest, metal, contraction
North/Winter: Rest, water, storage

3. Magnetic Field

Earth's magnetic field runs North-South
Aligning with magnetic poles affects biofield
North = grounding, South = energizing (measurable effect)

4. Hemispheric Differences

Northern Hemisphere: South = sun, warmth (Fire)
Southern Hemisphere: North = sun, warmth
Systems developed in Northern Hemisphere, but principle adapts

The Φ Connection: Octagonal Harmony

Why eight directions?

Mathematical Optimum:

4 directions = too simple (misses nuance)
16 directions = too complex (overwhelming)
8 directions = Φ-sweet spot (enough detail, not too much)
8 is Fibonacci number

Octagon Geometry:

Octagon = 8 sides, 8 angles of 135°
135° ≈ Φ-related angle (golden angle ≈ 137.5°)
Octagon bridges square (4) and circle (∞)
Perfect for sacred space (many temples use octagonal design)

Bagua as Φ-Structure:

8 trigrams = 8 combinations of yin/yang in 3 lines
3 = Fibonacci, 8 = Fibonacci
Bagua naturally encodes Φ-proportions

Practical Application: Using Directional Energy

In Your Home:

South: Place red objects, candles, triangular shapes (activate fame/recognition)
North: Water features, black/blue colors, wavy shapes (enhance career/flow)
East: Plants, green colors, vertical forms (boost health/family)
West: Round objects, white/silver, metal items (support children/creativity)

In Ritual/Meditation: