Luo Pan compass & I Ching

Many practices involving vital energy express the rhythm and characteristics of trigrams: Feng Shui's compass broadens the reach of hexagrams.

By Julia Pérez Bustamante, in Tres Mancias Consultancy

About Feng Shui

Traditional Chinese arts include I Ching fortune-telling, Astrology based on Jupiter's cycles, Medicine including meridians, Martial Arts, and Feng Shui. Feng Shui means wind and water, and has been initially practiced to set the location of cemeteries and spirits' resting places (Yin Zhai). Nowadays, it's used as a Yang Zhai art for choosing the best areas and shapes for alive beings to settle down.

The art offers the best ways to create balance by setting the distribution of doors and windows, choosing right materials for the construction, and placing furniture and related objects according to harmonic principles. The study provides an energetic reflection of the zones, keeping in mind both the structure and influences arriving at the area over time. For that purpose, different types of variables are considered: geographic coordinates, environment, outer and inner shapes, colors, natural forces, moments and influences from the astrological sky.

At the time of choosing an area for a building, it's better to find zones surrounded by quiet forms, cleared out at the front, and avoid sources of magnetic disturbances such as electric towers, bus stations, railways, beams, pipelines or high-tension wires. It's also recommended to stay away from negative energies such as garbage lamps, cemeteries, landfills and hospitals, as well as from crossed or no-way-out roads. Sharp objects or sharp-end shapes are not recommended either and, since circular or irregular forms make it hard to find balance, U-shaped forms are only accepted if included inside of wide dimensions. Water courses, winds directions and lights must be considered for each room.

The entrance is the area allowing the access of greater amount of yang energy. It's usually the brigther or more active zone, magnetically oriented to attract the vital energy. It should have a proper slope leading outdoors and then take the energy towards a wide inner space, so it can be easily distributed to other areas. The entrance is not necessarily the front door but the place where chi finds greater openness and lack of obstacles, for example the most important windows, or a balcony facing a wide or cleared out area. It's also the zone related to wealth and progress, whereas the most private rooms where the energy tends to flow and remain, are set to 180° from the entrance. The central zone is the heart of the construction, and should be cleared out either.

Luo Pan, the measuring tool

Feng Shui offers an energetic scheme based on numerous data to be analyzed and integrated. Those data are provided by the Luo Pan, the traditional Chinese magnetic compass whose needle, when aligned, points to the magnetic South (the entrance of the area). In Chine, the South is the Western North, and that's the perspective in the references included in this article.

Luo Pan from beginning of the XXth c., made of resine, embedded bones and black ink

Modern Luo Pan, including I Ching hexagrams (red-blue background circle)

The most outer ring of modern compasses includes 1° divisions, so by turning the tool 90° around, the other three cardinal orientations are located with great accuracy. Luo Pan also provides much more directions, indicating particular energies, since it assigns Fu Hsi's trigrams to the main 8 spatial orientations. Altogether, they form a diagram or Ba Gua made specifically for each place, in which every direction is related to a trigram and all of its characteristics: an annual season, specific activities, a predominant element and color, recommended foods, related inner organs, etc.

As a diagnostic tool, the diagrams display the energetic composition of rooms, such as they are at the time of measurement. The building, design and activities developed in the place may increase or not chi's circulation and balance, so people may find greater or lesser harmony while staying in those areas. The diagrams also allow to forecast tendencies and future states of those who live and the objects placed in there.

Elements and associations (trigrams, forms, colors, objects).

Heavenly Trigrams

Two rings of the Luo Pan compass hold within 8 trigrams each. They're distributed according to two ancient and basic Ba Guas: Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven. Earlier Heaven represents the way trigrams relate to each other in Heaven, and provide the astral influence poured into the sectors of the construction or the object of interest. Later Heaven represents the way trigrams relate to each other on Earth, such as nature grows, develops itself and finally decays throughout time.

Knowing the magnetic directions at the location and the zone from which chi ingresses into the place, Heaven and Earth trigrams are assigned to each sector: what are the effects of the interaction? Which characteristics predominate in each room? What paths does the energy take? It's also important the way those effects and circulations induce changes on alive beings and objects, of course also considering their own characteristics and the type of energy derived from the activities developed in the area.

Spatial orientations, Heavenly orderings and Fu Hsi's trigrams.

The trigrams mostly interact in a productive, reductive or destructive way. The art of Feng Shui combines all the energetic reflections coming from all rooms, which are the row material to design and plan reforms in order to bring balance to states and activities, in every room as well as in the entire place considered as a whole. Each location has a particular scheme for distributing chi, which is deduced by Luo Pan's measurements. And every scheme may be modified by taking away objects, changing the distribution of elements, etc.

Rooms distribution and Feng Shui's compass.

In the scheme, the inferior central area is the entrance but is not Feng Shui's entrance: the compass pointed to the top right area, and that's the magnetic orientation (Li Flame ☲ trigram, distribution according to Later Heaven). The flows coming from the area increase receptiveness, resting and quietness in the rooms on the right side (Kun Earth ☷ and Tui Lake ☱ trigrams). These two sectors, and especially the one at the bottom in the scheme, become great zones for food storage, taking care of needs and making use of resources for production.

The central sector increases circulation as it counts on opened spaces all across the area, both in SE and NW directions (Sun Wind ☴ near the entrance, and Chien Heaven ☰ at the front door). The front door might become a place of great activity, with people oftenly coming by and making contact. The entire zone is cleared out, and is the place from which chi enters the sector on the left, by going through a quite good path to create preserved and calm zones (Ken Mountain ☶).

The energy tends to be poured into the opposite area to the entrance. That's the area of two rooms where people may easily find a place to relax, rest and let themselves go (K'an Abyss ☵). But other two rooms are not the best places to decrease alert levels or restrain motion (Chen Thunder ☳). Besides, chi arrives at the place from two different paths: from resting flows (Ken Mountain) and from exciting and awakening flows (Chen thunder). The numerous windows make it easier to control light and air flows, so the top left sector becomes a great place to develop laboral activities, for example.

The entire area may be considered as composed by three well-defined sectors. There's even just a few connections between them, which can be easily accessed. This characteristic allows a better control of the internal circulation, intervening in not-desired effects in a more successfull way, and making it harder to find alternative paths to propagate eventual excesses or take the energy away from other zones in case of low levels. For example, there's just few chances that an unusual increment of the activity in the central area alters the sector on the left, since there's an only connection between them, and it slows the flow down, creating like a surrounding effect and keeping chi controlled (Ken Mountain). Entering the sector makes those characteristics appear, no matter later inner variances.

Balances and imbalances are part of Feng Shui's working art: it'll suggest an object, areas inside of each room, reforms, balancing foods and additional details to produce specific effects, regulate those already produced, and keep vitality at high levels, all according to the type of activities and people living in there. Time passing by will also add other influences to the previous ones, especially the astral forecasts provided by Chinese Astrology.

Space - Time Readings

Ba Zhai (Eight Mansions or East-West System) is a technique to include each area into one of two groups of trigrams considered to be fixated over time: the East group (water, wood and fire trigrams) and the West group (metal and earth trigrams). The technique may be complemented by Ming Gua to describe the energy of the people living in the area, according to birthdates. The calculations provide general forecasts although don't include changes throughout time.

Fei Xing (Chi Nine Stars or Flying Stars) is another technique assigning "fixated" trigrams to the entrance and the opposite area at 180°, but it also assigns "temporary" trigrams to the other six sectors, according to Chinese Astrology's calculations and classifications. Each room counts on two trigrams indicated by the two Heavenly schemes. And according to the way they interact with the temporary trigram arriving at the area during the period of interest, there'll be a greater or lesser positive/negative influence (during a specific period, a room might contain positive energy, whereas during other period, it may become a negative place). The technique provides forecasts only valid for the time period of interest (a specific year, month, day or hour).

Hexagrams & areas

A particular ring of Luo Pan compass includes I Ching 64 hexagrams. The circle is composed by 8 groups of 8 hexagrams each, sharing the same inferior trigram. When a sequence of 8 ends, another one begins whose inferior trigram is the next one according to Earlier Heaven ordering. As a whole, the compass indicates 8 astral hexagrams related to each sector of the place:

Trigrams distribution in Luo Pan compass, related I Ching hexagrams and arch degrees.

Luo Pan in detail

In the center of the compass, there's the classic magnetized needle that, once aligned to the inner marking, points to the magnetic South of the building. The compass is at the center of a plate, surrounded by several concentric rings with subdivisions (directions). At the same time, the plate is placed on another plate made of metal.

The amount of rings goes from 3 to 40, since there's different types of compasses to focus on studies of greater or lesser complexity. But, in general terms, the more arch divisions, the greater the accuracy to describe small objects in small areas, since the compass may even be used to study every object's chi. From the center towards the periphery, these are just some of the rings:

Details of circles in Luo Pan compass of Feng Shui.

1. Two rings indicate 8 orientations each; they include the 8 trigrams, sequenced according to the two ancient orderings (Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven); some compasses just include one of them, and each direction extends over 45 arch degrees.

2. A ring of 24 orientations called Mountains, of 15° each; there's 3 Mountains for each trigram, so each spatial direction includes three ranks, for example: NE belongs to Chen Thunder ☳ (EH) and Ken Mountain ☶ (LH), and extends over Chou (NE1), Ken (NE2) and Yin (NE3) Mountains; the 24 directions are part of Chinese Astrology, and provide much more accuracy by relating other factors to the ranks.

3. A ring of 64 orientations, each one of them corresponding to one of I Ching 64 hexagrams, and extended over 5° 37' 30"; there's 8 hexagrams for every trigram.

4. A ring of 384 orientations, each one of them corresponding to each line of the hexagrams (0° 16'), which allows calculations of great accuracy, especifically for specific months.

5. The most outer ring divides the arch into 360°.

More details about Chinese Astrology

There's three factors: the main characteristic of the year, the signs of the Zodiac, and four influences coming from Later Heaven.

Chinese Astrology considers the last number of the year for assigning a yin or yang characteristic to it. Years ending in 0 are Yang Metal, in 1 are Yin Metal, in 2 are Yang Water, in 3 are Yin Water, in 4 are Yang Wood, in 5 are Yin Wood, in 6 are Yang Fire, in 7 are Ying Fire, in 8 are Yang Earth, and in 9 are Yin Earth.

Each sign of the Zodiac belongs to a natural element. Monkey, Rooster and Dog are Metal; Pig, Rat and Ox are Water signs; Tiger, Rabbit and Dragon are Wood; Serpent, Horse and Goat are fire (Earth is at the center of the zodiacal circle, and Feng Shui considers it's the element of the central area of buildings). Each sign rules a year every 12 years, for example: 2022 was Yang Water Tiger year, 2023 was Yin Water Rabbit, 2034 will be Yang Wood Tiger, and 2035 Yin Wood Rabbit.

Yin-yang alternance, signs and trigrams are part of a sequence related to the 24 Mountains, for example: rank N1 is Yang Water, N2 is Rat, N3 is Yin Water, NE1 is Ox, NE2 is Ken ☶, NE3 is Yang Wood, E1 is Tiger, E2 is Yin Wood, E3 is Rabbit, SE1 is Sun ☴ ... The elements are sequenced as indicated by the productive cycle of the energy, and the signs follow the previously mentioned order.

Hexagrams of the Empty

One of the compasses displayed at the beginning of the article holds within 72 divisions, although only 60 of them are marked with inscriptions. They form 12 groups of 5 segments each, and each group belongs to a zodiacal Chinese sign. The ring displays 60-year cycles for each one of them, after which a specific sign-element combination is always repeated, for example: Metal Rat ruled the years 1900, 1960 and 2020, and will come back just in 2080.

Detail of the divisions in the Luo Pan compass of Feng Shui

Every marker indicates a year ruled by the sign, and the first inscription always corresponds to the characteristic element of it. The second inscription indicates the following year ruled by the same sign, after 12 years (one cycle of Jupiter), although expressing the following element inside of a productive cycle.

The image shows the detail of one of the intervals before a 60-years cycle begins. The indicated area represents the immediate previous interval to the Monkey's cycle (Metal), a sign of great active energy and dominating force (it begins under the influence of Tui Lake ☱, metal). During the cycle, it expresses an increasing restlessness, actioning and struggles (it ends under the influence of Li Flame ☲, fire).

In a productive cycle, the elements follows the ordering ... » Metal » Water » Wood » Fire » Earth » Metal » ... For example, the year of the Earth Rooster and the following, Metal Dog, are both assigned to the NE1 orientation, under the influence of Chen Thunder ☳ trigram (EH). The productive cycle of Dog (Metal) begins under that direction. In the following one, NE2, other three years of the cycle are marked (Water, Wood and Fire Dog). Next, in the NE3 direction, the last year of the cycle is marked, Earth Dog, which completes the expression of the 5 elements. Then, the ring includes an interval, which always announces the end of a cycle and the beginning of another one (in the example, the beginning of Water Pig).

The years of the signs may also be associated to hexagrams. But the association is not an exact match: in the ring of 72 divisions, each zodiacal sign extends over 5 arch degrees, whereas a hexagram extends over 5° 37' 30". Signs and hexagrams join their starts-endings every 3 ranks but, during the process, they don't match regularly (1 rank = 3 years of a same sign; 3 ranks = 8 hexagrams). 60-year cycles equal 5 cycles of Jupiter, whereas I Ching trigrams are referred to the Moon's cycles, as the heat of the Sun allows making products on Earth.

The ring's intervals represent not-corresponding cycles under the form of empty segments, which are the magical relation between the Sun (Jupiter) and Moon. Actually, both are related to each other on Earth and, actually the same, they don't share an equal time-space. Their phases are different although dependant: what is resting doesn't reach expression without heat, and heat is such only if cold. Thus, at the same time. But when the Sun and Moon relate to each other, they're out of time and space on Earth, a place where they're necessarily fractionated across dimensions. Luo Pan's art inserted an empty segment between cycles as a way to represent the physical paradox indicating a relation although it doesn't take place and it doesn't take time, which is what happens in the art of fortune-telling as well: something is unlocatable, timeless, not-coordinated. Considering the correlation of rings, some hexagrams describe those magical intervals. In those hexagrams, all is included and all happens;

60-years cycles in I Ching and hexagrams of the intervals between cycles.

60 years with I Ching

The lack of correspondence between the Moon's and Jupiter's cycles (or Sun) allows assigning several hexagrams to a same year. For example, the year 2024 was Wood Dragon and belongs to SO1 orientation, after an interval (Wood element begins the Dragon's productive cycle). Year and cycle start with a brief expression of Shih Ho 21 ䷔ Biting-through (active since the time out of time). Later, the sign clearly expresses Sui 17 ䷐ Following, an influence that will remain during 12 years until the Dragon comes back in 2036, with Yang Fire. Sui will be visible at the beginning of that year too, and later Wu Wang 25 ䷘ Without Embroiling will be mostly expressed, with the energy completely oriented towards the SO2 direction, which is the rank of greater intensity for Sun Wind ☴ (EH) and Kun Earth ☷ (LH) trigrams, under which the sign develops its entire cycle.

2024

Dragon's cycles are like stellar and mysterious winds. They introduce the WOOD DRAGON, that keeps a quite specific and constant tone to be discovered over time as the sign unfolds itself. Dragon remains loyal to its own purposes, even though its rationality may be out of the common understanding. The year 2024 was one of those years, SHIH HO 21 ䷔ BITING-THROUGH bringing quite defined goals, energic moves and accuracy, and SUI 17 ䷐ FOLLOWING pointing to equivalences and mutual reflections in Heaven and Earth. Dragon follows itself, and it'll be appreciated that its moves didn't start here or now.

2036

The cycle will continue by introducing the FIRE DRAGON, with SUI 17 ䷐ expressed until the middle of the year, either. Before, the own courses and intentions will remain as constants. Later, WU WANG 25 ䷘ WITHOUT EMBROILING will begin, a hexagram to acquire more energy after going through difficult times, with the sight focused on the future while processing hard situations. But the Dragon doesn't accept influences easily, and will manage skillfully to find alternative ways in front of dangers or harmful situations. Strong oppositions will surely make the sign channel the energy in a more productive way.

2048

The year of the EARTH DRAGON will bring strong winds. The sign never goes unnoticed when is in motion, and its breath never goes out. A year to literally go out and look for what is needed, resources and energy, no matter the cost. The sign knows all places on Earth, and will take what it needs wherever it is. But by the middle of the year, a big turn in the circumstances will announce MING 36 ䷣ THE DARKENING OF THE LIGHT, basically for not pushing the Dragon forwards and, if possible, remaining out of its sight and perception. Fires will be like magnetic attractions, awakening the attention and desires of the sign.

2060

The METAL DRAGON will be a complicated year to the Wood sign. Even though MING ䷣ will remain active during all the first semester, and the Dragon will pursue on searching, a counterpart to advancing moves and purposes will be met on the path, which may lead to give something away later, especially by the time of PI 22 ䷕ ADORNING. In general terms, the second half of the year will be for considering more than personal circumstances, establishing reciprocal relations, keeping beauty inside and outside, taking care within, looking for common wellness, preserving the others as well as oneself...

2072

The cycle of the sign will be ended by the WATER DRAGON, a quite important year regarding 2084, when a new cycle begins, after the Water Rabbit year ends. The awareness produced by PI ䷕ will extend over a good part of 2072, until CHI CHI 63 ䷾ AFTER COMPLETION finally comes in, the classic hexagram of the endings. A great dynamics for a sign leaving nothing undone, nothing unfinished. Whatever happened during the last 60 years will remain behind and be ended right away, in those conditions, leaving no rests on Earth nor Heaven. The Dragon will take with it the wealth found inside of the Earth, a fire that will nurture the next entrance, providing a new goal to become visible again, one more time, after news come from the Rabbit, in a further expression of its breath.