Bagua Map: How to Use the Feng Shui Eight Trigrams in Your Home
八卦
The Bagua divides your home into nine life areas. Learn how to overlay it on a floor plan and activate each zone with intention.
The Bagua (Ba Gua, 八卦) is one of the most recognizable tools in feng shui: an octagonal or square energy map that divides your home into nine life areas. Overlay it on your floor plan, and you can see which parts of your home govern wealth, relationships, career, and health. Then you can strengthen them intentionally.
The Nine Areas of the Bagua
| Gua | Direction | Life Area | Element | Color | Trigram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xun | Southeast | Wealth and Abundance | Wood | Purple, green, gold | ☴ |
| Li | South | Fame and Reputation | Fire | Red | ☲ |
| Kun | Southwest | Love and Relationships | Earth | Pink, red, white | ☷ |
| Zhen | East | Family and New Beginnings | Wood | Green | ☳ |
| Tai Ji | Center | Health and Overall Balance | Earth | Yellow, earth tones | — |
| Dui | West | Children and Creativity | Metal | White, pastels | ☱ |
| Gen | Northeast | Knowledge and Self-Cultivation | Earth | Blue, green, black | ☶ |
| Kan | North | Career and Life Path | Water | Black, dark blue | ☵ |
| Qian | Northwest | Helpful People and Travel | Metal | Grey, white, black | ☰ |
Two Ways to Overlay the Bagua
1. Compass School (Traditional)
Align the Bagua using actual compass directions. The North of your home always corresponds to the Career (Kan) gua, regardless of where your front door is.
- Requires a compass reading at your front door
- Stays consistent with Flying Stars and Eight Mansions
- Preferred by practitioners trained in classical feng shui
2. BTB School (Western / Black Sect)
Align the Bagua based on the front door, regardless of compass direction. The Career area always sits at the bottom or entrance wall.
- Easier for beginners
- Widely used in Western interior design contexts
If you are also working with Flying Stars or your Kua number, the Compass method keeps everything consistent. If you are doing a quick home refresh, the BTB method is still practical.
How to Apply the Bagua to Your Home
Step 1: Get a Floor Plan
Sketch or obtain a rough floor plan of your home.
Step 2: Find Your Compass Directions
Stand at the center of your home with a compass, or use your phone’s compass app.
Step 3: Divide Into Nine Zones
SE (Wealth) S (Fame) SW (Love)
E (Family) Center W (Children)
NE (Knowledge) N (Career) NW (Helpful People)Step 4: Assess Each Zone
Walk through each zone and observe whether the space feels bright, airy, and well organized, or cluttered, dark, and neglected.
Step 5: Activate Intentionally
| Area to Strengthen | Quick Activation Ideas |
|---|---|
| Wealth (SE) | Healthy plant, purple accents, flowing water feature |
| Fame (S) | Candles, red accents, awards or achievements displayed |
| Love (SW) | Pairs of objects, pink or red roses, rose quartz |
| Family (E) | Family photos, green plants, wooden objects |
| Career (N) | Black or dark blue accents, mirror, water feature |
| Knowledge (NE) | Books, crystals, blue-green tones, quiet study setup |
| Helpful People (NW) | Metal objects, grey tones, travel memorabilia |
| Children and Creativity (W) | White and pastel decor, art supplies |
Common Bagua Challenges
Missing Corners
If your home’s floor plan is L-shaped or has cutouts, some Bagua areas may fall outside your actual living space. These missing corners can weaken the corresponding life area.
Possible remedies:
- Place a mirror on the wall facing the missing area to energetically extend the space.
- Add the corresponding element and color in the rooms nearest to the missing corner.
- Use outdoor remedies such as a light, flagstone, or plant at the missing corner’s location.
Bathrooms and Kitchens in Power Zones
When your bathroom falls in the Wealth corner, or your kitchen sits in the Relationships zone, it can drain the area’s energy.
Possible remedies:
- Keep bathroom doors closed and toilet lids down.
- Add the zone’s element in a contained way, such as a crystal, plant, or color accent.
- Use mirrors on the outside of bathroom doors to deflect energy.
The Bagua as a Diagnostic Tool
The Bagua becomes most useful as an ongoing diagnostic lens. When something is not going well in a life area, check the corresponding zone:
- Struggling with finances? Walk your Southeast zone. Is it cluttered or filled with dead plants?
- Career stagnation? Visit your North sector. Is it dark, unused, or dominated by Fire or Earth elements?
- Relationship tension? Is your Southwest corner functioning as a storage room or bathroom?
If you want a deeper look at each zone in your home, the Wealth Finder can guide you through it.