Feng Shui Basics – Part III: How to do a Compass Reading in 3 Easy Steps

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso

I don’t know about you, but I am personally really bad with directions and navigation! Throw in the complexities of Feng Shui, plus having to understand where and how to use a compass and knowing what kind of compass should be used, can be quite confusing!

Please don’t make the same mistakes I made when I first started studying Feng Shui. I tried to “eyeball” and gauge directions and got it all wrong: I thought my bedroom was in the Northwest, so I applied the wrong feng shui cures and remedies! Big mistake!

Below are steps on how to do a Feng Shui Compass Reading in 3 Easy Steps:

1. Get a Good Compass

First and foremost, you must use a compass that measures directions accurately. If you are new to Feng Shui, you can start with an ordinary but reliable compass. If you are interested in something more advanced, consider purchasing a dedicated feng shui compass (also known as the luo pan).

Make sure that the compass splits into 360 degrees so you can assess the lucky and unlucky directions of your spaces or environment at a more granular level.

2. Determine What You Want to Measure

In general, there are two measurements for feng shui purposes: your main door and the center of your home.

• Main Door: Decide where to take the direction: it can be the primary door that is most frequently used by most members of your household; the primary and largest entry way when looking from outside of your property, or your overall home’s direction that has the most active chi flowing to it (regardless of whether the main door is located in another part of the property).

• Center of Your Home: When evaluating the overall feng shui of the inside your home and its layout, make sure that you are truly determining the measurements by locating the center of the home. This in accordance with classical and traditional feng shui school teachings that have been around for thousands of years. This will then allow you to map your house in accordance with feng shui tools such as the bagua.

3. Measure

For any measurement, be sure that you hold the compass so that it is leveled, to get a reliable measurement. Also make sure you are not wearing any metallic accessories that may impact the measurement. Take several measurements, as electrical and magnetic fields may impact the reading. Also, it would be a good idea to have a layout of your home and a notepad so you can record these measurements.

Specific tips for measuring:

• Main Door: Again, it’s best to take a few measurements. Take a few measurements of the main door from inside your home, while you are facing it. In addition, step away from the door, and take a few measurements while you are facing the inside of your home with the main door behind you. It’s a good idea to double and even triple check your measurements. If you want to take the direction of the overall home and where it is facing, then take a few measurements from outside where there is the most active chi or “energy”.

• Center of Your Home: It’s best to have a layout of the home handy to determine where the center is as it would be more accurate. Remember that the center of the home has to be measured with a compass from the center, not anywhere else, and do not just “eyeball” what looks to be the center of your home based on the bagua. Don’t make the same mistakes I made! Take a few measurements to confirm for accuracy.

Below is a quick reference for you to look at the measurements in degrees by compass direction. You can reference the bagua to activate your environment once you measure your spaces.

Now that you know how to use a compass, you can go wild with enhancing your environment! Measure away!

See also:
Feng Shui Basics – Part I: Learn the Bagua Energy Map to improve your life
Feng Shui Basics – Part II: 4 Easy Steps to Calculate Your Kua Number and Lucky Directions
Feng Shui Basics – Part III: How to do a Compass Reading in 3 Easy Steps