“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”- Andy Warhol
How does one quickly improve his or her environment with Feng Shui? The most essential tool to have is a positive attitude, as it too impacts the energy or “chi” of your environment. When I was first introduced to Feng Shui, I admit was I was quite impatient – I wanted to find Feng Shui remedies to improve different aspects of my life quick and fast. What it really all came down to was understanding the basic principles and tools available and applying them with a positive mind.
One fundamental tool used to improve one’s environment is the Feng Shui energy map, also known as a Bagua or “Pa Kua”. The Bagua Energy Map can be used to evaluate the chi of any space, including your home, office, business, garden, etc.
The Bagua is octagon shaped. We use it to determine the positive or negative chi of an environment. It divides a space into nine different sections: the center plus the eight principle compass directions, which represents a life ambition. In addition, each direction has an element (which is a type of energy), color, shape, and numbers associated with it, which can be used to balance or boost the energy of a location. For example, the North direction is associated with the water element and is the area for the career ambition.
Based on the Compass School of Feng Shui, one would use a reliable compass and apply the bagua mapping to an entire space or room in a space to evaluate it. Once a space is “mapped” one can use that map as a guide to apply different Feng Shui remedies to improve the energy in his or her environment.
Since I found all the combinations of directions, elements, colors, shapes associated with a bagua difficult to remember, I created the summary “cheat sheet” below for quick reference when I evaluated my spaces. I think you will find it useful as well.
| Life Area/Aspiration | Direction | Element | Colors | Numbers | Shape |
| Career | North | Water | Black | 1 | Squiggly, Wavy |
| Helpful People & Travel | North West | Metal | White, Gray, Black | 6.7 | Round |
| Knowledge | North East | Earth | Black, Blue, Green | 2, 5, 8 | Square |
| Health & Family | East | Wood | Green | 3, 4 | Rectangle |
| Wealth | South East | Wood | Blue, Purple, Red | 3, 4 | Rectangle |
| Fame | South | Fire | Red | 9 | Triangle |
| Relationships | Southwest | Earth | Red, Pink, White | 2, 5, 8 | Square |
| Kids & Creativity | West | Metal | White | 6, 7 | Round |
| Well Being | Center | Earth | Yellow, Orange,Brown | 2, 5, 8 | Square |
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