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The luo pan is a traditional Chinese compass that was used to determine the bagua of a residence. Feng shui masters and practitioners of a more advanced level are the ones who typically make use of them.
The magnetic
directions correspond in feng shui to the various areas of the feng shui bagua,
the five elements, yin and yang, and a great deal more.
• Kan, the water
element, represents the north;
• Gen, the yang
earth element, represents the northeast;
• Zhen, the yang
wood element, represents the east;
• Xun, the yin
wood element, represents the southeast;
• Li, the fire
element, represents the south;
• Kun, the yin
earth element, represents the southwest;
• Dui, the yin
metal element, represents the west;
• Qian, the yang
metal element, represents the northwest;
However, not all
practitioners apply these fundamental principles in the same manner, even
though they are shared by all feng shui schools. Therefore, it is
understandable if you are experiencing some level of confusion! Adjustments to
your feng shui that you make yourself should preferably be kept on the
straightforward side, but you can also work with a feng shui consultant who
will be able to provide advice based on their experience.
Compass
A device known
as a luo pan is the traditional instrument that is utilized in the practise of
feng shui for the purpose of determining the magnetic direction of a location,
such as your home. Normally it takes the form of a circular or square piece of
wood that is painted with red or yellow and accented with gold. Magnetic north
is indicated on the compass that is located in the center of the design, which
is surrounded by concentric circles. The rings revolve around the central
compass, and each one of them has information written in Chinese characters
inscribed on it. Within one of the rings are the names of all 24 cardinal
directions, which a skilled classical practitioner will be trained to use to
evaluate the Feng Shui of your home or business.
Luo pan
compasses are distinguished from Western compasses by their needles, which are
oriented in the opposite direction, pointing north. Notations on a compass
typically look like this (and it's the same for both the northern and southern
hemispheres—you take the reading based on the geographic magnetic field):
·
North is 0 degrees
·
East is 90 degrees
·
South is 180 degrees
·
West is 270 degrees
If you are not a
trained professional, you can take the readings for your feng shui home
directions with a regular compass designed for use in the outdoors, such as a
hiking compass, or even the compass app on your smartphone. (It's possible for
even professionals to use the app on their smartphone.) Just check that you have
a compass that is of good quality. If you are using your smartphone, check to
see that the app you are using has been properly calibrated. You can absolutely
buy a luo pan if you want to be fancy, but it's likely going to make things
more difficult for you than it solves!
How to Understand the Compass Reading
Here are the
steps you need to take in order to take a reading for the purposes of feng shui
once you are prepared to get started with the magnetic compass of your choice.
1. Place yourself
inside the home's main entrance with your back to the door and your feet
shoulder-width apart.
2. Place the
compass on its side so that it is parallel to the ground and pointing in the
direction of the front door.
3. Determine
which way you are facing and jot down the direction as well as the degrees
facing that direction.
4. Reposition
yourself further inside the house and conduct a few more readings. Make sure to
read it three times.
5. Examine the
results and determine the direction of the magnetic field and the angle it
makes with your doorway by averaging the readings.
6. When you are
taking your readings, it is important to check that there are no large metal or
magnetic objects in the immediate area.
After you have
determined your directions, you can make eight equal pie pieces by
superimposing them using an accurate floor plan. In a compass bagua layout,
each individual piece of the pie represents a sector that corresponds to a
different direction. When completed, the home's focal point will be the
intersection of all of the intersecting pie pieces.
Facing Direction vs. Sitting Direction
In most homes,
the door that leads into the living space is situated so that it faces the facing direction. This refers to the
official, formal, and very first entrance to the building. However, there are
times when it could be in a different location. Some examples of this would be
if the front door of your house was located on the back side of the building,
or if the street address of your home did not correspond with the location of
the door.
In most cases,
the back of the house faces the sitting direction, also known as the mountain
direction. It is always the magnetic opposite of the facing direction, and it
is typically where the backyard is located. Even if the placement of your home
is more complicated, you can still determine the directions your home faces and
superimpose the eight sectors using the method described above. After that, you
should consult with a feng shui expert to figure out which of the facing and
sitting directions you should investigate further.