Perhaps the most important part of feng shui is taking an accurate compass reading for your home. Compass readings provide important information about your home's facing direction and the placement of each bagua sector. If you fail to take compass readings correctly, your entire feng shui analysis will be wrong.
Find Compass and Use Magnetic North
The first thing you'll need is a compass. While you can use a phone app compass, some aren't as accurate as a handheld compass.
- It's best to use a traditional map compass, hiking compass, or military compass for this reading.
- You will use the magnetic north for your reading, which is what the compass will determine.
Take Feng Shui Compass Readings Inside Front Door
The most common practice of taking a feng shui compass reading is to stand inside the open doorway looking out and take a reading from this position. This will give you the facing direction of your home.
- Remove any jewelry because it might interfere with the reading.
- Look about the area and make sure nothing is interfering with the compass, such as electronics or magnets.
One reading standing inside the door frame is sufficient, although expert Lillian Too says you can take three readings by moving a few feet back from the door (still inside house) and then a few more back for the third reading. However, since they are all taken from nearly the same position, you likely only need one unless you're concerned about interference.
Take Three Feng Shui Compass Readings Outside Your Home
Other practitioners stand outside a few feet in front of the door to avoid possible electronic equipment interference. The best way to ascertain that your compass reading is correct is to take a total of three readings. This will ensure no natural or manmade electro-magnetic or iron ore in the ground is interfering with your first reading.
First Reading
Stand a few feet outside the front door for the first reading.
- Hold the compass at waist level.
- Hold the compass level so the needle moves freely. The compass needle will always point to magnetic north.
- Move the dial so the arrow guide (outline of arrow) lines up with the compass needle (usually red or green tip).
- Using the compass degrees via the lines on the dial, determine what line is directly in front of you.
- This is the facing direction of your home. You'll use this direction to create a layout and bagua map overlay for your home.
- Write down the reading by degrees and note the direction.
Second Reading
Just as you did with the first reading, take the second reading outside your home.
- Move to the left end of the front of your home and stand in front of this end with your back to the house.
- Once more hold the compass steady and determine the degree of the direction.
- Write down this reading.
Third Reading
You will need to move to the right end of the front of your house.
- Stand with your back to this end of the house.
- Again, hold the compass level and take the reading from this position.
- Write it down.
Calculating Your Three Compass Readings
Now you have three compass readings, add them together and divide by three. The final result should be a close match to the original reading you took standing with your back to the front door. The three readings can vary slightly, but should be within one or two degrees of each other. If there is a big discrepancy in the readings, you've made a mistake and need to take the readings over.
Yang Energy and Main Door
Feng shui practitioners don't always go by a front door compass direction to determine the facing direction of a home or business. Instead, they focus on where the most activity (yang energy) is taking place on the streets surrounding your home, office, condo, or apartment. If you want to take this type of reading, you'll need to determine where the yang energy is generated.
- This might not be your front door or the main entrance into your condo/apartment. It could very well be the back or side entrance.
- The facing direction is found by assessing the street or streets running past your home, office or condo/apartment.
- This type of compass reading is determined by the most active street. It will have the most yang energy.
- Once you've determined the main door for your home/apartment/condo, you'll need to take your compass readings using the three-reading method.
Interpreting Your Compass Readings for Each Room
Knowing your house facing direction is vital in order to use the bagua or take advantage of your kua number and your best and worst directions. You must know which sector each room is located based on your compass direction.
How to Activate Luck Using Your Compass Readings
You can activate a specific kind of luck for a room or rooms in your home. By activating the lucky energy, you invite it into your home and your life. To accomplish this goal, utilize the bagua by taking compass readings in each room.
- Just as you took the reading outside your home, do the same for each room.
- Find the direction of the corner you wish to activate, such as career (north) or fame/recognition (south) and so on.
- Once you've taken the compass reading, you'll know which corner or sector in the room to activate with the appropriately assigned elements and symbols.
Accurate Compass Readings Ensure Feng Shui Success
Establishing an accurate compass reading for your home is vital to the success of your feng shui efforts and analysis. Be sure to use a compass that is working properly and always double-check your readings.
