8 House vs. Xuan Kong
Many people who are beginning to learn Feng Shui are sometimes confused with the many different forms of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is like peeling an onion. There are layers after layers of information and contexts. This is also why there are so many conflicting trains of thoughts out there. People need to learn step-by-step at a recognized learning facility such as the American Feng Shui Institute. Feng Shui learned step-by-step is not difficult. Feng Shui learned by oneself through books or by reading websites can be very confusing. Add to the fact that there are people who are making up things as they go, people teaching feng shui with a one-size-fits-all format, and others who themselves are confused makes it even more difficult for the earnest learner.
Let’s start by identifying the two key theories in Feng Shui. One is called 8 House or East/West theory of Feng Shui. The other is Xuan Kong or Flying Stars. We should begin with the East/West teachings. This is a theory of how the 8 directional areas of a home can enhance your well being or be areas of misfortune depending upon if your trigram is aligned with the house directions or not. There are 8 trigrams; Zhen, Xun, Li, Kan (the East Group) and Kun, Dui, Qian, and Gen (The West group). Based upon the sitting direction of the house, we can determine the house trigram. To learn the directions and attributes of the trigrams, please see this article. If the you belong to a trigram within the same grouping as the house, you will align well to the same groups trigram directions. You want to avoid those that are of the opposite group. If you do not align with the house, do not dispair, you can still utilize the favorable directions for your bed or work. Often a husband and wife will be of opposite groups. The number one question we get is what to do in this circumstance. The answer is easy - compromise. The one that aligns with the house, allows the other person to have their favorable bed direction.
Xuan Kong on the other hand goes into much more specific information. With Xuan Kong, you can map the specific qi of an area and then apply one of the five elements, if needed, to remedy the area. East/West looks at directions to use and avoid. Xuan Kong looks at the qi of the space and the remedies. Using Xuan Kong is more accurate than that of the East West teachings. But, you do not disregard the East/West teachings. You instead wrap them along with the Xuan Kong. So if you have a favorable area with Xuan Kong, you can use the East/West teachings to find the ideal direction and location within that space.
The other key aspect of Xuan Kong is the time. Just as in the yi jing all things undergo change, so too does Feng Shui within a building. The timing affects what goes on within the space and what the quality of the qi is for this 20 years, annually, monthly or even daily and hourly. Usually, we only need to map down to the annual level. But doing so gives you a powerful look at the things to avoid and which rooms to utilize for the year.
There are four key aspects to Feng Shui:
1. Environment
2. Building
3. People
4. Timing
Each of these aspects are very important, but timing is key. What happens within a space this year is different than what will occur next year. So given the same environment, building, and people, the timing affects the situation and continously goes through change. There is no fixed qi within a house. Saying that your prosperity area is always to the left of the door leaves out the most important aspect of Feng Shui. Timing. According to the yi jing, all things must undergo change. Some changes are gradual, some are dramatic. But change is the constant.
So in summary, we use both methods, but each have their own way of looking at a building. You can simply think of the East/West method as a way to rate the quality of the directions and help you determine the areas and directions you can use and those you should avoid. The Xuan Kong method maps the specific qi and allows you to remedy the qi and promote well-being and prosperity. One might seem more important than the other, but just as in the Tai Ji, yin and yang; you must have both.
