The Bagua Map

Feng Shui, the art of enhancing your environment to improve your life, has grown rapidly in popularity simply because it works. Feng shui literally means wind and water. The wind represents the unseen forces that guide our life, our thoughts, common sense and instinct, while the water represents the actions we take. If you want to create your ideal life, you also need some tools to create a better living environment and an understanding of how to manifest your heart’s desires. Since feng shui is a system of intentional design, every piece of furniture, artwork and accessory takes on meaning so that it is a constant visual reminder of the direction you want to go.

The three tools of feng shui are the principles of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the Bagua Map. Yin and Yang is a system of balancing the extremes in an environment that may include the correct placement of furniture, color selection, scale, and textures to create positive energy flow. The Five Elements are wood, fire, metal, water and earth. When rooms contain all Five Elements, we naturally feel more comfortable. Shapes, color, materials and objects can represent the Five Elements.

In contemporary feng shui, the Bagua Map is the treasure map of your home as well as the road map of your life. There are nine magic squares, based on the location of your front door. If you were to stand facing your home at the main entrance, the Bagua Map is laid out similar to a tic-tac board. The front three squares closest to the front door represent inspiration and motivation, the middle three squares (center of our home) concentrate on health, family and creativity, and the back of the home is there power squares for your personal power and creating lasting relationships. Each square has colors, shapes, and accessories that can be applied to the area to improve and empower the life aspect or situation it represents.

Here is a quick overview of the nine squares of the Bagua Map:

Wealth and Prosperity: The far left back corner of your home (in relation to your front door) is the power corner for attracting and keeping money. If you are living from paycheck to paycheck, this would be an important area to enhance. The life lesson is to be grateful for what you have, count your blessings daily, and pay if forward whenever you can with your time, talent and money. If you always give, you’ll always have.

Fame and Reputation: The middle back square of your home is how you are viewed by others, and how your friends, co-workers, and family support you. If you are having any issues of being recognized or honored for who you are, it is time to contemplate on what you want to be known for and how you can turn this situation around.

Love, Marriage and Relationships: The far right back corner holds the space to create loving relationships. Whether you are single or in a committed relationship, the goal is to interact with everyone you come in contact with an open and compassionate heart, attract and keep relationships that values mutual respect, loyalty, and trust. If you can’t find the right person, enhance this area to magnetically draw in the sweetness of divine love.

Health and Family: The middle far left square of your home deals with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, and how family or friends support you during challenging times. It requires us to strengthen our ability to set boundaries and forgive those who do not act in the way we wish they would.

Earth: The center middle square represents being grounded and living with present moment awareness. It’s conscious living every day. You are not tethered to the past, or obsessed with the future. You are aware of every blessing in your life and are grateful for all you have. The center earth square evolves effortlessly when all of the other eight Bagua squares or life situations are in harmony.

Creativity and Children: The far right middle square nurtures your creative side to explore what brings you joy. Just as small children find wonderment in everything to do, if your joy is depleted. Find a hobby, a part time job, or volunteer to show the childlike side of your personality.

Knowledge and Self-Cultivation: This part of your home affects how you gather and use wisdom effectively and open yourself up for greater spurts of wisdom through contemplation, meditation and rejuvenation. It is the far left front corner of your home.

Career: The front middle square is linked to your career path and life purpose. Whether you are looking for a job, have a job or are retired, being connected to your life path is how you will be able to find your dream job or live a purpose-driven life by tapping into your own unique talent and destiny. Work then becomes play.

Helpful People and Travel: The most spiritual area of your home is the front far right of your home. It’s being connected to the invisible helping hand that soulfully guides you through life. Mentors, special friends and family, and your spiritual beliefs are all ways to support you in challenging times. Asking for help is the way of feng shui.

The Bagua Map is a powerful tool to tackle life challenges and improve your wealth, health, relationships and happiness. By enhancing your home, you are consciously removing any emotional roadblocks that are keeping you from living the life you always have wanted, filled with joy, supportive and loving relationships, and prosperity.