Eight Mansions · Kua Number
Kua Number 1 坎
Kua 1 belongs to the East group and carries the Water element. Its trigram is 坎 (Kǎn, ☵), the image of water and the deep ravine. Your four lucky directions are Southeast, East, South and North.
- Trigram
- ☵ 坎 Kǎn
- Element
- Water
- Group
- East group
- Home direction
- North
- Family role
- Middle son
Your eight directions
Eight Mansions (八宅, Bā Zhái) divides the compass into eight sectors and ranks them for each Kua Number. The first four are favourable and the last four unfavourable.
| Direction | Star | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast | Sheng Qi 生氣 | Growth and success |
| East | Tian Yi 天醫 | Health |
| South | Yan Nian 延年 | Relationships |
| North | Fu Wei 伏位 | Stability and personal development |
| West | Huo Hai 禍害 | Mishaps and irritations |
| Northeast | Wu Gui 五鬼 | Conflict and gossip |
| Northwest | Liu Sha 六煞 | Setbacks |
| Southwest | Jue Ming 絕命 | Most unfavourable |
The 坎 trigram
Kan is two broken lines around a solid centre: strength hidden inside flowing water. It stands for depth, wisdom and the ability to keep moving through difficulty, the way a river finds its way around rocks.
Kua 1 people are often described as thoughtful, adaptable and good at reading situations. Water rewards patience, so plans made quietly and followed steadily tend to work best. In the traditional family of trigrams, 坎 is the middle son.
Kua 1 around the home
Desk and work
Sit so that you face Southeast, your Sheng Qi (growth) direction. If the room makes that awkward, face East or South instead. Keep a solid wall behind you where possible.
Bed and rest
Point the headboard, so your head lies toward East (Tian Yi, health) or South (Yan Nian, relationships). Avoid sleeping with your head toward Southwest, your Jue Ming direction.
Front door
A main door facing one of your good directions (Southeast, East, South or North) is ideal. You cannot move a door, so if yours faces West, Northeast, Northwest or Southwest, keep the entrance bright, uncluttered and welcoming, and use your good directions inside instead.
Kitchen and stove
Classical Eight Mansions places the stove in an unfavourable sector (West, Northeast, Northwest or Southwest) so that its fire "burns away" the bad luck, with the control knobs facing a good direction. Bathrooms and storerooms also belong in unfavourable sectors.
Choosing a home
East-group people traditionally feel most at home in east-group houses: those that sit (have their back) to the North, South, East or Southeast. Other East-group Kua Numbers are 3, 4, 9, so partners in the same group can share favourable directions easily.
Birth years for Kua 1
These use the Chinese solar year, which starts at Li Chun (about 4 February). If you were born before Li Chun, use the previous year.
| Men with Kua 1 | Women with Kua 1 |
|---|---|
| 1945, 1954, 1963, 1972, 1981, 1990, 1999, 2008, 2017 | 1941, 1950, 1959, 1968, 1977, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2013, 2022 |
Kua Numbers come from the Eight Mansions school. Other schools, such as Flying Stars, use different methods. Use your directions as a gentle guide, not a rule.