Feng Shui's Eight Mansions school gives every person a Kua number from the birth year and gender, and with it a set of Kua number lucky directions. Interior designers in Mumbai and Delhi often use them when a client asks which way a desk or bed should face. This guide lists all four favourable and four unfavourable directions for each Kua, and how people commonly apply them at home.
The eight directions, in short
| Favourable | Traditional meaning | Unfavourable | Traditional meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheng Chi | Success and wealth | Huo Hai | Mishaps and irritations |
| Tien Yi | Health | Wu Gui | Quarrels (“five ghosts”) |
| Yan Nian | Love and relationships | Liu Sha | Setbacks (“six killings”) |
| Fu Wei | Personal growth and calm | Jue Ming | Total loss (the one most avoided) |
Kua number lucky directions: the full chart
| Kua | Group | Success | Health | Love | Growth | Avoid most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East | South-East | East | South | North | South-West |
| 2 | West | North-East | West | North-West | South-West | North |
| 3 | East | South | North | South-East | East | West |
| 4 | East | North | South | East | South-East | North-East |
| 6 | West | West | North-East | South-West | North-West | South |
| 7 | West | North-West | South-West | North-East | West | East |
| 8 | West | South-West | North-West | West | North-East | South-East |
| 9 | East | East | South-East | North | South | North-West |
There is no Kua 5: it becomes 2 for men and 8 for women. Notice the pattern: East-group numbers (1, 3, 4, 9) share North, South, East and South-East as good directions; West-group numbers (2, 6, 7, 8) share West, North-West, South-West and North-East.
What if husband and wife are in different groups?
It is common. Practitioners usually give the shared bedroom to the main earner's directions or look for a compromise, such as a bed position that suits one and a desk that suits the other. It isn't treated as a problem in itself.
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Using the directions at home
- Desk: sit facing the success (Sheng Chi) direction. Students can use the growth (Fu Wei) direction for calm study.
- Bed: point the head of the bed towards the health (Tien Yi) or love (Yan Nian) direction.
- Main door and stove: traditional texts also consider the direction a door faces and where a stove's fire-mouth points; these are usually judged by a consultant for the whole house.
- Avoid sitting or sleeping facing Jue Ming where there is a choice.
Use a phone compass standing away from metal and appliances, and take the reading twice. A few degrees rarely matter; the eight directions are 45° sectors.
Kua and Vastu
Many Indian families combine Feng Shui with Vastu Shastra. The two are different traditions with different rules (Vastu, for example, places the kitchen by zone rather than by the cook's Kua). Where they disagree, families usually follow the system they trust more for that room.
Feng Shui is a traditional practice for reflection and design choices, not a scientific prediction. Comfort, light, ventilation and safety come first in any room.
Frequently asked questions
What are the lucky directions for Kua number 1?
Success South-East, health East, love South, growth North; avoid South-West most.
What are East group and West group Kua numbers?
East group: 1, 3, 4, 9. West group: 2, 6, 7, 8. Each group shares four favourable directions.
Which direction should I face while working?
Your success (Sheng Chi) direction, where the room allows.
Which direction should my bed face?
Point the head of the bed towards your health or love direction.
Is there a Kua number 5?
No. It becomes 2 for men and 8 for women.
Keep reading
- Kua Number Calculator: the free tool this guide explains.
- All personal & fun calculators
- Love Marriage Yoga in Kundli: The 5th and 7th House Link
Sources: Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) Feng Shui direction tables.