Find your Kua number and lucky directions
| Kua | Group | Best Direction | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East | Southeast | Water |
| 2 | West | Northeast | Earth |
| 3 | East | South | Wood |
| 4 | East | North | Wood |
| 6 | West | West | Metal |
| 7 | West | Northwest | Metal |
| 8 | West | Southwest | Earth |
| 9 | East | East | Fire |
Feng Shui (literally "wind-water") is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging your living space to create balance and harmony with the natural world. Originating over 3,000 years ago, Feng Shui is based on the idea that the arrangement of space affects the flow of energy (Chi/Qi) and can influence health, wealth, and relationships.
Your Kua number is a personal Feng Shui number derived from your birth year and gender. It determines which directions are most auspicious for you. People fall into two groups: the East group (Kua 1, 3, 4, 9) and the West group (Kua 2, 6, 7, 8). Note: there is no Kua 5 - males with Kua 5 become 2, and females become 8.
Each Kua number has four favorable and four unfavorable directions:
| Feng shui (Wu Xing) | Associated with | Vastu (Pancha Bhoota) | Associated with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Growth, spring, east | Earth (Prithvi) | Stability, south-west |
| Fire | Energy, summer, south | Water (Jal) | Flow, north-east |
| Earth | Stability, centre | Fire (Agni) | Energy, south-east |
| Metal | Clarity, autumn, west | Air (Vayu) | Movement, north-west |
| Water | Flow, winter, north | Space (Akasha) | The centre, Brahmasthan |
| Area | Direction (classical) | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Zhen | East | Family, health |
| Xun | South-east | Wealth, abundance |
| Li | South | Fame, reputation |
| Kun | South-west | Relationships, marriage |
| Dui | West | Children, creativity |
| Qian | North-west | Helpful people, travel |
| Kan | North | Career, path in life |
| Gen | North-east | Knowledge, self-cultivation |
| Tai Chi | Centre | Health, the unifying centre |
| Direction | Traditional use |
|---|---|
| North-east (Ishanya) | Prayer room, water source — considered the most auspicious zone |
| East | Main entrance, living room, morning light |
| South-east (Agneya) | Kitchen — the fire zone |
| South | Bedroom, storage; avoid the main entrance |
| South-west (Nairutya) | Master bedroom, heavy structures |
| West | Dining, children’s bedroom, staircase |
| North-west (Vayavya) | Guest room, toilet, garage |
| North (Kubera) | Treasury, office, water storage |
| Centre (Brahmasthan) | Kept open and uncluttered |
Strip the metaphysics and both systems encode real observations about how buildings work in their respective climates. Orientation to the sun — Vastu’s preference for a north-east entrance and morning light in living areas is sound passive-solar design for the Indian latitudes. Cross-ventilation, which Vastu addresses through opposing openings, matters enormously in a hot-humid climate. Clear circulation and an uncluttered centre reduce daily friction. A clear sightline to the door from where you sit, feng shui’s "command position", is a genuine comfort effect and is well documented in environmental psychology as a preference for prospect and refuge. Not placing a bed under a beam or facing a mirror is about sleep quality, which is real.
What has no evidence is the causal claim: that a north-facing desk affects your career, or that a south-west kitchen affects health. Both systems are followed by hundreds of millions of people, are architecturally interesting, and shape a substantial part of the Indian property market. Describing them accurately means saying both things.
Feng shui’s kua or gua number is derived from birth year and gender and is used to assign favourable directions. It is calculated from the last two digits of the birth year, summed to one digit, then subtracted from 10 for males or added to 5 for females in the most common variant, with adjustments for those born before the Chinese New Year. Different schools use different variants, which is worth knowing if two calculators disagree — there is no single canonical formula.
Both are traditions of arranging built space, but Vastu Shastra is Indian and older, rooted in the Sthapatya Veda, while feng shui is Chinese. They use different element systems — five Pancha Bhoota against five Wu Xing — and assign directions differently, though both emphasise orientation, ventilation and an uncluttered centre.
Its causal claims have no empirical support. Several of its practical prescriptions do have real effects for ordinary reasons — good natural light, clear circulation, an uncluttered room, and sitting with a clear view of the door all measurably improve comfort. The tradition is culturally significant and internally coherent; that is a different claim from being predictive.
South-east, the Agneya or fire zone, with the cook facing east while cooking. The reasoning within the tradition is elemental; the practical effect in Indian latitudes is that a south-east kitchen gets morning rather than afternoon sun, which keeps it cooler when it is in use.
The centre of a building in Vastu Shastra, associated with Akasha or space, which is traditionally kept open and free of heavy structures, staircases and toilets. As design guidance it produces an open central circulation area, which works well in a courtyard-based plan.
A number derived from birth year and gender, used to assign personally favourable directions. Different schools calculate it differently and adjust for births before the Chinese New Year, so two calculators can legitimately disagree — there is no single canonical formula.
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