Just what is the bagua map, exactly? And how can you draw it over your floor plan?
In the Taoist form of alchemy that we call feng shui, there is a mathematical and magical construct known as the bagua. In Western mystery traditions it’s known as a magic square (a square in which each row adds up to the same number) or, more specifically, as the square of Saturn. In fact, the bagua/square of Saturn is present in some form in the mathematical and spiritual traditions of countless cultures, both Western and Eastern. It looks like a tick-tack-toe board in which each square contains a number. If you take a moment to investigate, you’ll notice that each row on the board, whether horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, adds up to the number fifteen.
The square of Saturn and the numbers associated with each area of the bagua map or feng shui floor plan
In feng shui, each square in the bagua corresponds with a major life area.
Western magical traditions associate this particular magic square with the planet Saturn: the planet of earthiness and limitation. This is notable because the bagua, or square of Saturn, is an alchemical map that works within the appearance of limitation to help us find our way back to a connection with the infinite bliss that is our natural state.
To illustrate this, imagine sunlight streaming through a clear prism or wind blowing through chimes. The sunlight is sunlight, and the wind is wind. Still, by flowing through something that appears limited (the prism or chimes), the sunlight creates rainbows, just as the wind rings the chimes. Similarly, an infinite life force flows through our present finite “reality” (or existence and perceptions) to create the holographic interplay of stories that we call our life conditions. The bagua/square of Saturn is a symbol, or conceptual construct, of that mechanism. It gives us a framework and reference point for effecting positive change through working between the realms of finite and infinite, seen and unseen, form and spirit.
How to Draw Your Bagua
You can absolutely draw your very own bagua, or feng shui map. That way, you’ll know the location of each power center of your home.
Believe me: it’s really not as hard as it may sound! It just entails a tape measure (just to get it as close to scale as possible), a piece of graph paper, and a tiny bit of patient determination. And keep it simple: all you need to draw are the walls, doors, and perimeter of the space. (No need to worry about things like windows, toilets, or drawing the burners on the stove!) Again, there’s no need to go crazy: just get it as close to scale as possible so that you have a good working idea of the layout of your home.
Here are a few additional tips:
- Include any attached garages or attached covered patios. (If they’re not attached or covered, leave them out. The one exception would be if it were a raised patio that is contained by railings; if it is attached to the home, even if it is not covered, include it.)
- If you live in an apartment, just include the boundaries of your personal space. Include attached balconies or attached covered patios.
- If you rent a room or live with parents or roommates, just include the room that is uniquely yours. (If you want to do the whole house later at some point, go ahead, but start with the space you call your very own.)
Now that you’ve gotten that out of the way, you’re going to draw the square of Saturn (see above) over your floor plan. To do this, follow these simple steps:
1. If the outside border of your floor plan is not already a perfect square or rectangle, make it into one by extending the sides in order to complete any “missing areas.” (See dotted lines below.)
2. Draw an arrow at the front door/main entrance (as intended by the architect, even if you use another one more often) that’s pointing in toward the home.
3. If necessary, rotate the paper so that the arrow is pointing up.
4. Draw a tick-tack-toe board over the square/rectangle, dividing the floor plan into nine equal parts.
4. Write the essential names of the bagua areas on each area as below.
Here are common and alternate names, along with links to explanations for each area:
Gratitude and Prosperity: Wealth and Prosperity
Radiance and Reputation: Fame and Reputation
Love and Marriage: same
Health and Family: same
Synergy: Center
Creativity and Playfulness: Creativity and Children
Serenity and Self-Love: Knowledge and Self-Cultivation
Career and Life Path: Career
Synchronicity and Miracles: Helpful People and Travel
Please note: for additional floors, the floor plan extends straight up or down from the floor containing the front door. In other words, if it’s directly above (or below) the prosperity area, it’s also the prosperity area.
Please also note: if areas are “missing” from your floor plan (i.e. if they are outside of the house), don’t worry: this post has got you covered.
…And if you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments.
Hello! Thank you so much for all the information provided in this site. I am trying to apply Feng Shui into my apartment but I am struggling with what to use to cure two missing corners. I have a small missing corner in the travel area and a larger corner in the self love area. There is a long walking closet type here without a door (I will be adding a curtain here) I was thinking about adding mirrors inside the closet but it does not seem very practical for me. Is there anything that I can do to improve the energy inside the area? Thank you so much and many blessings.
Hi Claudia! Sure! See if this sparks any ideas: https://tesswhitehurst.com/diy-feng-shui-part-6-five-ways-to-remedy-missing-areas/
Hi Tess, thanks for the helpful info. I’m struggling with the placement of a bagua over my apartment. I’ve seen different instructions about placement on different sites. Do I place the bottom of the bagua with the wall that includes my front door? If so, then ⅓ of my apartment is outside the bagua. Your example drawing is a little similar to my apartment, except that my front door is further back into the family area. If I use your instructions, then I can include everything, which would be great. I’m confused about this because the areas will be very different with each approach. I’ll be very grateful for any suggestions!
Hi Mitch! Yes, as long as you drew the arrow as instructed and the arrow would be facing upwards. I also have this post for when you have “missing” areas: https://tesswhitehurst.com/diy-feng-shui-part-6-five-ways-to-remedy-missing-areas/
Hello, is the entrance to the house located in the northern part of the Feng Shui map or is it the southwestern part?
Hello! The way I orient the bagua, no matter what direction your door faces, you will draw an arrow pointing toward the door and then turn the map so the arrow is pointing up. Then draw the bagua over the top as described. This is true whether your door is facing east, west, north, or south.
Hi and thank you so much fort this <3 ! I´m a newbie and It has taken me some weeks to understand, to almost giving up understanding, and so on, but hey, I can´t give up now. Hahah. I do have a question on what to do or how to do it when some of the rooms in my home falls into several of the directions in tha bagua map. So, my bathroom is huge and it falls into north east, north, east and the center. How can I use this? And when half of my daughters room is west and half of the outside patio is west (kind of a missing corner), will it be enough to just do her room as a west or should I do something outside aswell? This gets me so confused…
Hi Camilla! The way I orient the bagua doesn’t have to do with directions, but actually with front door placement. Did you also try drawing your bagua as I have outlined in this post?
Hi Tess! Thank you for breaking this all down so easily – I’ve tried reading a few other ressources and always given up in the past. So far I’ve cleaned and cleansed my fridge, my bathroom, my bedroom – have a few more sneaky places to get to (office closet omg!!! my sewing room…OOOOmg!!!!!!!). But I felt I could continue on with your series. And found that my wealth and prosperity square is in my garage! Doesn’t seem very fortuitous. That said, I don’t really feel any swuares would like living in my garage lol. That space is actually my husbands – bike workshop, workbenches…
How do you feng shui a garage?
Maybe I’ll find that info in next few posts. Anyhow, thank you again! PS I found you through magic monday podcast which I loooove <3
Rebecca, I’m so glad you’re finding this series helpful! The garage isn’t a bad place for the wealth and prosperity section. I would just keep the clutter cleared as much as possible and I’d consider either painting it green or adding a big poster of something like the ocean with palm trees or a water fall or an orchard in fruit – something that feels like abundance to you. Or you could do both. I once had a client who had her garage in her love and marriage area and she painted it pink and it was very cute.