How to Calculate Your Feng Shui Kua Number

Explaining East and West Groups and Finding Your Own Number

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Updated on 12/06/22

What Is a Feng Shui Kua Number?

The feng shui kua number is used in the traditional and classical feng shui schools, while practitioners of other schools may use other systems like the Nine Star Ki, which is similar. Your kua number is sometimes referred to as the Eight Mansions, the Eight House system, or your personal trigram.

Feng shui practitioners use your feng shui kua number to evaluate you and your home. Your kua number can give information, direction, and insight regarding ideal directions for your bed, desk, house, and compatibility with other people, including a life partner. Find your feng shui birth element (fire, water, earth, metal, wood) and combine it with aspects from your kua number for a qi or energy boost in your home or office.

The fun part about calculating your feng shui kua number is that it’s pretty easy and accessible for anyone. Keep reading to learn how to find your personal trigram.

How to Calculate Your Feng Shui Kua Number

Before we start with the calculations, there are some things to watch out for. For example, the number "5" will never be a feng shui kua number. It represents "earth" and not a person.

The Chinese Calendar

The kua number system is based on the Chinese calendar, which has a different first day of the year than Western calendars. The year starts on or around February 4 (depending on the year), considered the first spring day on the Chinese calendar. (To make it a little more confusing, this is not the same day as Lunar New Year.)

This means that if you were born before February 3, you are the year prior. For example:

If you were born January 17, 1980, you would be considered accepted the year prior, so please use 1979 in your calculations.
If you were born on February 2, 1963, you would be considered accepted the year prior, so please use 1962 in your calculations.

It’s a bit tricky if you were born on February 3, 4, or 5. If this is the case, it’s helpful to consult a Chinese almanac for the exact transition time based on your birthdate and time for an accurate calculation.

Identifying Gender

This system is also calculated differently depending on the gender of the individual. Typically, and historically, you use the birth gender. However, we recommend you use the gender the person identifies with the most at the time of the calculation.

Calculating Your Kua Number

You can calculate your feng shui kua number by using your birth year and whether you identify as female or male. This requires a little math, so don’t be shy about pulling out your calculator.

Add Up All Four Digits of Your Birth Year

If you still have two digits, add those two digits together to reduce it to a one-digit number.
Don’t forget what we mentioned above for those born between January 1 and February 5

If You Identify as Female

Add 4 to that number.
If you have a two-digit sum, add those two digits together to reduce it to a one-digit number.
The final single-digit number is your feng shui kua number.
Note: If you get 5, your feng shui kua number is 8.

If You Identify as Male

Subtract that number from 11.
If you have a two-digit sum, add those two digits together to reduce it to a one-digit number.
The final single-digit number is your feng shui kua number.
Note: If you get 5, your feng shui kua number is 2.

Examples

If your birth year is 1989 and you identify as female:

Add all the digits of your year: 1 + 9 + 8 + 9 = 27
Reduce to a single digit: 2 + 7 = 9
For females, add 4 to that number: 9 + 4 = 13
Reduce to a single digit: 1 + 3 = 4
Your feng shui kua number is 4

If your birth year is 1972 and you identify as male:

Add all the digits of your year: 1 + 9 + 7 + 2 = 19
Reduce to a single digit: 1 + 9 = 10
Reduce to a single digit: 1 + 0 = 1
For males subtract that number from 11: 11 - 1 = 10
Reduce to a single digit: 1 + 0 = 1
Your feng shui kua number is 1

Directions for Kua Numbers in Feng Shui

There are two kua number groups: East and West. Each group has four auspicious (or beneficial) directions and four inauspicious (or disadvantageous) directions. The directions are also called sectors or aspirations. The East group are the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 9. The West group are 2, 6, 7, and 8. As noted above, five cannot be a kua number in this numerology system.

You use kua directions to locate your auspicious or beneficial areas or ways to orient yourself. Once you know your auspicious spots, spend time in those areas to reap the benefits.

For example, if your number is "2," your money or success spot in your house or home is in the Northeast. The same person's area for love and marriage is in the Northwest sector. Other attributes that correspond to a direction and a person's kua number are good health, spirituality, or personal growth. It would bode well for a person with kua "2" to also spend their time in the West for good health and Southwest for personal growth.