An article by Kartar Diamond

In Master Lo’s 1996 book, Feng Shui & Destiny for Managers, his Appendix includes a 17-point list for essential steps in evaluating the feng shui of a house. While I agree with most of the list and its order, I thought it would be fun to comment on each of the points and elaborate where needed. His List is below in blue font with my comments in black.

  1. Determine the front and back of the building by inspecting its outlook and surroundings. It is true that you need to establish the correct orientation of a house or building first and then you calculate a correct flying star chart with which to also interpret the exteriors.  For example, let’s say there is a pool on the sitting side of the house, but you interpret that as the facing side. The influence of the pool will be seen as quite different. The interiors will also have a different  interpretation.
  2. Measure the front direction with the Lo Pan. The lo pan (also written luo pan) is the Chinese Feng Shui compass, the tool of the trade. You can measure the front direction or the back (sitting) direction, or both.  You just have to confirm that the front and back are parallel, which is the case most of the time.  However, if the front and back walls are not parallel, you must use the sitting side as your reference point for the correct flying star chart to use. This also has to be one of the first things you do, even before entering the premises.
  3. Find out the Age of the Building. Structures are built within distinct 20-year Construction Periods. This is important data needed to create a flying star chart. A sub-section of this point is to find out if a house has been moved from its original construction location or the timing and scope of any remodels and additions.
  4. Draw up the relevant Flying Star Chart. Although not common, there are some homes that have more than one flying star chart, if certain types of additions are made. The most relevant chart is based on year built and compass alignment. However, there are some schools of Feng Shui which factor in the Date of Occupancy or the current Period we are living in.
  5. Determine the prosperity of the building by comparing the physical surroundings with the chart. See if the mountain and water fit in well with the prosperous mountain stars and water stars. A house and its flying star chart can reveal its potential for supporting the occupants with prosperity or conversely to undermine their financial luck. The exterior physical surroundings may enhance or detract from the house type. References to “mountain” and “water” can be either literal or metaphorical.  For instance, a river is real water. A street and its traffic flow is considered “virtual” water. Outside features influence the interior features.
  6. Inspect the unit inside the building and sketch a floor plan. In Master Lo’s book and in his Appendix List, he goes back and forth between what you need to do with either a commercial or residential building. Whether it is an office space within a larger commercial building, or an apartment within a residential building, you do an on-site “inspection” that includes measuring and drawing a floor plan. Sometimes the occupant provides a to-scale floor plan and nowadays there are Floor Plan Apps to assist. It is also possible to do remote evaluations, thanks to the Internet.
  7. Apply the Flying Star Chart to the floor plan to see where the prosperous mountain stars and water stars of 7 and 8 affect the unit. Are the mountain stars placed on mountains (bedrooms)? Are the water stars placed in water (the living room, entrance, open spaces)? With the flying star chart calculations, you can grid out the directional zones with the accurate floor plan. The prosperous mountain and water stars depend on the Period we live in.  Lo wrote his book for Periods 7 and 8. The most current Period 9 is 2024 through 2043.  Whichever rooms have the current “wang” prosperous 9 star will benefit the most in Period 9.  The influence of a room also depends on the activity that takes place there. Mountain stars are more influential in sleeping rooms and Water stars are more active in “awake” rooms. This is just the first layer in evaluating a flying star chart as each directional zone could matter.
  8. Where are the bad stars 2 and 5? Are they in vital positions such as bedrooms and entrances or are they in unimportant places such as toilets and storerooms? You can perform an evaluation from more than one perspective. You could first search for the “bad” stars to see if their location matters. Or you could start with evaluating the important rooms and see which “stars” land in the most consequential areas, like a bedroom or home office. We all use short-cuts to describe certain terms or concepts, but there really are no “bad” stars.  We usually call them “untimely” when they are not in a good phase.  Since Period 9 started in 2024, the 2 star has been reborn and is now in a positive phase until 2084.  The 5 star, however, remains a bad boy until the next century! Wherever this 5 star lands in a house, it can trigger arguments, pain, accidents or delays.
  9. Are there any physical drawbacks in the flat, such as sharp edges, dark corners or long and straight passageways. This part of the evaluation relies on principles from Form School and Qi Flow. It has nothing to do with when the house was built or its compass alignment. This is an important layer to consider as violations in good Qi Flow can undermine health, relationships and financial matters.
  10. What are the external circumstances of the flat? Are the good mountain stars (of 7 and 8) supported by outside buildings? Are the water stars 7 and 8 supported by water or open spaces? While the internal space is important, so are the exteriors, which we often have even less control over. Good mountain stars support good health and relationships. Good water stars support financial luck and career opportunities. “Stars” are the word used to describe the numerical coding for the energy field in each directional sector of a floor plan. There are techniques for enhancing the “timely” stars, often with Five Element Theory. Additionally, a star that is next in line to reign supreme is also timely and worth paying attention to. In the current Period 9, we also take note of the 1 star, just as the 8 star was up-and-coming during Period 7.  During any U.S. presidency, people pay attention to the Vice President for similar reasons!  The good stars can be supported both internally and externally, space permitting.
  11. Are there any unique objects outside the window? (Physical shars). The word “shar” is the same as “sha.” Sha can be deemed anything which is negative, harmful, undermining, in a state of disrepair, etc.  By mentioning a window, Master Lo acknowledges that windows are more porous than walls. The Qi from the outside can enter the inside through doors and windows, even easier than through a solid wall.  Additionally, what we see with our eyes can have an impact, for good or for bad.  When a house is in a Locked Phase for example, one must be able to see water from numerous vantage points within the house.  This releases the stagnation of the Locked Phase.  If we see something negative outside, that alone can weaken us. And when we factor in the direction, it can have an even more predictable impact.  For example, a bad view to the west might affect our teeth or breasts.  A bad view to the east might affect our feet or liver.
  12. Can any arrangements be done? (From moving a bed to completely revising the interior design with changed partitions). Often, there are significant limitations to how much the lay-out can change. And yet, when there is a way to optimize the use of a space, a practitioner will suggest it. Changes can be made to improve Qi Flow, to occupy more timely stars, or to suit the personal best directions of the occupant.
  13. What are the current yearly and monthly influences at the front door and in the master bedroom? A flying star practitioner not only evaluates the permanent energy based on year built and compass alignment, but also changing cycles, such as annual or monthly stars. This helps pinpoint the more likely time frame for things to happen and it can provide further guidance. For example, it might not be an easy year to get pregnant, but the occupant may learn of certain monthly cycles that are more opportune than others for trying.
  14. Suggest objects to dissolve bad influences. “Objects” can serve a number of different purposes. For example, if a front door is aligned directly with a back door, then a partition screen or live plant, or an entry table can be an “object” which re-directs the Qi flow (of air currents.) Another type of object could be based in Five Element Theory. For example, if a room lacks the fire element, a large red décor item could be added. If the room needs metal, functional or decorative metal objects could be added. Objects which represent water, wood, fire, earth or metal can “dissolve” or reduce the power of a “bad” star.
  15. Measure the accurate dimensions of a flat. This step seems out of place, so far down the list. It is redundant to tip #6 with regards to creating a floor plan sketch. However, it can’t be emphasized enough that only with an accurate floor plan, will your placement of “objects” be useful.
  16. Miscellaneous—any special history or happenings? Advise color tones and special decorative objects. Often discussed at the beginning of a consultation, or even before the consultation, a practitioner will inquire about the occupants’ history with their living or workspace. Understanding what has happened in the past can be an indicator of what may transpire in the future, unless counter remedies are applied.  Discussing the past also helps to validate that the correct flying star chart has been selected. Colors can be related to the real Elements, such as blue color being a weak form of water or yellow being a weak representation of the earth element. Some practitioners stylize color in the interior decor as a way to harmonize the space with its function and/or with empowering colors for the individual based on birth data. Some decorative objects are also based on the occupants’ birth data, such as the Peach Blossom Romance Remedy.
  17. Draw up the floor plan in scale, confirm the directions and Flying Star influences and then make a full report. This is partially redundant to Steps #2 and #4. Providing a report is a nice professional touch, but not essential for the actual evaluation. However, for new practitioners, the written report (using a formatted template) can serve as a reminder, to make sure that important parts of the evaluation have not been overlooked.

Would I add anything else? Yes, I routinely include in my consultations anything specifically relevant to the client’s needs or concerns.  I also forewarn each client about the yearly Construction Sha directions, should they plan to do any remodeling or even just to be aware of what their neighbors might be doing, which could impact my client.

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Feng Shui Frequent Client Questions Blog Series