What Xuan Kong Feng Shui Is
A time-and-direction school within feng shui
Xuan Kong (Flying Stars) treats time and direction as a paired system. It uses the Luo Shu nine-number grid, bagua trigrams, and the 24 Mountains on the luopan to build a time-space chart for a site, then evaluates sector changes as stars move through cycles.
Measure direction precisely, build the nine-palace star chart, then judge sector strength and movement.
Core Elements in Xuan Kong
Core Focus: Uses luopan direction, 24 Mountains, bagua trigrams, Luo Shu numbers, yin-yang, and five elements to evaluate qi distribution across sectors.
Common Questions: Best for how orientation interacts with time, and how room sectors change in favorability over years.
Reading Style: Measure direction accurately, assign the 24 Mountains, then read the flying-star layout by sector. Forward and reverse flying sequences indicate different qi movement.
Timing & Context: San Yuan focuses on time and direction; Flying Stars is its most characteristic calculation. Stars rotate through cycles, producing forward and reverse movement patterns.
Practice Principles
Time gives the chart; direction gives the frame.
— Practice principle
— Xuan Kong treats time and orientation as the two anchors of interpretation.
Direction first, remedies second.
— Reading discipline
— Accurate measurement comes before any adjustment.
How Xuan Kong Is Applied
- Confirm the compass basis: Use a luopan reading to assign the 24 Mountains before calculating any star chart.
- Build the nine-palace star chart: Apply the Luo Shu sequence to generate the flying-star distribution across nine palaces.
- Judge strength and movement: Combine element and yin-yang attributes with the current cycle to decide which sectors are active or quiet.
- Track time-based shifts: Evaluate how sector favorability changes over time as the flying stars shift.
Nine-Palace Directions (south at top)
| Xun | Li | Kun |
| Zhen | Center | Dui |
| Gen | Kan | Qian |
In flying-star charts, the top cell represents south.
Luo Shu Numbers (Nine Palaces)
| 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 6 |
Nine Stars: Color, Element, Trigram
| Star | Color | Element | Trigram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 White | White | Water | Kan |
| 2 Black | Black | Earth | Kun |
| 3 Jade | Blue/Green | Wood | Zhen |
| 4 Green | Green | Wood | Xun |
| 5 Yellow | Yellow | Earth | Center |
| 6 White | White | Metal | Qian |
| 7 Red | Red | Metal | Dui |
| 8 White | White | Earth | Gen |
| 9 Purple | Purple | Fire | Li |
Stars 1-7 correspond to the Big Dipper; 8 and 9 sit to either side.
Forward Flying Sequence (Nine Palaces)
| 9 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | 6 | 2 |
Reverse flying uses the opposite direction.
Xian Tian Trigram Numbers
| SE Dui 2 | S Qian 1 | SW Xun 5 |
| E Li 3 | Center | W Kan 6 |
| NE Zhen 4 | N Kun 8 | NW Gen 7 |
Odd numbers are yang; even numbers are yin.
Hou Tian Trigram Numbers
| SE Xun 4 | S Li 9 | SW Kun 2 |
| E Zhen 3 | Center 5 | W Dui 7 |
| NE Gen 8 | N Kan 1 | NW Qian 6 |
Qian, Kun, Gen, Zhen (6, 1, 8, 3) are yang; Xun, Li, Kun, Dui (4, 9, 2, 7) are yin.
Nine-Star Quick Meanings
| Star | Keywords | Common hints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 White | scholarship, movement, water | study, reputation, travel |
| 2 Black | illness, earth | keep quiet, avoid major disturbance |
| 3 Jade | arguments, wood | conflict or disputes, soften tone |
| 4 Green | literary, wood | learning, romance, creative output |
| 5 Yellow | obstruction, earth | avoid movement, reduce disturbance |
| 6 White | authority, metal | career, power, elders |
| 7 Red | loss, metal | theft or injury risks, protect |
| 8 White | wealth, earth | stable gains, accumulation |
| 9 Purple | joy, fire | celebration, popularity, recognition |
Xuan Kong Common Questions
Q: Is Xuan Kong part of San Yuan?
A:
Yes. Xuan Kong is commonly treated as part of the San Yuan/compass lineage, where time and direction are the fundamental vectors.
Q: What is Flying Stars in this context?
A:
Flying Stars (Xuan Kong Fei Xing) is the most characteristic San Yuan calculation and uses Luo Shu numbers to map sector changes over time.
Q: What is the difference between forward and reverse flying?
A:
Forward flying follows the nine-palace sequence; reverse flying moves in the opposite direction to reflect different time or qi movements.
Q: What tools are essential?
A:
A luopan compass and the 24 Mountains framework are standard for assigning direction before charting.