Bagua

The Bagua is an eight-trigram grid from Chinese tradition that assigns eight areas of life to the eight cardinal directions—supplemented by a ninth center. In Feng Shui, it serves as a tool for orienting spaces to specific aspects of life, such as career, relationships, or prosperity. Depending on the school of thought, it is superimposed onto a floor plan in various ways.

What is the Bagua?

The word Bagua literally means “eight trigrams” and refers to one of the fundamental symbols of Chinese cosmology. In Feng Shui, the Bagua is used as a grid of nine sections—eight cardinal directions plus the center—with each section corresponding to a specific area of life:

Two Methods, One Choice

How the Bagua is applied to a floor plan is a matter of school. The classic compass method is based on the building’s actual cardinal directions—north on the grid corresponds to geographic north. This method is deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese school and is also used consistently at 7zen.

In addition, there is the Three-Door Method (BTB), which is widely used in Western Feng Shui: Here, the Bagua is always oriented with the front door as the starting point, regardless of the cardinal directions. This method deviates from the classical tradition and can lead to different assignments—especially when the front door does not face north.

Both approaches have their adherents; anyone who wishes to work with the Bagua should consciously choose one method and apply it consistently.

Do I need to apply the Bagua to the entire floor plan or to each room individually?

Generally, the Bagua is superimposed on the entire floor plan of the building—this provides the big picture. However, it is also possible to apply it to individual rooms in order to address specific issues there. In practice, it is recommended to start with the overall floor plan.

What happens if a Bagua sector is missing from the floor plan—for example, in an L-shaped house?

If an area is missing from the floor plan (so-called “missing corners”), some schools consider this an indication of a potential weakness in the corresponding area of life. There are various Feng Shui strategies for symbolically compensating for missing areas—for example, through mirrors, plants, or outdoor lighting.