Robert Sachs’ book, Nine Star Ki: Your Astrological Companion to Feng Shui, was first published in 2001.  Interest in Feng Shui in the Western world was well-established, but hardly any Westerners had heard of Nine Star Ki. This is still the case in 2024, outside of Chinese and Japanese esoteric circles.

The author’s credentials include expertise in other metaphysical disciplines; he was also a stress management consultant with a master’s degree in social work.  I mention this because each author brings their own perspective and emphasis to these esoteric art forms.  In the same way, an architect who practices Feng Shui will be different from a doctor who practices Feng Shui.  In fact, the history of Feng Shui masters includes people who worked in a wide variety of trades and professions.  Sachs even states in opening chapters that the principles of Nine Star Ki can be utilized by professionals in other fields, to enhance communication and productivity among staff, employees, clients, patients, vendors, etcetera.

Considering when the book was written, Sachs now appears almost prophetic, mentioning the pros and cons of the “global village,” and the prospect of a New World Order. Quoting Tibetan Buddhist teacher Namgyal Rinpoche from the 1970’s, “the more likely outcome would be the creation of massive institutionalization in which diversity would be valued less than homogenization, as has been envisaged in the works of George Orwell.” Yikes.  And here we are.

The author’s view of how we can benefit from Nine Star Ki comes from someone keenly tuned into human emotions and relationships.  This is where we can make a difference in our own lives and on a larger scale, predicting and impacting potential future events and trends. Ironic that now people go to A.I. to predict the future, but ancient systems are still so misunderstood and undervalued.

The following chapters move briskly into showing the reader how to determine your own set of “numbers,” referred to as Nine Ki Stars. This is like astrology in that each person is assigned a number based on year of birth and another number (star) for month of birth.  Prior to this, we get a little history on how Nine Star Ki developed and changed hands from a predominantly Chinese practice to include Japanese practitioners, with succeeding Japanese adherents taking it to another level, also known in Japan as Kyu Sei Ki Gaku.    “Ki” is pronounced like the English word “key” and it approximates the Chinese term “ch’i” and all of its profound symbolism and implications.

Although I am very fond of this book, it curiously repeats an error I have found in other Nine Star Ki and Feng Shui books, which is to note that the New Year begins on a Lunar calendar, when actually both practices use the Solar Calendar. He even mentions the “24 Seasons” in his Appendices, noting the division of the 12-month calendar into 24 parts, which is according to the Solar calendar.

Part 2, and the bulk of this book, covers the personality traits and related attributes for each of the 9 Stars, treated here almost like a zodiac sign. This is a fun part, where readers can look up their own Year star and see all the associations with it.  As a beginner’s book in Nine Star Ki, this is a foundational start in the same way that a serious student of Western Astrology would first dabble in the traits of each of the zodiac signs. For those familiar with Feng Shui Flying Stars and the Eight Trigram system, they will see some overlap in the definitions. However, it should be highlighted that Feng Shui and Nine Star Ki are not the same and have many distinctly unique applications.

With Feng Shui Flying Stars, they are subject to what we call “timeliness” or “untimeliness.”  Each star goes through phases where its influence may be deemed inherently or potentially positive or negative.  With Nine Star Ki stars, they do not filter through timely or untimely phases. The definitions and associations could be considered more “permanent” and expanded.

This is perhaps why Robert Sachs sub-titled this book, as a “Companion to Feng Shui,” because both disciplines can be used to enhance the other, but never merged as if they are the same.

With each of the nine stars, we find out the following: it’s trigram, color, element, internal organ and body associations, external physical traits, animal associations, family member and personality traits, management skills and occupations that the person with this star can gravitate towards. He also lists other strengths and weaknesses connected to the star, a healing tincture to use, what other star “signs” one is compatible with, as well as best and worst directions for travel.  Those travel directions do change from year to year, based on moving annual stars. Everyone likes to know more about themselves and others they care about, so this is an easy read and it can bring immediate insight about yourself and those around you.

Part of the descriptions for each of the Nine Ki stars includes how a person can relate to certain directional zones in their home. I both like and dislike this section and I’ll explain why.  I like that it is prescriptive and gives a person something to do with the information. Sachs also makes dietary recommendations and physical outlets which can improve a person’s health and mental state. With the subtitle of his book being “A Companion to Feng Shui,” we have to expect that he will tie in some feng shui notions and practices to Nine Star Ki. Making the most out of certain directional zones is a common Feng Shui practice and a major part of both the Ba Zhai School and the Xuan Kong Fei Xing Flying Star School.

However, don’t assume that Sachs is simply ascribing good and bad directions based on the Ba Zhai School, where people are determined to be Westerly or Easterly. In his descriptions, he relies on an interpretation of Five Element Theory which is more in line with Chinese Astrology.  For example, in the Ba Zhai (Eight Mansion) School, a 7 Metal person is “West Group” and would be deemed incompatible with the direction of North, an inherently “East Group” direction.  And yet, Metal nurtures Water, so his summation of what this location in the house has to offer is more therapeutic and a nod to the Mother-Child relationship.  We often feel good about nurturing another person. This is the case with all the Nine Ki Stars and all of the directional zones. You can nurture a child lovingly and you can also put a lot of energy into a project, resulting in success.  So, it is not just about one element “draining” or reducing the potency of another.

What I don’t like about this inclusion is that it can give the reader the impression that Nine Star Ki is more about literal directions than it really is.  And on top of that, his recommendations for directional zones is not just about what a person can extract from spending time in certain areas. He also dispenses advice on what element (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal) to place in these areas.  Similar to Raphael Simon’s book, he uses Five Element Theory to mitigate elemental clashes between the person and the place.   This is venturing into nebulous territory and quite obvious to anyone familiar with the Flying Star School of Feng Shui, where each directional zone hosts much more than the singular elemental energy associated with it.

That being said, Sachs’ take on how to interpret a person’s Natal Star in certain literal directions is worth reading and digesting. The impressions can also be applied to the non-literal directions, which relate more to time than to space.  It is a clear departure from The Eight Mansion School’s simplified notions of “good” and “bad” literal directions for the individual.  Nine Star Ki is much more elaborate, nuanced, and uplifting.

For example, in the Eight Mansion School of Feng Shui, a Gen (8 earth) person would not do well in the Xun (SE) location of their home. This harkens back to the strictest interpretation of Five Element Theory, where Wood (SE) destroys or depletes Earth.  However, what is generally recognized about the SE “House” (reflective of time as much as space), is that the SE House is related to high energy and getting things accomplished.  Anyone can absorb that “late spring” energy of the Southeast and benefit from it.  Where the nuance comes in, is that the 8 Earth Star person may feel some resistance or struggle with the opportunities for success during that time frame.

Likewise, if we have a 7 Metal star person in the Kan (1 Water Star) House, someone unfamiliar with Nine Star Ki may assume that the time frame of 1 Water could be draining to the 7 Metal star person. This may or may not happen and the person needs to objectively assess what circumstances they are dealing with. To give a specific example, in 2025, a 7 Metal Star person will be positioned in the North “House,” a non-literal house or direction.  We know that water is not just water.  A gentle stream can encourage and give birth to life, where a raging river or hurricane can literally cause destruction or the end of life.  Each person will extract yin or yang aspects from any of the stars relevant in their own chart.

Each direction presents opportunities for growth and in all levels of our being: physically, socially, intellectually, spiritually and monetarily. Sachs gives pointers in how to pay homage to any given literal direction, including micro-managing it. For instance, if one sleeps in the Northwest portion of their house, but they want to activate the South sector, they can do that small scale within the room.  While this is not recommended by all Nine Star practitioners, it seems mostly harmless on a small scale and there is nothing wrong with visual reminders, as affirmations for personal goals. In some books that I review, I can state that while I might not advocate for a certain practice myself, I also don’t mind recommending a book where I don’t see any harm in doing such practices.

Within Nine Star Ki, there are many road signs of how we can make the most of any situation by having advance warning, by understanding what a certain time frame has to offer, and by understanding the inner workings of people we interact with.  If you find that a 6 Metal star person in your life is a bit bossy, that is because their 6 Metal nature thrives on autonomy, leadership and responsibility; in other words: don’t take it personally.

In Part 3, Sachs shows the reader how you can understand varying aspects of compatibility with others and more insight when looking at the relationship between your own Year Star and Month star. The stars are yin or yang, feminine or masculine. When a person’s Year and Month star are both feminine or both masculine, this is not the ideal combination. In romantic relationships, we might have certain insecurities with the opposite sex, blind spots in communication and other dysfunctional patterns, which might otherwise be attributed to our upbringing.  There are no coincidences!

Another part of each person’s Natal identity is revealed, based on what “House” or position each  and every star is in for your own chart. This goes beyond your personal Year and Month Star. And that helps us understand what kind of assumptions or expectations we may have in others.  For example, in a 3 Wood Star person’s Natal Chart, the 6 star is located in the Northeast House. The Northeast House presents an image of a monk. When anyone’s star is in the Northeast, they may be dealing with life and death issues, philosophical ponderings, and a person can even do unexpected things that are a departure from their normal personality and make big life changes.

Incidentally, in the New Age version of Feng Shui, the Ba’ gua Map labels the Northeast House as “Knowledge.”   We can interpret that in many ways, including spiritual knowledge as much as academic learning. From education comes knowledge.

At this point in Sachs’ book, I had my own “aha” moment, reminded that the 6 Metal star is in the Northeast House for my own Natal Chart. This makes sense, as teachers (educators of knowledge) have been very significant in my life, shaping who I am, more so than family members or friends.  Whether it has been spiritual teachers, music or martial arts instructors, these are the people who I have held in high esteem, for not only teaching me important life lessons, but for also giving me practical skills and ways to express my creativity. If I limited my understanding of the 6 Metal and 3 Wood dynamic, it would be a serious mistake to just write it off as “Metal Destroying Wood,” with only oppressive connotations.

With my Nine Star Ki mentor Heluo Hill, whose expanded teachings are nowhere to be found in books, we get a very different interpretation of the stars when we take people completely out of the picture.  The 6 Metal (car) as “guest” star may drive into the “host” 3 Wood (tree).  In another relationship, the “guest” star 3 Wood (tree) may fall on the “host” 6 Metal (car).  This is one of the most remarkable aspects of Nine Star Ki: when we can recognize who is “the plaintiff” and who is “the defendant,” so to speak. As I mentioned, Sachs’ book is a beginner’s book.

In a related way, Sachs also mentions, as with other astrological and predictive arts, that you can create a Nine Star Ki chart for such things as a country’s inception, the start date of a business, the date signing of a contract or selection of a wedding date. The timing of these events helps us better understand both short term and long-term outcomes.  When I go back in time to the day I got married in 1986, I would not have chosen that date, had I known Nine Star Ki back then!

Sachs’ book ends with an Appendices that should not be passed over. There are helpful charts and deeper explanations, including justification for using the yearly Central Luo Shu Star for both males and females, responding to the popular Feng Shui practice where a distinction is made between males and females born in the same year.   Sachs accomplished much in this book and it is one of the few I keep accessible for reference. His insight as a professional counselor in various modalities, and his genuine interest in the well-being of those he worked with, is evident in his own eloquent and perceptive discoveries made within the Nine Star Ki system.

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Book Review Blog Series