A trigram is code for energies which are within us and around us. The symbolism is deep and can be extracted to suit the context in which the trigram is being used. The Gen trigram is associated with the youngest son in the family structure or a young boy general. As an example of context, we lived in Period 8 from 2004-2024 and the 8 Period was associated with the Gen trigram. So this is an example of the trigram relating to time as opposed to direction. The symbolism includes the image of a still mountain.

The image from the Yi Jing is of a monk sitting on a hill and because the Gen trigram is also symbolic of a young boy and wealth, this last Period 8 distinguished itself as a time when the planet saw a lot of young men with wealth come into power. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg could be a poster boy for Period 8 Gen energy, as well as Elon Musk and others.

The Gen person’s best direction for attracting wealth is Southwest, according to the Ba Zhai School of Feng Shui. Southwest can be utilized by the Gen trigram person in a number of ways, such as sleeping position, work station position or entrances. The only way to know where this direction really lands in your floor plan is with the use of a compass. For Gen people, Northeast is their most meditative and relaxing direction. This means sitting in that location within a floor plan as well as facing that direction no matter where you are.

For the Gen trigram person the direction of northwest can help attract people into your life who can help you support your goals instead of going it alone. In Feng Shui we use magnetic North as our reference and not true North, where the difference around the world can range from a few degrees to more than a 25 degree span. This is why use of a compass is essential, as opposed to just estimating or referring to a map.

For a Gen trigram person, the direction of west is also a positive direction, which can garner more respect and trust from others. How does this work? Well, when you spend time in a particularly good direction, the energy rubs off on you. It is your environment and how it affects you personally. In the same way that one person will be invigorated by being at the beach and someone else might be drained from it.

The Gen trigram person is considered a West type person in this system, sometimes called the East-West School. Gen people can easily have problems with their bones, muscles, joints, hands and fingers.

This, like the other trigrams, repeats perpetually every nine years. Those born in 1947, 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992, etc. are the Gen trigram. The Feng Shui Solar calendar begins on February 4th or 5th, and not on January 1st so if you were born between January 1st and February 3rd you would consider yourself a year older in the Western Calendar.

It should also be noted that there are two camps in the classical Feng Shui world on the topic of personal trigrams. Most practitioners calculate a female trigram differently than a male born in the same year. However, a smaller, growing number of practitioners take their cue from history and know that this Ba Zhai school was tinkered with centuries ago for less than honorable reasons.

Some masters have denounced the Ba Zhai school as a false school and if nothing else, refuse to change the female trigram. The list I provided for the birth years of the Gen trigram person would only be considered for males for those who adhere to the Ba Zhai School. For others who go back to the original teachings or who practice Nine Star Ki in conjunction with Feng Shui, they have to relate to the trigram year as the same for both males and females.The Gen trigram can also be written as “Ken” instead.

Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions (R) Since 1992
From the Health and Personal Matters Blog Series