The Kun trigram is associated with the earth element and the direction of southwest. For those who are the Kun trigram based on their birth year, the direction of southwest would then be your “home base” direction and an area of the home or work space that would feel very cozy and comfortable.

A trigram is code for energy, which can be applied in many different formats in Chinese metaphysics and Kun can be also written as “K’un.” Chinese words have been transliterated in English using Wades-Giles or the Pin Yin format. As well, the word “trigram” is also called a “gua” or “kua.”

A trigram can relate to time, place, direction, colors, seasons, body areas and a family member. The symbolism is deep and can be extracted to suit the context in which the trigram is being used. The Kun trigram is associated with the mother in the family structure or an older woman in general. This does not mean that a man who is the Kun trigram is effeminate. But Kun men can be very sweet.

The image from the Yi Jing is of low, flat lands.The Kun person’s best direction for attracting wealth is the Northeast, according to the Ba Zhai School of Feng Shui. This is just about personal magnetism and it is not taking into consideration the area of the house or business which can attract wealth for anyone, regardless of their birth data.
A secondary wealth attracting location for the Kun trigram person is the direction of west. These directions being referred to have a 45 degree range and can be correctly identified using a compass.

Directions are always relative so from the center of your house you would be able to see the range of directions fanning around the center to locate any of the eight basic directions. That said, a compass could be disturbed if the reading is taken indoors, especially in a multi-storied metal infrastructure. This is why a professional consultant will take a compass reading outside and then super-impose the compass points over a floor plan sketch.

For a Kun trigram person, the direction of northwest is one which can harness good will and make a person appear more trustworthy and likable. This harmonious energy can be utilized within the home or for professional relations too.

Within the Ba Zhai School, also known as the Eight Mansion School, the Kun person is considered westerly, which means they favor the directions of Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and West. The East Group people favor the directions of South, North, East and Southeast. Beyond the scope of this article, there are mathematical and astronomical calculations which were used initially to derive these directional distinctions and groups.
Kun people can be prone to weakness in the areas of abdominal, digestion, elimination, spleen.

The trigrams repeat perpetually every nine years. Those born in 1944, 1953, 1962, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1998, etc. are the Kun trigram. The Feng Shui calendar begins on February 4th or 5th, and not on January 1st.

Within the classical Feng Shui community, some practitioners distinguish between male and female trigrams for each year of birth, while others rely on the pre-Ba Zhai School teachings which do not make a distinction between male and female in any given year. The Ba Zhai School was altered in the 8th century to allow for separate male and female trigrams, but the origins of Feng Shui have been documented more than a thousand years prior. Practitioners of Nine Star Ki also use the same year trigram for both males and females.

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