Feng Shui Glossary
The nine Flying Stars and the Eight Mansions directions used in home feng shui.
⚡ The Ten Heavenly Stems — NPC Core
The Heavenly Stems represent your core self and elemental essence. Your Day Master (the stem of the Day Pillar) is the most important element in your BaZi chart, determining your personality, strengths and life themes.
Jia (甲)
Yang Wood — The Mighty Tree
Straight-growing, principled, resilient against storms. You lead, protect, provide — a natural canopy for others. Unbending integrity drives you, but rigidity risks snapping. Unlike Geng's sharp cuts, you expand upward through patient persistence.
Personality Core
You embody integrity, growth, and quiet authority. A strong moral compass compels you to lead, provide, and shelter those around you — the reliable canopy in any storm. You hate moral compromise and spot ethical shortcuts instantly, often taking responsibility others avoid. Your vision is long-term: steady expansion over quick wins. Yet inflexibility is your shadow — principled to a fault, you resist bending even when pragmatism calls for it. People lean on your strength, but some find your uprightness unyielding or judgmental.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life is a steady upward climb — deep roots demand solid foundations, while storms test your resilience. Growth comes gradually through persistence, not sprints; you're often thrust into leadership when crises demand a steady pillar. Challenges forge your trunk thicker, but true mastery lies in discerning when to stand firm versus sway — rigidity snaps trees, flexibility endures hurricanes. Without fertile soil (supporting relationships) or sunlight (creative outlets), you wither from frustration. Your destiny: expand ethically, providing shade for many while learning timely adaptation.
Gender Nuance
Jia Male: The pillar of society — provider, protector, moral anchor. Bears immense pressure to succeed for family/community, often suppressing vulnerability to maintain the canopy role. Excels as leader or patriarch; learns to lean on others without toppling. Jia Female: Natural matriarch — commanding respect through quiet strength. Takes leadership roles effortlessly, but clashes arise when partners feel overshadowed by her towering presence. Thrives with "sturdy soil" support that nurtures without competing; her challenge is balancing dominance with partnership.
Yi (乙)
Yin Wood — The Resilient Vine
Gracefully adaptive, wrapping around obstacles to reach sunlight. You persuade through charm, thrive in complexity, grow through others. Subtle intelligence conquers where force fails — but beware co-dependency and hidden agendas.
Personality Core
You are adaptable, persuasive, and endlessly resilient — like ivy gracefully encircling obstacles or bamboo bending in storms. Your subtle, artistic intelligence navigates social labyrinths with elegant diplomacy, reading people and situations intuitively. You influence without force, winning through charm and strategic positioning rather than direct confrontation. This gifts you connections others envy, but shadows lurk: indirectness can slide into manipulation, and your reliance on external "trellises" (people, alliances) risks losing your own roots. You're the quiet force that reshapes environments from within.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your path zigzags creatively — never straight, always finding sunlight through cracks. You excel where diplomacy, strategy, and social navigation reign, turning underestimation into advantage through clever adaptation. Stronger wills provide the structure you lean on; harsh challenges prune your tendencies toward excess into focused elegance. Core challenge: build inner strength (your own trunk) instead of perpetual entwining — vines without roots wither when supports vanish. Growth comes via entanglements that teach boundaries; your destiny manifests as the fragrant flower or useful herb that transforms any garden. True mastery: influence ethically while standing alone when needed.
Gender Nuance
Yi Male: The elegant strategist — diplomat, artist, connector who wins through intellect and charm, not brute force. Defies "macho" stereotypes, thriving in nuance over dominance; faces skepticism about "toughness" but proves power through results. Learns to balance reliance on networks with independent roots. Yi Female: Intuitive feminine strategist, effortlessly reading and shaping social/romantic currents. Her grace disarms while influence permeates; thrives weaving alliances but risks drama-entanglement. Destiny: the enchanting vine that beautifies without dominating — needs firm soil to channel her pervasive charm.
Bing (丙)
Yang Fire — The Blazing Sun
Charismatic, illuminating, all-encompassing warmth. You inspire multitudes, demand recognition, and elevate everything you touch. Volatility scorches — your challenge is sustainable radiance over consuming blaze.
Personality Core
You are charismatic, brilliant, and generously illuminating — entering any room like sunrise, drawing all eyes with natural magnetism. Your presence inspires, uplifts, and reveals truth; people bask in your warmth, seeking your vision and approval. Driven to shine and be seen, you give freely but expect recognition in return. Yet volatility shadows your light: arrogance can blind you, impatience ignites conflicts, and unchecked intensity risks scorching relationships or burning out. Unlike Yi's subtle charm, your power is overt, public, undeniable — the center that others orbit.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life swings dramatically — blinding peaks of success, fame, and influence alternate with sudden eclipses of obscurity or crisis. Jia Wood fuels your flame (support, opportunities), but excess makes you overwhelming; while cooling support (Water) tempers your heat into a steady, enduring glow. You attract public stages naturally, thriving where attention amplifies your radiance, yet dramatic falls teach regulation — sustainable warmth outlasts explosive blazes. Core lesson: master fuel management, learning when to blaze fully versus smolder wisely. Without purpose (Wood) or cooling (Water), frustration dims your light; your destiny manifests as the sun that warms without withering, inspiring generations through balanced brilliance.
Gender Nuance
Bing Male: The natural showman — pioneering leader, temperamental visionary, or magnetic performer who commands stages and boardrooms. His brilliance dazzles but ego demands constant admiration; challenge lies in tempering impulses with empathy, considering others before unleashing solar intensity. Bing Female: Radiant solar queen whose powerful presence anchors social constellations. Magnetic yet intimidating, she draws orbits but risks solitude without partners who bask comfortably in her light. Balances public dazzle with private peace; her glow nurtures when channelled, consumes when uncontrolled.
Ding (丁)
Yin Fire — The Focused Lamp
Penetrating insight, enduring glow in darkness. You illuminate details others miss, strategize precisely, guide through crises. Flickering anxiety shadows your clarity — your challenge is steady flame over wavering light.
Personality Core
You are sharp, perceptive, and purposefully illuminating — a focused beam that penetrates darkness where others stumble. Detail-oriented intuition reveals hidden patterns; you diagnose problems instantly, strategize with surgical precision, and guide others through crises with steady wisdom. Yet anxiety flickers beneath: overthinking, self-doubt, and hypersensitivity to criticism can dim your brilliance. Unlike Bing's blazing public presence, your light is intimate, precise, invaluable — but exhausting when you carry responsibility alone.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life unfolds as a quest for meaningful truth and stability. Ding finds purpose in serving, analyzing, perfecting — small victories compound into mastery. External chaos stresses you deeply; you need order, clear direction, and emotional safety to glow steadily. Harsh judgment (from self or others) extinguishes your flame; kindness and purpose reignite it. True strength: using your penetrating insight to heal and guide without burning yourself out.
Gender Nuance
Ding Male: The thoughtful analyst or healer — meticulous, empathetic, perceptive leader who sees beneath surfaces. His sensitivity is strength, not weakness; yet struggle arises when he doubts his own vision or absorbs others' emotional chaos. Learns to trust his instincts and set boundaries. Ding Female: Intuitively brilliant — penetrates social and emotional labyrinths effortlessly, often serving as confidant or guide. Her focused light attracts trust, but perfectionism and worry shadow her. Thrives when paired with support that honors her depth; her challenge is balancing service with self-preservation.
Wu (戊)
Yang Earth — The Grounded Mountain
Stable, nurturing, and grounded — the mountain that shelters all ecosystems on its slopes. Pragmatic wisdom drives you to build lasting foundations. You create safety and comfort wherever you settle. Yet rigidity risks stagnation; over-attachment to the familiar can block growth.
Personality Core
You are stable, nurturing, and grounded — the mountain that shelters all ecosystems on its slopes. Pragmatic wisdom drives you to build lasting foundations: strong bodies, secure homes, reliable systems. People trust your steadiness; you create safety and comfort wherever you settle. Yet rigidity risks stagnation; over-attachment to the familiar can block growth. Your strength lies in patient accumulation, not quick wins. You're the backbone that holds families and organizations together.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life is a steady accumulation — slow, methodical, creating tangible security and wealth. Each brick placed strengthens foundations; you excel in management, agriculture, real estate, anything requiring patience and practical skill. Crisis tests your stability; relationships sustain you. Without growth and diversity, stagnation suffocates; with proper nurturing (from others and activities), you flourish into a generous provider.
Gender Nuance
Wu Male: The reliable patriarch — provider, builder, protector focused on security and legacy. His stability grounds families through chaos; yet rigidity and resistance to change can frustrate dynamic partners. Learns to balance steadiness with adaptation. Wu Female: Nurturing matriarch — creates comfort and security effortlessly, naturally organizing and caring for family/community. Her grounded presence is deeply healing; yet possessiveness or control can undermine partnerships. Thrives when appreciated for her foundational role.
Ji (己)
Yin Earth — The Fertile Valley
Intuitive, accommodating, and deeply nurturing — like a fertile valley that receives and transforms. You sense unspoken needs and respond with gentle care. Yet you can lose yourself serving others, becoming scattered or codependent.
Personality Core
You are intuitive, accommodating, and deeply nurturing — like a fertile valley that receives and transforms. Yin earth flows naturally with environments and people, absorbing, processing, adapting. Your empathy is extraordinary; you sense unspoken needs and respond with gentle care. This makes you beloved, but shadows lurk: you can lose yourself serving others, becoming scattered or codependent. Unlike Wu's mountain strength, your power is receptive — flexible, healing, but sometimes directionless without solid ground.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your path spirals inward — self-discovery through relationships, understanding yourself by reflecting others' needs. Serve, but build your own foundation; learn deep boundaries to prevent emotional drain. Harsh environments warp your gentle nature; kindness and partnership restore balance. Your destiny: the grounded empath who nurtures without dissolving, creates beauty from chaos, and anchors others through presence.
Gender Nuance
Ji Male: The sensitive provider — empathetic, perceptive, naturally attuned to family/community needs. Defies masculine stereotypes through emotional intelligence; faces skepticism but proves strength through nuance. Learns to claim his power without losing his compassion. Ji Female: The natural caregiver — intuitive, healing, and deeply relational. Her receptive nature creates safe spaces; thrives nurturing others but risks self-erasure. Challenge: balancing service with self-worth; her healing flows freely when she's cherished for existing, not just for what she gives.
Geng (庚)
Yang Metal — The Sharp Sword
Decisive, cutting, and unflinching — the sharp blade that separates truth from illusion. Direct action is your signature; you execute with precision. Strong boundaries and clarity of purpose define you. Yet harshness can wound: insensitivity and over-directness leave scars.
Personality Core
You are decisive, cutting, and unflinching — the sharp blade that separates truth from illusion, rot from vital. Direct action is your signature; you see clearly what needs to change and execute with precision. Strong boundaries and clarity of purpose define you; you don't mince words or tolerate nonsense. This gifts you authority and respect, but harshness can wound: insensitivity, impatience, and over-directness leave scars. Unlike Jia's protective growth, your power is transformative — breaking old patterns to create space for renewal.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life is punctuated by clear breaks — old chapters cut away to make room for new growth. You thrive in roles requiring tough decisions, discipline, and restructuring. Relationships need softness to balance your edge; without tempered wisdom, cutting becomes cruelty. True mastery: wield your clarity with compassion, knowing when to cut and when to preserve.
Gender Nuance
Geng Male: The no-nonsense leader — direct, principled, commanding authority through clarity and unwavering standards. His decisiveness is admired; yet emotional distance and harsh judgment can isolate him. Learns to balance firmness with empathy. Geng Female: Powerfully autonomous — refuses softening or diminishment, commanding respect through uncompromising standards. Her clarity is magnetic; yet partners may feel wounded by her directness. Thrives when paired with those who value her strength; challenge is channeling her edge into leadership rather than mere cutting.
Xin (辛)
Yin Metal — The Precious Gem
Refined, sensitive, and precious — like a gem that gleams with subtle beauty and inner light. You influence through attraction and quality, not force. Highly perceptive to discord, you seek harmony and refinement. Yet fragility can crack you.
Personality Core
You are refined, sensitive, and precious — like a gem that gleams with subtle beauty and inner light. Yin metal's strength lies in elegance, not force; you influence through attraction, quality, and quiet sophistication. Highly perceptive to discord, you seek harmony and refinement. Yet fragility shadows your brilliance: oversensitivity, perfectionism, and difficulty bearing roughness can crack you. Your power is transformative through beauty and precision — not conquest, but attraction.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your path demands careful curation — you thrive in refined environments with like-minded souls. Harsh circumstances polish you into diamond-brilliant wisdom, but coldness must be tempered with warmth. Investment in self-care, beauty, and genuine connection sustains your inner radiance. Your destiny: the precious one whose discerning elegance elevates everything she touches, drawing quality and admiration naturally.
Gender Nuance
Xin Male: The discerning aesthete — refined sensibility, quality-focused, often artistic or philosophical. His sensitivity is sophisticated, not weak; yet perfectionism and difficulty with chaos can limit him. Learns to value grit alongside polish. Xin Female: The elegant, refined presence — naturally poised, discerning, often magnetic through quiet grace. Her sensitivity to beauty and harmony is profound; thrives in cultured environments. Challenge: building resilience without losing her softness; her strength is in persistence, not force.
Ren (壬)
Yang Water — The Flowing River
Fluid, abundant, and generously flowing — like a river that nourishes all in its path. Your power is movement, adaptation, and life-giving abundance. You think deeply, connect disparate ideas, and flow around obstacles with ease. Yet restlessness shadows your fluidity.
Personality Core
You are fluid, abundant, and generously flowing — like a river that nourishes all in its path. Yang water's power is movement, adaptation, and life-giving abundance. You think deeply, connect disparate ideas, and flow around obstacles with ease. Communicative and often charismatic, you draw people in; your presence brings refreshment and possibility. Yet restlessness shadows your fluidity: difficulty sustaining focus, emotional volatility, and tendency to overwhelm can exhaust both you and others. Your strength is adaptive intelligence and inspired action.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your life swells and recedes like tides — periods of rushing action alternate with calmer reflection. You excel where fluidity, communication, and adaptive thinking reign. Boundaries are essential; without them, you disperse uselessly. Deep roots (people, purpose, routine) harness your power into meaningful flow. Your destiny: the abundant force that energizes, connects, and elevates others through boundless generosity.
Gender Nuance
Ren Male: The innovative thinker — communicative, fluid, often visionary in his ability to connect patterns. His abundance is his gift; yet scattered focus and inconsistency can undermine impact. Learns to channel his river-like power into directed streams. Ren Female: The communicative, nurturing abundance — flows easily between roles, naturally understanding and connecting people. Her fluidity makes her adaptable; challenge is maintaining focus and deepening rather than constantly moving. Thrives when her abundance finds direction.
Gui (癸)
Yin Water — The Still Spring
Reflective, subtle, and deeply intuitive — like still water that mirrors truth and reveals hidden depths. You perceive without force; you sense currents others miss. Quiet and internal, you influence through insight rather than assertion. Yet secrecy can isolate you.
Personality Core
You are reflective, subtle, and deeply intuitive — like still water that mirrors truth and reveals hidden depths. Yin water's genius is perception without force; you sense currents others miss, understand unspoken dynamics, and navigate complexity with wisdom. Quiet and often internal, you influence through insight rather than assertion. Yet secrecy and emotional withholding can isolate you; your depth risks becoming inaccessibility. Your power is transformative wisdom — not through action, but through understanding.
Characteristic Life Theme
Your path is inward-focused, illuminated by flashes of profound insight. You excel in roles requiring perception, strategy, and emotional intelligence — healing, advising, creating art from internal truth. Harsh external pressure clouds your clarity; you need safety and quiet to access your deepest wisdom. Your destiny: the profound one whose subtle presence and penetrating insight guide others toward clarity and truth.
Gender Nuance
Gui Female: The intuitive sage — deeply perceptive, naturally wise, often spiritual or artistic. Her subtle influence is powerful; her wisdom flows from depth. Challenge: moving from reflection into expression; her gift multiplies when she shares her insights. Gui Male: The perceptive strategist — understands undercurrents, operates with quiet effectiveness. His internal richness is profound; yet difficulty expressing outwardly can leave him feeling unseen. Learns to bridge inner wisdom with external communication.
🐉 The Twelve Earthly Branches — Animal Zodiac
The Earthly Branches represent cosmic time cycles, each corresponding to an animal energy. Your Year Branch determines your zodiac animal, but each of the four pillars carries its own branch, influencing different aspects of your life.
Rat (子)
Rat
Ox (丑)
Ox
Tiger (寅)
Tiger
Rabbit (卯)
Rabbit
Dragon (辰)
Dragon
Snake (巳)
Snake
Horse (午)
Horse
Goat (未)
Goat
Monkey (申)
Monkey
Rooster (酉)
Rooster
Dog (戌)
Dog
Pig (亥)
Pig
🔢 Life Path Number
The Life Path Number reveals your core mission, natural talents, and challenges in your life journey.
Life Path Number 1
Natural Pioneer
Life Path Number 2
Harmonious Collaborator
Life Path Number 3
Creative Communicator
Life Path Number 4
Pragmatic Architect
Life Path Number 5
Free Adventurer
Life Path Number 6
Emotional Contributor
Life Path Number 7
Truth Seeker
Life Path Number 8
Powerful CEO
Life Path Number 9
Philanthropic Dreamer
Life Path Number 11
The Illuminator
Life Path Number 22
The Master Builder
Life Path Number 33
The Master Teacher
✨ Shen Sha — Hidden Buffs & Debuffs
Shen Sha are special stars in a BaZi chart, derived from specific stem and branch combinations. They reveal hidden talents, protections, challenges and opportunities encoded in your destiny chart.
Noble Helper
Support天乙贵人 · Noble Helper
Brings helpful people, protection and timely assistance when facing problems.
Read full article →Heavenly Virtue
Support天德贵人 · Heavenly Virtue
Softens difficulties and reduces the impact of misfortune.
Read full article →Monthly Virtue
Support月德贵人 · Monthly Virtue
Improves overall luck, making things resolve more smoothly.
Read full article →Heavenly Doctor
Support天醫 · Heavenly Doctor
Heavenly Doctor governs medicine and health, has a heart to save people, suitable for medical and healthcare industries.
Read full article →Peach Blossom
Relationship桃花 · Peach Blossom
Increases charm, attraction and social / romantic opportunities.
Read full article →Red Romance
Relationship红鸾 · Red Romance
Signals relationship or marriage chances and happy events.
Read full article →Heavenly Joy
Relationship天喜 · Heavenly Joy
Brings joyful events, celebrations and chances for happy relationships or family occasions.
Read full article →Lonely Phoenix Star
Relationship孤鸾煞 · Lonely Phoenix Star
Indicates more twists and complexity in love or marriage, often needing extra awareness and emotional maturity to build stable relationships.
Read full article →Bath Peach Blossom
Relationship咸池 · Bath Peach Blossom
A strong Peach Blossom star that boosts charm, attraction and emotional intensity, bringing more relationship and desire-related experiences into life.
Read full article →Reverse Bond
Relationship阴差阳错 · Reverse Bond
A star influencing marital harmony. It often brings subtle challenges in emotional connections, such as mismatched affections or mild tensions with a partner's family. Bonds exist but may feel like gentle reversals rather than smooth unions.
Read full article →General Star
Status将星 · General Star
Shows leadership potential, visibility and a tendency to take charge or stand out in certain environments.
Read full article →Overlord Star
Status魁罡 · Overlord Star
Shows a strong, uncompromising character with courage, sharp judgment and a tendency toward extremes in both achievement and temperament.
Read full article →Golden Cabinet
Wealth金匮 · Golden Cabinet
Represents the ability to accumulate resources, keep savings and protect wealth or valuable assets.
Read full article →Three Wonders Noble Star
Fortune三奇贵人 · Three Wonders Noble Star
A rare noble star pattern formed by special stem or branch combinations (Heaven, Earth and Human Wonders). It points to unusual talent, broad vision and standout opportunities when the chart supports it.
Read full article →Golden Carriage Star
Fortune金舆 · Golden Carriage Star
A wealth and comfort star linked to marital blessings, support from spouse or in-laws, and a smoother material life, especially when appearing on the day or hour pillar.
Read full article →Traveling Horse
Movement驿马 · Traveling Horse
Brings movement, travel and changes of environment.
Read full article →Academic Star
Talent文昌 · Academic Star
Supports study, exams, writing and communication.
Read full article →Blade Edge
Challenge羊刃 · Blade Edge
Strong will and courage but also impulsiveness or conflict risk.
Read full article →Lone Star
Challenge孤辰 · Lone Star
More independence and inner distance; relationships may feel less supported.
Read full article →Widow Star
Challenge寡宿 · Widow Star
Can show emotional distance or delayed/complicated relationships.
Read full article →Robbery Star
Danger劫煞 · Robbery Star
Signals risk of sudden loss, disruption or strong competition if boundaries and choices are not managed well.
Read full article →Canopy Star
Spiritual华盖 · Canopy Star
A solitary and artistic star that increases contemplation, talent in arts and metaphysics, while also bringing some aloofness, distance from worldly desires and a tendency toward being alone.
Read full article →Taiji Noble Star
Spiritual太极贵人 · Taiji Noble Star
A noble and contemplative star that enhances intelligence, love of learning, interest in philosophy, religion and metaphysics, and brings protection, integrity and good fortune when supported by other auspicious stars.
Read full article →🧭 Flying Star — The 9 Stars
Xuan Kong Flying Star Feng Shui describes the energy of a space using 9 stars (1-9). Each star carries an auspicious or inauspicious nature and an element, influencing wealth, health, relationships and career. Tap each star to see its meaning and remedy.
Star 1 - Romance & Wealth
Water
Star 2 - Illness
Earth
Star 3 - Quarrel & Conflict
Wood
Star 4 - Academics & Creativity
Wood
Star 5 - Disaster
Earth
Star 6 - Authority & Wealth
Metal
Star 7 - Betrayal
Metal
Star 8 - Prosperity
Earth
Star 9 - Happiness
Fire
Triple Threat
Jupiter General
🏠 Eight Mansions — The 8 Stars
Eight Mansions Feng Shui divides a space into 8 directions (4 auspicious, 4 inauspicious) based on your Ming Gua. Each direction is governed by a star influencing wealth, health, relationships and stability. Tap each star to see its meaning and placement usage.
Prosperity (Sheng Qi)
Wealth, vitality, career growth
Health (Tian Yi)
Health, recovery, good sleep
Harmony (Yan Nian)
Relationships, marriage, harmony
Stability (Fu Wei)
Peace of mind, focus, stability
Mishaps (Huo Hai)
Minor setbacks, arguments, stress
Conflicts (Liu Sha)
Legal trouble, conflicts, lost wealth
Betrayal (Wu Gui)
Betrayal, theft, sudden problems
Danger (Jue Ming)
Serious health & financial risk
About this system
Feng Shui (風水) studies how the energy of a space affects the people living in it. NPCC covers two classical schools. Flying Star (Xuan Kong Fei Xing, 玄空飛星) uses nine numbered stars that move through a home each year, bringing wealth, health, conflict or recovery to different sectors.
Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai, 八宅) is personal: it uses your Ming Gua, calculated from your birth year and gender, to split every space into four favourable and four unfavourable directions. Together they answer two questions: which parts of the home are strong this year, and which directions suit you personally. This glossary explains each star and direction, what it influences and the traditional ways to work with it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Flying Star and Eight Mansions?
Flying Star changes every year and describes the home, while Eight Mansions stays fixed and describes which directions suit a specific person.
What is the Grand Duke (Tai Sui)?
The Grand Duke is the yearly direction of the ruling year energy. Traditionally it should not be disturbed by renovation or faced head-on.
Do I need to move furniture to use Feng Shui?
Not always. Many remedies are simple, such as using a favourable direction for your desk or keeping a troubled sector calm and uncluttered.