HOW
TO
TAKE
A
COMPASS
READING
FENG SHUI Chinese Astrology Akashic Records
“Healing the Planet, One Living Space at a Time
TM”
There are five easy steps required to take an accurate compass reading of the front (facing direction) of your home or building. In order to do so, you need to identify the facing direction of the building and have a good compass. Included are simple guidelines to follow.
Step 1.
Get a good quality compass
Your compass should have all 360 degrees clearly marked (at minimum every 2 degrees should be marked). You must be able to determine the exact degree the building faces. The compass should also feature a line of sight, allowing you to line your compass up with the object you are measuring. In this case, the front of your home. There are two main types of compasses: • Chinese Compass – called a Luopan.
• Western Compass – with a minimum of 2-degree markings. These can easily be found at your local Sports Authority or camping and hiking equipment store. (This compass is by Silva Explorer found at Sports Authority.)
Step 2.
Determine the ‘facing’ of the building, home or condo
Note: The facing side of a building is the front of the building while the sitting side of a building is the back of the building.
The more ‘yang’ side of a structure is considered the facing direction while the ‘yin’ side is considered the sitting direction.
To determine the facing or more ‘yang’ side of your home consider these guidelines:
• Most active side such as the street side or ocean side • Most expansive views, best view or only view in the home
• Unblocked view or farthest view of the horizon from inside the home • Brightest side, the most windows and open spaces
• Biggest rooms, most active space in the home • Side where the land is low or lower
• Note: Architecturally, things are not always as them seem. Although the main entrance and address often indicate the facing side of a home, sometimes this isn’t the case.
To provide contrast, the sitting or more ‘yin’ side of your home often has these features:
• Most quiet side such as back yard, other homes, an actual mountain • Least view or no view, solid wall
• Darkest side of the home, few or no windows • Smallest rooms such as bathrooms, laundry rooms • Side where land is high or higher
• Note: In condos and apartments, often times the main entrance is the sitting side, while the balcony is the facing direction.
If you feel like two different directions could be the facing direction, use the outside environment and the overall floor plan as your guide. Often, one direction will jump out as the facing direction. In some cases you may need assistance. If so, please fax your 8.5 x 11” floor plan to Fax: 305-682-0891 or email to: workshops@KJFengShui.com. Pictures may also be requested.
Step 3.
Accurately position yourself and your compass
To take an accurate compass reading it is important to avoid magnetic interference, properly orient yourself with the building and hold the compass steady and parallel to the ground. See details below.
• Avoid magnetic interference to ensure an accurate reading.
o Avoid standing near electrical equipment, cars, parking meters and cell phones. o Remove metal objects from yourself such as watches, belts and chains.
• Stand facing the front (facing direction) of the building, square your body with both feet even and slightly apart for stability. You may need to lean over your compass to read the exact degree.
o Why face the building? Because you can only determine you are parallel with the building if you are facing it! You cannot determine this if your back is to the building.
• Center yourself along the facing side of the building.
o Stand 5 to 10 feet away from the building (to avoid the structure’s magnetic interference).
o Position yourself and your compass to be parallel with the facing of the building. This is extremely important – you must be parallel to the building to get an accurate reading.
o You may want to take 3 different readings to verify accuracy; these positions can be different locations along the facing side of the building and between 5 to 10 feet from the building.
o If you live in a condo, you may have to go outside to the ground floor and take a measurement of the balcony side or you may have to take a measurement from the balcony or even within the apartment. You will need to determine the best way to take your measurement.
• Hold the compass at waist level and parallel to the ground.
Yang (Front of house)
Yin
(Back of house)
Distance from home approx. 5 to 10 feet
Step 4.
Working with the compass
The direction the needle actually points depends on the type of compass you have. If you have a Western Compass, the needle will point to 0 degrees north. For the Chinese Compass (Luopan), the needle will line up with 180 degrees south. Both are accurate, just magnetically aligned differently.
• For a Western Compass you may find an outer dial that rotates. Set this so the arrow points to 0 (zero) degrees north.
• For the Chinese Compass you will find a circular plate with a red line and 2 red dots in the center, also known as Heaven’s Pool. Rotate this plate until these markings are perfectly aligned with the floating magnetic needle. Make sure the round head of the needle rests between the
2 red dots of the circular plate. See images below.
• Position yourself facing the building. Ensure the compass is level and needle is still. Adjust the dial as indicated.
Rotate plate to line up needle with red line and two dots. Once aligned read the degree at the red string closest to your
body. This degree is the facing direction of your property.
Sitting
Facing Side
Sitting
Step 5.
Determine the facing degree
Now you need to read the compass to determine which degree is the exact facing degree of the building.
IMPORTANT: Since you are facing the building, you are facing the direction the building is actually ‘sitting’. Since you want the degree of the facing direction, you will need to read the degree closest to you.
For the Western Compass:
For compasses with a rotating dial, read the degree that is closest to your body or at your bellybutton (because this matches the facing orientation of the building). For compasses without rotating dials, you’ll read the ‘smaller number’ since this indicates the opposite direction you are currently facing (and therefore the facing direction of the building).
For the Chinese Compass:
There are 2 nylon strings squaring the compass. Look at the string that points towards the building. This line will cover two different degrees – the one opposite you (closest to the building) will give you the sitting degree of the building and the one closest to your body (near your bellybutton) will give you the facing degree of the building. The degree closest to your body/bellybutton is the degree you need. This is the degree of the facing direction of your property. Record this degree. See image below.
Note: Since you are taking a magnetic reading with your compass, you do not need to make any adjustments to determine true north. Magnetic north is used for Feng Shui purposes.
Below is a chart of the corresponding degrees for each direction. Most people have a general idea of the
Sitting
Facing Side
Compass Chart for 8 Directions and 24 Sectors
NORTH SOUTH N1 337.5 – 352.5 S1 157.5 – 172.5 N2 352.5 – 7.5 S2 172.5 – 187.5 N3 7.5 – 22.5 S3 187.5 – 202.5 NORTHEAST SOUTHWEST NE1 22.5 – 37.5 SW1 202.5 – 217.5 NE2 37.5 – 52.5 SW2 217.5 – 232.5 NE3 52.5 – 67.5 SW3 232.5 – 247.5 EAST WEST E1 67.5 – 82.5 W1 247.5 – 262.5 E2 82.5 – 97.5 W2 262.5 – 277.5 E3 97.5 – 112.5 W3 277.5 – 292.5 SOUTHEAST NORTHWEST SE1 112.5 – 127.5 NW1 292.5 – 307.5 SE2 127.5 – 142.5 NW2 307.5 – 322.5 SE3 142.5 – 157.5 NW3 322.5 – 337.5
Important Note about your Compass Reading:
IF you have a compass degree reading that is EXACTLY the same as one of the degrees listed above, take additional compass readings at varying distances from the home (and on all four sides of the home if necessary) to obtain a degree that is not exactly the same but has repeatability. These exact degrees are consider ‘cut-off’ points and will not render an energy chart for Feng Shui calculations. Use these additional compass readings to determine a new degree. For example, if you get 262.5 degrees, this is a cut-off point between W1 and W2. You must take additional measurements to determine if your accurate direction is closer to 260 degrees or 265 degrees. If your next couple of readings give you 263 degrees and 264 degrees, then you can be sure the front (facing direction) of your home is W2.
Kelly S. Jones, LLC www.KJFengShui.com workshops@KJFengShui.com
