From Bagua to Sheng Chi: A Feng Shui Glossary

Learn the meaning of bagua and other feng shui terms!

If the word bagua makes you blink in confusion, that's okay: you're not alone. The first time I saw it written out that way it took me a moment to realize it meant "ba gua," which I'd always spelled as two separate words. And even that probably means nothing to a lot of people! 

That's why I want to help out anyone confused by bagua, sheng chi, or other feng shui terms. Consider this your mini glossary!

Common Feng Shui Terms

Balance: The ultimate goal in feng shui, balance refers to achieving an equal focus on a variety of areas or elements so that their positive aspects have the most influence in your life and their negative aspects cancel each other out

Chi: Energy

Cures: We often speak of feng shui "cures" for problematic areas. There are certain arrangements in your home that might not be conducive to sheng chi; a feng shui cure seeks to fix that.

Elements: There are five elements in feng shui, not four as in Western astrology: wood, fire, earth, water, and metal. Notice that the element "air" from Western culture is also missing. Each sector on the bagua relates to one of these elements.

Feng Shui: The Chinese blend of astrology, design, and construction that allows you to focus on integrating positive energy in your life

Guardian Symbol: Any symbol that makes you feel secure and protected (traditionally dragons, birds, and religious imagery)

Mapping: The process of figuring out the directions your home faces and applying the bagua to your home, isolating it into specific sectors or areas.

Sha Chi: Negative energy

Sheng chi: Positive energy

Obviously, these are just a few of the phrases you'll stumble across in your study of feng shui. But these are the most common terms found in introductory feng shui material, and they should give you a solid grounding on feng shui language from bagua to sheng chi!

Interested in feng shui? Check out my book, "Feng Shui Secrets for a Fulfilled Life!"

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