Feng Shui Tips for the Family Bagua Area

In feng shui, we often use a tool called the bagua map when looking at spaces. It’s a mandala with eight different areas around a center, each representing different areas of life. One of these eight areas, called Zhen in Chinese, is related to family. It’s also connected to new beginnings, starting new things, and springtime. We often look to this area if someone wants support in starting a new project, or creating more harmony in their family.

To find the family area of your home, stand in the front door looking in. As you’re looking into your home (or with a floor plan), divide the space into a three-by-three grid. The center left section of the grid is the family or Zhen position. In this diagram, it’s the green section. Once you’ve found Zhen position in your home, try out some feng shui tips to enhance this area.

Notice What’s Happening

Before you activate the family area, take some time to notice and reflect. You may want to journal or contemplate how you want your family to grow, whether that’s your family in a more traditional sense or your chosen family of friends. Because this area is also related to new beginnings, you might also want to think about how you want to grow and start new things in your life. Is there a project you want to kickstart, or something new you’ve been meaning to cultivate? Take a moment to jot down your intentions.

Next, see what’s happening in that area of your home. Is it an area that gets a lot of love and attention, or one that you tend to neglect? Is it cluttered and dusty, or does it feel open and spacious? Just notice. In feng shui, your home is a reflection of your inner world, so the things you notice in your home can be clues as to what might be going on in your life.

Add the Wood Element

Another tool we use in feng shui is the five elements system. Each of the areas of the feng shui bagua is connected to an element, and adding the corresponding element to an area is one way to activate that part of the bagua. The family area is connected to the wood element, which represents kindness, flexibility, and growth.

There are a few different ways to incorporate the wood element into your home. One great way to do this is with a living green plant. It’s best to look for a real plant rather than an artificial one. If you’re worried about keeping a plant alive, start with something easy, like a pothos. Jade plant, a beautiful, slow-growing succulent, is also a wonderful addition to the family area.

You can also add the wood element by decorating with wood element colors, which are blue, green, and teal. You can do this in big ways, like painting a wall, or in more subtle ways, like a throw pillow or blanket. Feel free to get creative here and choose something that works with your decor!

Add the Water Element

The five elements exist in a cycle, where each one nourishes another. The water element feeds wood, so you can also activate the family area of the bagua (a wood element area) by adding water.

Mirrors are a great way to incorporate the water element into your decor. You can also add water in the form of color. Colors that represent water are black, deep navy blue, and dark charcoal gray. Again, you can get creative here, and find a way to add these colors in a way that works with your space.

Hang a Feng Shui Crystal Ball

We often use crystal balls as feng shui adjustments. These are faceted glass crystal balls, rather than natural crystals. Look for one that is at least 40 millimeters in diameter, and get the highest quality you can.

To activate the family area of the bagua, you can hang a feng shui crystal in this area of your home. Hang it from a red string that is cut to 9 or 18 inches. (Make sure the string is not so long that it will be in the way of any doors or people walking through the room!) The crystal ball can provide more light and illumination to this part of your life and support your intentions of increasing family harmony or embarking on a new project.

Add Jade

Jade is a beautiful green crystal that makes a great addition to the family area of the bagua. Try placing a piece of jade in this area of your bedroom or home to cultivate new beginnings or to support your family.