What your kua number means
In the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) school of feng shui, every person belongs to one of eight energy types, expressed as a kua number from 1 to 9 (with 5 folding into 2 or 8). The number splits humanity into the East group (kua 1, 3, 4, 9) and West group (kua 2, 6, 7, 8), and hands each person a personal compass: four auspicious directions that support success (Sheng Chi), health (Tian Yi), love and relationships (Yan Nian), and personal stability (Fu Wei) — plus four inauspicious ones to avoid facing, from minor mishaps (Huo Hai) up to the ominously named Total Loss (Jue Ming).
The classic formula is elegantly simple: reduce your birth year to a single digit, then subtract from 11 (males) or add 4 (females). One boundary note: feng shui uses the solar year, which begins at Li Chun, around February 4 — so birthdays in January or early February count as the previous year. We use the standard ≈ Feb 4 convention (the exact solar term drifts by about a day). Practically, your kua guides small, concrete choices: which way your desk faces, which end of the bed your head points, which door you use. Pair it with your Chinese zodiac sign for a fuller picture of your traditional profile, or consult the I Ching when a decision needs more than a compass.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a kua number?
- Your kua (or gua) number is a feng shui number from 1 to 9, derived from your birth year and gender, that assigns you to the East or West group in the Eight Mansions school. It determines your four auspicious compass directions — for success, health, relationships, and stability — and the four directions you should avoid facing.
- How is the kua number calculated?
- Add the digits of your birth year until you reach a single digit. Males subtract that number from 11; females add 4 to it — reducing to a single digit again if needed. Because kua 5 does not exist in Eight Mansions practice, a result of 5 becomes 2 for males and 8 for females. Example: 1990 → 1+9+9+0 = 19 → 1; male 11−1 = 10 → kua 1.
- What are the East and West groups?
- Kua numbers 1, 3, 4, and 9 form the East group, whose lucky directions are north, south, east, and southeast. Kua numbers 2, 6, 7, and 8 form the West group, favored by northeast, southwest, west, and northwest. Members of the same group are considered naturally compatible in shared spaces.
- How do I use my lucky directions?
- Face an auspicious direction where you spend focused time: point your desk toward your Sheng Chi (success) direction, sleep with your head toward Tian Yi (health) or Yan Nian (relationships), and favor a front door facing any of your four good directions. When choices are limited, simply rotating a chair or bed is the traditional remedy.
- Does a January birthday change my kua number?
- It can. The feng shui solar year begins at Li Chun, around February 4 — not January 1. If you were born before that date, calculate with the previous year (our calculator has a checkbox for this). We use the fixed ≈ Feb 4 convention, which is standard for kua calculations; the exact solar term shifts by only a day either side.