1. What Is the Bagua?
The Bagua (literally "eight symbols") is a system of eight trigrams arranged in a circle. Each trigram consists of three lines — either solid (yang ⚊) or broken (yin ⚋) — creating eight unique combinations.
There are two arrangements: the Earlier Heaven sequence, attributed to the mythical emperor Fu Xi, represents the ideal, balanced state of the universe. The Later Heaven sequence, attributed to King Wen, represents how energy actually moves in the real world — cycling through seasons, directions and life stages.
Why the Later Heaven Bagua Matters
• Feng Shui — every feng shui compass (luopan) and home map uses the Later Heaven directions
• I Ching — all 64 hexagrams are built from pairs of these eight trigrams
• Chinese Medicine — the eight trigrams correspond to body parts and organ systems
• Seasonal Living — each trigram maps to a season and its associated activities
2. The Complete Bagua Correspondence Table
The Later Heaven Bagua maps each trigram to seven dimensions simultaneously. This is what makes it such a powerful symbolic system — one map encodes direction, element, family, body, season and more:
| Trigram | Symbol | Element | Direction | Family | Body | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☰ Qián | Heaven | Metal | NW | Father | Head | Autumn |
| ☷ Kūn | Earth | Earth | SW | Mother | Abdomen | Late Summer |
| ☳ Zhèn | Thunder | Wood | E | Eldest Son | Feet | Spring |
| ☴ Xùn | Wind | Wood | SE | Eldest Daughter | Thighs | Spring |
| ☵ Kǎn | Water | Water | N | Middle Son | Ears | Winter |
| ☲ Lí | Fire | Fire | S | Middle Daughter | Eyes | Summer |
| ☶ Gèn | Mountain | Earth | NE | Youngest Son | Hands | Late Winter |
| ☱ Duì | Lake | Metal | W | Youngest Daughter | Mouth | Autumn |
💡 The Five Elements cycle through the Bagua. Water (N) → Wood (E, SE) → Fire (S) → Earth (SW, NE) → Metal (W, NW). This generating cycle is the same one used in feng shui remedies and Chinese medicine.
3. How to Use the Bagua in Daily Life
🏡 In Feng Shui
Overlay the Bagua onto your floor plan. The NW sector (Qián) governs helpful people and mentors — activate it with metal objects. The SW sector (Kūn) governs relationships — activate with earth elements like crystals.
📖 In I Ching
Every hexagram is two trigrams stacked. The lower trigram represents your inner state; the upper trigram represents the external situation. Knowing the trigram meanings lets you read any hexagram intuitively.
🧘 In Meditation
Face the direction associated with what you need: North (Water) for depth and stillness, South (Fire) for visibility and energy, East (Thunder) for new beginnings, West (Lake) for joy and release.