International Feng Shui Institute

The Complete Glossary of Feng Shui Terms

The Feng Shui Institute Glossary contains all the important terms and vocabulary used in traditional Chinese Feng Shui and Chinese astrology, as well as links to areas in which to learn more about the subject. If you are a beginner, we hope our glossary shows the incredible depth to traditional Chinese Feng Shui and sparks further interest. If you are a practitioner or Feng Shui professional, use our glossary to test your Feng Shui knowledge! Find a topic that you would like to learn, develop and practice, and we have a course that teaches the technique.

Common Feng Shui Terms
Term Meaning/Usage Learn More
Feng Shui Literally "Wind Water" See Feng Shui Science
Luo Pan Traditional Chinese Feng Shui Compass See Feng Shui Compass
Yin & Yang The Principles of Universal Balance See Yin & Yang
Gua or Kua Trigram Ba gua Eight Trigrams See Eight Trigrams
Wu Xing Five Transformational Phases (Five Elements) See Five Elements
Sheng Birth or Generating. (Sheng Cycle of Five Elements)
Ke or Ko Control or "destroy". (Ke Cycle of Five Elements) See Ke Cycle
Fu Xi Legendary Emperor of China See Feng Shui History
Luo shu Ancient River Luo chart. Precursor of the Late Heaven Ba Gua See Late Heaven Ba Gua
He Tu Drawing from the River He See Feng Shui Key Concepts Course
Xian Tian Ba Gua Early or Pre Heaven Ba Gua Hou Tian Ba Gua Late or Post Heaven Ba Gua
Sha Qi Noxious Qi or energy
Ming Tang Bright hall - Space in front of the site Si Ling Shou Four Celestial Animals Form School Feng Shui - See Feng Shui Key Concepts Course
Shan Long Mountain Dragon Shui Long Water Dragon
Xuan Wu Dark Warrior/Black Tortoise - northern palace Qing Long Blue/green Dragon - eastern palace
Bai Hu White Tiger - western palace Zhu Que Red Bird - southern palace
Shui Long Water Dragon Qi Kou Qi Mouth
Tong Shu/Tong Sing Literally " Book of Everything". Almanac/Farmer's Calendar Taught In Class
Shi Er Gong Twelve Palaces - determining timeliness of elements See Business Feng Shui Course
Liu Sha Six Killings (Eight House Feng Shui)
Ba Sha Huang Quan The Eight Evil Spirits of the Yellow Springs (Underworld)
Jian Chu Shi Er Shen Twelve Jianchu Spirits  
Er Shi Si Jie Qi Twenty Four Solar Terms  
Xing Du "Passing degrees" - 28 Lunar Mansions  
Liu shi jia zi na yin Sixty Stems and Branches Harmonics See Chinese Astrology Course
Shi Er Di Zhi Twelve Earthly Branches, known as the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac See Animal Signs
Shi Tian Gan Ten Heavenly Stems See Heavenly Stems
Methods of Feng Shui
See Schools of Feng Shui
Term Meaning/Usage Learn More
Luan Tou Pai Form School Bagua Pai Eight Trigrams School See Feng Shui Key Concepts Course
Na jia Adopting the stems - the relationship of Ba Gua / Twenty Four Mountains See Business Feng Shui Course
Ba Zhai Pai Eight House School Li Qi Pai Compass School
Shu Fang Pai Studious school of "yijing" or I Ching See I Ching Divination Course
Xuan Kong Fei Xing Mysterious void Time and Space Flying Star Feng Shui See Flying Star Feng Shui Course
Ba Zi "Eight Characters" Four Pillars of Destiny Chinese Astrology See Chinese Astrology Course
Xuan Kong Da Gua Mysterious Void Wind and Water School of Great Divinatory Symbols (Trigrams and/or Hexagrams) Advanced - Taught within Accredited Feng Shui Classes
Liu Pai Gai Shuo The 6 Flying Star Schools Fan Gua Pai Gua changing school
San He Pai Triple combination School Xiang Shu Pai School of symbol and number
Qi Men Dun Jia Pai Qimen dunjia school of Feng Shui - See Qi Men Dun Jia
Zi Wei Dou Dhu Pai Ziwei dou shu "Purple Emperor" school - See Zi Wei Dou Shu
Flying Star Feng Shui
See Flying Star Feng Shui Course
Term Meaning/Usage
Zhu Host star Ke Guest star
Cheng Men Castle / City gate San Ban Gua String of Pearls special chart
Fu mu san ban gua Three Fates special chart Dou niu sha Bullfight Sha
Ling xing Timely star Ti Xing Replacement star
Qi xing da jie "Seventh star robbery" method Zhao shen Mirror spirit
Zheng Shen Upright spirit Zi bai jue Method/Secret of purple and white
Ai xing tu Chart of neighbouring stars Fan Yin Opposite - Special Chart
Fu Yin Repeat charting Shi Yun Losing the yun
Shang shan xia shui Above mountain/below water chart Gao song High tower star
Ru qiu Imprisoned Wang shan wang shui Correct positioning of mountain and water stars
Yi bai - tan lang One white - Greedy Wolf Er hei - Ju men Two black - Enormous Gate
San bi - lu cun Three blue-green/jade green - Salary Preserved Si lü - wen qu Four green - Literary star
Wu huang - Lian zhen Five yellow - Chasteness and Purity Liu bai - wu qu Six white - Military and authority
Qi chi - po jun Seven red - Broken Army Ba bai - zuo fu Eight white - Left Assistant
Jiu zi - you bi Nine purple - Right Assistant Fei xing Flying stars
Luo Pan Chinese Feng Shui Compass
See Office & Business Feng Shui Course
Term Meaning/Usage
Luo Jing Pan Luopan (Feng Shui compass) San yuan 3 cycles
Zhong He Combined Luopan Tai yi jiu gong pan Tai yi nine palace luopan
Jiang Pan Luopan from Master Jiang Dahong San he luo jing pan Three combinations
Si nan Older luopan based on Big Dipper Zheng zhen di pan Correct needle of the earth plate
Tian qi Heaven Pool Tian Pan Heaven plate
Di Pan Earth plate Wai Pan Outer plate
Kong Feng Junction between mountains Nei Pan Inside circle plate part of luo pan
Ba Kong Wang Eight void / evil lines Xiang dui Opposite, oppose, face to face, relative
Xiang Facing direction Zuo Sitting direction
I Ching -The Book of Changes
See I Ching & Wen Wang Gua Course
Term Meaning/Usage
Yijing I Ching "Book of Changes Chun gua Pure Hexagram
Hu ti Nuclear Trigram Zhong yao Nuclear lines, nuclear trigrams
Gua One of eight trigrams Shi yao Generation line
Shi yi Ten Wings Commentaries Yao Trigram or hexagram line
Jin qian gua Divination with Golden Coins Hui Regret, repent
Ji Lucky, auspicious Jiu Fault, blame
Xiang Auspicious Zai Disaster/calamity
Ba Kong Wang Eight void / evil lines Xiang dui Opposite, oppose, face to face, relative
Xiong Inauspicious/terrible Ba gong Eight palaces
Wen Wang Gua Hexagrams of King Wen (an advanced technique of the I Ching)
Fei Fu Hidden hexagrams (flying and hidden) Liu yao gua Six line hexagrams
Shi Self (technique to determine self/ subject line) Ying Other, literally answer/response to determine other or object line
Shuo gua zhuan from Discusion of the Trigrams, eight of Ten Wings Ba gong Eight palaces
Gong gua Palace hexagram Gua shen Body of hexagram
Yuan shen Originating application Tui shen Retreating application
Ji shen Annoying application Jin shen Progressing application
Chou shen Hostile application Yong shen Focus application
Gou Chen Crouching/hidden application Hooking use (another name for Grey Earthworm, 1 of 6 spirits)
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