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Here is a lexicon of terms used in Feng Shui and Chinese metaphysics.

Ba Gua : The Ba Gua/Pa Kua ( meaning in Chinese: 8 symbols) is a symbolic representation of the 8eight directions and their characteristics (Hexagrams, Elements etc) which are associated.

The Early Heaven Ba Gua is used in Yin Feng Shui (burial sites), as it represents the Universe in perfect harmony.

The Later Heaven Ba Gua is used in Yang Feng Shui (houses and workplaces) as a guideline.

Ba Gua mirrors: A Ba Gua mirror is a symbolic circular mirror surrounded by one of the BaGua. While symbolism can have a small impact in Feng Shui, no BaGua mirror has the power to avoid a real Sha Qi problem. It can be used as a decoration but not as a cure.

Ba Zhai- 8 mansions: One of the traditional Feng Shui Schools. This school uses the Gua (Hexagram) of a person to derive his auspicious and inauspicious directions and sectors. The rules to enhance each sector are linked to the traditional attributes of each of the eight directions or mansions. A school very often used as the basis of neo/western/Mc Feng shui, it has been very watered down. It can be useful but is nevertheless a very superficial approach of a Feng Shui setup.

Ba Zi: This is a form of Chinese astrology. Bazi is a branch of Chinese metaphysic which analyzes the human destiny of a person through his year, month, day and time of birth. These components are the 4 pillars of the chart. Each pillar is composed by a pairing of characters, a Stem and a Branch, hence the name Ba-Zi (8 characters). The chart gives guidance on the whole destiny and is the basis for a residential Feng Shui audit in San Yuan Feng Shui. Bi-hours: Traditionally, Chinese people divide the time of the day in twelve Bi-hours, based on the twelve animals/branches of the day, rather than in twenty-four hours. For example 1 to 3am is one bi-hour, 5 to 7 pm is another one etc.

Black hat sect/Böns Feng Shui/Three doors Feng Shui: A very recent invention, this movement has been initiated by Thomas Yin Lun in the eighties. It mixes a few principles of the ancient Buddhist religion with Feng Shui symbols and law of attraction principles. This method is entirely symbolic. Totally disregarded by traditional practitioners, it should be considered as a New Age derivation and not a proper school of Feng Shui. It has no historical background whatsoever. In other words, if I may say so: RUN AWAY!

Celestial animals: Colours: Compass: The traditional geomantic compass used in Feng Shui is called a Luo Pan. Methods and theory of Feng Shui were elaborated long before the invention of the compass. However the distinction between “compass” and “form” methods is nowadays irrelevant, as all traditional schools of Feng Shui have long incorporated the compass technique. A Feng Shui school using no compass should be regarded as non-traditional, and therefore unreliable.

Controlling cycle: Also known as destructive cycle, this is one of the cycles ruling the 5 elements. The cycle is as follow: Wood deplete the Earth – Earth blocks the Water – Water extinguishes the Fire –Fire shape the Metal – Metal chops the Wood

Creating cycle: Also known as generative cycle, this is one of the cycles of the five elements. The cycle is the following: Wood produces the Fire – Fire produces the Earth – Earth produces the Metal – Metal produces the Water – Water produces the Wood Da Liu Ren: An important branch of Chinese metaphysics that can be used as an oracle method. Dragon: Dragon is a term widely used in Feng Shui. It can refer to: • the left side of a house (Dragon side), • a mountain (any mountain can be called “Dragon”, the Dragon veins being the watermarks on the mountain), • one of the sub direction/24 mountains (Southeast 1), • one of the earthy branches or Chinese “zodiac” sign, • a specific time (7 to 9 am), • a symbolic animal amongst other things!

Dui: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Dui is the West sector and is associated with the metal element.

Earthly Branches: The 12 Earthly Branches are the 12 animals of the astrological Chinese cycle, which also carry an element and a polarity. They combine with the Heaven stems to code the time in Chinese calendar –a bi-hour, a day, month or year. They are also part of the 24 mountains on the Lou Pan.

Elements: The 5 Elements are: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. They are the basis of the Feng Shui practice. They referred to different states the Qi go through. Rather than “Elements”, it is more precise to see them as the “5 phases of the Qi”. They are the basis of all the rules in Chinese metaphysics. The balance of the Elements in your environment vs your chart is the key to proper Feng shui.

Feng Shui : literally Wind and Water, The Wind carries the Qi away, the Water keeps it. Feng Shui can be seen as a true medicine of the habitat. His goal is to modify the energetic quality of a location and adapt it to his occupants. It can be used a living or a working place. Feng Shui is a “nickname”:the original name of the discipline is Kan Yu. Feng Shui belongs to the concept of 3 lucks in Taoism.

Fu Wei: One of the house or personal sectors, that brings stability and perseverance.

Flying stars: Kong star or Xuan Gong Fei Xing: Gen: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Gen is the Northeast sector and is associated with the earth element.

Gua Heavenly Stems : The 10 Heavenly Stems are the 5 elements in their Yin and Yang polarity. They are used in combination with the branches to form a measure of time, used in calendar and Chinese astrology. They are also part of the 24 mountains on the Lou Pan.

·   Huo Hai: One of the four inauspicious sectors, based on personal or house gua calculation. Using it can bring constant disturbance and attract legal problems

He Tu: Hexagrams: Hsia (calendar) : Also name the 10 000 year calendar, it lists all the information about the time factor of the Qi linked to the seasons, years, months, days and hours. These variations are coded by the combination of Heaven Stems and Earthy Branches. These are the dates used to plot a Ba Zi chart.

Intuitive Feng Shui: No traditional Feng Shui is intuitive. All classical schools rely on measurements, calculations and practical solutions. The name “Intuitive Feng Shui” is not part of the canon and is usually used to disguised a lack of proper knowledge of genuine, authentic Feng Shui

Kan: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Kan is the North sector and is associated with the water element.

Kan Yu: Le nom original du Feng Shui, qui postule que l’influence céleste et terrestres reçues par notre environnement peu faire ou défaire les destinées individuelles comme collectives.

Kun: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Late Heaven BaGua, Zhen is the East sector and is associated with the wood element.

Li: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Li is the South sector and is associated with the fire element.

Luo Pan : The geomantic Chinese compass made of a central compass surrounded by a moving plate carrying many rings, and therefore informations. The amount of rings and the information listed on it are different according the each Feng Shui School. This is a necessary tool to practice Feng Shui.

Luo Shu: The name of the magic square heavily used for Feng Shui calculation. All lines and column add up to 15. Each palace is associated with a specific number and direction : 1 is North, 2 is Southwest, 3 is East, 4 is Southeast, 5 the centre, 6 is Northwest, 7 West, 8 Northeast and 9 South.

Mc Feng Shui: Mc Feng Shui is to proper Feng Shui what Mc Donald is to proper nutrition. A cheap, bland ersatz that leaves you unsatisfied, unfulfilled, and has bad consequences on your health or life. Black hat sect, intuitive Feng Shui and other symbolic nonsense are all part of Mc Feng Shui.

Ming tang: The Chinese name for the concept of "Hall of light". Ming Tang designs a bright and protected space in front of a building where the Chi can gather before entering the place.

Mirrors: Mirrors are used to attract, not to repell! Besides, they are of very little importance in classical Feng Shui. The obsession with mirrors is modern, Mc Feng Shui mumbo jumbo.

Mountains: A term used to refer to the 24 sub directions linked to the Elements, and listed on the Luo Pan. Real mountains emit a strong Qi and therefore are analyzed and used in traditional Feng Shui. They are classified through their shapes/elements and properties.

Nine star ki/ 9 star ki Periods: Time according to Chinese metaphysic is divided in different cycles: amongst them are the upper, intermediate and lower period. In term of years, there are 20 years cycles. They tell us the nature of the Qi to a certain time. We are actually in lower period 8.

Pa Kua: See Ba Gua.

Phoenix: Qi: The Qi, pronounced “Chi”,is the Chinese name for the « energy » a surrounding energy which affects us wherever we are. No life is possible without it. The Qi is affected by different factors – the time, the location, and the balance of Yin and Yang for example. Qi of different quality may be auspicious or inauspicious to each person or human activity based on their nature, in term of Elements (which are analyzed trough the Ba Zi).

Qian: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Qian is the Northwest sector and is associated with the metal element.

Qi Men Dun Jia: Qi Men Dun Jia is a branch of Chinese metaphysics which gives the knowledge of the optimum Qi at a specific time and referring to a person. It carries the idea of traveling because it was historically developed as a war strategy.

Seasons: Another of the time subdivision, to Chinese the year is composed of 24 sub-seasons, which are included in periods. It is necessary to know the season cycle to use the Xua Guong Da Gua or Qi Men Dun Jia.

San He: One of the traditional Feng shui school. It is based on the association of the Land, the Dragon (mountain) and the Water. This school is mainly based of the observation of the landscape of the environment. This is truly the “shape school”. The facing direction of the house is used to apply the formulas. Amongst the accomplishments of this school is the famous “Water Dragons”

San Yuan: One of the traditional Feng Shui Schools. The specificity of this school is the analysis of the Ba zi of the people to assert their best suitable environment.

Sha Qi: The name means “inauspicious” or “killing” Qi, more or less. The Sha Qi is the strong Qi sent by external or, very rarely, internal environment, that can affect a building and therefore your life.

Sheng Qi: The name means “living”, “benevolent” Qi. It also designes one of the good sector based on the personal house Guas. It is deemed good for conceiving, good for movement and travelling, and more appropriate for male.

Snake: Tian Yi: A traditional sector from house or personal Gua, that is said to be good for health, concentration and longevity

Tiger: The Tiger side of a house is the right side, from the inside looking out through the main facade. Its complete name is "White Tiger". It relates to fame and money in the household. Havin a missing Tiger side brings money problem. The Tiger should not be higher than the Dragon side.

The Tiger is also the name of one of the animal of the Chinese zodiac, part of the 12 branches in Bazi. It is one of the 24 mountains on the Luo Pan, located in Northeast 3.

Tortoise: The black tortoise is the name of the symbolic animal formation at the back of a house. Missing the black tortoise usually brings problem with the descendance.

Trigrams: The Trigrams are made of three lines on top of each others that can be either full or broken. The combination of the lines creates eight trigrams that all have a meaning and are associated with a sector on the Ba Gua.

Three lucks: The 3 lucks are the Heaven Luck (fate sent by Heaven, as seen in karma); the Human luck (our free will) and the earth luck (telluric influence, managed by Feng shui). They are a very important Taoist concept that influences our whole lives. This is the reason why the most efficient Feng Shui is combined with a BaZi analysis, to use altogether Earth and Heaven and Human lucks.

Weakening cycle: Also known as diminutive cycle, this is one of the five elements ‘cycles. It works like this: Wood weakens Water – Water weakens Metal – Metal weakens Earth – Earth weakens Fire – Fire weakens Wood

Windchimes: Wind chimes are used in some form of Feng Shui to disperse the Chi in a specific corner – the number of rods and the material is part of the remedy. This is an artefact mostly used by the Flying Stars school.

Xua Guong Da Gua : One of the traditional Feng Shui Schools based on the 64 Guas’ analysis (hexagrams). It is also a method of time selection as the Qi Men Dun Jia. As usual we must first refer to the Ba Zi of the person to determine his useful elements, then select the useable days based on the Hsia calendar. We then check if these days are auspicious to the person. Xua Guong Da Gua is more suitable to specific events such as starting a new business, choosing a wedding date, the date of a medical operation etc.

Xuan Gong Fei Xing: The real name of the Flying stars. One of the most recent « schools » of Feng Shui. This school is based on the facing and setting of a building and his date of construction (or, sometimes, of renovation) to plot a numerological/energetic chart of the place according to the time period. Useful as a predictive tool, but it shouldn’t be used as the base for an audit.

Xingshi Pai: Xun: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Later Heaven BaGua, Xun is the Southeast sector and is associated with the wood element.

Yan Nian: One of the auspicious sectors based on the personal gua. Yan Nian brings peace and longevity.

Yin Feng Shui : Historically, this is the first Feng Shui; Yin Feng Shui cares about the location and setting of the graves and their influences on the lives of the direct descendants.

Yang Feng Shui : The Yang branch cares about the places of the living. Yang Feng Shui is actually based of the Yin one, and it is the application of tested and validated rules from the Ying Feng Shui. So Yang Feng Shui must be seen as an evolution and an adaptation of Yin Feng Shui.

Zhen: One of the 8 trigrams that compose the BaGua. In the Late Heaven BaGua, Zhen is the East sector and is associated with the wood element.