In this article, explore what a Feng Shui Period entails as we detail the intricacies of two prominent systems adopted by Feng Shui practitioners worldwide — San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star (三元玄空飞星) and Xuan Kong Liu Fa (玄空六法).
A Feng Shui period (元运) is a multi-planetary calendar system that tracks the movement of major planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn relative to Earth.
Over the centuries, ancient Chinese sages dedicated extensive time to observing the celestial movements of planetary stars. This prolonged exploration resulted in the development of two distinct calendar systems, each designed to analyse how these celestial motions impact energies within our homes, offices, and factories.
There are two time systems governing the studies of Xuan Kong Feng Shui:
- Three Cycles Nine Periods (San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star)
- Two Cycles Eight Periods (Xuan Kong Liu Fa)
What is San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star?
San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star is a Feng Shui discipline that integrates the studies of the Five Elements (五行), Eight Trigrams (八卦), Lo Shu Numbers, Planetary stars and 24 Mountains. This discipline helps in understanding the influence of planetary stars, direction, space and time on a house, office or retail space. A San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star practitioner’s work involves measuring the facing direction of a building and plotting its astrological chart based on the Feng Shui period it belongs to.
San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Star Feng Shui practitioners employ the Three Cycles Nine Periods system, which measures the facing direction and period of buildings before plotting the Flying Star chart.
A major Feng Shui cycle is comprised of three periods, each extending over 20 years. Hence, a major cycle encompasses 60 years in total.
What is Xuan Kong Liu Fa?
Xuan Kong Liu Fa is a Feng Shui discipline that adopts six methodologies: Xuan Kong (玄空), Man and Woman (雌雄), Golden Dragon (金龙), Leaning Star (挨星), Castle Gate (城门) and Grand Duke (太岁) in assessing the auspiciousness of a building. It builds on the foundation of Early Heaven Bagua, Lo Shu Numbers, Planetary Stars and 24 Mountains.
The Two Cycles Eight Periods concept is applied by Xuan Kong Liu Fa practitioners.
The methodology of calculating the number of years in each Feng Shui period is done by referencing the numbers on the Lo Shu squares and matching them with the trigram positions of the Early Heaven Bagua.
Origin of Lo Shu Square
According to ancient Chinese legend, Emperor Yu-Huang once sought solace along the banks of the mighty Yellow River (Huang-He). During this contemplative moment, he discovered a turtle at his feet as he peered into the river’s waters. Recognising a familiar pattern resembling the stars he observed each night, Emperor Yu-Huang realised that this turtle, distinguished by a unique pattern on its back, was the Divine Turtle. The Lo Shu Square, characterised by a 3 by 3 grid pattern with dots positioned in the centre and 15 dots in each row, is said to be derived from this celestial revelation.
The Lo Shu Square held significance as a foundational model for understanding time, direction, and space in ancient Chinese culture. Its influence extended to various aspects of city planning, tomb design, and temple architecture, often designating spaces of political and religious importance.
Within the Lo Shu Square, each number symbolised a specific cardinal direction. For instance:
- 1 represented North
- 8 represented North-East
The Two Cycles Eight Periods system comprises two main cycles:
- Upper Cycle — Periods 1, 2, 3 and 4
- Lower Cycle — Periods 6, 7, 8 and 9
Notably, each period within this system has a unique duration, distinguishing it from the Three Cycles Nine Periods system, where all periods follow a standardised 20-year span.
A key distinction between these two systems lies in the trigrams associated with each Feng Shui period. In the Three Cycles Nine Periods system, Period 1 is represented by the Kan Trigram (坎卦), while in the Two Cycles Eight Periods system, it is represented by the Kun Trigram (坤卦). The former aligns with the Later Heaven Bagua, whereas the latter corresponds to the Early Heaven Bagua.
To understand the relationship between Early Heaven Bagua and Lo Shu Square, we will combine the Early Heaven Bagua and the Lo Shu Square diagram:
- Period 1 is symbolised by the Kun Trigram (坤卦)
- Period 8 is symbolised by the Gen Trigram (艮卦)
The following table provides a detailed breakdown of the correlation between the Eight Trigrams and Feng Shui periods:
Calculating Years in the Two Cycles Eight Periods Feng Shui System
Upon identifying the trigram, assign the number 6 to each Yin-Yao (阴爻) line and the number 9 to each Yang-Yao (阳爻) line. The sum of these three numbers determines the number of years.
In the case of Period 1 under the Kun Trigram (坤卦), there are three Yin-Yao lines, in which the calculation yields 6 x 3 = 18 years, resulting in an 18-year duration for Period 1. Conversely, for Period 9 — characterised by three Yang-Yao lines — the calculation results in 3 x 9 = 27 years, establishing a 27-year duration for Period 9.
In the Two Cycles Eight Periods system, there are distinct streams of Feng Shui periods—one dedicated to tracking Mountain Luck (Early Heaven Luck) and another to monitoring Water Luck (Later Heaven Luck). At the same time, we should bear in mind that according to Imperial Feng Shui classics, Mountains govern benefactors, health and harmony, while water governs wealth. (山管人丁，水管财)
The following image depicts the Mountain Luck Trigram, which corresponds with the Early Heaven Bagua and indicates the Feng Shui period and the number of years in each period.
The following image depicts the Water Luck Trigram, which corresponds with the Later Heaven Bagua and indicates the Feng Shui period and the number of years in each period.
In the context of the Two Cycles Eight Periods system, Period 1’s Mountain Luck aligns with the original Kun Trigram (坤卦) from the Early Heaven Bagua, while its Water Luck corresponds to the opposite Qian Trigram (乾卦). Consequently, Period 1’s Mountain Luck spans 18 years, while its Water Luck lasts for 27 years. This, therefore, further clarifies that the influence of Period 9 Mountain Luck commenced in 2017, affecting the Period 9 Flying Stars.
At Imperial Harvest
As Period 9 is in full swing starting in 2024, it is a prime opportunity to activate the auspicious Star #9, as covered previously. Master David employs both San Yuan Xuan Kong Flying Stars and Xuan Kong Liu Fa principles to optimise his clients’ homes. Activating the Period 9 wealth star is crucial for attracting powerful benefactors, maximising wealth potential, and thriving in the Period 9 economy.
