What Are Corners in Feng Shui?
In feng shui, corners play an important role in determining the flow of qi (life force energy) within a home or space. The corners are considered powerful areas that connect and anchor the qi between the surrounding walls. This makes them strategically significant for amplifying positive or negative energies.
The classical and Black Hat feng shui schools both use the bagua map, divided into nine areas, to evaluate a home’s energy potential. The bagua areas overlay the floor plan to show where each gua (life area) is located. The corners mark the borders between guas and signify transitions in energy between those life areas.
As qi circulates through a home, it sweeps through the diagonal corners from one gua to the next. Optimizing those corner areas ensures smoother energy flow between bagua sectors. Leaving corners cluttered or unactivated can disrupt qi movement and cause stagnation. Feng shui remedies or enhancements applied to corners enhance overall flow.
The strength and position of corners impacts thebagua areas they anchor. Properly addressing corners with feng shui curesbalances and completes the guas they border. Corners help direct qi so it benefits different life aspirations in those bagua zones. As a result, corners are integral to managing energy flow in a feng shui home.
Classical Feng Shui Corners
In classical feng shui, the direction of the corners in a home are determined based on a compass reading. A compass is used to determine the proper placement and orientation of the bagua map. The bagua map is a feng shui tool used to analyze how different areas of your home relate to aspects of your life like health, wealth, relationships, etc.
Based on the compass reading, the classical feng shui practitioner can determine the precise direction of each corner. For example, if the compass shows the front door of the home faces South, then the Southwest corner of each room would relate to the Love and Marriage area of the bagua. So that corner would be activated in the bedroom to enhance the relationships of the home’s occupants.
The classical school is very precise about corner direction in relation to the bagua map. Even if the home isn’t built exactly to the cardinal directions, a classical feng shui analysis will determine the precise corner directions room-by-room based on the compass reading. This allows the specific life aspects of each corner to be determined.
Black Hat Feng Shui Corners
The Black Hat Sect (BTB) school of feng shui takes a different approach to determining corner directions compared to classical feng shui.
Rather than using a compass to plot the bagua map and ascertain the feng shui corners of a home or room, BTB feng shui uses a standardized north-south orientation. This means the bagua map is placed with the entrance always at the bottom, with the back of the home facing north.
With BTB feng shui, the compass is not used at all. The bagua map corners are simply aligned to the cardinal directions, with north, south, east and west remaining consistent no matter the orientation of the home’s front door.
This contrasts with classical feng shui, where the bagua orientation shifts based on the precise compass reading of the main door. So in classical feng shui, the corner directions are aligned to the entry door’s facing direction rather than true north.
The key difference is that BTB relies on a standardized application of the bagua across all spaces, while classical feng shui calibrates the bagua on a room-by-room basis depending on its precise compass orientation.
When applying feng shui, it’s best not to mix these two approaches. Choose either the classical compass method or the standardized BTB technique, and be consistent across your home or office space.
Choosing Classical or BTB Feng Shui
When applying feng shui to your home, it’s recommended to follow one approach consistently rather than mixing different schools. The two main approaches are Classical feng shui and Black Hat Sect feng shui (BTB).
Classical feng shui determines the direction of the bagua map based on precise compass measurements of the home. BTB feng shui uses a standardized orientation with the bagua map always aligned to standard north.
Trying to combine Classical and BTB principles can create contradictions. For example, a wealth corner may end up in the southeast per Classical feng shui or the northwest per BTB in the same home. It’s best to carefully research the principles of each approach and select one methodology to adhere to throughout.
Consistency creates the optimal feng shui energy flow in a home. Mixing approaches can undermine your efforts. Select either traditional Classical feng shui or contemporary BTB feng shui and stick to it as you analyze your home and apply enhancements.
Feng Shui Corner Positions
In feng shui, corner positions are determined differently depending on if you follow the classical school or the Black Hat Sect (BTB) school.
Classical feng shui uses a bagua map oriented to the true compass directions to determine the feng shui corners in a space. This means the corner positions can vary from room to room depending on how the room is situated relative to the compass directions.
The BTB school of feng shui takes a simpler approach – they standardize the corner positions in each room by orienting the bagua map to north in every space, no matter the true compass reading.
This means:
- Classical feng shui: Corner positions vary room to room
- BTB feng shui: Corner positions are the same in every room
Here’s a visual summary of the difference in corner positions between the schools:
Classical Feng Shui | Black Hat BTB |
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As you can see, the classical approach results in different corner areas being emphasized in each room depending on compass reading, while BTB standardizes the corners across all spaces.
When applying feng shui, it’s important to choose one approach and follow it consistently throughout your home. Don’t mix classical and BTB methods or your feng shui applications will be ineffective.
Activating Corners with Feng Shui
According to feng shui principles, corners can be energized and activated through proper placement of the five Chinese elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The five elements interact with each other through cycles of creation and destruction. By tuning corners to specific elements, you can promote the flow of positive qi energy in a space.
For example, the wealth corner in the living room or family room can be activated with the wood element. Add a healthy, thriving plant or fresh flowers to nourish the wood energy. The combination of the wood element with the earth element already present in the corner balances and grounds the energy.
The relationships corner of a bedroom can be energized through the fire element. Place a standing lamp, table lamp or natural candle in the relationships corner to represent the fire element. The fire fuels passion and vibrancy for relationships. Make sure the lamp or candle is kept on regularly to sustain the fire energy.
The career corner of a home office can benefit from the metal element. Hang a circular metal decoration, wind chime or set of metal keys in the corner. The smooth movement and sound of metal harmonizes and enhances the energy flow of the career. Reflective metal surfaces like a mirror can also strengthen the metal element.
Water elements are ideal for activating the helpful people and travel area of a living room. Place a tabletop fountain, glass vase of flowers or bowl/aquarium of fish in the corner. The gentle movement of water will attract supportive people and exciting travel opportunities into your life.
Use this approach of applying the five elements to diagnose the energy of corners throughout your home. Tune each corner by thoughtfully selecting colors, materials, shapes and items that align with the appropriate element. A balanced infusion of elemental energy in corners creates a harmonious flow of qi.
Keep Corners Clean
In feng shui, keeping the corners in your home free of clutter is very important for allowing positive chi to flow freely. Clutter tends to accumulate in corners, but this creates stagnant and trapped energy. Stagnant chi cannot circulate properly and brings low feng shui energy to the areas it gathers.
Make an effort to frequently clean out clutter from corners. This allows fresh chi to enter and prevents the buildup of negative energy. Dust and vacuum corners regularly. Don’t let papers, books, bags, boxes, shoes and other items pile up.
Keep furniture, decor items and possessions from cramming into corners too much. Give the energy space to move. Avoid overcrowding corners or letting them become storage areas.
The ideal feng shui corner is clean, open and spacious. This encourages positive chi to gather and disperse throughout the room and home. Clutter-free corners also provide a sense of uplift and relief from visual busyness.
Aim to frequently tidy and clear corner areas. This maintains high energy flow in your home’s feng shui. Don’t allow clutter to accumulate and create stagnant pockets of chi.
Feng Shui Corner Cures
In feng shui, corner cures refer to enhancements you can make to activate the energy and luck of room corners. Feng shui experts recommend placing specific items in corners to attract desired energy flows. Popular corner cures include:
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Good luck symbols like tassels, bamboo, coins, cranes, turtles, and more. These represent prosperity, longevity, and other auspicious meanings. Place 3-9 symbols tied together or a single substantial symbol for maximum effect.
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Soothing artwork like nature scenes, flowing water, or spiritual imagery brings positive chi and enhances meditation spaces. Avoid overly stimulating artwork in bedrooms.
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Low lighting like table lamps, candles, or rope lights creates cozy ambiance and prevents shadows from collecting. Use warm light bulbs.
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Healthy plants signify growing energy and life force. They purify the air too. Opt for round-leaf varieties with upward/outward growing stalks.
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Gentle tabletop fountains represent flowing abundance and prosperity. The sound provides tranquility. Place in a central corner.
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Uplifting crystals like rose quartz and amethyst, especially in geometric shapes, stimulate ch’i movement.
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Fragrance like essential oils, incense, or fresh flowers balances mood and energy. Apply soothing scents in bedrooms.
With thoughtful feng shui enhancements, you can turn every corner of your home into a haven of positive energy and good fortune. Play with colors, shapes, materials, and meanings to find corner cures that speak to you.
Dealing with Poison Arrows
In feng shui, a “poison arrow” refers to a sharp corner or edge that points directly at an important area of your home, like your front door, bed, or seating area. These corners and edges can create negative energy known as “sha chi” that disturbs harmony and wellbeing.
The most common poison arrow comes from outside your home. A road, walkway, fence, or neighbor’s house that points right at your front door is considered a poison arrow. Having the edge of a building pointing at your front door is very bad feng shui.
Inside your home, poison arrows often come from wall corners or furniture placement. Avoid having a sharp corner pointing directly at the main door, bed, stove, or desks and seating areas. The sharper the angle, the more potential negative energy it can generate.
To remedy a poison arrow, use feng shui cures to block and soften the edge:
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Place a plant in the path of the poison arrow to absorb negative energy. Use a tall plant like a ficus tree for outside arrows.
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Hang a crystal, faceted sphere, or wind chime between the poison arrow and the afflicted spot to deflect energy.
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Position a heavy object like a boulder or large flower pot to block the arrow.
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For inside corners, place a small table or piece of furniture to soften the angle and obstruct the arrow.
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Use a ba-gua mirror to reflect the energy back where it came from.
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Hang a bamboo flute diagonally across the poison arrow corner.
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Introduce lighting, color, and motion like a small table fountain to neutralize negative chi.
With the proper feng shui remedies, you can transform poison arrow corners and edges into positive, harmonious spaces.
Missing Corner Solutions
Missing corners in a room or home can create issues from a feng shui perspective. This is because corners represent supportive energy in bagua maps. When a corner is missing or truncated, it can make it more challenging for positive qi energy to accumulate properly.
There are several potential feng shui fixes for dealing with missing corners:
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Add a small table or plant stand to visually complete the corner. Place a healthy plant or other feng shui cure on top.
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Hang a faceted crystal, prism, or ba-gua mirror in the corner space to symbolically stand in for the missing corner.
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Use a lighting fixture or lamp to draw attention towards and energize the problem corner.
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Paint the walls of the missing corner in a different, accent color to provide visual emphasis.
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For exterior missing corners, construct a small trellis, arbor, or other architectural feature to complete the corner.
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Avoid placing beds, desks, or seating areas directly adjacent to a missing corner. Allow space for qi energy to flow.
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Add feng shui cures like a salt lamp, bells, or art images of mountains or water to strengthen the area.
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Use a tall bookshelf or room divider screen placed diagonally across from the missing corner to balance the space.
The key is to find creative ways to visually complete the corner and direct positive energy towards any problem areas. When it doubt, bring in feng shui consultants or geomancy experts to assess tricky missing corner situations. With the right adjustments, it’s possible to improve energy flow in rooms with incomplete corners.