Kua Numbers 2 and 8: Earth-Element Directions and Home Layout

Kua 2 and Kua 8 in the Eight Mansions system

In the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) school of feng shui, Kua 2 and Kua 8 are both Earth-element numbers in the West group. The West group also includes kua 6 and 7. Traditionally, the life palace of Kua 2 is in the southwest, and the life palace of Kua 8 is in the northeast. The life palace is the sector that gives the Fu Wei (personal growth) star.

If your calculation gives 5, the number is converted. Men become Kua 2 and women become Kua 8. For the full formula, see the kua number calculation guide.

Kua 2: favourable and unfavourable sectors

Kua 2 has four favourable sectors:

• Northeast: Sheng Chi (growth and prosperity). The strongest of the four. Traditionally, use it for work, study and important decisions when you can.
• West: Tian Yi (health and recovery). Traditionally a good sector for rest and recovery.
• Northwest: Yan Nian (relationships and longevity). Linked with family and close relationships.
• Southwest: Fu Wei (stability and personal growth). This is the life palace for Kua 2.

The four unfavourable sectors are:

• North: Jue Ming (total loss). The most serious sector in the chart. Avoid facing it or sleeping with your head toward it.
• South: Liu Sha (six killings). Traditionally linked with setbacks and disagreements.
• Southeast: Wu Gui (five ghosts). Traditionally linked with gossip and loss.
• East: Huo Hai (mishaps and disputes). Traditionally a sector to spend little time in for work or sleep.

Kua 8: favourable and unfavourable sectors

Kua 8 has four favourable sectors:

• Southwest: Sheng Chi (growth and success). The strongest of the four. Traditionally linked with career and money.
• Northwest: Tian Yi (health). Traditionally a good sector for physical well-being.
• West: Yan Nian (love and relationships). Linked with romance and family harmony.
• Northeast: Fu Wei (personal growth and stability). This is the life palace for Kua 8.

The four unfavourable sectors are:

• South: Huo Hai (arguments and frustration). Traditionally a sector to avoid for sleep and long working hours.
• North: Wu Gui (five ghosts). Traditionally a good place for utility rooms, such as a kitchen or toilet, rather than a bedroom or office.
• East: Liu Sha (six killings). Traditionally linked with setbacks. Service areas suit it better than living spaces.
• Southeast: Jue Ming (total loss). The most serious sector. Traditionally a good place for a kitchen or bathroom.

Kua 2 and Kua 8 side by side

Both numbers use the same four favourable sectors: northeast, northwest, west and southwest. Each sector plays a different role for the two numbers. The northeast is Sheng Chi for Kua 2 and Fu Wei for Kua 8, and the southwest is the reverse. The unfavourable sectors are also rearranged.

A simple way to remember it: for Kua 2, the best sector for work is the northeast. For Kua 8, it is the southwest.

Layout tips for Kua 2 and Kua 8

• Sleep. Where the room allows, point your head toward a favourable sector. For Kua 2, the northeast is the strongest choice. For Kua 8, it is the southwest. Keep your head away from the most serious unfavourable sector, which is the north for Kua 2 and the southeast for Kua 8.
• Desk and study. Face your Sheng Chi sector when you work or study. Avoid placing the desk so that you face a door.
• Entrance. If your home has more than one door, use the one in a favourable sector when you can. For more on this, see the front door direction guide.
• Kitchen and bathroom. The Eight Mansions tradition places these rooms in the unfavourable sectors, where they are said to reduce the effect of those sectors. Keep them out of the favourable ones.
• Colours and materials. Earth tones such as yellow, beige and brown suit both numbers. Red, pink and purple are said to support earth, because fire feeds earth in the five-element cycle. Some practitioners suggest keeping heavy green to a minimum, because wood is said to weaken earth.
• Shapes and objects. Square forms and objects made of clay, ceramic or stone are traditionally associated with earth.
• Use this as a guide, not a rule. The room layout and the orientation of the house affect the picture. If your home faces an unfavourable direction, many practitioners suggest using another door and making the most of your favourable sectors inside.

Is 8 a lucky number?

In Chinese culture, 8 is widely seen as a lucky number. One common explanation is that its sound resembles the word for prosperity. This cultural meaning is separate from the kua system, and also from the 8 star in flying star feng shui. Kua 8 is one personal number, and its directions do not depend on the number 8 being lucky in other settings.

Kua 2 and Kua 8 compatibility

Compatibility in the Eight Mansions tradition is usually explained through the five-element cycle:

• Kua 2 with Kua 8: both are earth and both are in the West group, so they are generally seen as harmonious.
• Kua 8 with Kua 9: fire feeds earth, so Kua 9 is often described as supportive of Kua 8.
• Kua 1 with Kua 2 or Kua 8: earth controls water, so this pairing is often described as harder work. See the Kua 1 guide for more on Kua 1.

For more pairings, see the kua number compatibility guide for couples.

Personality and other kua pages

Traditional descriptions of Kua 8 personality are covered in the Kua 8 personality article. If you are not sure which number applies to you, start with how to find your kua. The Eight Mansions overview explains the whole system, and the Kua 6 and 7 guide covers the other West group numbers.

These are traditional guidelines, not scientific findings. Treat the sectors above as a starting point for arranging a room, not as a rule.