Kua Numbers 3 and 4: Wood-Element Directions and Home Layout

Kua 3 and Kua 4 in the Eight Mansions system

In the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) school of feng shui, Kua 3 and Kua 4 are both wood-element numbers in the East group. The East group also includes kua 1 and 9. Kua 3 is linked with the thunder trigram (Zhen), and Kua 4 with the wind trigram (Xun). On the bagua map, the same trigrams name the family area in the east and the wealth corner in the southeast. The life palace of Kua 3 is in the east, and the life palace of Kua 4 is in the southeast. The life palace is the sector that gives the Fu Wei (personal growth) star.

Both numbers use the same four favourable sectors, north, east, southeast and south. They arrange those sectors differently, so each number has its own chart.

How to check if you are Kua 3 or Kua 4

Reduce the last two digits of your birth year to a single digit. Then apply the formula for your gender:

• Born before 2000: men subtract the result from 10, and women add 5.
• Born in 2000 or later: men subtract the result from 9, and women add 6.

Four examples:

• A man born in 1979: 7 + 9 = 16, then 1 + 6 = 7. Then 10 − 7 = 3. Kua 3.
• A woman born in 1970: 7 + 0 = 7. Then 7 + 5 = 12, then 1 + 2 = 3. Kua 3.
• A man born in 1969: 6 + 9 = 15, then 1 + 5 = 6. Then 10 − 6 = 4. Kua 4.
• A woman born in 1980: 8 + 0 = 8. Then 8 + 5 = 13, then 1 + 3 = 4. Kua 4.

Each example assumes a birthday after early February. If your birthday falls in January or early February, check the exact date for your birth year first. The full kua number calculation explains the steps and the edge cases.

Kua 3: favourable and unfavourable sectors

Kua 3 has four favourable sectors:

• South: Sheng Chi (growth and success). The strongest of the four. Traditionally, use it for work, study and important decisions when you can.
• North: Tian Yi (health and recovery). Traditionally a good sector for rest and recovery.
• Southeast: Yan Nian (relationships and longevity). Linked with family and close relationships.
• East: Fu Wei (stability and personal growth). This is the life palace for Kua 3.

The four unfavourable sectors are:

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

Kua 4: favourable and unfavourable sectors

Kua 4 has four favourable sectors:

• North: Sheng Chi (growth and success). The strongest of the four. Traditionally linked with career and money.
• South: Tian Yi (health and recovery). Traditionally a good sector for rest.
• East: Yan Nian (relationships and longevity). Linked with family and close relationships.
• Southeast: Fu Wei (stability and personal growth). This is the life palace for Kua 4.

The four unfavourable sectors are:

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

Kua 3 and Kua 4 side by side

Both numbers use the same four favourable sectors. Kua 3 and Kua 4 swap the two strongest: Sheng Chi is in the south for Kua 3 and the north for Kua 4. Their most serious sectors are also different. For Kua 3 it is the west, and for Kua 4 it is the northeast.

A simple way to remember it: Kua 3 looks south for success, and Kua 4 looks north for success.

Layout tips for Kua 3 and Kua 4

• Sleep. Where the room allows, point your head toward a favourable sector. For Kua 3, the south (Sheng Chi) is the strongest choice. For Kua 4, it is the north. Keep your head away from the most serious unfavourable sector, which is the west for Kua 3 and the northeast for Kua 4.
• Desk and study. Face your Sheng Chi sector when you work. For study, the life palace (Fu Wei) suits focused personal work.
• 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. Greens suit the wood element. Blue and black are water colours, and water feeds wood in the five-element cycle, so they are traditionally seen as supportive too. Many practitioners suggest limiting metallic gold and silver, because metal is said to control wood.
• Use this as a guide, not a rule. The room layout and the orientation of the house affect the picture. When two people in a home have different favourable sectors, many practitioners suggest a compromise.

Kua 3 and Kua 4 compatibility

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

• Kua 3 and 4 with each other: both are wood, so they are generally seen as harmonious.
• Kua 3 and 4 with kua 1 (water): water feeds wood, so Kua 1 is often seen as supporting them. See the Kua 1 guide.
• Kua 3 and 4 with kua 9 (fire): wood feeds fire, so Kua 3 and 4 are often seen as supporting Kua 9. See the Kua 9 guide.
• Kua 3 and 4 with kua 2 and 8 (earth): wood controls earth, so this pairing is often described as harder work. See the Kua 2 and 8 guide.
• Kua 3 and 4 with kua 6 and 7 (metal): metal controls wood, so this pairing is often described as more demanding. See the Kua 6 and 7 guide.

For a fuller picture, see the kua number pillar guide. If you have a question about the number itself, the Eight Mansions overview explains the system.

These are traditional guidelines, not scientific findings. Use them as a starting point for arranging a room, not as a verdict on a person.