In Your Element: Calculating Your Feng Shui Element and Trigram

By Amanda Collins

Understanding Your Feng Shui Basics

Determining your personal feng shui element can allow you to bring things in to your environment that will help you to thrive and to position yourself in directions that will improve flow. Essence colors are colors that feed you. For example, if you’re a number 9, then your element is fire. Wood is the element that feeds fire, so bringing in little amounts of red/sunlight, red colors, and wood or plants will help support you in your home—as red represents the fire element. Your essence colors also help to support your energy and are the best colors for things that touch your body, such as clothing, bed sheets, even the color of your car. Also bring in wood and green colors, as these represent wood—which feeds the fire!

Your personal best direction is your best location for prosperity and great fame and it’s recommended to have your back face this direction for productivity. When setting up your desk both at home or in the office, position yourself with your back to this direction. In your living room and dining room, again, position your back to these directions and you will be constantly supported while sitting. If you want to improve sleep, point the headboard of your bed in the best sleeping direction.

Calculating the Male Trigram

1. Subtract 1 from the birth year if born between January 1st and February 5th.

2. Sum the digits of your birth year repeatedly until it reduces to a single digit.

3. Subtract this single number from 11. The result is your trigram number.

4. If the result is 5, your final number is 2 (i.e., a man born on 1/23/1978 would use 1977 – see rule #1, 1+9+7+7=24, 2+4=6, 11-6=5, 5 becomes 2).

Calculating the Female Trigram

1. Steps one and two are the same as above.

3. Add 4 to this single number. The result is your trigram number.

4. If the result is 5, your final number is 8 (i.e., a woman born on 1/23/1978 would use 1977, 1+9+7+7=24, 2+4=6, 6+4=10, 1+0=1).

Your Number is 1 and Your Element is Water

You are flexible, yet focused and determined. You’re empathetic, artistic, and given to deep thought but tend to worry too much and may be overly sensitive.

  • Essence colors: Black, indigo or dark blue
  • Colors that feed you: Gold, silver and grey
  • Element that feeds you: Metal
  • Water’s shape: Wavy and curvy patterns
  • Materials: Metal fountains, aquariums and pools
  • Personal best direction: Southeast
  • Best location for sleeping: North

Your Number is 2 and Element is Earth

You are a very strong care-giver and can be a great leader, but with Earthly intentions.

  • Essence colors: Terra-cotta, yellow, browns and beiges
  • Colors that feed you: Red and purple
  • Element that feeds you: Fire
  • Earth’s shape: Square, low objects associated with the feeling of stability
  • Materials: Large-scale furnishings, sand, clay, ceramics, marble, granite, river rocks, crystals, adobe brick, and stucco
  • Personal best direction: Northeast
  • Best location for sleeping: West

Your Number is 3 and Element is Wood

You are usually even-tempered but you can have sudden outbursts. You like to be moving and hate a job where you have to sit still for long. You are enthusiastic and can be loud at times.

  • Essence colors: Greens – but the color is not as effective the element.
  • Colors that feed you: Black and blue
  • Element that feeds you: Water
  • Wood’s shape: Rectangular, columns, patterns vertical or horizontal
  • Materials: Trees, plants and fresh flowers
  • Personal best direction: South
  • Best location for sleeping: East

Your Number is 4 and Your Element is Wood

You are insightful and often driven but, like the wind’s direction, you can change your mind abruptly and often. You tend to be creative and artistic.

  • Essence colors: Greens – but the color is not as effective the element.
  • Colors that feed you: Black and blue
  • Element that feeds you: Water
  • Wood’s shape: Rectangular, columns, patterns vertical or horizontal
  • Materials: Trees, plants and fresh flowers
  • Personal best direction: North
  • Best location for sleeping: Southeast

Your Number is 6 and Your Element is Metal

You are a natural-born leader and authority figure. However, you can be headstrong with very strong masculine energy.

  • Essence colors: White, gold, silver, copper, reflective colors and pastels
  • Colors that feed you: Earth tones, browns, yellows, cream
  • Element that feeds you: Earth
  • Metal’s shape: Oval, arches, round
  • Materials: Rod iron, steel and copper, any objects made of metal
  • Metal’s texture: Smooth, as are the surfaces of metal when formed or heated
  • Personal best direction: West
  • Best location for sleeping: Northwest

Your Number is 7 and Your Element is Metal

You are artistic, creative, sociable, and talkative.

  • Essence colors: White, gold, silver, copper, reflective colors and pastels
  • Colors that feed you: Earth tones, browns, yellows, cream
  • Element that feeds you: Earth
  • Metal’s shape: Oval, arches, round
  • Materials: Rod iron, steel and copper, any objects made of metal
  • Metal’s texture: Smooth, as are the surfaces of metal when formed or heated
  • Personal best direction: Northwest
  • Best location for sleeping: Southwest

Your Number is 8 and Your Element is Earth

You are very stable; however, you can be stubborn. You are very youthful.

  • Essence colors: Terra cotta, yellow, browns, and beiges
  • Colors that feed you: Red and purple
  • Element that feeds you: Fire
  • Earth’s shape: Square, low objects associated with the feeling of stability
  • Materials: Large-scale furnishings, sand, clay, ceramics, marble, granite, river rocks, crystals, adobe brick, and stucco
  • Personal best direction: Southwest
  • Best location for sleeping: Northeast

Your Number is 9 and Your Element is Fire

You are extremely active, sometimes to the point of being ill or burning yourself out. You are very passionate however; and you can be hot tempered.

  • Essence colors: Reddish like a flame, reds and purples, burgundy, cranberry
  • Colors that feed you: Green
  • Element that feeds you: Wood
  • Fire’s shapes: Triangles, pyramids and tall pointed shapes
  • Materials: Candles, the color red, full-spectrum lighting, candles, lamps, and night-lights
  • Personal best direction: East
  • Best location for sleeping: South

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Amanda Collins

Amanda Collins is a Feng Shui expert for the International School of Feng Shui, a Yoga teacher, a singer-songwriter, and a spiritual guide who leads people on journeys around the world, their own homes and most essentially, their internal landscape. She also teaches the Pacific Center for Lifelong Learning’s online Feng Shui Master program.

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