Every field has its own language. Cooking has its ‘sauté’ and ‘julienne.’ Gardening has its ‘perennials’ and ‘deadheading.’ The world of Feng Shui is no different. It has a vocabulary all its own, developed over thousands of years to describe the subtle ways we experience our surroundings.
When you first start exploring, you might come across words that feel unfamiliar or complex. That’s perfectly okay. This isn’t a list to memorize or a test to pass. It’s simply a gentle introduction to some of the common ideas you may see.
Think of these terms as guideposts, not rules. They are words that help us notice and talk about the feeling of a space. Let�������s explore a few of them together, one simple step at a time.
Foundational Concepts
These are the big, core ideas that many other Feng Shui principles are built upon. They are less about specific objects and more about the underlying energy of a space.
1. Chi (or Qi)
You will see this word everywhere. Chi is often translated as ‘life force energy.’ It’s the unseen current that flows through everything—the landscape, our homes, and ourselves.
In Feng Shui, the focus is on encouraging a smooth, gentle flow of Chi through a space, much like you’d want a pleasant breeze to move through a room on a warm day.
2. Yin and Yang
This is the familiar symbol of balance. Yin and Yang represent the two opposing but complementary forces in the universe. They are always in relationship with each other.
Yin is associated with quiet, dark, soft, and passive qualities (like a quiet bedroom). Yang is associated with bright, active, loud, and energetic qualities (like a busy kitchen or entryway). A home is often seen as having a balance of both.
3. The Five Elements (Wu Xing)
This is a framework used to understand the cycles of nature. The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each element has its own associated colors, shapes, and qualities.
They are seen as interacting in cycles. For example, Water nourishes Wood, and Wood fuels Fire. It’s a way of looking at how different energies support or balance one another in a room.
4. The Tao
The Tao, often translated as ‘The Way,’ is a foundational concept in Chinese philosophy. It refers to the natural, underlying order of the universe.
In the context of Feng Shui, living in harmony with the Tao means aligning our homes and lives with the natural flow of energy and the rhythms of nature.
The Feng Shui ‘Maps’
To help understand the energy of a specific building, different systems or ‘maps’ are sometimes used. These are tools for observation.
5. Bagua
The Bagua is an energy map. It’s an octagonal grid that can be laid over the floor plan of a home, a room, or even a desk. Each of the eight sections (plus the center) corresponds to a specific area of life, such as family, career, or knowledge.
There are different ways to apply the Bagua. Some use a compass to align it, while others align it with the front door of the home.
6. Kua Number (Ming Gua)
Your Kua number is a single-digit number calculated from your birth year and gender. In some schools of Feng Shui, this number is used to identify your personal auspicious or favorable directions.
For example, someone with a Kua number of 1 might find that facing east while working feels more supportive. It’s a way to personalize the space to the individual.
7. Flying Stars (Xuan Kong)
This is a more complex system within Feng Shui. It looks at how the energy of a home changes over time, based on when it was built and its compass orientation.
The ‘stars’ are not literal stars in the sky, but rather nine types of energy that are thought to move through a home in predictable patterns, influencing different areas year by year.
Describing Energy Flow
Feng Shui uses specific terms to describe the quality of Chi. Is it flowing smoothly, or is it moving too fast or not at all?
8. Sheng Chi
This refers to positive, life-enhancing energy. It’s the kind of Chi that feels vibrant, fresh, and nourishing. A gently meandering stream or a bright, welcoming entryway might be described as having Sheng Chi.
The goal of many Feng Shui adjustments is to cultivate and encourage this type of gentle, flowing energy in a home.
9. Sha Chi
Sha Chi is the opposite. It describes energy that feels harsh, sharp, or stagnant. Think of a long, narrow hallway where energy seems to rush, or a cluttered corner where it feels stuck.
Things like sharp corners from furniture pointing at a seating area are sometimes referred to as sources of Sha Chi. The idea is to soften or redirect this energy.
10. The Mouth of Chi
This term almost always refers to the main entrance of your home. The front door is seen as the primary way that energy, opportunities, and nourishment enter your space and your life.
Keeping this area clear, well-lit, and welcoming is often a starting point in Feng Shui consultations.
Key Positions & Directions
Where we place ourselves and our furniture can influence how we feel. These terms describe some of those key placements.
11. Commanding Position
This is a core concept about placement. The Commanding Position is the spot in a room where you can see the door without being directly in line with it. It’s a position of awareness and ease.
It is most often discussed for the placement of beds, desks, and main sofas. The idea is that when you can see who is entering, your nervous system can relax more deeply.
12. Facing Direction
This refers to the compass direction that the front of your house faces. It’s the direction you look when you are standing in your front doorway looking out.
In Compass School Feng Shui, the facing direction is a key piece of information used to understand the home’s energy chart.
13. Sitting Direction
The sitting direction is simply the opposite of the facing direction. It’s the direction at the back of the house. This is considered the supportive, stable ‘yin’ side of the home.
Common Practices & Tools
These are some of the practical terms you’ll encounter when people talk about applying Feng Shui principles.
14. Cures (or Adjustments)
This word can sound a bit strange, as if something is sick. A more gentle way to think of it is as an ‘adjustment’ or ‘enhancement.’
A cure is any object or change made with the intention of shifting the energy in a space. It could be as simple as adding a plant, hanging a mirror, or painting a wall a new color.
15. Space Clearing
Space clearing is the practice of clearing out old, stagnant, or heavy-feeling energy from a space. This can be done after an argument, when moving into a new home, or just when a room feels ‘stuck.’
Methods can range from simply opening all the windows to let in fresh air and light, to using sound like bells or clapping, or burning sage or incense.
16. Clutter
In Feng Shui, clutter is more than just messiness. It’s seen as anything that is unfinished, unused, or disorganized. It can also include things you don’t love or that hold negative associations.
The observation is that stagnant energy can gather around clutter, making it harder for fresh, vibrant Chi to flow freely through the space.
17. Intention
Intention is the quiet power behind any Feng Shui adjustment. It’s the ‘why’ behind placing a crystal in a corner or hanging a piece of art.
Placing an object with a clear, positive intention—like placing a healthy plant in your workspace as a symbol of growth—is considered to be just as important as the object itself.
The Different ‘Schools’
You may notice that different practitioners have different methods. This is because Feng Shui is not one single system, but a collection of related schools of thought.
18. Form School
This is the oldest school of Feng Shui. It focuses on observing the physical landscape—the shape of mountains, the flow of rivers, and the placement of buildings in their environment. It’s about reading the land and finding a supportive place to live.
19. Compass School
This school uses a special compass, called a Luo Pan, to take precise directional readings. It incorporates calculations based on compass directions, time, and even astrology to analyze a space.
20. Black Sect (BTB)
Popularized in the West, Black Sect Tantric Buddhist (BTB) Feng Shui is a more modern school. It often uses the Bagua map by aligning it with the front door of the home, rather than with a compass. It also places a strong emphasis on intention and the mind-body connection.
A Gentle Invitation
There is no need to feel overwhelmed by this new vocabulary. You don’t have to learn it all at once, or even at all. The most valuable tool you have is your own awareness.
Perhaps just pick one or two terms that resonate with you. Maybe you start by noticing the ‘Commanding Position’ in your favorite coffee shop. Or you might observe how the energy, the ‘Chi,’ feels different in a cluttered room versus a clear one.
This is simply a journey of observation. It’s about noticing how your environment makes you feel, and these words are just one way to help describe that experience.
Ultimately, your home is your own. Trust your intuition. The best-feeling spaces are always the ones that reflect who you are and support the life you want to live, no special vocabulary required.
Featured Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.
