Appendix E

Learn More About Taking a Proper Compass Reading Using the 24 Mountains

When you get the hang of it, taking an accurate compass reading and dividing your dwelling into eight equal sections is a snap. First, follow these steps to determine the sitting and facing directions of your house:

1. Stand in front of your house or unit, the side corresponding to the facing side. Make sure that your back is perfectly square with the house.

2. Holding your compass at waist level, rotate the compass dial until the red portion of the magnetic arrow aligns with north.

3. Read the compass grade at the index line (labeled the “bearing” line on the Silva Explorer Model 203). This is the facing direction. The grade magnetically opposite is the sitting direction.

In the following example (A) of an apartment unit, the compass grade at the index line reads 210°. The dwelling belongs to the trigram Gen and the mountain Chou (202.5° to 217.5°). The unit sits NE1 and faces SW1.

A properly divided Gen dwelling NE1 and SW1 at 210°.

Now, follow these steps to divide your floor plan into eight equal sections corresponding to the eight fundamental directions (trigrams):

1. Note the facing degree on your floor plan (as illustrated).

2. With a pencil, mark the point where each of the eight directions begin and end (as illustrated). We suggest using a clear plastic 6-inch, 360° protractor with half-inch gradations to help with this task. Found in any office supply store, we recommend the Mars College protractor. But be careful! Read the inside grades that ascend around the circular instrument. Before you proceed, it might be a good idea to compare the protractor with the figure of the simplified luopan compass in Chapter 12. (If you want to purchase a luopan, please contact Joseph Yu at [email protected].)

3. Now, connect the dots to form eight equal sections.

Illustration B shows the same apartment sitting NE2 and facing SW2 at 225°.

A properly divided Gen dwelling NE2 and SW2 at 225°.

Illustration C shows the same apartment sitting NE3 and facing SW3 at 240°.

A properly divided Gen dwelling NE3 and SW3 at 240°.

Taken together, you can see that depending on the facing degree, the sections are oriented somewhat differently for each of the three types of Gen dwellings (mountains Chou, Gen, and Yin).