How to Calculate Your Kua Number (And What It Means for Your Home)
By Master Feng Hua Wang · June 23, 2026 · 5 min read
Your Kua Number (卦数) — also called your Gua Number, Ming Gua, or Personal Trigram — is the single most important number in your personal Feng Shui. It tells you which directions support you and which directions harm you. With your Kua Number, you can position your bed, desk, and stove to face your best directions — regardless of the building's orientation or the annual Flying Stars.
What Is the Kua Number Based On?
Your Kua Number derives from your birth year and gender, calculated using the Chinese solar calendar (not the lunar calendar). It places you in either the East Group (Kua numbers 1, 3, 4, 9) or the West Group (Kua numbers 2, 6, 7, 8). If you're East Group, your best directions are East, Southeast, South, and North. If West Group, your best directions are West, Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast.
Note: There is no Kua Number 5. If your calculation results in 5, males use 2 and females use 8.
How to Calculate Your Kua Number
For Males:
- Take the last two digits of your birth year. (Example: born 1987 → 87)
- Add them together until you get a single digit. (8+7=15 → 1+5=6)
- Subtract that number from 11. (11-6=5 → since 5, male uses 2)
- Result: Kua Number = 2 (West Group)
For Females:
- Take the last two digits of your birth year. (Example: born 1987 → 87)
- Add them together until you get a single digit. (8+7=15 → 1+5=6)
- Add 4 to that number. (6+4=10 → 1+0=1)
- Result: Kua Number = 1 (East Group)
⚠️ Important: If your birthday falls before February 4 (Chinese solar new year), use the PREVIOUS year. Born January 15, 1990? Use 1989.
Quick Kua Number Chart (1900-1999)
| Year Ends In | Male Kua | Female Kua |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (1900, 1910...1990) | 1 (East) | 5→8 (West) |
| 1 (1901, 1911...1991) | 9 (East) | 6 (West) |
| 2 (1902, 1912...1992) | 8 (West) | 7 (West) |
| 3 (1903...1993) | 7 (West) | 8 (West) |
| 4 (1904...1994) | 6 (West) | 9 (East) |
| 5 (1905...1995) | 5→2 (West) | 1 (East) |
| 6 (1906...1996) | 4 (East) | 2 (West) |
| 7 (1907...1997) | 3 (East) | 3 (East) |
| 8 (1908...1998) | 2 (West) | 4 (East) |
| 9 (1909...1999) | 1 (East) | 5→8 (West) |
Your Four Auspicious Directions (by Kua Number)
Once you have your Kua Number, here are your personal best directions — ranked from most to least powerful:
| Kua | Sheng Qi (Wealth) | Tian Yi (Health) | Nian Yan (Love) | Fu Wei (Peace) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SE | E | S | N |
| 2 | NE | W | NW | SW |
| 3 | S | N | SE | E |
| 4 | N | S | E | SE |
| 6 | W | NE | SW | NW |
| 7 | NW | SW | NE | W |
| 8 | SW | NW | W | NE |
| 9 | E | SE | N | S |
How to Use Your Kua Number
- Sleep: Point the crown of your head toward your Sheng Qi (Wealth) direction.
- Work: Face your Sheng Qi direction while sitting at your desk.
- Eat: Face your Tian Yi (Health) direction at the dining table.
- Front Door: If possible, your home's front door should face one of your four auspicious directions. If it doesn't, use interior cures to compensate.
Your Kua Number works with the annual Flying Stars, not against them. Even if the annual 5 Yellow falls in your Sheng Qi direction this month, your personal connection to that direction remains. Use metal cures to suppress the 5 Yellow but don't abandon your best direction.
The Kua Number is just the beginning
It tells you direction — but not timing. For a complete analysis combining your Kua Number with your BaZi chart and the current Flying Star configuration, a professional Birth Chart report reveals exactly which sectors to activate — and when.