TL;DR: The Northeast direction corresponds to the Cấn palace and belongs to Tây tứ trạch in Bát Trạch, so it is considered compatible with people of Tây tứ mệnh and generally not compatible with people of Đông tứ mệnh; the specific du niên depends on cung phi. The five element method relies on the nạp âm of the birth year and does not distinguish between male and female, so it may give different conclusions for some ages. For an accurate reading, look up cung phi in the site's house and land direction tool and enter the lunar year.
Who does the Northeast direction suit according to Bát Trạch?
According to Bát Trạch (the Eight Mansions system), the Northeast direction corresponds to the Cấn (Gen) palace, which belongs to the Tây tứ trạch (West group). For people in the Tây tứ mệnh (West destiny) group, this is one of the four favourable directions; for people with Đông tứ mệnh (East destiny), it is an unfavourable direction, and the specific du niên (the eight directional energies) depends on each person's cung phi (life gua). To know precisely, you need to look up your own cung phi first.
The cung phi is calculated from birth year and gender, and divides into eight palaces. Đông tứ mệnh comprises Khảm (1), Chấn (3), Tốn (4) and Ly (9). Tây tứ mệnh comprises Khôn (2), Càn (6), Đoài (7) and Cấn (8). Each cung phi has four favourable directions, namely Sinh Khí, Thiên Y, Diên Niên and Phục Vị, and four unfavourable directions, namely Họa Hại, Lục Sát, Ngũ Quỷ and Tuyệt Mệnh, collectively called the eight du niên.
The table below shows which du niên the Northeast direction is for each cung phi, together with the birth years for men and women between 1950 and 2009 according to how the tool calculates them.
| Cung phi | Group | Northeast direction is | Favourable or unfavourable | Men born in | Women born in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khảm (1) | Đông tứ mệnh | Ngũ Quỷ | unfavourable | 1954, 1963, 1972, 1981, 1990, 1999, 2008 | 1950, 1959, 1968, 1977, 1986, 1995, 2004 |
| Khôn (2) | Tây tứ mệnh | Sinh Khí | favourable | 1950, 1953, 1959, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2007 | 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2005 |
| Chấn (3) | Đông tứ mệnh | Lục Sát | unfavourable | 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997, 2006 | 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997, 2006 |
| Tốn (4) | Đông tứ mệnh | Tuyệt Mệnh | unfavourable | 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2005 | 1953, 1962, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1998, 2007 |
| Càn (6) | Tây tứ mệnh | Thiên Y | favourable | 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994, 2003 | 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000, 2009 |
| Đoài (7) | Tây tứ mệnh | Diên Niên | favourable | 1957, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1993, 2002 | 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992, 2001 |
| Cấn (8) | Tây tứ mệnh | Phục Vị | favourable | 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992, 2001 | 1954, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2008 |
| Ly (9) | Đông tứ mệnh | Họa Hại | unfavourable | 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000, 2009 | 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994, 2003 |
So for the same Northeast direction, someone with the Khôn cung meets Sinh Khí, someone with the Càn cung meets Thiên Y, someone with the Đoài cung meets Diên Niên, and someone with the Cấn cung meets Phục Vị, all of them favourable. Conversely, someone with the Khảm cung meets Ngũ Quỷ, the Chấn cung meets Lục Sát, the Tốn cung meets Tuyệt Mệnh, and the Ly cung meets Họa Hại, all of them unfavourable.
Why do the five elements method and the Bát Trạch method give two different conclusions?
These two methods measure two different things. Bát Trạch relies on the cung phi, calculated from birth year and gender, then compares the cung phi with the direction to produce the eight du niên. The five elements method only compares the nạp âm (sound element) of the birth year's stem and branch with the element of the direction, and does not distinguish between men and women. That is why for the same birth year, a man and a woman can have different cung phi, leading to two opposite conclusions.
For example, a man born in 1970 (Canh Tuất, nạp âm Thoa Xuyến Kim, Metal element) has the Chấn cung phi, Đông tứ mệnh, and the Northeast direction is Lục Sát (unfavourable). Meanwhile, compared by the five elements, Metal and the Earth of the direction are mutually generating, so the five elements method says it is compatible. A woman born in 1971 (Tân Hợi, also Thoa Xuyến Kim, Metal element) has the Tốn cung phi, Đông tứ mệnh, and the Northeast direction is Tuyệt Mệnh (unfavourable), but the five elements method still says Metal and Earth mutually generate.
The reverse also happens. A woman born in 1972 (Nhâm Tý, Tang Đố Mộc, Wood element) has the Cấn cung phi, Tây tứ mệnh, and the Northeast direction is Phục Vị (favourable), while the five elements method says Wood overcomes Earth. A man born in 1974 (Giáp Dần, Đại Khê Thủy, Water element) has the Cấn cung phi, Tây tứ mệnh, and the Northeast direction is Phục Vị (favourable), while the five elements method says Water is overcome by Earth.
When the two methods disagree, the site's house direction tool follows Bát Trạch. This article does not judge which method is correct, it only sets out both so that readers know which system they are using.
Where can you calculate your cung phi and look up the eight directions?
The cung phi is calculated as follows: add the last two digits of the birth year and reduce them to a single digit. For men born before 2000, subtract that number from 10; from 2000 onwards, subtract from 9. For women born before 2000, add 5 to that number; from 2000 onwards, add 6. The result is again reduced to a single digit. A cung phi of 5 has no trigram of its own: men are assigned to Khôn (2), women to Cấn (8).
Two things to note when looking it up. First, the year used is the lunar year, so anyone born in January or February of the solar calendar before Tết must use the previous year. Second, the tool takes the year the user enters, so enter the lunar year to get the correct cung phi.
To look up your own eight directions, go to the site's house and land direction tool, enter your lunar year and gender, and the system will return your cung phi together with the four favourable directions and the four unfavourable directions.
Sitting direction or facing direction, and how a dwelling is named
According to the book Bát Trạch Minh Kính, a dwelling is named after its sitting side, that is, the side at the back of the house. A house facing Northeast sits Southwest, that is, it sits in the Khôn cung, so it is called a Khôn dwelling, which belongs to Tây tứ trạch. With this direction, the sitting side and the facing side are in the same group, so naming it by the sitting side or by the facing side gives the same group.
The common approach today, and the site's tool, instead considers the house direction, that is, the direction of the door, with the eight du niên of the cung phi. With the four directions East, West, Southeast and Northwest, these two approaches give two opposite groups; with North, South, Northeast and Southwest, they coincide. This is where books and practice are not consistent, so it is worth stating clearly so that readers know which system they are following.
The Northeast corner is the palace of knowledge and learning
Beyond Bát Trạch, many feng shui texts divide the eight corners of a house by area of life, and the Northeast corner is often assigned to knowledge and learning. This is a different notion, not the answer to the question of which destiny it suits. You can make use of this corner to place a study desk, bookshelf or computer if you want to support studying, but do not mix it up with the du niên section above.
Interior arrangement for the Northeast direction
By the five elements method, the Northeast direction belongs to the Earth element of the Cấn trigram. The suggestions below take the element of the direction as their basis, so they should be understood as following the five elements method.
| Item | Should use | Should avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Colours | Cream, pale green, earth yellow | Blue, black |
| Materials, objects | Ceramic, plaster, clay, pottery | Sharp objects, too much metal |
| Areas | Study desk, bookshelf, computer, work desk | Toilet, bathroom, kitchen, heater |
| State | Tidy, airy | Cluttered, dusty |
Which colours should be used for the Northeast direction?
By the five elements method, cream, pale green and earth yellow belong to the Earth element, which suits this direction. They can be used for walls, curtains, carpets or accessories in the Northeast area. Limit blue and black because they belong to the Water element.
What feng shui objects support the Northeast direction?
By the five elements method, you should use ceramic, plaster, clay and pottery items because they share the Earth element. Placing a study desk, bookshelf or computer in this corner is said to support studying, but that follows the notion of the knowledge palace, not the du niên. Limit too much metal because Earth generates Metal, which can reduce the energy of the Cấn palace.
What should be avoided with a Northeast-facing house?
By the five elements method, you should not place a toilet or bathroom in the Northeast area because this is a place where foul energy accumulates. Avoid turning this corner into a cluttered, dusty storage space. You should also not place a kitchen stove or heater here unless necessary, because overly strong Fire energy can unbalance the Earth element.
If the direction does not suit you, how can it be remedied?
If, by Bát Trạch, you belong to the group that does not suit the Northeast direction, the remedy mentioned in Bát Trạch books is to place the main door, bedroom and kitchen according to the four favourable directions of your cung phi. Bát Trạch books regard the door, the main room and the kitchen as the three main factors of a dwelling, called dương trạch tam yếu (the three essentials of a dwelling). If, by the five elements method, you have a Wood destiny, you can add a Water element to create indirect mutual generation, but this is only a suggestion under the five elements method and does not replace looking at the house as a whole.
How should general principles for the house be combined?
Beyond the Northeast direction section, general principles should still be applied to the whole house. Keep the main walkway clear so that the flow of energy circulates. Place the sofa with its back to a wall, facing the main door, to create a sense of security. You can use leafy plants with round leaves that grow well, such as kim tiền (ZZ plant), trầu bà (pothos) or ngọc bích (jade plant), to add vitality, and avoid plants with sharp thorns. Balance the five elements in the living space by combining colours and materials harmoniously, without concentrating one element too strongly in a single area.
