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TL;DR: Dui House is one of four West Group directions: Dui (West), Qian (Northwest), Kun (Southwest), Gen (Northeast). People with West Group mingua (numbers 2, 6, 7, 8) should choose houses facing these directions to receive good qi, avoiding East Group directions.
Trạch Đoài (West Four Houses) in Bát Trạch (Eight Houses) feng shui: Characteristics and directions that suit one's destiny
What is Trạch Đoài? Its place in Bát Trạch
Trạch Đoài, also called a Đoài-facing house, is one of the four houses belonging to the Tây tứ trạch (West Four Houses) of the Bát Trạch school (Bát trạch minh kính). In the Bát Trạch system, the eight directions are divided into two groups: Đông tứ trạch (East Four Houses, comprising Khảm, Ly, Chấn, Tốn) and Tây tứ trạch (West Four Houses, comprising Càn, Khôn, Cấn, Đoài). Each group corresponds to its own group of destinies, called Đông tứ mệnh (East Four Destinies) and Tây tứ mệnh (West Four Destinies).
Trạch Đoài corresponds to the Đoài trigram in the I Ching, symbolising marshland, joy, communication and the youngest daughter. In terms of compass position, Đoài sits due West (270 degrees) and belongs to the Metal element. In Bát Trạch, each house has 4 good directions (Sinh Khí, Thiên Y, Diên Niên, Phục Vị) and 4 bad directions (Tuyệt Mệnh, Ngũ Quỷ, Lục Sát, Họa Hại). These directions are calculated based on the householder's destiny trigram.
How to work out whether you belong to Tây tứ mệnh
To know whether you are suited to Trạch Đoài, you need to calculate your quái số (also called mệnh quái, destiny trigram number) based on your lunar year of birth and your gender. The calculation is as follows:
- Add the last two digits of your lunar year of birth, and reduce to a single digit.
- Male: Take 10 minus the number you have just found (if born between 1900 and 1999), or 9 minus it (if born from 2000 onwards).
- Female: Take 5 plus the number you have just found (if born between 1900 and 1999), or 6 plus it (if born from 2000 onwards), then reduce to a single digit.
The quái số belonging to Tây tứ mệnh are: 2 (Khôn), 6 (Càn), 7 (Đoài), 8 (Cấn). If your quái số is one of these four numbers, you belong to Tây tứ mệnh and should choose a house according to Tây tứ trạch, which includes Trạch Đoài.
For example: a man born in 1990: take 9+0=9, 10-9=1, which belongs to Đông tứ mệnh (Khảm). A woman born in 1990: 9+5=14, 1+4=5, the quái số 5 is a special case, and for women it is assigned to 8 (Cấn), which belongs to Tây tứ mệnh.
What are the characteristics of Trạch Đoài?
The Five Elements and the meaning of the Đoài trigram
The Đoài trigram belongs to the Metal element, and is yin Metal (young Metal), symbolising marshland, gathered water. In nature, Đoài is where water sources converge, bringing fertility. In the family, Đoài corresponds to the youngest daughter, expressing joy, communication and art. People of old believed that a Đoài-facing house, or a person with a Đoài destiny, often has an aptitude for language and diplomacy, and easily succeeds in the fields of communication and education.
Which direction is a Trạch Đoài house?
A Trạch Đoài house is a house with its main direction due West (270 degrees), meaning the main door or the facing side looks towards the West. In Bát Trạch, a house's direction is determined by the direction of the main door, the place that receives khí (energy) into the home. A West-facing house belongs to the Metal element, and suits people with a Metal or Earth destiny (because Earth generates Metal).
The good and bad directions of Trạch Đoài
When the householder has a destiny belonging to Tây tứ trạch, the choice of house direction will be based on their destiny trigram. However, if you want to know the good directions for a person with a Đoài destiny (quái số 7), we can list them as follows:
| Direction | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest (Càn) | Sinh Khí | Best, brings luck and advancement |
| Southwest (Khôn) | Thiên Y | Good health, help from benefactors |
| Northeast (Cấn) | Diên Niên | Family happiness, stability |
| West (Đoài) | Phục Vị | Strengthens inner strength, peace |
| East (Chấn) | Tuyệt Mệnh | Worst, disaster, loss |
| Southeast (Tốn) | Ngũ Quỷ | Fire, gossip, loss of wealth |
| South (Ly) | Lục Sát | Disputes, lawsuits, shortened life |
| North (Khảm) | Họa Hại | Minor troubles, loss of money |
Note: the table above applies to people with quái số 7 (Đoài destiny). If you belong to Tây tứ mệnh but have a different quái số (2, 6, 8), the good and bad directions will differ, so you need to calculate specifically.
Directions that suit each group of Tây tứ mệnh
Below are the best directions (Sinh Khí) for each quái số belonging to Tây tứ mệnh:
| Quái số | Destiny | Sinh Khí direction | House directions to choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Khôn | Northeast (Cấn) | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West |
| 6 | Càn | West (Đoài) | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West |
| 7 | Đoài | Northwest (Càn) | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West |
| 8 | Cấn | Southwest (Khôn) | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West |
So whatever quái số you have within Tây tứ mệnh, you can still choose a house facing Northwest, Southwest, Northeast or West. However, how good each direction is will vary depending on the quái số.
How is Trạch Đoài applied in practice?
How should house and door directions be chosen?
If you belong to Tây tứ mệnh, you should choose a house whose main door faces West, Northwest, Southwest or Northeast. Among these, the Sinh Khí direction is the best, helping the householder meet with good luck and smooth career progress. Avoid choosing a house whose door faces East, Southeast, South or North, because these are bad directions (Tuyệt Mệnh, Ngũ Quỷ, Lục Sát, Họa Hại) for Tây tứ mệnh.
How should the functional rooms in a Trạch Đoài house be arranged?
In a Trạch Đoài house, the arrangement of rooms should also follow Bát Trạch principles:
- Bedroom: Should be placed in the Sinh Khí or Thiên Y direction for good sleep and good health.
- Living room, study or workspace: Place in the Sinh Khí or Diên Niên direction for smooth work and family harmony.
- Kitchen: Should be placed in a bad direction (Tuyệt Mệnh, Ngũ Quỷ) but with the kitchen door looking towards a good direction, following the principle of "tọa hung hướng cát" (sit on the inauspicious, face the auspicious).
- Toilet: Place in a bad direction to neutralise negative energy.
How can you remedy a house that does not face a suitable direction?
If your house is already built but its direction does not belong to Tây tứ trạch, it can still be remedied in a number of ways:
- Use a bagua mirror hung in front of the door to reflect negative energy.
- Place feng shui objects belonging to the Earth or Metal element (such as quartz stone or bronze statues) to strengthen good energy.
- Change the direction of a secondary door or the main door if possible, but the structure of the house needs to be considered.
- Use suitable colours: Since Trạch Đoài belongs to the Metal element, use white, grey and yellow (Earth generates Metal) to strengthen the energy.
However, it should be remembered that feng shui is only one factor affecting life, and does not decide everything. Effort, morality and a positive way of living remain the most important foundation.
