What is Tây Tứ Trạch?
Tây Tứ Trạch (西四宅, 'West Four Houses') is the group of four house orientations in Bát Trạch feng shui, comprising Can (Northwest), Khon (Southwest), Can (Northeast), and Doai (West), considered suitable for people of the Tây Tứ Mệnh group.
Also called: West Four Houses
What is Tây Tứ Trạch?
Tây Tứ Trạch (西四宅) is one of the two house-direction groups in the Bát Trạch (Eight Houses) school of feng shui, comprising four directions: Càn (Northwest), Khôn (Southwest), Cấn (Northeast) and Đoài (West). The other group is Đông Tứ Trạch, comprising Khảm (North), Ly (South), Chấn (East) and Tốn (Southeast).
What is the origin and theoretical basis of Tây Tứ Trạch?
Tây Tứ Trạch comes from the Bát Trạch system, based on the eight trigrams of the Kinh Dịch (I Ching) and the relationship between a person's quái số (trigram number) and house direction. The quái số (also called cung phi, or Kua number) is calculated from year of birth and gender, and is divided into two groups: Đông Tứ Mệnh and Tây Tứ Mệnh. The four trigrams Càn, Khôn, Cấn and Đoài belong to the Tây Tứ Mệnh group, corresponding to the quái số 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (depending on how the number is calculated for men and women). People belonging to Tây Tứ Mệnh are considered compatible with Tây Tứ Trạch houses.
How is Tây Tứ Trạch used in feng shui practice?
When choosing a house or positioning the main door, people usually compare the householder's quái số with the trạch group. If the householder belongs to Tây Tứ Mệnh, they should choose a house whose direction falls within Tây Tứ Trạch, and give priority to auspicious directions such as Sinh Khí, Diên Niên, Thiên Y and Phục Vị. Conversely, inauspicious directions such as Tuyệt Mệnh, Ngũ Quỷ, Lục Sát and Họa Hại should be avoided. Articles on the site also emphasise that interpretation needs to combine time fortune, the specific mountain-and-facing directions, and the intended use.
How do you distinguish Tây Tứ Trạch from Tây Tứ Mệnh?
Tây Tứ Trạch is a group of house directions, while Tây Tứ Mệnh is a group of people whose quái số belongs to the four trigrams Càn, Khôn, Cấn and Đoài. The two concepts often go together but are not identical: a person may belong to Tây Tứ Mệnh yet still need to consider other factors such as the position of the land, the surrounding environment and the overall design. In addition, they should be distinguished from Đông Tứ Trạch, which is intended for the Đông Tứ Mệnh group.
What should be kept in mind when applying Tây Tứ Trạch?
This is traditional knowledge of a reference nature, and has not been verified by science. Readers should consider combining it with practical factors and should not treat it as a mandatory rule.
How do different schools understand it?
- Understanding according to traditional Bát Trạch: Tây Tứ Trạch is the group of four house directions Càn, Khôn, Cấn and Đoài, intended for people whose quái số belongs to Tây Tứ Mệnh. The choice of house direction is based on the compatibility between quái số and direction, in order to receive good qi and avoid bad qi.
- Understanding combined with time fortune: Some schools hold that Tây Tứ Trạch is only one part of an interpretation, and needs to be combined with time fortune (such as Huyền Không Phi Tinh) and environmental factors for a comprehensive assessment, and should not be applied mechanically.
- Simplified understanding in everyday life: Many people treat Tây Tứ Trạch as a quick rule for choosing the direction of a house, main door, altar or bed, with little attention to the other complex factors of feng shui.
Related articles
- Sơn hướng Càn trong 24 sơn hướng phong thủy: Ý nghĩa và cách luận giải
- Trạch Khôn (Tây tứ trạch) trong Bát Trạch phong thủy: Đặc điểm và hướng hợp mệnh
- Sơn hướng Mùi trong 24 sơn hướng phong thủy: Ý nghĩa và cách luận giải chuyên sâu
- Trạch Đoài (Tây tứ trạch) trong Bát Trạch phong thủy: Đặc điểm và hướng hợp mệnh
- Trạch Càn (Tây tứ trạch) trong Bát Trạch phong thủy, đặc điểm và hướng hợp mệnh
- Trạch Cấn (Tây tứ trạch) trong Bát Trạch phong thủy, đặc điểm và hướng hợp mệnh
- Bát Trạch Là Gì? Đông Tứ Trạch, Tây Tứ Trạch Và Cách Chọn Hướng Hợp Mệnh
What are the five cung phi belonging to Tây tứ mệnh?
| Cung phi (Kua) | Trigram | Four good directions | Four directions to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Khôn | Northeast, West, Northwest, Southwest | East, South, Southeast, North |
| 6 | Càn | West, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest | Southeast, North, East, South |
| 7 | Đoài | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West | North, East, South, Southeast |
| 8 | Cấn | Southwest, Northwest, West, Northeast | South, Southeast, North, East |
Tây tứ mệnh comprises Càn, Khôn, Cấn and Đoài, corresponding to Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and West. There are five cung phi rather than four, because cung phi number 5 is assigned to Khôn or Cấn depending on gender.
The figures in the table match the results of the lookup tools on Nhật Nguyệt.
