About Feng Shui Compasses

The introdution of Thomson House Feng Shui Compass( Feng Shui Luo pan or Feng Shui Lo pan )

P.1
The Raymond Lo's 3 Period & 3 Harmony Combined Lopan Interpretation
Auther:Raymond Lo
Editer:Ricky Than
Publisher:Thomson House Ltd.
The Second Printed:08/2004
P.2
The Raymond Lo's 3 Period & 3 Harmony Combined Lopan Interpretation
p.3Introduction:
The Lopan () is the indispensable instrument in the practice of Feng Shui. It was first invented at the
time of the Yellow Emperor about2700B.C.as a compass for guiding directions. This tool was later
iandscape mountain and water features, to find out how the various directional forces of nature will affect
human well-being. Throughout the past 4000 years since the Lopan() was invented, various Feng Shui
masters( ) have turned their valuable observations and discoveries into working formula and these
precious knowledge are engraved in the Lopanfor handy references.
As such, today, Lopan() appears to be a complicated but beautiful instrument with symbols, trigrams
and Chinese characters . All of them are important formula allowing feng shui practitioners to quickly find
out the influence of various landscape configurations affecting an environment.
The San Yuen and San Ke school:
Many different feng shui school arose during the past 4000 years and the most influential schools are San
Yuen () meaning 3 Periods and San Ke()meaning 3 Harmony school. As such, each of them has a
different Lopan () design. The Lopan () is basically a compass for measuring directions. Hence the
most important part of the instrument is the magnetic needle and directional markings. The Chinese way of
marking direction is to divide 360 circle into twenty-four, 15 sectors called [24 Mountain ]. This
ring is the most essential part of the instrument and it will be present in all types of Lopan(). The major
differences in the other features of the San Ke() and ?San Yuen() school Lopan are briefly
described below:
Three Harmony (San Ke ) Lopan:
This school emphasizes on the harmony of Heaven, Man and Earth. Hence there are 3 rings of 24 Mountain
each is used for different purposes. The San Ke() Lopan() also emphasize on the
harmonious relationship between directional divisions symbolised by Chinese characters called Heavenly
Stems() and Earthly Branches(). Hence the Lopan() is full of Chinese Characters.
Three Period(San Yuen )Lopan:
The Lopan() of this school only carries one ring of 24 Mountain and it emphasizes on the
dynamic influence of the passage of time on an environment . The time factor is symbolised by numbers and
symbols of continuous lines and broken lines called Trigrams() and Hexagrams(). Hence one
will see more numbers and Trigrams() on such Lopan().
Both of these time-honoured schools has its merits and drawbacks. As such, most of the serious feng shui
practitioners understand both schools and select the good formulae appropriate from each school when
carrying out a feng shui evaluation job. Therefore, the most handy and popular Lopan() is a Combined
Lopan()which contains the essential features of the San Ke() as well as the San Yuen()
school.
Buying a Lopan:
There are many different types of Lopan() available in the market. They not only differ in design but
also come in various sizes. The following are some guidelines for choosing a good Lopan().
1.Selecting the school For beginners and for Yang House() feng shui practice, it is only necessary to
use the ring of 24 Mountain .This ring is the essential feature of a Lopan and it is present in all
kinds of serious Lopan, regardless of different school. So you can choose either San Ke() and San
Yuen() Lopan.
However, for non-Chinese practitioners, it id more convenient to choose a San Yuen() Lopan as it is less
complicated with more symbols and numbers than Chinese characters. However, if you have a serious
1

interest in the subject, it is better to select a Combined Lopan() version so you can have the best of
both schools.
2.Selecting the size The Lopan comes in different sizes which are usually described by its diameter. The
most common size is about 7.5inches or 190cm. This size is handy and sufficiently large to contain the
essential information.
3.Selecting the magnetic needle The magnetic needle is very sensitive to metallic objects. My personal
preference is a larger size needle which is comparatively more stable than a small size one.
4.Chechking the accuracy Check the exact North and South position of the Lopan which is marked
as() for 0 North and() for exact South 180. Move the circle plate of the Lopan to check if all of the
followings are on one straight line and neatly coincide:
The magnetic needle, with sharp head pointing South, round head pointing North.
The red line under the needle, with 2 small red dots under the round head of the needle.
The red nylon line on top of the circular plate.
The red nylon line covers exactly the downward stroke in the centre of the Chinese character() meaning
South and the Chinese character() meaning North.
The straight line under the() and the() which exactly divides the Lopan into 2 halves.
If all items are in alignment, then the Lopan is reasonably accurate.
5.Checking smooth operation the circular metal plate on the Lopan must be freely movable. You should
turn it a few times to see if it is too tight or too sticky which may hinder your measurement.
How To Protect Your Lopan
Always return it to the case after use.
Store in a dry and cool place.
Do not put it near to any electric devise or heavy metal objects, especially avoid putting on top of TV
or Hi Fi. The Lopan is like a swords-mans sword, the more you use it , the better it will work for you.
How to use the Lopan for measuring Yang House.
1. The initial step to evaluate the feng shui of a building is to decide its facing direction. As such, it is
necessary to find out where is the front of a building before one can carry out any measurements
with the Lopan.
2. After identifying the front of the building, it is necessary to stand at a location in front of the
building, as close to the middleline as possible, but keep a distance of at least 10 meters away from
the building.
3. Facing the building, hold the Lopan horizontal, use the red nylon line as pointer, point the end of
anyone nylon line towards the building. Make sure you are on a straight line making 90 with the
front the building.
4. Focus on the magnetic needle in the centre box, look at the thin red line at the bottom of the box,
turn the circular plate until the magnetic needle and the thin red line at the bottom are in total
alignment. Make sure the round head of the needle rest above the 2 Red dots at the bottom of the
centre box (Heavens Pool )
5. Look at the nylon line pointing towards the building. The line covers one Chinese character on the
Lopan(). This Chinese character represents the 24 Mountain direction at the back of the
building. Then look at the nylon line pointing towards oneself. It also covers another 24 Mountain
character. This Chinese character represents the direction of the front of the building.
6. Take for example, the nylon line pointing to the building covers SW1 the nylon line pointing to
oneself covers NE1 . So the building is facing NE1 with back against SW1.
7. After identified the front and back positions of the building, you can start your feng shui evaluation
work bases on the school of your training. Take for example, if you use[Flying star school ]
you can draw the Flying star chart on basis of your measurement and the Age of built of the building.
For detailed process of feng shui evaluation, please refer to other books by Raymond Lo.
8. To do a proper feng shui evaluation, accuracy in direction measurement is of paramount importance.
()
RING BY RING EXPLANATION OF THE LOPAN
1. The Heaven Pool
This is the circular box at the centre of the Lopan() holding the magnetic needle. In ancient times, the
needle is floating free in water, hence the box is called Heaven Pool. The main feature of the box is a thin red
line with 2 little red dats printed at the bottom to mark the proper resting place of the needle when the
2

Lopan() is in the right North and South position.

2.THE COPYRIGHT
This circle explanation that The Lopan() designed by Ramond Lo, produced by Hong Kong feng shui
Center & handmade by Thomson House Limited in Hong Kong.
1. The Early Arrangement of Eight Trigrams
The is the ring of 8 Trigrams in its original position arrangement as invented by the sage Fu si(). The
eight Trigrams symbolise natural phenonmenon including Heaven()Lake()FIRE()Thunder()
Wind()Wate()Mountain()Earth().
As such, they are symbols of natural forces and it is believed that they have protective power to guard the
magnetic needle against any negative influences. In practice, this ring is also useful for the application of a
water formula called [The Eight Dragon Gate method].
This is a formula for determining the auspicious position for water flow in front and around the landscape by
comparing the positions of the Trigrams in the Early A rrangement against the Later Arrangement as invented
by King Wen() of the Chou Dynasty().

4.The Lo Shu Diagram

This is a ring of numerical symbols copied from a mysterious diagram found on the back of a giant tortoise
in the River Lo about 6000 years ago in China. The diagram is showing a fix pattern of numerical
arrangements which forms a magic nine square chart. This diagram leads to the understanding of the change
of Feng Shui influences or the movement of Flying Stars over time.

5.The Ring ofSubstitute Stars

In Flying Star school of feng shui, it is mecessary to measure a building direction to the accuracy within the
boundary of one of the 15 24 Mountains. However, there are situation when the directional measurement
falls very close to the borderline between 2 Mountains. As such, the Feng Shui influence of such borderline
direction is considered not pure and it is necessary to use a special formula called Substitute stars to handle
such cases.
The following is the formula for Substitute stars:
Substitute Stars
N2,N3,E1,SW3------------1
SW2,N1,E3,E2,SW1,--------------2
NE3,S2,W1,S3-------------9
NE2,S1,W3,W2,NE1--------------7
NW1,NW2,NW3,SE1,SE2,SE3,----------6

6.The 24 Mountains Earth Plate

This is the essential ring of the Lopan marking the 24 directions of the compass. Each mountain occupies 15
making up the full 360 of a circle. The 24 divisions are marked in 3 types of Chinese characters, namely 12
Earthly Branches(), 8 Heavenly Stems()and 4 Trigrams(). This ring is also called the Earth
Plate with the magnetic poles of the Earth. The ring is for measuring the landscape and the mountain range,
known as the Dragon() in feng shui terms. This is also the ring for measuring directions of buildings and
houses.

7.The 24 Mountains Man Plate

This is the invention of a famous Feng Shui Master named[Lai Po Yee ] who created this middle ring
of 24 mountains which is 7.5 to the right of the Earth Plate . The deviation in direction measurement
is due to different method of establishing the North direction. In the Earth Plate(), the North Plate(
)the North is measured according to the position of the star called Polaris.
This Plate translates each of the 24 mountains into elements in accordance with the stars and constellations.
The ring is used for measuring objects such as rocks, tall mountains, lamp post, tall buildings etc. in the
surrounding, and the elements show how the yang house or yin house will be affected by these objects in its
vicinity.
1. HARMONY SCHOOL LOPAN MAN PLATE
Front and back(self)
Rock support self----------------------------Supprt(Resource)
3

Rock same as self------------------------------Prosper(Friend)

Rock conquered by self----------------------Servant(Money)
Rock given birth by self----------Exhausting(Intelligence)
Rock conquering self---------------------Destructive(Power)
P15
8.The ring of Kua Numbers
This is an essential ring for San Yuen school() of Yin house() feng shui for measuring the
Prosperity aspects of the Dragons Vein()---incoming parent mountain behind the Dragons Den()
and the direction for setting up the tomb stone. The San Yuen school ()places emphasis on the
influence of time dimension on prosperity. Different directions are associated with different time periods.
The mumbers9,4,3,8,2,7,6,1,are symbols of 20 years time periods called Ages(). Take for example, the
number 7 refers the Age of 7(7 ) covering the period between 1984 to 2004, and the number 8 refers the
Age of 8()covering the period 2005 to 2024 & etc.
When selecting a good and prosperous place to bury ancestors, it is necessary to ensure the direction of the
in-coming Dragon comes from a prosperous Kua number(). When setting up the Tomb stone, it is also
necessary to ensure it faces to a prosperous Kua number().
Also it is required that:1. the direction of the Dragon and the Back of the tomb stone, and
2. the direction of the Water opposite to the Dragon and the facing of the Tomb stone both fall on a pair
of relationship Kua number() in accordance with the HoTo()----1 and 6(Water), 2 and
7(fire),3 and 8(Wood),4 and 9(Metal).
Kua Numbers:-9,4,3,8,2,7,6,1,
1. The 64 hexagrams in symbols
Under the Kua number() are the ring of 64 Hexagrams arranged in circular manner in the order of the
Early Heaven arrangement() of the 8 Trigrams. This Hexagram arrangement that provides the
foundation for the Kua number() as per 8 above.
The 64 Hexagrams in Chinese
Under each Hexagrams are the Chinese names for each of the symbols.
10.The 9 stars and the associated numbers
The 9 stars refers to the stars of the Constellation called theGreat Dipper . Each star is associated
with a number calledStar Number . The Numbers provide another criteria to determine the
combination of the four essential points in San Yuen school() to set up a prosperous Dragons Den(
). These four points are:
a) The in-coming Dragon,
b) The Water opposite to the Dragon,
c)The back of the Tomb stone, and
d)the front facing of the Tomb stone. Take for example, it is auspicious to have all 4 points falling in the
same star number.
Criteria for good combination of Moutain, Water, Front and back:
Dragon and Front Prosperous number
Water and Backfaded out number

11.The 24 Mountains Heaven Plate

The is the ring of 24 mountains for the measurement of water flows in the san Ke() school of feng
shiu. The ring (Heaven Plate ) has a discrepancy of 7.5 from the Earth Plate as its North direction
is measured from the Sun Dial(). The plate is essential in the application of various water formula in
Yin House() feng shui to identify the auspicious direction of incoming and outgoing water, position of
water and the direction of flow.
p19
In 3 Harmony School water method, the direction of water flow in front of the Dragons Den()
determines the suitable facing direction for the yin house or yang house. The following table shows the
relationship between water flow-clockwise(left to right) or anti-clockwise(right to left) and its corresponding
auspicious facing directions:
YangProsper Facing Clockwise:
-------------E1?? ----------E2 ----------W1-----------W2
-------------N1 ----------N2 -----------S1??? -----------S2
4

YinWeak Facing Anti-Clockwise:

-------------E3 ----------W3 ----------N3-----------S3
Yin /Yang Grave Facing Clockwise:
------------SE1 ---------NW1---------NE1 -----------SW1
Yin-Prosper Facing Anti-Clockwise:
-------------NE2? ---------NW3---------SW2 ----------SW3-------------NE2--------NE3 ---------SE2 -----------SE3
The 8 Dragon Gate water method shows how the direction of the Mountain back side of a Yang House or
Yin House determine the auspicious water coming in or going out positions.
TABLE FOR 8 DRAGON GATE WATER METHOD
Mountain
NW
N
NE
E
SE
S
In
Early
S
W
NW
NE
SW
E
In
Later
NE
SW
E
S
W
NW
Out
Heaven E
SE
S
NW
N
NE
In
Earth
S
SW
W
SW
W
NW
Out
Facing SE
S
SW
W
NW
N
Out
Guest1 SW
E
N
SE
S
W
Out
Guest2 W
NW
SE
N
NE
SW
Out
Water
E1
SE2
NW2
NW2
N1
NE2
Outlet E3
S1
S1
W1
N3
N1
Note: Water outlet only takes Heavenly Stems and Trigram direction

SW
N
S
E
N
NE
NW
E
NE2
E1

W
SE
N
NE
SE
E
NE
S
NE2
E1

12.The Upper and Bottom Lines of each Hexagram

In advanced San Yuen school()when selecting the most auspicious direction for setting a Yin
House()one can meticulously look into the very fine graduation of 384 small sections of the circle.
These 384 fine division represents each of the 6 lines of the 64 Hexagrams. Each line brings different kind of
energy to the Yin House.
The symbol( or 1 or L) marks the bottom line and the symbol ( or 6 or U) marks the upper line of the
Hexagram. See Figure in P.23.
13.The 384 Lines of 64 Hexagrams
In San Yuen school()a Yin House() will receive different energy if its facing direction falls on
different lines of a Hexagram() marked on the Lopan(). Each Trigram()carries a Kua
Number(). In a Hexagram()there are 2 Trigram(). Hence it carries 2 Kua Number().
The relationship between such 2 numbers affects the prosperity and harmony of a direction. Take for
example, if these 2 numbers are in the HoTo() relationship16, 2&7, 3&8, 4&9. It is considered to be
auspicious. Likewise if the 2 numbers add up to make 10 or 5, it is also considered acceptable. However,
such good number relationship does not happen to all the Hexagrams. When the 2 numbers of a Hexagram
are not in harmony, it is necessary to use a technique called drawing a line to change the image of the
Hexagram . When a line is drawn, the Trigram will change, and the Kua number will also change.
The lines marked in red are the lines to be drawn to alter the Trigram, making the Kua numbers auspicious.
As such, it is good to choose the lines marked in red as good direction for setting up the Yin House().

14.The 360 degrees of a circle

This ring enables conversion of the 24 Mountains() reading into ordinary compass degree reading.

APPENDIX
HOW TO DRAW A FLYING STAR CHART
1. A Fling Star Chart is also called a nine square chart. It is a chart showing the distribution of Flying Stars
or abstract Feng Shui influences in different location of a house or apartment. The nine square chart shows 9
positions with 8 directions and a centre position, each of the squares contains numbers which symbolises
the Flying Stars or abstract feng shui forces in a particular location. The following is sample of a Flying Star
chart showing the feng shui influence for a building facing N2 direction and this building was built in 1985.

2. Before drawing a Flying Star chart for a building, it is necessary to obtain 2 information about the building

1. the Ageof the building, and

2. the facing direction of building.
1. the Age of the building The age refers to a time concept calledThree Periods and Nine
Ages. A large time cycle is 180 years which is sub-divided into 3x60 years Periods, which
are again sub-dvided into 20 yearsAge. Each Age is assigned with a number from 1 to
9..

Take for example - a building completed construction and occupied in 1985 is called an Age of? 7
building.
1. The second information required for drawing the Flying Star chart is the facing and back
direction of the building as measured by Lopan in front of the building.
3.Assume the building belongs to Age of 7 with front facing N2, back againt S2, then one can start drawing
the Flying Star Chart for such building Step by Step.
STEP1- Draw an Age of 7chart with 7 in the centre and according to the Lo Shu pattern see Lo Shu
Diagram on the Lopan layer 3:

STEP2- Enter the numbers representing the front and back direction into centre of the chart. In our example,
the building is facting N2 back against S2, the number in the N is 3 and the number in the S is 2. So we place
the 2 and 3 in the centre of the chart. The 2 is called Mountain Star which should be placed on the left and
3 is called Water Star which should be placed on the right. Mountain Star affects human harmony and
water star affects mony prosperity.

STEP3-With the numbers 2 and 3 in the centre, the next step is to distribute the other numbers on each of the
eight squares surrounding the centre. The placing of the numbers should follow the LO SHU pattern, which
means the order of placing the numbers should be NWWNESNSWESE. However, there are
2 ways of placing these numbers, it can move Forward from the center in ascending order, or it can
move Backward from the centre in descending order. This can be read from the Lopan. Examine the
ring of 24 mountains, the Red coloured section is Yang meaning Forward and the Black coloured
section is Yin meaning Backward .
In our example, the Mountain star is 2 representing our measured back direction S2. Look at the ring of Lo
Shu Diagram, 2 is in the SW, and SW2 is Red colour, symbolising Yang. So the number generated from 2
will move forward234567891. The Water Star is 3 representing our measured front
direction N2. The number 3 in the Lo Shu diagram is found in the E, and E2 of the 24 mountains is marked
in Black, meaning Yin or Backward . Then the number 3 should move backward
321987654. The following is the completed Flying Star chart for Age of 7 building
facing N2:

For interpretation of the Flying Star Chart, please refer to Raymond Los books Feng Shui and
Destiny,Feng Shui The Pillars of Destiny, Feng Shui and Destiny for Managers and Feng Shui and
Destiny for Families
Pottery burial figurine holding a compass
Southern Song(1127-1279)
This pottery figurine holding a compass in his right hand represents a geomancer. On the base is written the
characters Zhang Xianren (Zhang the immortal) xianren being an honorific. The figure attests to the
existence of the dry pivoted compass in Southern Song, and throws light on its form, its date, and its
association with geomancy.

1127-1279

South-pointer Han dynasty (206B.C.220A.D.)

The instrument consisted of the earth plate made of bronze and the spoon made of lodeston. The earth plate
was square, with a sunken circular area in the middle. It was marked with 4 trigram from I-Chin, 8
heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches a total of 24 positions. The spoon was ground from lodestone, and
6

when placed on the smooth circular area of the earth plate, it would naturally come to rest in a north-south
orientation.
Magnetic compass in the form of a tortoise

?The wooden tortoise moved freely on the piont of a bamboo pivot which in trun rested on a wooden plate.
Inside the tortoises belly was a piece of lodestone. When the tortoise came to rest, its head and tail would be
oriented in a south-north direction. This compass was current in Yuan dynasty.(1271-1368)
THOMSON HOUSE LTD.
??Established in 1980, is the first full scale lopan manufacturing company in Hong Kong. It owns a complete
production line for the Lo Pan production from computer graphics design to the final finished product. The
company also publishes the Tung Shu----(Chinese Almanac) in the past 25 years(19802005).
In recent years, the art of Feng Shui become very popular in the west and Thomson House Ltd. Accepted its
first order for making a Lopan in the foreign language in 1994. This is the worlds very first Lopan in
German. Thereafter, we have received many enquiries about the meaning and practical usage of the Lopan.
As such, we have also produced a bi-lingual Lopan called theIChin Compass with English instructions.
After 3 years of continual research and refinement, we have been able to decipher the mystery of
complicated Feng Shui techniques to the public in an easy-to-understand manner. Very encouraging
responses have been received from all over the world. To follow up on the success of theIChin
Compass, we are very honoured to be able to work with the world renowned Feng Shui Master Mr.
Raymond Lo to produce a new Lopan with full Instruction Manual in English. The Hong Kong Feng Shui
Centre was also set up in 1999 with the objective to promote the valuable classical Feng Shui techniques to
all enthusiasts in the world. We also hope that the Centre will be able to unite the genuine Feng Shui
practitioners so as to fix a system of professional standards and even set up examination to achieve public
recognition for the high social status of the Feng Shui profesion.

Raymond Lo, also popularly known asFung Shui Lois professional Feng Shui researcher and
practitioner. His expertise also covers the Four Pillars of Destiny and the prediction of I-Chin Oracle.
Having graduated with a degree in Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong, Mr.Los insterest in
Feng Shui led him to seriously study the ancient art. He used his skill to write a popular Feng Shui column in
the Hong Kong Standard between 1988 and 1991. In this column he made several forecasts about world
events, including the outbreak and the result of the Gulf war, the fall of Mr. Gorbachev and Mrs. Thatchers
resignation, all of which have later proved to be accurate.
Mr.Lo is the author of eight Feng Shui titles in both English and Chinese. He frequently contributes his Feng
Shui knowledge to various media publications. In recent years he made appearances on TV. Programs such
as BBCs, ASCs, CNN, ABN, CNBC and RTHK. He is often invited to give talks and lecture at worldrenowned conferences such as the World Economic Forum and the CEO University.
He is a Feng Shui lecturer at the S.P.A.C.E.under the University of Hong Kong, and is a consultant to the
Hong Kong Tourist Association for their Health and Fortune Expo and Feng Shui Tour. He is also the China
Morning Posts Feng Shui Hotline.

NOTICE
This book is an interpretation of THE RAYMOND LO 3 PERIOD & 3 HARMONY COMBINED LO PAN
Their value and truth should be judge by the readers discriminate. Author, factory and publisher cant be
held responsible for accident or property resulting from its use or injury to persons. All rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publisher.
RingDescription
0 Heaven pool
1 Registration mark
Pre heaven arrangement of Trigrams (Ba
2
Gua)
3 Luo Shu (late heaven bagua)
4 24 mountains
5 Menace and persecution ring
6 Correct needle 24 mountain San Yuan earth
7

7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

plate
Auspicious direction in 9 periods
San Yuan water method / dragon gates 8
boundaries
Houng Fun wu xing, or big wu xing.
Pre heaven Luo Shu and qua of square chart
64 Gua name and positions
Pre heaven 64 Gua and Luo Shu of round
chart
Hexagram names
The 64 hexagrams 9 fate star
The 64 hexagrams with 60 Jia Zi for
choosing day
Pre heaven 64 Gua round charts` Luo Shu
The father mother and three Yuan hexagrams
The directional hexagrams
The running of 384 hexagram lines
The sun arrive to mountain and face
24 seasons
Qi Men Dun Jia
The degrees of the Lunar Mansions
The auspicious or inauspicious positions
The 28 Lunar Mansions

26 360 degrees

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