You were born when the qi of Earth was dominant. The front door of your house should face southwest so that the energy of your element will flow unimpeded into your residence. This is an auspicious direction, so a southwestern room on the 2nd floor of your house could be a study, a den or a bedroom. The southwest is governed by the two Stellar Attendants who stand to the left and right of the Big Dipper--the throne of Shang Di, the Celestial Lord.

The lake belongs to the element metal, which is produced by your element, earth, in the mutual generation order of the five elements. The study, office, or den/living room may be located here. The Celestial Physician governs this room, so a bedroom here is the ideal place to recuperate from illness.

The element of heaven is also metal, the ores of which are harbored in earth. Northwest is the direction of long life for the earth person, so the dining area should be located here.

Your master bedroom should be placed in the northeast sector of your house, the direction of the mountain, which shares with you the element earth. The time you spend in this room will be rejuvenating. This is the direction of sheng qi, "vital breath," the most auspicious portion of your home.

The element of thunder is wood, which saps earth like the taproot of an ancient tree. In an earth house, therefore, east is the direction of injury and misfortune, and permanent residents of this sector will be prone to accident. The eastern section of the house is still appropriate for temporary living space, such as a guest bedroom, as long as residents do not use sharp instruments or appliances.

Wood resides in the southeast. Like the primitive wooden plowshare of the Chinese peasant, this element breaks open the fallow ground, wounding the earth. The wood direction is the traditional location in a Chinese home for the ancestral altar. The southeast section of your house could therefore be haunted and is not appropriate for a bedroom, or any room that is occupied at night. A bathroom or kitchen would be appropriate here.

For the earth house, fire is the direction of malignancy. Were the master of the house to spend much time in the south, a distressing event might occur (the master is defined as that person whose daily decisions have the greatest effect on the family's lives). This section of the house is most appropriate for the kitchen. It may also be utilized by other members of the household, such as an older child, or as a temporary residence, such as a guest bedroom.