According to the 8 Mansions Formula, everyone is assigned a specific Kua Number which is based on their year of birth according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Kua numbers are used to identify one’s lucky directions and are divided into two main groups – East and West.
East group people belong to Kua numbers 1, 3, 4, and 9, and their lucky directions are East, Southeast, North and South.
West group people belong to Kua numbers 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and their lucky directions are West, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest.
Facing any one of these directions allows one to receive good fortune energies that help in the attainment of life’s 4 main aspirations – success, health, love and personal growth. Here’s how you can determine which group you belong to.
ESTABLISH YOUR CHINESE BIRTH YEAR
To find your KUA number, you must first establish what your Chinese year of birth is. You can refer to the Hundred Year Calendar in our 2023 Feng Shui Diary for this. If you were born before the start of Chinese New Year, you will have to use the previous year for your calculations.
For example, if you were born on January 26th 1941 and Chinese New Year fell on January 27th 1941, it means that you are a Dragon – born before the Year of the Snake. To calculate your Kua number, you should use 1940. If you were born on January 28th 1941, then you are a Snake, and should use 1941 for your calculations.
THE FORMULAS
Once you know your Chinese birth year, use the formula below to determine your Kua Number. Note that the formula for calculating your KUA number varies depending on whether you are male or female, and if your birth year falls before or after the year 2000.
For those born before 2000, the formula is below:
For Males:
- Take the last 2 digits of your Chinese birth year.
- Add the last two digits together.
- Reduce it to a single digit number.
- Subtract this number from 10.
- The final answer is your KUA number.
Example:
- Year of birth 1978.
- 7 + 8 = 15
- 1 + 5 = 6
- Subtract 6 from 10, and we get 4.
- So, men born in 1978, your KUA number is 4 and you belong to the East group.
For Females:
- Take the last 2 digits of your Chinese birth year.
- Add the last two digits together.
- Reduce it to a single digit number.
- Add this number to 5
- Reduce the new total to a single number.
- The final answer is your personal KUA number.
Example:
- Year of birth 1978.
- 7 + 8 = 15
- 1 + 5 = 6
- Adding 5 to 6, we get 11.
- 1 + 1 = 2
- For women born in 1978, your KUA number is 2 and you belong to the West group.
Now, for those born in or after the year 2000, you will need to SUBTRACT another 1 from the KUA number for males, and ADD another 1 to the KUA number for females.
For example, if you were born in the year 2014, the last two digits total 5.
For Males:
- Subtract this total from 10
- 10 – 5 = 5
- 5 – 1 = Kua Number 4
- Males born in 2014 belong to the East group.
For Females:
- Add this number to 5
- 5 + 5 = 10
- 10 + 1 = 11
- Reduce to a single number
- 1 + 1 = Kua Number 2
- Females born in 2014 belong to the West group.
For instant calculation of your Kua Number, use our Kua Number Calculator. You can also refer to page 56 of our 2023 Feng Shui Diary for all your Auspicious and Inauspicious Directions.
