In the controversies about changing the Bagua between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, a relevant question is, what to do about the equator? The question is incomplete, as it could have also asked, what to do about the poles? At the poles, the magnetic needle points where? In outer space the needle will point where? When you are at the North Pole and look at any horizion, the direction is always South - is it not ridiculous to try to figure out a Bagua here?

People need to systematically think it through. Here, let us restrict our discussions to identifying what should be the Bagua at the equator.

The previous article had noted that the diagram of the Early Heaven Bagua is formed by the seasonal variations of the solar shadow in the Northern Hemipshere. The Yin Yang and 8 trigrams are thus a scientific flow chart tracking the eight packages of seasonal changes of solar radiation throughout the year. As the seasonal shadow and energies will be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, the Early Heaven Bagua diagram will be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. The follow up article shows that schizophrenia effects are also reversed for Northern and Southern Hemisphere, confirming that the Early Heaven trigrams need to be reversed in the different hemispheres.

The follow up article also notes that the effects are not found in Singapore, which is close to the equator. Studies with other medical illnesses show that the further up the latitudes the greater the effects. Tropical trees show seasonal flowering from 3o and more latitude - they will grow but will not flower at the Southern Johore-Singapore region (about 1.5o). These evidence indicate that the reversed Baguas are applicable only within a range of latitudes at least about 2 degrees away from the equator.

The scientific evidence is that the Early Heaven Bagua of the Northern Hemisphere must be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. But, the reversed Baguas will not apply for the equator, poles and outer space. So, Bingo, at the equator, a different diagram is in order! Like to try to find what it may look like? Here we go.

Many Ancient Types of Baguas

Now, who gets the idea that the Bagua cannot be changed?

Many seem to have a fixation on only one form of Bagua; but these people do not realise the implications of the ancient literature and traditions. Historically, there are a number of different types of Baguas for different environmental conditions!

For the Chinese, there are already two different types of Baguas, vis the Early Heaven and the Later Heaven.

It should also be noted that the Luo Shu originally did not exist, but was created by Emperor Ta Yu, circa 2205 BC, to trace changed environmental conditions which could not be explained by the He Tu diagram. As traditions attributed the invention of the "Eight Diagrams" to Fu Hsi, circa 2950 BC, the Early Heaven Bagua likely already existed since Fu Hsi's time.

The historical testimony is that the Later Heaven Bagua came with or after the creation of the Luo Shu.

• By implication, the Luo Shu and its Later Heaven Bagua did not exist before the era of the floods. The Later Heaven Bagua likely relates to planetary interactions between lunar and equinoctial effects on tides, rainfall and the floods.

• Some arguing for the Northern Hemisphere Bagua as still applicable to the Southern Hemisphere had also argued that there can be only one pattern of Feng Shui forces rippling throughout the solar system. These people are talking nonsense, as the historical fact is that the Luo Shu Bagua once did not exist!

The physical environment changes and the Feng Shui diagrams likewise changed. Due to changed physical environment, the Luo Shu and its Later Heaven Bagua emerged around 2205 BC.

So, for different environmental and astronomical conditions, the main energies of "8 Directions" are different, for which ancient masters had created different Baguas. As the conditions of the Southern Hemisphere are quite different from those of the Northern Hemisphere, the two hemispheres will have at least two different Baguas which are close to being mirror images of each other.

Practitioners have to move away from the absurd idea that there can be only one Bagua for the whole Earth and the whole universe.

I know many practitioners will feel a cold sweat shock, wondering how to rectify their mistakes. But they should bravely change and transform their Feng Shui to a truly scientific platform - I respect many of them who are actually quite knowledgeable and do not think they will become less respectable.

We need to realise that the diagram of the "8 Directions" is a dynamic flow-chart model tracking actual changing environmental conditions. It is a major mistake to take a particular model meant for China, freeze it and try to force it to apply for a whole world.

Since you are thinking, try to see the Bagua as a pie chart and see if you can scientifically reconstruct the Bagua of the equator.

At the equator, energy forces will continue to come from the "8 Directions". However, these energy forces will be different from those of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. At the equator, the differences in sunshine and temperatures will be very small and probably non-effective.

However, due to the tilt of the Earth, there will be two monsoon periods at the equatorial belt, one at the end of the year and another in the middle of the year. You may guess that in a Bagua for the equator, the northern parts of the Bagua will relate to the end of the year monsoon winds coming from the North. But the southern parts of the Bagua will relate to the winds coming from the South in mid year. In-between, at the East and West sectors of the Bagua, there will be two lull periods, when no winds will blow - they will be still periods.

At the equatorial belt, houses should not face North or South, from where the winds will come at one time or other. Their best direction will be East to catch the morning Sun. Yang Yun Sung wrote that the South direction is best (i.e. for the Northern Hemisphere), but that, if not, the second best direction is East.

How about that for a beginning to the equatorial Bagua?!

In the end, the Bagua for a region needs to be based on its regional environmental conditions. The last chapters of the prophetic Biblical Book of Ezekiel contains reference to the Luo Shu and its Later Heaven Bagua, which therefore appear to apply to the Middle East region. It may turn out to be a modified or reversed version of the Chinese Bagua, or a different one like that of Indian Vastu. Do not stick like glue to a model and get yourself into an embarassing undefendable stance.

More research is required to resolve the issue. If you have any good suggestions or even corrections, please do tell me. The important thing is that there should be a logical and scientific rationale, not mystical conjecture which can lead to all form of nonsense.

Let us foster a scientific Feng Shui and astrology!

Other related articles:

• 1. Issue of Precession of the Equinoxes. 2008 is not Year of Rat but Ox!
• 2. Issue of 20 Years Yun and Saturn Jupiter Conjunction. 2004 is not Period 8 but Period 1!
• 3. Riddle of Lai Bu Yi's Ren Pan: Towards Scientific Understanding of Luopan.
• 4. Southern Hemisphere and Magnetic North: Scientific Insights.
• 5. Southern Hemisphere and Magnetic North: Scientific Insights: Medical Evidence of Schizophrenia.
• 6. Southern Hemisphere and Magnetic North: Scientific Insights: What is Bagua at Equator?