Geomantic Compass — Luopan

The Luopan — the geomantic compass — is the primary instrument of classical feng shui practice. Concentric rings of cosmological data surround a magnetic needle at center: the 24 mountains, the eight trigrams, the 64 hexagrams, the five elements, the flying stars, the lunar mansions. Each ring is a different layer of the Chinese cosmological system, and a trained practitioner reads them in combination to assess the energetic landscape of any site or structure.

Used to determine precise directional orientation of a building's facing and sitting direction — the foundation of all further feng shui analysis. Without accurate compass reading, no placement recommendation is meaningful.

The pocket compass is for personal use, site visits, and portable assessment. The standard compass is for serious practice, desk reference, and display.

• Material: Wood base, metal needle
• Variants: Pocket (small), Standard (large)
• Use: Directional assessment, flying star feng shui, site analysis
• Tradition: Classical Chinese geomancy (Feng Shui)