East and West groups
In Eight Mansions Feng Shui every Kua number belongs to the East group (1, 3, 4, 9), favoured by north, south, east and south-east, or the West group (2, 6, 7, 8), favoured by west, south-west, north-west and north-east.
Also known as: east four west four, east life west life
The eight directions split into two families. The East group, north, south, east and south-east, belongs to Kua 1, 3, 4 and 9. The West group, west, south-west, north-west and north-east, belongs to Kua 2, 6, 7 and 8. All four of your favourable directions come from your own group.
Homes are grouped too, by the direction they sit in: the back of the house, opposite the side it faces. A house sitting north, south, east or south-east is an East house; one sitting west, south-west, north-west or north-east is a West house. A person in the same group as their home is said to find it naturally supportive.
When family members belong to different groups, each person uses their own favourable directions where it matters most: the desk they face, the head of their bed and the seat they choose at the table.
A West-group person in an East-group house is not out of luck. Eight Mansions is designed to be adjusted room by room, and personal orientation often matters more than the house as a whole.