A declining position isn’t a single direction but a general term for areas where luck fades. It refers to the spots where inauspicious flying stars—those that have lost their energy—reside. Among these, the Two Black Star and Five Yellow Star are the most ominous.
In Feng Shui, declining positions relate to the energy-lost areas in the Three Yuans and Nine Yuns system. Right now, we’re in the Eighth Yun (Period 8), so all stars from the Two Black Star to the Seven Red Star fall into declining positions—especially the Two Black and Five Yellow spots.
What Are the Three Yuans and Nine Yuns?
- The Three Yuans and Nine Yuns system divides 180 years into three “Yuans (Cycles),” each lasting 60 years: Upper Yuan, Middle Yuan, and Lower Yuan.
- The nine stars of the Nine Palaces are assigned to these 180 years, with each star ruling a 20-year period called a “Yun (Period)”:
- One White Star: Period 1
- Two Black Star: Period 2
- Three Jade Star: Period 3
- Four Green Star: Period 4
- Five Yellow Star: Period 5
- Six White Star: Period 6
- Seven Red Star: Period 7
- Eight White Star: Period 8
- Nine Purple Star: Period 9
We entered Period 8 in 2004, and it will last until 2024. After that, 2024 will mark the start of Period 9. When Period 7 ended and Period 8 took over, the Seven Red Star and the six stars before it became “retreating stars”—also called “energy-lost stars.” This means stars from the Two Black to the Seven Red are either slightly inauspicious or extremely dangerous. The areas where these bad stars land are declining positions, and you’ll need feng shui arrangements to dispel their negative energy. The Eight White Star is the “current ruling star” and the most auspicious; the One White and Nine Purple Stars are “future stars” and also bring good luck.
How to Find Declining Positions in Xuan Kong Feng Shui
To find declining positions, you first need to map the annual positions of the Nine Palaces Flying Stars. Here’s how to do it in three steps:
Step 1: Learn the order of the flying stars
The order is simple: it goes from 1 to 9 (one white to nine purple), then loops back to 1, repeating endlessly.
Step 2: Learn the trajectory of the flying stars
The trajectory of the Nine Palaces Flying Stars is shown in the figure below.
- In this Nine Palaces grid, the center is position 1 (the One White Star). You don’t need to memorize every star’s spot—just the path it takes.
- Important note: This grid uses the Feng Shui orientation—south at the top, north at the bottom, east on the left, west on the right. Don’t mix this up with regular maps!
Step 3: Figure out which star enters the central palace each year
The figure below is the 2016 Nine Palaces Flying Star map. In 2016, the Two Black Star was in the central palace. With the order and trajectory we just covered, it’s easy to understand.
- Let’s break it down: In 2016, the Two Black Star sat in the center. Following the trajectory, it moves to the bottom-right corner. Since the order goes 2 next to 3, that bottom-right spot is where the Three Jade Star lands. Keep doing this, and you’ll map all nine stars. This same method works no matter which star is in the center.
- As you can see in the figure, the central palace (with the Two Black Star) and the northeast (with the Five Yellow Star) are the Two Black and Five Yellow positions—total trouble spots.
In short, once you know which star is in the central palace, you can map all other stars using their order and trajectory. So to find the annual, monthly, or even daily positions of the flying stars, you just need to know which star is in the center for that time.
Declining Positions in Eight Mansions Feng Shui
The Eight Mansions are split into East Four Mansions and West Four Mansions. In this system, declining positions are mainly the Five Ghosts, Jue Ming (Extinction), Huo Hai (Calamity), and Liu Sha (Six Evils) spots. The Five Ghosts and Jue Ming are the worst; Huo Hai and Liu Sha are bad but have a touch of good luck.
What Are the East and West Four Mansions?
| Category | Mansions & Their Directions |
|---|---|
| East Four Mansions | Zhen Mansion (sits east, faces west), Li Mansion (sits south, faces north), Xun Mansion (sits southeast, faces northwest), Kan Mansion (sits north, faces south) |
| West Four Mansions | Qian Mansion (sits northwest, faces southeast), Dui Mansion (sits west, faces east), Gen Mansion (sits northeast, faces southwest), Kun Mansion (sits southwest, faces northeast) |
Declining Positions for Each Mansion
- Zhen Mansion: Southwest (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), West (major bad luck: Jue Ming), Northwest (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), Northeast (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha)
- Kan Mansion: Southwest (major bad luck: Jue Ming), West (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), Northwest (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), Northeast (major bad luck: Five Ghosts)
- Xun Mansion: Southwest (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), West (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), Northwest (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), Northeast (major bad luck: Jue Ming)
- Li Mansion: Southwest (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), West (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), Northwest (major bad luck: Jue Ming), Northeast (minor bad luck: Huo Hai)
- Gen Mansion: East (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), Southeast (major bad luck: Jue Ming), South (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), North (major bad luck: Five Ghosts)
- Qian Mansion: East (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), Southeast (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), South (major bad luck: Jue Ming), North (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha)
- Dui Mansion: East (major bad luck: Jue Ming), Southeast (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), South (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), North (minor bad luck: Huo Hai)
- Kun Mansion: East (minor bad luck: Huo Hai), Southeast (major bad luck: Five Ghosts), South (moderate bad luck: Liu Sha), North (major bad luck: Jue Ming)
Fixing Declining Positions with Feng Shui
Once you’ve found the declining positions, you can fix them with simple Feng Shui tweaks.
Fixing Eight Mansions’ Declining Positions
- Use water-element items to dispel bad energy—this is called “guiding water into the zero hall.” For example, putting a fish tank or hydroponic plants in the declining position will help.
- For Five Ghosts and Jue Ming positions, turning them into a toilet or bathroom works even better.
- The Liu Sha position is also the “Peach Blossom position” (for romance) in Eight Mansions Feng Shui. Decorating it nicely can boost your love luck.
Key Basics for Fixing: Five Elements of the Flying Stars
First, you need to know the five elements of each flying star:
| Star Name | Five Element |
|---|---|
| One White Star | Water |
| Two Black Star | Earth |
| Three Jade Star | Wood |
| Four Green Star | Wood |
| Five Yellow Star | Earth |
| Six White Star | Metal |
| Seven Red Star | Metal |
| Eight White Star | Earth |
| Nine Purple Star | Fire |
Next, remember how the Five Elements interact:
- Mutual Generation: Metal makes Water, Water makes Wood, Wood makes Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth makes Metal.
- Mutual Restraint: Metal cuts Wood, Wood breaks Earth, Earth soaks Water, Water puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal.
Focus on Fixing Two Black and Five Yellow Positions
These two are the worst, so they need extra attention:
- Both are Earth elements. Don’t put Fire or Earth items here—Fire feeds Earth, and Earth makes Earth stronger, which worsens the bad energy.
- Water items aren’t great either: Earth soaks water, which weakens Earth, but the fight between Earth and Water causes problems too.
- The best bet is metal items (like Five Emperors Coins, metal alarm clocks, metal wind chimes, or bronze bells). Earth makes Metal, so metal soaks up Earth’s bad energy and drains it away.
- Keep these areas clean and clutter-free—mess makes the Two Black and Five Yellow’s bad energy even stronger.
Fixing Other Declining Positions
- Three Jade and Four Green Stars (Wood): Use Fire items (Wood feeds Fire, so Fire drains Wood’s bad energy).
- Six White and Seven Red Stars (Metal): Use Water items (Metal makes Water, so Water drains Metal’s bad energy).
But here’s the thing—these four positions have a little good luck mixed in, so you don’t need to go overboard with fixing them.
The bottom line? Knowing the Five Elements of your household items is key—every single thing in your home has a Five Element attribute.
