The LuoPan was developed approximately 4000 years ago and over time, it has been reformed and altered according to theories. It has been an indispensable tool for all Feng Shui Practitioners, Masters and Students alike.
The Luopan is a Chinese Compass encrypted with profound codes that only trained and certified Practitioners can decode ! It reveals the direction of your dwelling with respect to the different schools of Feng Shui such as 8 mansions, trigrams, flying stars, 4 pillars of Destiny. Every degree and character engraved on the heaven dial (the round, movable plate of the Luo Pan) is accurately designed and with it carries deep secrets of the Chinese Art of Placement and Metaphysics : Feng Shui.
It is important to be able to distinguish between a good luopan and one that's not. Reason being that we cannot afford to make any errors when taking our bearings as this will in turn affect the final results of our analysis.
How to Identify a Good Luopan
[1] Heaven Pool's Red Line : The double dots must be pointing direct 'North' while the point should be towards South
[2] Earth base and Spirit Level : The Luopan must have a square base. Measurements are taken by matching luopan parallel to the wall/door of any dwelling. A good Luopan comes with a Spirit Level for accuracy of reading.
[3] Quality of Material : Ensure that the Luopan you've got is made of only poly-electric wood ('lei dian mu') as poly-electric wood can withstand temp. of up to 140 degrees. Normal wood or recycled wood can be readily found at streetstalls that try to pass off as the real thing.
[4] Weight : A good Luopan weighs around 1.3 to 1.5kg. The Heaven Dial (round plate) should be turned with ease and steadily.
[5] Aesthetics or Beauty : A Luopan must meet all of the above criteria plus beauty ! It should feel smooth and well engraved. The more beautiful and well made the Luopan, the better it serves its purpose.
Luopans are being found in many Feng Shui Masters' houses, especially in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Just as we change our taste for ties and shoes for newer and better ones, Luopans are the emerging 'trade accessory' for any practitioner. It is fast becoming a collector's item ! And rightly so ! Keep a Piece of History in your Office or Home by Clicking Here !
