In traditional feng shui, we learn that each of the eight basic directions is associated with parts of the body, a family member, an element and more symbolism than we can explore in a single article.

When a direction within your home or work place has something deficient or distinguishing about it, you can consider who and what might be affected and often there is a correlation.

For example, the direction of North is associated with the kidneys, blood, circulation and ears. North is the water element and also symbolic of the middle son in a family unit. If someone had a missing north quadrant to their home's floor plan, we can see that one or more of the occupants might have kidney problems or another health issue connected with North.

Northeast is associated with the bones and muscles, particularly the hands and fingers. In the family structure, Northeast represents the youngest son in the family. I once had a client with an enlarged or extended northeast quadrant to their home. It was interesting to note that the youngest son in the family was pretty much controlling the family. He was even dictating to his mother during our consultation, which feng shui remedies he thought she should follow through on and which she should ignore.

East is associated with the feet, throat, and nervous system. East is also symbolic of the eldest son in the family structure. Some of the first people to be introduced to feng shui in America have been real estate agents. Many noted that a Chinese family might shy away from buying a house with a missing east quadrant or a missing east section of a parcel of land. They feared that they would not conceive any sons in a house or lot that was missing it's east quadrant.

Southeast is associated with the eldest daughter in the family unit and the body parts include the low back, legs, hips and thighs. I was once called to advise on a Jackie Chan movie in the making and the story line included a man who wanted to do some feng shui remedy to his house that would bring back his estranged daughter. I told them to do something to adorn or enlarge the SE section of the house and if they could convey that in a movie setting, more power to them!

The direction of South is representative of the eyes and heart as well as the middle daughter in the family structure. Just as another example of how the inside and outside work together, if you had a neighbor to the south of your home that was doing a prolonged and large construction project, that precarious energy would travel towards your house and possible affect your own eyes and heart.

The Southwest direction is related to the mother in the family. If it is a larger section of the floor plan, then we can say that the woman in the house is very strong. If it is a missing quadrant, then perhaps the mother is very weak or non-existent. The southwest is also linked to the abdominal area, so a missing southwest quadrant could indicate that the occupant might have digestive or reproductive problems.

The west quadrant represents the teeth, mouth, jaw or chest and the family member is the youngest daughter. One of my clients revealed that she had a cracked foundation under the west quadrant of her house and she did have dental problems that began when she moved in.

Finally, the Northwest quadrant is attached to the Father figure or some male in charge like the president of a company. The body areas are the head and lung region. If a house is missing a northwest quadrant, then the power and authority of the man in charge is undermined or non-existent.

This is just one layer of many layers to look at in the fascinating relationship between the house and its occupants.

Kartar Diamond is a feng shui expert based in Southern California with clients world wide. Many people love to read about feng shui, but a proper analysis takes a lot of training and experience. Kartar routinely meets with several hundred new clients per year and has evaluated thousands of properties. For more information, contact kartar at http://www.FengShuiSolutions.net.