Compass
is one of the principal objects used in Feng Shui. It came into
existence two thousand years back. Compass is a historic device,
developed by the ancient gurus of Feng Shui. With time it has evolved
and today, it is considered as sacred - the crux of all Feng Shui
knowledge. Feng Shui compass is also knows as Luo Pan or Lo Pan. 'Luo'
means a net that encompasses everything and 'Pan' refers to a plate or
utensil. Metaphorically, a compass is the combination of both Heaven and
Earth and refers to the electro magnetic field which holds all the
matter together. Compass is must for a Feng Shui practitioner and without it; he is merely practicing interior designing. The Compass or Luo Pan covers all the directions of the house, evaluates the energy in the specific area and calculates the prosperity count of the same. There are eight directions, North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest. These are indicated on the Luo Pan, as 24 divisions of 15 degrees each. A degree here and there indicates a completely different house type.
Feng Shui compass is available in different sizes and is available for varied reasons. The 4 inch version corresponds to 4 seasons, the 8 inch version is based on the Ba-Gua and the 12 inch version refers to the 12 branches. A compass consists of a number of concentric rings, with a magnetic needle in the center. This is loaded with tons of information regarding Feng Shui. The base of the compass is usually red, which symbolizes auspiciousness in Chinese culture. The color red also keeps the energy around the compass, clear.