Lucky and Unlucky Numbers in Feng Shui

ONE
ONE is considered powerful because it can be divided into any number leaving both numbers unchanged. It represents pioneers, explorers and innovators along with tenacity, authority, and dynamic, decisive leadership. In Feng Shui the number ONE is a Yang number (indicating strength and energy), it is associated with the Water element (representing flow and communication).

If there is too much ONE energy though then it can manifest as aggression, intolerance, and a person who is domineering and obstinate. It’s also a difficult number if you are looking for relationship as the number ONE can be so self-reliant that it doesn’t need anyone else.

TWO
In Feng Shui even though all even numbers are considered Yin numbers (yielding and passive) the number TWO does represent the duality of Yin and Yang and these opposing energies coming together. Because of this it can be seen as an opportunity for not just a relationship but a dynamic relationship where the individuals are willing to change. It also represents the Fire element (energy and creativity). In addition the number TWO indicates cooperation, a desire for peace, and understanding.

If too much TWO energy is around it can manifest as a need for reassurance, a desire for encouragement and, if it’s not received, then depression.

THREE
Visually the number THREE is like an EIGHT cut in half. Universally we see the THREE as cooperation and growth (two has become three). There are lots of spiritual connections to the number THREE; body, mind and spirit, the Christian trinity, father, mother and child, Maid, Mother and Crone, birth, life and death, past, present and future. It also represents sexual creative power, the powers of observation, and versatility. In Feng Shui it’s a Yang number and connected to the Wood element (growth and feeling alive). It is considered lucky because in Cantonese it sounds like the word ‘alive’.

Too much THREE energy can make you irritable, easily angered and very outspoken.

FOUR
With the number FOUR, we find our first real spilt when it comes to cultural interpretation. In the West, we associate the number FOUR with the four compass directions, the four seasons, the four elements (In the West it’s earth, air, fire and water as opposed to the Chinese five element system), the four suits of the playing cards and the four legs of a table. To us it’s about stability, practicality and precision. But in China the word for FOUR sounds like the word for ‘die’ which, not surprisingly, is considered unlucky. It is a Yin number and of the Metal element (production and material wealth). Universally the number is associated with respectability, hard work and being tenacious, industrious and organized.

Too much of the number FOUR will bring a lot of boring work, a weak suspicious mind and extreme stubbornness.

FIVE
The number FIVE, like the number FOUR is seen differently in different cultures. FIVE is about adventure and opportunity. In Feng Shui FIVE is more a stable balance like a top that spins. It represents the five elements (wood, earth, fire, metal and water), the five seasons (the four plus long summer), the five directions (the four cardinal directions and the center), the five emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, bliss, and hatred), and so on. It is a Yang number and not associated with a single element because it represents all five. FIVE represents talents, originality, being resilient, and being mentally alert.

If there is too much FIVE energy then a person can be a gambler taking too many chances or it could be the opposite, too afraid of failure to move forward on anything.

SIX
SIX is about comfort, caring and peace-loving. In Feng Shui it’s a Yin number, so there’s a softer energy but it’s still considered lucky. It’s associated with the Water element of communication and flow. It is also associated with discernment, there’s an old saying in Chinese that a person should see the six colors of black: dark black, light black, dry black, wet black, deep black and white black (gray). In the West we associate SIX with artistic ability, music and poetry, imagination and intelligence.

Too much SIX energy can make a person feel complacent, selfish and too focused on trivial things.

SEVEN
The number SEVEN has long been a lucky number in the West, often used in gambling and other games of chance. In Feng Shui it’s a Yang number and the Fire element (creativity and energy) but it is associated with death festivals and rituals. There is also a festival in China on the seventh day of the seventh month that tells of the seventh daughter of the king of heaven. On this one day she is allowed to be with her lover and the rest of the time she is separated from him. The number SEVEN is also associated with the seven days of the week and the seven planets; Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, which all can be seen without a telescope. Universally this number represents spirituality, magical powers, dreams, fantasy, beliefs, and a love of ideas.

Too much of the SEVEN energy can lead to moodiness, confusion and a contempt for the practical.

EIGHT
EIGHT is the most visually balanced of the numbers, and it represents success, power, wisdom, and wealth. In Feng Shui, it is Yin and of the Wood element (growth and expansion). It is connected to the Chinese word for happiness, the eight trigrams (which form the basis for the I Ching). In the West the number EIGHT is the symbol for the famous inscription of the Emerald Tablet, ‘as above so below’, referencing harmony of mind and body. It is connected to the eight phases of the moon which shows the cycle of degeneration and regeneration, that things grow and then diminish but then they grow again.

EIGHT is a powerful number and so excess of EIGHT brings more serious consequences such as materialism, great failures, ruthlessness and jealousy.

NINE
The number NINE universally is about longevity. It is auspicious in the West and in the East. It is a Yang number and the Metal element (wealth and practicality). It is also considered the humanitarian number, having the courage and determination to help others. Most importantly, NINE signals the end of a cycle, a time to get ready for something new.

Too much NINE energy can be intolerant and wish to avoid all new information. It can be capable of both deception and self-deception.

ZERO
Without ZERO we would not be able to proceed to 10 but universally ZERO signifies an emptiness and is not considered lucky. ZERO can be seen as the potential for energy but it is so new that we cannot see what type of energy it could possess. And ZERO is drawn as a circle or a circle with a line through it indicating a closed system, not open to anything new or different. In Feng Shui ZERO is too negative and unlucky to use on its own and only gains when it’s combined with other numbers like 10.

Author and entrepreneur Donna Stellhorn has successfully combined a variety of spiritual tools and practical skills in the course of building her successful career. uses Feng Shui in nearly everything he does – from selling and staging to education and more.