Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar place and needed to quickly figure out where North is? Or maybe you wanted to apply Feng Shui in your home but weren't sure how to correctly find your directions? It may seem like something trivial, but surprisingly, many people don't know exactly how to determine their orientation without the help of a GPS. In this article, you’ll learn how to easily and correctly navigate using only your phone or a few simple landmarks!

How to Use a Compass Correctly and Understand Cardinal Directions

Feng Shui is based on directions, and knowing them correctly is essential. Although it might seem obvious, not everyone is familiar with how a compass works or how to identify geographical directions. This guide will explain everything you need to know in a simple and clear way.

What are Cardinal Directions?

Cardinal directions are the four main directions used for orientation:

North (N) – the direction towards the North Pole
South (S) – the direction towards the South Pole
East (E) – the direction from which the Sun rises
West (W) – the direction where the Sun sets

When you open a map, North is always at the top, South at the bottom, East to the right, and West to the left. This is also true on Google Maps, where the maps are typically oriented with North at the top. Exceptions only occur if you manually rotate the map or use the 3D mode.

Daytime Orientation Using the Sun

The Sun is always in the southern direction at noon (in the northern hemisphere), and in the northern direction in the southern hemisphere. Here are a few landmarks:

Morning: The Sun rises in the east, and by noon, it will be approximately in the south (in the northern hemisphere). You can estimate the direction of the east this way.
Afternoon: The Sun sets in the west, and by then, it will be in the southern direction (for the northern hemisphere) or northern (for the southern hemisphere).

To locate the south in the northern hemisphere:

You can use the shadow of an object: Place a vertical object (for example, a stick or branch) on the ground and measure its shadow. At noon, the shadow will be the shortest and will indicate the north direction.

How to Find the North Star Using the Big Dipper

If you're outside at night and the sky is clear, you can find North using the North Star. Follow these simple steps:

Identify the Big Dipper constellation (Ursa Major). This is a constellation made of seven bright stars, easily recognizable, and it has the shape of a "ladle" or "cart."
Follow the last two stars of the "bowl" of the Big Dipper.
Extend an imaginary line about five times the distance between these two stars.
At the end of this line, you will find the North Star - Polaris, which is part of the Little Dipper constellation.
The North Star always indicates the direction of North.

This method is helpful when you don't have a compass at hand and need to orient yourself at night.

How to Use Your Phone’s Compass to Find Directions (Example with iPhone)

If you don’t have a traditional compass, you can use your phone. Here's how to do this on an iPhone, which already has a built-in compass:

Open the Compass app.
Hold the phone upright, parallel to the ground, and point it in the desired direction.
You will see the direction displayed in degrees and the corresponding cardinal point.
Make sure location services are enabled so the compass works correctly.

If you have an Android phone, you can use Google Maps:

Open Google Maps.
Tap on the blue dot that shows your location.
A blue light cone will show the direction you’re facing. If it’s unclear, rotate your phone until the cone points upwards – that’s North!

Determining the Direction of a Building’s Facade

In Traditional Feng Shui practice, knowing the direction of a building’s facade and the year it started being inhabited is essential for Feng Shui. To find the direction of the facade, follow these steps:

Locate the Facade: Stand at the main entrance of the building or in the area facing the main road, typically the busiest artery (similar to a river's flow).
Hold the Compass Correctly: Hold the compass (or your phone with the Compass app open), flat and stable, parallel to your back, while you stand with your back parallel to the building’s facade, facing outward.
Align the Compass: Hold the compass in front of you, ensuring that the directional needle is pointing straight ahead.
Read the Compass: Check the compass to determine the direction it indicates. The direction in which the needle points shows the orientation of the building’s facade.

Difference Between Geographical North and Magnetic North

The two concepts are different, and it’s important to know which one we are referring to when dealing with them.

Geographical North (or North Pole): This is the point of intersection of the Earth's axis of rotation with its surface, located in the northern part of the planet. It is fixed and does not change. It is used to establish geographic latitude and is the reference point for maps and geographic coordinate systems.
Magnetic North: This is the point on Earth’s surface where the planet’s magnetic field lines are perpendicular to the ground. This north is not fixed but moves over time due to changes in the Earth's magnetic field. A compass points to magnetic north, which may be different from geographical north. Currently, magnetic north is near the North Pole, but it moves approximately 10 kilometers per year.

The difference between the two is important when navigating with a compass, as the angle between the direction shown by the compass and the actual direction of geographical north must be adjusted (this is called magnetic declination).

In navigation or map orientation in nature, geographical North is essential, but when it comes to Traditional Feng Shui and aligning with the Earth’s energies, Magnetic North matters.

Did you know that the Chinese were the ones who discovered the compass? It is believed to have been invented during the Han dynasty (around the 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD), initially in the form of an object called a “sinan”, a magnetic indicator made of magnetite mounted on a plate. Later, during the Song dynasty (10th-12th centuries), the compass began to be used for navigation, revolutionizing maritime explorations. Europeans learned about the compass through their contacts with the Chinese world during the Middle Ages. Marco Polo lived between 1254 and 1324. He was born in Venice, the Republic of Venice (now part of Italy), and became famous for his travels in Asia, particularly in China, where he reached the court of the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan. His travels were documented in the book "The Description of the World", and his stories had a significant impact on European imagination and knowledge about the Far East during that time.

Conclusion

Understanding cardinal directions and using a compass correctly are essential skills, especially in Feng Shui. Whether you use traditional methods like the North Star or the Sun's shadow to orient yourself in nature, or modern technologies like your phone's compass or a traditional compass for determining directions in Feng Shui, correct orientation can significantly improve your life and decisions.

Now you’re ready to navigate space better and apply Feng Shui principles correctly!