Lo Pan - Every environment has special points at which Chi' (the life force) gathers. This can be pictured as a rimmed bowl which is filled with energy from different directions. A Lo Pan reading begins at these points and provides information about the quality of Chi' which collects in the bowl and is then transferred to other areas. Every energy collection point influences near, and quite often, distant surroundings, for example the Ley lines. The Lo Pan reaches the small Chi' containers step by step, starting at the main ones. By understanding and using the Lo Pan, you can successfully diagnose and help fix problems however for those just starting out, these are also excellent for finding each direction in your home and beginning on the path to understanding the flow of chi' through your home.

Feng Shui is the 5,000 year old Chinese study of managing one's luck and good fortune. Feng Shui has been steadily growing in status and popularity in the West. Feng Shui involves capturing the beneficial CHI' (or Qi), which flows through the earth's meridians, while at the same time deflecting the malevolent SHA, which brings adversity and misfortune. Many Chinese consider a Feng Shui survey of their prospective home just as important if not more so than a building survey.

True Feng Shui always requires a compass. Without a compass, one is only practicing interior design and personal preference. A Feng Shui analysis is very specific: There are eight directions, North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest. On a Lo Pan, these directions are divided into three different sections. There are 24 divisions on a Lo Pan of 15 degrees each. Each division's orientation can result in a different house in terms of its prosperity. A few degrees one way or another is a completely different house type.

There are many different levels of Chinese Feng Shui. The commonly used teachings include:
Form - The Form method only addresses the external or internal environments.
Eight House - (Known as the East/West teachings) This method addresses the basic orientations and how best to align one's self to the favorable directions.
Xuan Kong - (Also known as Flying Star Method) This is a time specific Feng Shui which looks at orientations and time factors.

One of the first things newcomers will notice is that the arrow or red mark on the compass needle points South, not North, which is correct for Chinese Feng Shui Compasses.