Feng Shui and Fertility: Ancient Legends of Conceiving Children Through the Gen Position
"Of the three forms of unfilial conduct, the greatest is to have no descendants." (不孝有三，无后为大.) In traditional Chinese society, offspring were considered the foundation of family continuity. Feng Shui,
Feng Shui and Fertility — Legends of Conceiving Children Through the Gen Position
"Of the three forms of unfilial conduct, the greatest is to have no descendants." (不孝有三，无后为大.) In traditional Chinese society, offspring were considered the foundation of family continuity. Feng Shui, meanwhile, was believed to "activate and strengthen" fertility luck (子嗣运). From Emperor Huizong of Song's Genyue garden to folk practices of praying for children, stories connecting Feng Shui and fertility run throughout the entire span of Chinese cultural history.
Cultural Context: In Confucian thought, continuing the family bloodline was considered a sacred duty. The pressure to produce heirs — especially sons — shaped countless customs, including architectural choices and the placement of homes. Feng Shui offered a framework for influencing this most personal of matters.
The Gen Position and Fertility
"Gen" (艮) is one of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), representing the northeast direction as well as the "youngest son" (少男). According to Feng Shui principles, the configuration of the northeast corner of a home — the Gen Position (艮位) — directly influences fertility and the arrival of children.
| Gen Position Feature | Fertility Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gen Position is low or sunken | Gen Qi is insufficient — children are hard to come by |
| Gen Position is overly elevated | Gen Qi is excessive and overactive — also unfavorable |
| Gen Position is balanced and stable | Gen Qi is moderate — children thrive |
| Gen Position is dirty or polluted | Gen Qi is contaminated — children are weak |
How to Apply This Principle
- Assess your Gen corner: Stand in the center of your home and observe the northeast area. Is it level, sunken, or piled high with clutter?
- Aim for balance: The ideal Gen Position is slightly elevated but stable — not a dramatic peak, not a pit
- Keep it clean: This corner should be bright, tidy, and free of garbage, storage boxes, or bathroom fixtures
- Add gentle support: A small indoor plant, a modest decorative rock, or a low shelf can symbolically "raise" the Gen Qi
Quick Tip: If your home's northeast corner happens to be your bathroom or laundry room, focus extra attention on keeping it spotlessly clean and well-ventilated. Regular cleaning rituals in this area are believed to keep fertility energy flowing smoothly.
Feng Shui Stories of Praying for Children
Story One: Building a Hill in the Gen Position
One household had no children. A Feng Shui master examined their home and discovered that the northeast corner (the Gen Position) was sunken and low-lying. He advised building a small earthen mound or artificial rockery (假山) in this area to "supplement the Gen Qi" (补艮气). Within several years of making this adjustment, the family was blessed with a child.
Story Two: Relocating the Stove to Conceive
Another family struggling with childlessness invited a Feng Shui master to investigate. He found that their stove was placed directly over the "Vital Qi direction" (生气方, sheng qi fang) — the position associated with fertility and new life. After relocating the stove away from this sacred spot, the family welcomed a child within a few years.
Cultural Context: In traditional Chinese kitchens, the stove represents the Fire element and the heart of the household. Its placement was never random — a stove "pressing down" on a fertile direction was thought to "cook away" or destroy the energy of new life. This is why kitchen placement was treated with such care in Feng Shui consultations.
Story Three: Planting Pomegranates for Many Children
In folk tradition, the pomegranate (石榴) — with its abundant seeds — is a powerful symbol of fertility and many descendants. Planting a pomegranate tree in the Gen Position or in the courtyard represents the wish for "many children and abundant blessings" (多子多福).
| Fertility Method | Practice | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Build hill in Gen Position | Pile earth mound in northeast | Supplement Gen Qi |
| Relocate stove | Move stove away from Vital Qi direction | Vital Qi no longer pressed down |
| Plant pomegranate | Grow pomegranate tree in Gen Position or courtyard | Many children, abundant blessings |
How to Bring These Remedies Into Your Home
- For a sunken Gen corner: Place a tall, healthy plant (such as a money tree or small indoor tree) to symbolically elevate the area
- For stove placement issues: In modern kitchens, ensure your stove is not aligned with the door or directly facing the northeast — or use a partition if relocation isn't possible
- For symbolic fertility energy: Display pomegranate artwork, a bowl of fresh pomegranates, or red fruit in the northeast area of your home or dining table
Quick Tips:
- Real or artificial pomegranates work equally well — the symbolic meaning carries the lucky energy
- Avoid placing broken items, dead plants, or storage clutter in the Gen Position, as these block fertility Qi
- If you cannot relocate your stove, keeping it spotlessly clean and burning fresh incense occasionally helps clear negative energy
Feng Shui Patterns That Block Fertility
| Blocking Pattern | Manifestation | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Sunken Gen Position | Northeast corner is low-lying | Build a hill to supplement Qi |
| Polluted Gen Position | Northeast corner contains a bathroom | Keep the area spotlessly clean |
| Stove pressing Vital Qi | Stove located over the Vital Qi direction | Relocate the stove |
| Bedroom in Jueming direction | Bedroom placed in the Life-Destroying direction | Move the bedroom |
Cultural Context: "Jueming" (绝命) refers to one of the Eight Mansions' inauspicious directions, associated with endings and loss. A bedroom placed in this direction was believed to harm both health and the conception of children. This concept comes from the Eight Mansions School (八宅派) of Feng Shui, which maps auspicious and inauspicious directions based on the homeowner's birth Gua.
Quick Diagnostic Checklist
Walk through your home with these questions in mind:
- ☐ Is my northeast corner clean, bright, and uncluttered?
- ☐ Is my stove positioned away from my main entrance and away from the Vital Qi direction?
- ☐ Is there any symbolism of "many children" (pomegranates, fish, round fruits) in my dining or living area?
- ☐ Is my bedroom located in an auspicious direction according to Eight Mansions theory?
If you answered "no" to any of these, consider one adjustment this month — small, consistent changes carry more lucky energy than rushed overhauls.
Feng Shui Knowledge Points
- Gen Position (艮位): The northeast direction in the Bagua, representing the "youngest son" and connected to fertility and offspring.
- Genyue (艮岳): Emperor Huizong of Song built an artificial mountain and garden in the northeast of Bianjing (modern Kaifeng) to pray for an heir — discussed in detail in Chapter 22.
- Vital Qi direction (生气方): The auspicious direction associated with growth and vitality in Eight Mansions Feng Shui; should not be pressed down by a stove.
- Pomegranate symbolism (石榴多子): The folk tradition that associates pomegranates with many children, leading to the practice of planting them in the Gen Position to pray for offspring.
- Supplementing Gen Qi (补艮气): Methods to strengthen the Feng Shui of the Gen Position through piling earth, planting trees, or adding symbolic objects.
Related Articles
- [[../07-风水故事/50-蒋大鸿传奇.md|The Legend of Jiang Dahong — The Xuan Kong Master of Late Ming and Early Qing]]
- [[../07-风水故事/58-风水与丧葬.md|Feng Shui and Burial — The Ancient Tradition of Yin Dwelling Feng Shui]]
- [[../01-风水入门/10-风水常见误区澄清.md|Common Feng Shui Misconceptions Clarified: Distinguishing Superstition from Science]]
- [[../01-风水入门/51-风水测量工具大全.md|The Complete Guide to Feng Shui Measurement Tools: From Traditional to Modern Equipment]]