Time Concepts
The name San (3) Yuan (cycle) indicates that there are three cycles of time. Each period comprises 60 years. This 60-year span is further subdivided into three (3) subperiods lasting twenty (20) years referred to as "periods" and every two years is governed by a ruling trigram (Gua). The table below will help you better understand the concept.
Upper Cycle
Middle Cycle
Lower Cycle
Looking at the tables, you can see that we are now in the Lower Cycle and that from 2004 to 2023, the reigning number is 8. We entered into period 8 on February 4, 2004 and will last for 20 years. The number 8 corresponds to the direction Northeast, represented by the Trigram Gen (Ken). It's element is earth and it signifies keeping still, like the mountain. Gen personifies the young man and is associated ith the end of everything adn the start of a new beginning. In Feng Shui, the number 8 represents prosperity and wealth. Note that the Qi energy distribution for property depends on the period the house was built and its facing direction. This means, if your house was built during period 7, the Qi will not be as good as a house built in 2004 or period 8.