Does Feng Shui Change Every Year? The Complete Guide to Annual Updates

This is one of the most important questions people ask, and the answer is key to using feng shui successfully over time. So, does feng shui change every year? The answer is both yes and no. Some important parts of feng shui definitely change every year, but the basic energy pattern of your home stays the same. Understanding both sides of this is the secret to having good luck consistently.

This yearly change happens mainly because of a changing system of energies called the "Annual Flying Stars." These are time-based influences that visit different areas of your home or office each year, bringing new opportunities and possible challenges. Think of it this way: your property has a permanent "birth chart," but each year it gets a new forecast. This guide will be your complete roadmap. We will explain exactly what changes, what stays the same, and give you a practical, step-by-step plan for making yearly adjustments to keep the energy in your space strong and helpful.

Fixed vs. Annual Energies

To master yearly feng shui, you must first understand the two main layers of energy that shape your environment: the fixed, foundation layer and the changing, annual layer. Understanding this concept prevents confusion and makes sure that your initial feng shui work is not wasted but is instead built upon year after year. A good comparison is to think of a person: you have a core personality and natural talents (your birth chart), but you also experience different moods, opportunities, and challenges daily (your annual luck). Your home works on a similar principle.

The Unchanging Foundation

This is your home's "birth chart" or natal chart. It is a permanent energy blueprint created when the property was built and is determined by factors that do not change over time. This foundation layer controls the long-term potential, health capacity, and wealth-generating abilities of the space. Key parts include:

• Form School Feng Shui: This refers to the outside environment. The influence of surrounding landforms like mountains, rivers, roads, and neighboring buildings makes up the big, permanent layer of your home's feng shui.
• House Period & Facing Direction: When a house is built, it "locks in" an energy signature based on its building period (a 20-year cycle in feng shui) and its exact compass facing direction. This combination creates a permanent Flying Star natal chart, which is unique to your home and will not change.
• Personal Feng Shui (Kua Number): Your personal good and bad directions are calculated based on your birth date. This aspect is fixed to you as an individual and does not change from year to year.

The Dynamic Influence

On top of this permanent foundation, a new layer of energy arrives each year. These are often called the "Annual Visitors" or, more formally, the Annual Flying Stars (九宫飞星, jiǔ gōng fēi xīng). This system has nine different energies, each with its own characteristics, that move to a new compass area of every property on Earth at the start of the solar new year (usually around February 4th). These visiting stars interact with your home's permanent natal chart, creating a brand-new, unique energy dynamic for the year ahead. They control the immediate luck, opportunities, and specific challenges you may face in the coming 12 months.

Comparison: Fixed vs. Annual

For ultimate clarity, we can directly compare these two essential layers of feng shui.

A Deep Dive into Annual Stars

The main reason we say feng shui changes every year is because of the system known as Xuan Kong Fei Xing, or Flying Star Feng Shui. This advanced method tracks the nine annual energies as they move through the nine grids of the Bagua map each year. Each star is a type of energy with a unique number, element, and influence, affecting different aspects of your life from wealth and career to health and relationships. Understanding the nature of these stars—which are good and which are bad—is the first step toward taking control of your environment's annual energy.

The Lucky Stars

These are the "good guys" for the year. When these stars land in a particular area of your home, such as your office or bedroom, you want to activate and enhance their positive energy to maximize your luck. The lucky stars include:

• The #8 Wealth Star: This is the main star for current prosperity, financial success, and business growth. Activating this star is a top priority for boosting income and wealth.
• The #9 Future Prosperity Star: Also known as the Magnifying Star, it makes stronger the energy of whatever it's near. It controls future wealth, happy occasions, promotions, and celebrations.
• The #1 Victory Star: This star is connected with career advancement, winning against competition, and improving one's reputation and status. It is excellent for those seeking a promotion or starting a new business.
• The #6 Heavenly Luck Star: This star brings authority, leadership opportunities, and the potential for unexpected good luck or help from influential people (mentors).

The Unlucky Stars

These are the challenging energies that need your attention and specific remedies each year. The goal is not to eliminate them—which is impossible—but to calm and weaken their negative influence. Ignoring these stars can lead to unexpected problems. The main unlucky stars are:

• The #5 Yellow Misfortune Star (Wu Wang): This is the most dangerous and troublesome star. It is connected with major obstacles, accidents, financial loss, and serious illness. It is absolutely crucial to remedy this star's location every single year.
• The #2 Illness Star: As its name suggests, this star is related to health problems, sickness, tiredness, and a general lack of well-being. It is particularly important to remedy if it falls in a bedroom or kitchen.
• The #3 Argumentative Star: This star can trigger disputes, misunderstandings, stress, conflict, and even legal issues. Its presence can create a tense and hostile environment.
• The #7 Robbery/Loss Star: This star is connected with financial loss, theft, deception, and betrayal. It can show up as being scammed, losing money, or even physical robbery.

Why The Shift Matters

The practical effects of this annual shift are huge. An area of your home that was wonderfully supportive last year could become a source of trouble this year, and vice-versa. For example, your home office might have hosted the #1 Victory Star last year, leading to a promotion and career success. This year, the #2 Illness Star might move into that same room, and you suddenly find yourself feeling drained, unmotivated, and prone to sickness while working. This is a direct result of the annual feng shui change.

To provide a concrete example, for the year 2024, the powerful #5 Misfortune Star flies into the West sector of all properties. This means it is critical for everyone to keep the West area of their home and office quiet, free of renovations or loud noise, and to place a strong metal cure, such as a salt water cure or a six-rod hollow metal wind chime, to suppress its negative influence.

Your Guide to Annual Adjustments

Now that you understand the "what" and "why," we move to the "how." Turning this knowledge into action is what produces real results. This practical, step-by-step guide will help you perform an annual feng shui "tune-up" on your own space, removing any sense of being overwhelmed.

Step 1: Find the Annual Chart

Your first task is to get the map for the current year. Every year, feng shui masters and trustworthy websites publish the Annual Flying Star chart. A simple online search for "[Current Year] Flying Star Chart" will provide you with the necessary diagram showing which star is in which compass area for the year. This chart is universal for all buildings.

Step 2: Overlay the Bagua Map

To know where these stars are located within your specific home, you need a floor plan of your property. You will then place the nine-sector Bagua grid onto this floor plan. This divides your home into the eight compass directions (North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest) plus the Center. This step is essential for correctly identifying the physical locations you need to address.

Step 3: Identify Key Star Locations

With your floor plan gridded and the annual chart in hand, you can now pinpoint exactly where the key stars are located in your home. We recommend using a pencil to mark on your floor plan which rooms or areas fall into the sectors hosting the most important stars: the lucky #8, #9, and #1, and the unlucky #5, #2, #3, and #7. For example, you might find the #5 Misfortune Star is in your living room, and the #8 Wealth Star is in your bedroom.

Step 4: Remedy the Negative Stars

This is the most critical defensive action you will take all year. Calming the negative stars helps prevent problems before they start. Here are the most common and effective "cures":

• To counter the #5 Misfortune Star: The element of this star is Earth. To weaken it, we use the Metal element. You must keep this area as quiet as possible. Avoid renovations, loud music, or high activity. Do not place items in the Fire element colors (reds, bright oranges) here. The most effective remedy is to place a strong Metal element cure, such as a traditional salt water cure, a six-rod hollow metal wind chime, or a bronze Pi Yao.
• To counter the #2 Illness Star: This is also an Earth element star. Therefore, Metal is also the primary remedy. Avoid sleeping in this area if possible, especially if you have existing health concerns. The classic cure is to place a metal gourd (Wu Lou) by the bedside or in this area. A string of six metal Chinese coins is also effective.
• To counter the #3 Argumentative Star: This is a Wood element star. To exhaust Wood, we use the Fire element. Avoid noise and confrontations in this area. The simplest and most effective cure is to place a piece of red paper, a red lamp, or another prominent red decorative object in this area. Do not have a water feature here, as Water feeds Wood.

Step 5: Activate the Positive Stars

Once you have protected your space, it's time to enhance the positive energies to boost your luck for the year. Here are common "enhancers":

• To activate the #8 Wealth Star: This Earth element star thrives on activity. Increase movement and sound in this area. It is an excellent place for a television, a home office, or a main entrance. To enhance it, place a small indoor water feature (like a tabletop fountain) or wealth symbols such as a wealth bowl. Keeping the area bright, clean, and active is key.
• To activate the #9 Future Prosperity Star: This is a Fire element star. To strengthen it, you can use the Wood element. Place a vibrant, healthy plant in this area. Using items in the Fire element colors (reds, purples, pinks, oranges) or keeping bright lights on in this area will also effectively activate its lucky energy.
• To activate the #1 Victory Star: This is a Water element star. To enhance its energy for career and competitive luck, you can strengthen it with either Metal or Water elements. Placing a career-related symbol, a metal object, or a small water feature can help activate its positive influence.

Real-World Impact Case Study

Theory is valuable, but seeing the real-world impact of these annual adjustments provides undeniable proof of their importance. It shows how simple changes, when correctly applied, can create a significant and positive shift in people's lives and businesses.

The Client's Challenge

A few years ago, we were contacted by the owner of a successful retail boutique. She had enjoyed a fantastic year of growth, but as soon as the new calendar year began, everything changed. Foot traffic dropped dramatically, customer complaints and negative online reviews suddenly increased, and she noticed a clear tension and increase in conflicts among her staff. She was confused and worried her business was on an irreversible downturn.

Our Team's Analysis

Our team, THE QI FLOW, was brought in to conduct a comprehensive feng shui audit. The first thing we analyzed was the change in the Annual Flying Stars from the previous year to the current one. The diagnosis was immediate and clear. We discovered that the boutique's main entrance and front display window, which had hosted the lucky #8 Wealth Star the previous year, drawing in customers and money, was now occupied by the volatile #3 Argumentative Star. This star is notorious for causing conflict, disputes, and stress. Furthermore, our analysis showed that the area containing the cash register and back office was now affected by the #7 Loss Star, which controls financial drain and betrayal. This combination was a textbook energetic recipe for customer disputes and money flowing out of the business.

The Targeted Solution

The solution did not require costly renovations. Instead, we implemented simple, targeted annual cures based on the principles of the five elements.

• At the entrance (The #3 Star): To weaken the Wood energy of the #3 star, we advised the client to place a vibrant, custom-branded red welcome mat just inside the door. Red represents the Fire element, which exhausts Wood. We also had her remove a small decorative fountain near the door that was accidentally strengthening the star's negative conflict energy (Water feeds Wood).
• At the cash register (The #7 Star): To counter the Metal energy of the #7 star, we used the Water element. We had the client place a small, discreet blue rhino figurine on the counter, facing the door. This is a traditional and powerful feng shui cure to protect against the loss and deception associated with the #7 star.
• Activating the Positive: We located the new annual #8 Wealth Star, which had moved to a quiet corner of the shop. We advised the owner to transform this neglected corner into a beautiful, brightly lit display featuring her most popular products. This activated the wealth energy for the year, creating a new point of attraction.

The Clear Turnaround

The results were swift and clear. Within a few weeks, the owner reported a dramatic decrease in customer complaints and a much more harmonious and productive atmosphere among her staff. Within two months, foot traffic and sales began to steadily climb back towards, and eventually surpass, their previous levels. This case powerfully shows that ignoring the fact that feng shui changes every year is like trying to navigate a new city with an old, outdated map.

Embrace the Annual Rhythm

To conclude, let's return to our core question: does feng shui change every year? As we've seen, the answer lies in a two-part system. Your home's foundation energy, its "natal chart," remains fixed. This is the bedrock of its potential. However, the changing "annual visitors," the Flying Stars, introduce a new layer of influence each and every year.

Your most important takeaway should be this: the single most impactful action you can take for your space annually is to identify the locations of the unlucky stars—especially the #5 Misfortune Star and the #2 Illness Star—and apply the correct remedies. This is a non-negotiable act of energetic hygiene that protects your health, finances, and relationships from unforeseen challenges.

Understanding that feng shui has this annual rhythm is not a burden; it is an incredible opportunity. It provides you with a powerful tool to actively manage your environment's energy. By performing this simple annual "tune-up," you can consciously reduce potential difficulties and strategically amplify the year's opportunities for greater health, wealth, and happiness. It's about working in harmony with time, ensuring your space supports you not just for one moment, but for every year to come.