First thing first – What is a Lopan? A Lopan is referred to as a Chinese magnetic compass or a Feng Shui Compass. You can see the picture below of a Lopan. As you can see the Lopan is a beautiful instrument and has many other details included in it however ultimately it is used to determine the facing direction of a building.
So do you have to have a Lopan to conduct a Classical Feng Shui Consultation?
The answer is no.
Any compass can be used as long as it is accurate within 2 degrees. In addition to this with today’s technology you can now use programs such as Google Earth or even the street directory to confirm extremely accurate compass readings. See the picture below of an acceptable compass.
Over the years I have read quite a few websites that state you are not a good consultant or cannot conduct consultations if you don’t have a Lopan. This is actually incorrect as one of the most important aspects of the consultation is actually the accurate reading of the facing direction of the building and you can therefore use a normal magnetic compass to complete this.
The most important point that I cannot clarify enough is the accuracy involved. If a consultant is walking around inside your home holding the Lopan – they are not actually using it correctly – they may look like they know what they are doing because they have this beautiful instrument however if they are not using it correctly it is useless. Instead any compass readings should be taken from the outside of buildings on mother earth preferably – never inside. In addition to this with our modern world there are many things that can now interfere with a correct compass reading which can include:
- Metal
- Geopathic Stress
- Electromagnetic Fields
So as you can see some times taking a compass reading can be quite difficult however if you use a compass in addition to a street directory or Google Earth you are then able to compare and be confident in your readings.
So do I have a Lopan? The answer is yes I do and I have been using the same Lopan for the last six years. I absolutely love it and I believe any consultant that has a passion for Feng Shui will also invest in this beautiful instrument as it provides the consultant with many other details other than just the compass reading. I do admit though that I do not just rely on the Lopan for accurate readings, as I use a variety of procedures and instruments to ensure accuracy.
So if experimenting with your facing direction using a normal compass will be fine as long as it is accurate. You can find these cost approximately $30 and can be purchased from www.everythingfengshui.com.au
If however you are after a Lopan may I suggest the English Lopan from Grand Master Raymond Lo. At last check you can purchase online at www.fengshuiliving.com