The Bagua map, a tool used in Feng Shui, doesn’t have one specific originator. It stems from ancient Chinese cosmology and philosophy, most notably the Taiji (Tai Chi) symbol which signifies the dynamic equilibrium of yin and yang. The contemporary version of the Bagua map, with its nine sections each representing different life aspects, is the result of gradual evolution, thanks to the input of various Feng Shui scholars and practitioners.
An early reference to the Bagua is found in the “Yijing” or “Book of Changes,” a historic Chinese text dating back to at least the Western Zhou period (1046–771 BCE). The “Yijing” employs eight trigrams, the forerunners of the Bagua, to depict fundamental principles of reality and patterns of universal change.
As centuries passed, the Bagua map continued to evolve and was incorporated into Feng Shui practice, with various schools and practitioners contributing their unique interpretations and improvements. Although certain individuals may have had substantial influence on shaping today’s Bagua map used in Feng Shui, it’s more appropriate to view it as a collective effort and tradition, rather than the invention of a single originator.