Vastu for wealth: order, flow and the north zone

Vastu does not promise money, and nothing on this page should be read that way. What it offers is a set of habits about order and flow: where valuables are kept, how the home is looked after and how clear the space is. Good financial habits still do the real work.

The north: Kubera’s zone

In Vastu, the north is ruled by Kubera, the keeper of wealth, and is linked with money, careers and new opportunities. Its element is water and its colours are green and light blue. The traditional advice is to keep the north light, open and tidy.

Heavy cupboards, piles of old newspapers, broken appliances and shoe racks are commonly moved out of the north. A clear north wall or corner, perhaps with a window or a light-coloured surface, is the starting point most consultants give.

• Clear clutter from the north wall and corner.
• Keep the north well lit during the day.
• Avoid heavy furniture and storage in the north.
• Green and light blue are the colours traditionally linked with this zone.

Where the locker or cash box is kept

At home, the locker or cash box is commonly kept in the south-west room or corner, the heavy, stable zone, placed so that its door opens towards the north. This mirrors the shop rule in which the cash counter stands in the south-west and the cash box opens to the north.

In an office, the accounts section follows a slightly different rule: it is placed in the north, or in the south-east facing north, and the south-west is kept for the owner. In every case the opening faces the north.

Water: the north-east and fixing leaks

Water belongs to the north-east and the north. An underground tank or borewell is traditionally placed in the north-east, north or east, and a small water feature, such as a bowl of fresh water or a little fountain, is commonly placed in the north-east as well. The water is kept clean and changed often.

Leaking taps, dripping pipes and seeping walls are commonly linked in Vastu with money draining away. Whatever one makes of that, fixing a leak is good housekeeping and saves water. It is one of the most often repeated pieces of advice on this subject.

The south-east: fire and cash flow

The south-east is the zone of Agni, fire, and is linked with energy and cash flow. The kitchen traditionally sits here, and so do electrical panels. A south-east that is dark, damp or used for a toilet is often flagged in a Vastu reading.

Keeping the stove clean and working, the lights in the south-east bright and the wiring in order is the practical side of this advice.

Habits that support order

Most of what Vastu says about wealth comes back to order. Bills filed in one place, valuables kept in one secure spot, a main door that opens freely and a home that is regularly cleared of things no longer used are the habits behind the directions. These are worth keeping whatever one believes about Vastu.

Adjustments without rebuilding

• Many consultants suggest clearing and brightening the north as the first adjustment for this area.
• Turning an existing locker so that it opens to the north is a commonly suggested change.
• A bowl of clean water in the north-east, changed often, is commonly kept.
• Green or light blue on a north wall is a commonly given colour choice.

These are traditional practices that many families follow. They vary between Vastu schools; for your own home, a consultant can say which matter most.

Related Vastu guides

• Vastu directions: Deity, planet, element and the right rooms for each of the eight directions, and how to find them at home.
• Office Vastu: Where the owner, reception, accounts, staff, pantry and electrical panel traditionally go in an office.
• Shop Vastu: Where the cash counter, owner’s seat, stock and display traditionally go in a shop, and why.
• Water tank Vastu: Where the borewell, sump, overhead tank and septic tank go, and the directions to avoid.
• Vastu colours: The shades traditionally linked with each direction and room, with easy ways to use them in a rented home.
• Almirah and locker Vastu: The south-west, south and west walls, doors opening north or east, and where the locker goes.

Your personal best directions come from your Kua number. Check your whole home with the house Vastu calculator, see whether your house number suits you, and find your lucky number. More tools: all free calculators.