Dr. Stephan N. Kory, a current Visiting Fellow, explains the different components of a feng shui compass and their function. It is the primary tool used in the Chinese mantic art of fengshui, geomancy, or topomancy The Chinese luópán is a self-registering orientor, a mirror of space and time, and a dynamic model of a locative cosmography. The 18 rings of Master Lin Mingdes luópán are used to measure the conditions of a site. The measurements are then interpreted to prognosticate the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of a site, particularly as it pertains to persons associated with it. The underlying concept is that the fate or the mandated life trajectory of a person is fixed according to contingencies, like the position of an ancestors grave or the layout of a house or business.