Sweater Weather & Feng Shui

Guest User October 7, 2020

In feng shui, we work with the five elements. Each element is related to a season, and the season of fall is connected to the metal element. Metal is also connected to metallic colors, white, circular shapes, and the bagua areas of benefactors and competition. It has the qualities of righteousness, contraction, and joy.

The five elements also work together in cycles of creation and desctruction, just like they do in nature. In feng shui, metal creates water. Think of drops of water condensing on a metal pipe. Metal also overcomes wood - think of a metal ax chopping a tree.

As we move into metal season, we can find that our metal qualities are more pronounced. Too much metal can look like being very rigid or overly focused on efficiency, speeding through things, or talking a lot without thinking. We’re all susceptible to these things, though it may be especially noticeable for people who naturally have a lot of metal energy to begin with.

If you do have an overabundance of metal, add water to deplete metal, or fire to melt and refine metal. To add more water, you can walk near bodies of water, wear black, or have undulating shapes around you. To add fire, add the color red, triangular shapes, or candles to your home.

It’s also possible to not have enough metal. If this is the case, you probably don’t talk enough and may have a hard time standing up for yourself. You can correct this imbalance by wearing white, bringing white or circular shapes into your decor, or adding metal objects, like wind chimes, to your home. You can also add more earth, which produces metal, by bringing in earthy colors or objects from the earth like natural crystals.

When metal is in balance, you are able to speak for yourself and what is right, appropriately and with thoughtful clarity and certainty. Metal also helps us to be more efficient and attract helpful people into our lives.

Do you feel that you have too much or too little metal in your life? What steps could you take to bring things back into balance?

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Find Feng Shui Balance with the Five Elements

Anjie Cho September 30, 2020

In feng shui, we employ the five elements, a philosophy used to describe the cycles of nature and how they work together and seek to always be in balance. The five elements are Earth, Water, Fire, Wood and Metal. Five element theory is also utilized in traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese astrology and martial arts. A great way to create balance and harmony is to include something that represents each of these five elements in your space.

Earth

The element of Earth is related to earthy colors like brown, orange, or yellow and the feng shui bagua areas of Abundance, Health and Knowledge. Earth also has the qualities of stability and nourishment, like “Mother Earth”. The Earth element creates metal, because metal ores come from the earth’s core. Earth overcomes water as the banks of a river.

Some examples of Earth are objects with a square shape, orange, brown or yellow color or composition from the Earth such as a large stone sculpture. A stone statue or large natural stone such as Jasper is a great example of how you can add the Earth element. It's heavy and from the earth, providing stability and support. A big, heavy wooden desk is another Earth element, as it is brown, earthy in color, squarish and has weight to it.

Water

The element of Water is related to dark colors like black and very dark blue and the feng shui bagua area of Path in Life. Water also has the qualities of fluidity, wisdom and intelligence. The Water element creates wood, because water supports plants and trees as well as all life. Water overcomes fire as it extinguishes the flames.

Water items include wavy shapes and, of course, anything with actual water. A water fountain or fish tank are both simple and beautiful ways to add water to your space. Mirrors are also water element and can visually expand your space. Water represents knowledge and can assist with positive cash flow.

Fire

The element of Fire is related to the color red and the feng shui bagua area of Recognition. Fire also has the qualities of explosiveness, passion and heart-feltness. Fire element creates earth, as ashes transform all back to the earth. Fire overcomes metal as it causes metal to melt into a liquid.

Fire is red and triangular in shape. In Feng Shui, fire elements improve passion and recognition. You can add fire into your home with the color red. I especially like using the Mars Yantra for fire adjustments. The fiery colors and triangles are fire element all the way!

Wood

The element of Wood is related to the colors green and blue and the feng shui bagua area of New Beginnings and Abundance. Wood also has the qualities of flexibility, life, and kindness, and symbolizes growth. Wood element creates fire, like the logs in a fireplace. Wood overcomes earth as the roots of a tree push through and takes nourishment from the soil.

Wood objects to add to your space can be vertical or expansive, such as living plants. Green living plants also improve the indoor air quality and add life energy to any space.

Metal

The element of Metal is related to the metallic colors as well as white and grey and the feng shui bagua area of Benefactors and Completion. Metal also has the qualities of righteousness, contraction and joy. Metal element creates water, as drops of water condense on a metal pipe. Metal overcomes wood, such as when an ax chops down a tree.

Metal is associated with circular shapes and the physical element of metal. Metal assists in efficiency and attracting helpful people to your office. Ways to add the metal element to your space include adding metal wind chimes or other natural metal objects. You can find metal Buddhas to balance the five elements in your space as well.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui and Crystals

Anjie Cho July 5, 2020

Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash

I really appreciate your podcast and all the work you are doing. I would love to hear your opinion about the use of crystals in Feng Shui. They seem an integral part of the practice, but I find them personally difficult to use as many are mined in deadly conditions in one of the world’s poorest countries.

- Christine T.

Hi Christine,

Thank you for your question, and thank you for listening to our podcast! First, natural crystals are actually not an integral part of feng shui. That’s a common misconception. If you look at any older feng shui books, you won’t see any crystals, except maybe jade since that was often used in Asia. A lot of feng shui practitioners do use crystals, but they’re not necessary. The use of crystals in feng shui is part of a modern version of feng shui that’s been adapted to make it relevant for the current time.

We do talk a lot about using feng shui crystal balls in BTB feng shui, which is the school of feng shui that I practice and teach. In the BTB tradition, these faceted crystal balls are very important, but they’re also not necessary. There’s always something else you could use as an adjustment instead. Feng shui is about shifting the energy in your environment. You can use many different tools, including natural crystals or crystal balls, but they’re not a must. If you’re working with a consultant, they’ll be able to give you adjustments that are appropriate for you and customized to what you’re working on, as well as substitutions if required.

In terms of the mining industry, that’s a really important thing to think about. Especially because crystals are used as a healing tool, it’s important to think about where they come from. I find that as I’m teaching more and becoming more available to the public, I have a responsibility to educate myself because what I show and model publicly has an impact. While in many areas of my life I’ve taken the time to consider the ethics involved with where things come from, I haven’t researched that much about natural crystals, so I’m really grateful that you’ve brought this to my attention.

I don’t have a great answer about the mining industry because I’m not a gemstone expert, but I think it’s an important conversation and I’m going to reach out to my colleagues who are gemstone experts to see how they address it. If this aspect of crystals does make you uncomfortable, remember that you don’t have to work with them to practice feng shui.

We all have to do the best we can and continually wake up to see more of the suffering in the world and the ways we can lessen it. Since I’m talking publicly, it’s especially important for me to up the ante and take responsibility for what I am sharing with the world.

Thanks again for your question and for bringing this to my attention!

by Anjie Cho