A Brief Introduction to Feng Shui in the Home

What is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that focuses on creating harmony and balance in a living space, using design, décor, and furniture placement, to harness energy forces and create a natural flow, or Qi. The aim is for Qi to run freely and uninterrupted through the areas of your home, promoting a feeling of balance between you, the space, and the organic environment.
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Feng is a Chinese word which translates to “wind”, whilst Shui means “water”. These elements together symbolise the connectivity in life and the flow of the natural world. 

The Five Elements of Feng Shui

​There are 5 elements in Feng Shui which arise from the Taoist tradition. The Tao is the principle that is the source, pattern and substance of absolutely everything in existence, and Taoism is about living in harmony with that. 

Fire/Triangles

This element represents passion and brilliancy and is associated with the Summer season. It is linked to the life area of fame, and the colour red. 

Water/curves

​The water element’s colour is black, with downward, flowing, and shifting qualities. Its season is Winter, and the life area it is associated with is career. 

Earth/square

​As you may have guessed, this element represents grounded-ness, stability, and self-care. The associated shape is flat and square, with earthy colours such as yellow, orange, and brown. The Earth element is linked to health and knowledge, and the transitions between seasons. 

Wood/rectangles

​Another rectangular shape, the wood element is more columnar and the colours of green and blue are relevant here. It represents the Spring season, family, wealth, and qualities like vitality and expansivity. 

Metal/round

​White and metallic colours are linked with the metal elements which is also associated with Autumn, children, helpful people, and circles. Qualities like efficiency, precision, and beauty are particular relevant here. 

What is Bagua in Feng Shui?

Bagua is a Chinese word which translates to mean “eight areas” and is an energy map which can be placed on the floor plan of your home to help you strengthen and improve energy flow in certain areas of your life. Each of the eight areas represents a particular category – they are, roughly translated, wealth, fame, partnership, family, children, knowledge, career, and helpful people. 

Visualise the bagua as you in the middle of a wheel with 8 spokes, and the categories spanning out around you in the 8 areas between each spoke. 
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It is recommended to focus on a maximum of 3 bagua at any one time, as attempting to work on multiple areas would be overwhelming and detrimental. To incorporate Feng Shui in your home, consider placing items with the relevant characteristics into the corresponding area of your home. For example, to encourage wealth, you might place a grassy plant (wood element) in the Xun area of your home. 

Wealth (Xun)

​Wealth, or prosperity, is a column or rectangular shape linked with the colour purple, the season of Spring, the number 5 and the element of Yin wood. 

Fame (Li)

​Fame, reputation, and visibility is a triangle or pointy shape, linked with the colour red, the season of Summer, the number 8 and the element of fire.

Partnerships/Love (Kun)

​Partnerships, marriage, and self-care is a flat, square shape, linked with the colour pink, associated with the transitions between the seasons, the number 2, and the element of Yin earth.

Family (Zhen)

​Family and new beginnings is columnar and rectangular, linked with green, blue and teal colours, associated with the season of Spring, the number 4, and Yang wood. 

Children (Dui)

​Children, completion, and joy shows a circular or spherical colour, white or metallic in colour, and is associated with the season of Autumn, the number 7, and Yin metal.

Knowledge (Gen)

​Representing self-cultivation and skilfulness, knowledge’s shape is flat and square, dark blue, and associated with the transition between the seasons. Its number is 8 and element is Yang earth. 

Career (Kan)

​Representing you path in life, career is wavy, curvy, and black. The associated season is Winter, and it is linked with number 1 and the element of water.

Helpful people (Qian)

​Also representing benefactors and travel, the helpful people area is circular or spherical, associated with grey or metallic colours, the season of Autumn, number 6 and Yang metal. 

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