Feng Shui For Beginners
My Feng Shui journey is in full swing, and having studied intensely for the past few years, it’s safe to say the sheer amount of information at times has been overwhelming. I have dug deep into where it all started, how it works and the huge benefit it can have on all of our lives.
To me, Feng Shui is not a belief nor a religion but a way of life.
The environments we live and work in are so much more than spaces to simply fill with furniture and personal possessions.
They can allow moments of calm after a chaotic day, enhance motivation to achieve all you desire and promote feelings of joy and contentment for the simple things in life. Feng Shui allows us to create harmonious environments by balancing the natural energies that surround us in our everyday lives. By doing so, we can create safe and supportive spaces that enable you to be the very best version of yourself.
How the Five elements work alongside each other
Energy is all around us, sometimes unseen and unheard. Going through one’s own individual cycles of life, identical to all living things.
“Flying Star” Feng Shui is a method that allows us to identify the type of energy that is present in the environments where we spend the most amount of time in.
Each star is represented by one of the five elements:
Wood, Fire, Metal, Water and Earth.
The elements act purely as a representative; just like energy, they all go through individual life cycles.
They begin entering a new lease of life, full of positive, uplifting energy. As time goes on, they will continue to get stronger, and their strength will be able to grow another element. This, in turn, will cause them to weaken and eventually die. It is the constant interactions between the elements that allow balance and harmony to be achieved in the universe.
Flying Star Feng Shui enables us to locate the areas in our homes and offices where energy is at its strongest and, therefore, deemed the most auspicious and beneficial to our everyday lives. Once located, it is all about balancing each energy present with the use of furniture placement, colours and materials. This allows us to live in peace and feel connected to nature.
How to find the facing direction in my home
To use in your own home/office environments, start by identifying your “Facing direction”.When I am identifying facing directions, I look at the immediate surroundings and think to myself which side is the most inviting to visitors.
How does it feel? How does it smell? Is it fresh or stale? Does it get an equal amount of light and darkness?
I like to visualise an armchair- the front should be open with clear views, the back should be supported, and the sides proportionate to the building. Once you have your facing direction, use a compass to identify which way the building faces. You can then divide the building’s floor plan into 9 equal sectors which become your 9 flying stars.
These sectors will cover each compass direction as well as a centre sector.
Each star is believed to have a significant impact on many important areas in our lives, and with the use of the flying star chart, we can ensure the balance is correct.
You can find out more information on the characteristics of each star by clicking the link below;
Understanding the Flying stars
I use the diagram as an example, which I hope will make things clearer- The 9# is in the east of the floor plan and is represented by the fire element. Fire is a strong, active energy which is associated with wealth luck, recognition and overall well-being.
It is currently in a strong phase of its cycle, and therefore, where the 9# appears on your floor plan, it is considered to be a very auspicious area for the occupants. Ideally, you would want to spend as much time in this area as possible to benefit from the natural goodness provided by the 9#. Whether that be for work, spending time with loved ones or completing physical or mental exercise regimes. As it is believed to bring wealth luck, it would be ideal for an office to be located here.
The 9# is represented by fire, to enhance the positive energy associated with it, we can add colours and materials associated with the fire and wood elements. This is simply because the wood element is what creates the fire, and adding more fire will make it even stronger. If we incorporated the earth or water element into this area of the building, we would end up weakening or destroying the goodness of the fire element. This is due to the water destroying the fire by putting it out, and the earth weakening it as fire creates earth.
Each year, the relevant Master cure will be placed wherever the #9 star is located to help strengthen this influence, and bring great wealth and progression prospects. For 2025, we will be using the Gaojie Quannian Master Cure in the east of the home and office to feed and enhance the positive fire energy located here.
Each sector of the building will have some stars that are fixed and some that will move yearly, monthly and daily.
To make it simple, the cures and enhancers for the annual stars will be your decorative features and soft furnishings – anything you would be happy to move from year to year.
If you wanted to incorporate the correct elements for longer-term use, such as colours on walls, more expensive, larger pieces of furniture or actual use of each room, then you would need to understand the fixed stars of the building, which remain for 20 years.
To learn more about the elements and their interactions, click the link below:
Find out more about the Five elements, and how to use them around your home
How to decorate your home or workplace using the Five elements
I love to have fun with each sector by using an array of colours, materials, imagery and patterns that are personal to me but aligned to the energies that are present.
For the annual stars, I find it easier to keep the overall colour scheme neutral, instead adding pops of colour in decorative features such as cures, cushions or ornamental decor.
A perfect balance of wood and fire to enhance the 9# on the above floor plan would be a healthy green plant inside a bright orange pot or a green cedarwood candle to be burnt for a couple of hours each day.
The most important thing to remember is that important areas should remain clean, open and free from clutter.
This will allow energy to enter and circulate around the whole building, preventing it from stagnating and turning stale. This is especially important in our entrance areas, the windows and doors, as these are the main areas chi will enter.
Most days, and usually in the evening once my little boy has gone to bed, I burn essential oils. Not only does this help with relaxation, but it clears and cleanses negative energy; I’ll normally circulate which oils I use, although my main one is the Space clearing Essential Oil, as we designed this blend for this purpose. The same concept can be used with sound- a singing bowl, windchime, or simply clapping your hands can do wonders for stagnant energy.
Everyone deserves to live and work in supportive environments, aligned with what they truly desire.
My intention for writing this was to make Feng Shui accessible to everyone, keeping it short and simple but informative. I hope you have found it useful, and like me at the start of my journey, eager to learn more.
Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this and allowing me to continue living a purposeful life.
Jessica
