Feng Shui and Colour
Can colour change the way you feel? I think most of us would agree that it can. Just think about the jolt of energy you feel when walking into a room with brightly coloured walls, or the comfort you feel in a room with “warm” light bulbs. We know that colour can affect our mood and even our actions, but what about Feng Shui colour principles. Feng Shui colour theory, as with all the systems in this practice, starts with nature. The yin and yang play of colour found in water, mountains and fields, creates powerful symbolism that is hard-wired into our subconscious.
Feng Shui practitioners have long believed that colour is a powerful tool that can shape the energy of a space. It can shift the energy in a home, as well as alter your own personal chi. Colour is all around us and is influencing our energy patterns every day. Our reactions to colour are deeply ingrained in cultural beliefs; combine this with the ancient principle of the five elements principles, and you have yourself one powerful Feng Shui tool.
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White
White is the colour of the metal element, one of the five Feng Shui elements. White is the absence of colour, a blank slate. It is the opposite to black and represents Yang energy in the Tai Chi symbol. In Chinese culture white relates to winter, a dormant state and death. In western culture white is purity and clean but it can have a cold, clinical feel because of the absence of colour.
How you can use white: White, cream and ivory paint on your walls or in your bedding creates space for communication and productivity.
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Red
Red is the colour of the fire element. It is a very strong colour it is an energy source, an energy enhancer and an energy adjuster. In the Black Sect Feng Shui tradition, red envelopes are used to protect the transaction between client and consultant. Red is auspicious and lucky. It calls to the world to take notice and increases your visibility. Too much red, means be too much fire and can exhaust and deplete your chi.
How to use red: Try switching the colour of your wallet to red. It will boost and attract chi, but also protect and burn off negative energy that may cling to your money.
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Yellow
Yellow is the colour of the earth element. In Buddhist tradition, yellow, like the monk’s robes is connected to humility and surrender. It is also a reminder to stay rooted and centered on the earth. Yellow also brings to mind bright sunlight, nourishing the plants, and warming the earth.
How to use yellow: Yellow/earth is associated with health and well-being. Adding a splash of yellow to your kitchen with a bowl of lemons is a quick and easy way to bring this nurturing energy into your home.
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Green
Green is growth, freshness and creative energy. It recalls verdant fields of lush grass, and bright green spring shoots on trees. Green represents the wood element. Even science believes that green has the power to trigger creative initiative. A study out of the UK reported “a group of university students displayed more visual creativity when they had a clear view of the natural world — or, alternatively, simply worked on green paper.”1
How to use green: No green thumb? No problem, use the colour green to bring vital energy into a space. Green vases, accessories and even artwork with green in it will do the trick.
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Blue
Blue is a transitional colour; a colour that moves between elements. You can bring different energies into a space depending on the tone or value of blue. In Buddhism, Medicine Buddha Shakyamuni is visualized as the colour of lapis lazuli when meditating, connecting blue to health. In Feng Shui mid-tone blues and teals represent the wood element, but dark deep, navy blues are connected to the water element.
How to use blue: Dark blue is the new black for your front door. If your door is in the center of your home, try painting it a deep blue to boost your career. My fav dark blues for front doors: Benjamin Moore’s Hudson Bay CC 810 and North Sea CC 932
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Black
Black the last of the six true colours (one colour for each of the six true words in the mantra Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum). Black represents the water element. It is the sum of the other colours symbolizing all things. Black is the yin side of the Tai Chi symbol; the energy is quiet, slow and cold. Black can be wise and still, but too much dark, yin, water energy can lead to depressed lethargic energy.
How to use black: Small hits of black is a great addition to a design, to give it drama and gravitas. Use different sized and shaped black frames to create a salon wall. Use a mix of art and photos, both colour and BW. Great for in your foyer/entryway or a wall at the front of the house.
If you want to learn more about using Feng Shui colour principles, you can join my free Facebook group. I spend time every day answering posted questions, and Facebook Live Q&A sessions.
Coming up Feng Shui and Colour part 2.