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articles about and by Carol Olmstead
Feng Shui Power Principle #2 -- The Five Elements
The Five Elements is the Feng Shui term used to describe the colors, shapes, and textures around you and the attributes they bring into your life. The Five Elements are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood. Each Element has a characteristic shape and colors and represents specific aspects of life. What do the names of the Five Elements conjure up in your mind? Most likely it is the same thing as their attributes: passion, grounding, clarity, movement, and growth, respectively.
Here is a description of each of the Five Elements, and what they add to your life.
Fire
Fire is the Element that represents passion, emotion, and high energy. The Fire Element is the reason why you never have a long, leisurely meal in a restaurant decorated in red. The color red is too full of energy to slow you down.
Actual Fire Element objects are hot and blazing, like burning candles or a roaring fireplace.
The colors of Fire are also hot, like red, crimson, scarlet, orange, deep purple, and pink.
The shape of the Fire Element is triangular, like a flame.
Earth
Earth is the Element that grounds you and makes you feel stable and balanced. That’s why so many people love hardwood floors, because the earthy color makes you feel grounded.
Actual Earth Element objects are composed of substances made from the earth, such as the tile floor in your bathroom, clay pots of your patio, or granite counter tops in your kitchen.
The colors of the Earth Element are the colors of your world: brown like the soil, yellow from the sun, terracotta like clay.
The shape of the Earth Element is square.
Metal
Metal is the Element that brings strength and clarity into your life. If you need to focus on a project, add a Metal object to your surroundings.
Actual Metal Element objects are things like wrought iron furniture, a bronze light fixture, or the metal headboard. All electronics and computers are considered the Metal Element, as are fluorescent lights.
The colors of the Metal Element are the metallic colors like gold and silver, plus all of the pastel and light colors like white, gray, and pastels.
The shape of the Metal Element is round like a metal coin.
Water
Water is the Element that brings movement, flow, and relaxation into your life. Think of the feeling you get watching a meandering river and you will understand the gentle power of the Water Element.
Actual Water Element objects are represented by an aquarium, fish bowl, or a fountain, and it is represented by glass and mirrors.
The colors of the Water Element are deep blues and black, as if you are looking into deep water.
The shape of the Water Element is anything that has a swirling or curving pattern, like a classic Oriental rug, a paisley print slipcover, or artwork that shows moving water.
Wood
Wood is the Element that represents growth, expansion, and vitality in your life. If your creativity is blocked, add a green plant with rounded leaves to get your creative juices flowing.
Actual Wood Element objects are composed of natural wood, like wood furniture, doors, or picture frames, as well as plants and flowers.
The colors of the Wood Element are green and teal, like tree leaves.
The shape of the Wood Element is rectangular.
The goal of Five Element theory is to use the actual material of the Element in your indoor environment to bring its power into your life. For example, a roaring fireplace adds the Fire Element to a room and a granite counter adds the Earth Element to your kitchen. But, when using the actual Element just isn’t possible, you can use the colors or shape associated with it. So add red to a room when you need more Fire energy, or add brown to the room to represent Earth. The most powerful objects for making Feng Shui adjustments are those that combine the actual material, color, and shape of an Element.
The Five Elements is the second of the five Power Principles of Feng Shui --
Power Principle #1 -- Chi
Power Principle #2 -- The Five Elements
Power Principle #3 -- The Bagua
Power Principle #4 -- Yin and Yang
Power Principle #5 -- Continuity and Connectedness
Here is a description of each of the Five Elements, and what they add to your life.
Fire
Fire is the Element that represents passion, emotion, and high energy. The Fire Element is the reason why you never have a long, leisurely meal in a restaurant decorated in red. The color red is too full of energy to slow you down.
Actual Fire Element objects are hot and blazing, like burning candles or a roaring fireplace.
The colors of Fire are also hot, like red, crimson, scarlet, orange, deep purple, and pink.
The shape of the Fire Element is triangular, like a flame.
Earth
Earth is the Element that grounds you and makes you feel stable and balanced. That’s why so many people love hardwood floors, because the earthy color makes you feel grounded.
Actual Earth Element objects are composed of substances made from the earth, such as the tile floor in your bathroom, clay pots of your patio, or granite counter tops in your kitchen.
The colors of the Earth Element are the colors of your world: brown like the soil, yellow from the sun, terracotta like clay.
The shape of the Earth Element is square.
Metal
Metal is the Element that brings strength and clarity into your life. If you need to focus on a project, add a Metal object to your surroundings.
Actual Metal Element objects are things like wrought iron furniture, a bronze light fixture, or the metal headboard. All electronics and computers are considered the Metal Element, as are fluorescent lights.
The colors of the Metal Element are the metallic colors like gold and silver, plus all of the pastel and light colors like white, gray, and pastels.
The shape of the Metal Element is round like a metal coin.
Water
Water is the Element that brings movement, flow, and relaxation into your life. Think of the feeling you get watching a meandering river and you will understand the gentle power of the Water Element.
Actual Water Element objects are represented by an aquarium, fish bowl, or a fountain, and it is represented by glass and mirrors.
The colors of the Water Element are deep blues and black, as if you are looking into deep water.
The shape of the Water Element is anything that has a swirling or curving pattern, like a classic Oriental rug, a paisley print slipcover, or artwork that shows moving water.
Wood
Wood is the Element that represents growth, expansion, and vitality in your life. If your creativity is blocked, add a green plant with rounded leaves to get your creative juices flowing.
Actual Wood Element objects are composed of natural wood, like wood furniture, doors, or picture frames, as well as plants and flowers.
The colors of the Wood Element are green and teal, like tree leaves.
The shape of the Wood Element is rectangular.
The goal of Five Element theory is to use the actual material of the Element in your indoor environment to bring its power into your life. For example, a roaring fireplace adds the Fire Element to a room and a granite counter adds the Earth Element to your kitchen. But, when using the actual Element just isn’t possible, you can use the colors or shape associated with it. So add red to a room when you need more Fire energy, or add brown to the room to represent Earth. The most powerful objects for making Feng Shui adjustments are those that combine the actual material, color, and shape of an Element.
The Five Elements is the second of the five Power Principles of Feng Shui --
Power Principle #1 -- Chi
Power Principle #2 -- The Five Elements
Power Principle #3 -- The Bagua
Power Principle #4 -- Yin and Yang
Power Principle #5 -- Continuity and Connectedness
