Feng Shui for Real Life

Several readers have asked me whether the changes they make when they decorate for Halloween affect the Feng Shui adjustments that they have already made to their homes.

This is the time of the year when everything is decked out in orange and black, or covered with cobwebs and creepy creatures. But, there’s no need to worry about ruining the positive Feng Shui of a home if you follow a few simple decorating guidelines for balancing the Five Elements. The Five Elements is the term used in Feng Shui to describe the colors, shapes, and textures around you. The Elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and each has a characteristic shape, color, and set of attributes.

Here are five simple Halloween decorating tips that help keep the Five Elements in balance.

1. Orange. It’s natural to use lots of the orange color for Halloween decorations, but it’s also good Feng Shui. Orange is a Fire Element color in Feng Shui that is called the “social color.” Using lots of orange decorations promotes conversation and communication, which is especially important to assure a lively and festive Halloween for the whole family.

2. Black. The front entrance is the primary place to decorate for Halloween, and the best place for the color black. Black is the Water Element color that represents the flow on energy. For example, you can hang black wind chimes to “call” the good energy to your front door. Or, you can also hang an inexpensive round mirror in a black metal frame to the right of your front door so your trick-or-treaters can see their reflection.

3. Lighting. Lighting is a major tool of Feng Shui, and for Halloween this could be as simple as displaying a lighted jack-o-lantern near your door or keeping the porch light on. You can also light the path to your home with lanterns or luminarias, which you can find these in craft stores or create them using paper lunch bags, votive candles, and sand. For a Halloween party, use orange bulbs in some lamps and overhead fixtures, or black, orange, white, or metallic colored candles. Just be sure to avoid displaying these colors in your bedroom or in the Love/Relationship area of your home.

4. Cobwebs. Halloween is the one time that cobwebs are considered positive Feng Shui because are part of the fun of the night. Normally, cobwebs around your front door or outdoor furniture represent being so stuck that you are unable to move forward. Just remember to quickly remove all webs from around the outside and inside of your home after Halloween, and dust away the real cobwebs as well.

5. Animal Symbols. Animal symbols like owls, bats, and ravens are appropriate Feng Shui symbols for Halloween. Outdoors, display owls by your front door facing all the trick-or-treaters, and inside place them in windows, ominously peering out. Ravens are another mysterious and powerful symbol because their deep black color and macabre presence represents mystery and power.