Every month we receive many e-mail's about what colour to paint my room, and which colour represents which element? I know I have briefly covered it in previous newsletters but I thought I would clarify it again in more detail. The elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water are the foundation for Feng Shui balance and play a very important role in creating the perfect environment.

This is the productive cycle
Wood feeds Fire, Fire feeds earth, Earth feeds metal, Metal feeds water, and Water feeds Wood. This is known as the Sheng cycle.

Destructive cycle
Metal destroys Wood, wood destroys earth, earth destroys water, water destroys fire, and fire destroys metal.

Controlling cycle
Wood controls metal, metal controls fire, fire controls water, water controls earth, earth controls wood.

Dissolving cycle
Wood dissolves water, water dissolves metal, metal dissolves earth, earth dissolves fire, and fire dissolves wood.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS

Wood
The first element is wood because it is the beginning of new life; it is the creator of the five-element cycle. We have heard many times that people use wood furniture as a wood element, this is not a good substitute to use as furniture is dead wood it is lifeless and contains none or little Ch'i, although it can contain positive energy, if it has had a good history, remember furniture, books, virtually anything can contain bad energy from previous owners or even someone who has handled it, that is why we cleanse all our products we sell before we send them out, because we do not always know the history behind them whilst they were being manufactured. You need to use live wood in the form of a bushy plant similar to a "money plant" as it holds so much live Ch'i and also retains it. Plants also filter the air we breathe; it is so much better to use a natural form when it comes to the wood element. Remember to feed and water it, because if it dies it will hold Sha Ch'i, even on any dead leaves, so keep it in good condition. The wood element can be replaced by the colour green. I find that the colour is not as effective as the element of live wood though. There shouldn't be many times that you need to use a colour to replace live wood as there are so many plants that we can use indoors. You can of course use both together.

Wood represents the directions of East and the Chen Trigrams 3. It also represents the South East and the Sun Trigrams 4.

Fire
Fire Element is the most "Yang" of the elements. Because fire is so Yang, this is the one instance where colour does work well. A tea-light or table lamp with a red shade make excellent fire remedies, please be very careful when using candles.

Fire represents the South and the Li Trigram 9.

Earth
Earth element is often confused with soil, which is only part of the element, it needs to be combined with rock, clay, and stone etc. i.e. a terracotta pot filled with soil is a perfect earth element, or a clay statue. Earth colours are yellow, beige but not as effective as the real element itself.

Earth represents the North East or the Ken Trigram 8. It also represents the South West or the Kun Trigram 2. In addition, it represents the "Centre" of the Master Trigram 5.

Metal
Metal can be found in many forms. Silver, Gold, Copper, and Bronze are just a few of the Metal Element. You can also be creative when using this element; you could use a brass Kwan yin, three-legged toad or a nice Dragon. When choosing an element try to look at the shape, don't use sharp points or unattractive objects just because they have the element you need, Feng Shui is about creating a harmony and balance and it should look attractive in the environment.

The colours you should use are white, gold, and silver. Metal is the Tui Trigram 7 in the West. It is also the Chien Trigram 6 in the North West.

Water
Water is the key element; we would not exist without it, our planet as our body is made up of mainly water. It is a very powerful element to use, it should always be clear and free flowing, never let it go stagnant, as this will create many problems. A fountain or aquarium is ideal or a simple fishpond in the garden. Water has always been associated with power. It has been used for thousands of years by Kings and Emperors in the form of protection as in a moat, or a powerful attraction for abundance. If you look at most Cities today, they are either positioned near the water or have large lakes or rivers close by. Most ocean-side and lakeside homes are also sought after. The colours blue or black can replace water. Water represents the Kan Trigram 1 in the North.

You should be careful when using the elements in certain areas, Ideally you should have a consultation for best advice, although in future issues I will be covering this again in even greater detail, because if used correctly they can have a major impact on wealth, health, relationships etc.