The goal of Feng Shui is to create an atmosphere that flows with energizing harmony. In order to balance any given space, we work with the 5 elements; earth, metal, water, wood and fire. Each element holds its own message. When we evaluate a home/business space, we can see what element is lacking in the different areas of that space. To accomplish a perfect energy flow, we want to add that missing element in the area needed.
Let’s take a closer look at the element earth – earth is associated with grounding, stability and security. If earth is needed in your environment, you can bring it in by working with the materials, artwork, colors and shapes of the earth. Here are some simple ideas on how you can activate earth throughout your space:
Materials
Anything made out of sand, clay, ceramics, marble, granite, rocks, natural crystals and bricks represents the earth. In Feng Shui it is always nice to have personal connection to the decoration that surrounds you. A clay vase, ceramic bowl, etc. that you have picked up on one of your travels or was gifted to you could be a great addition to your home where earth is needed. Another great way to incorporate earth is with natural crystals – it is said that Tourmaline is one of the crystals connected to the earth element.
Colors
The colors of earth are: yellows, browns, beiges and terra-cotta. A great way to add colors into your home is with pillows, rugs, curtains or any kind of décor that holds earth colors. For example; if you have a clay terra-cotta pot, the earth element is represented by color and the material in one piece!
Shape
Earth is associated with the square shape. Having artwork in squared frames or a squared piece of furniture is a good way to get the shape of earth into your space. Another easy way is to get square pillows, rugs, etc. – the world is full of square items!
Artwork
A good choice for artwork would be images of mountains, stone statues, rocks or artwork which hold the colors of earth. What is most important is that you like the artwork you have in your environment. Artwork constantly affects our subconscious.
Let’s dive a little deeper and examine this room here:
Can you see the enhancement of the element earth throughout this room? There are a few things that represent the earth here; the most obvious one of course is the actual wall color. Terracotta is one of the earth colors and it is beautifully applied in this space. Further, we can find the earth’s shape in the console which makes a perfect square, plus the white boxes and the square pillows incorporate the shape as well. And last but not least the ceramic vase on top of the console holds one of the earth’s material. As you can see it is pretty simple to bring the element earth into your space by choosing décor and furniture that hold the earth’s colors, shape and materials.
You can get pretty creative placing earth into your surroundings but keep in mind everything in Feng Shui is about balance. Too much earth could promote the feeling of being stuck and not feeling motivated! The key is to have at least one item made out of the earth’s materials in the area where the element earth is missing. Make sure that whatever you have around your home are things you love and personally connect to.
Click here if you want to discover the characteristics of the element metal.