The Five Elements: Water

Ok here it is! The final element. For a quick refresher, I’ve already laid out the characteristics associated with Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Lastly, I’ll explore Water, a powerful element that can bring flow, mystery, and freedom into your space (and life).

WATER

Colors: Black, deep midnight or dark blue

Shape: Wavy and undulating, irregular

Materials: Glass; mirrors; water features, such as fountains, bird baths, or water faucets; black or dark blue objects; fabric with wavy patterns or swirls; artwork portraying water, the ocean, or seascapes; curving and winding paths, mazes, and labyrinths; buildings with undulating and curving roofs

Season: Winter

Direction: North (where the climate is cooler)

Life Cycle Stage: Ending, dormancy

Meaning: Water is associated with deep thought, introspection, wisdom, stillness, communication, transmission of ideas, an easygoing nature, yielding, the ability to circumvent obstacles

The use of Water and its color, shape, line, or symbols can:

Strengthen: Gestation and germination, strength from non-action,

perseverance, determination, feeling overwhelmed, transmission of ideas,

teaching, peace of mind

Deter: Free movement, loneliness, stagnation, insecurity, nervousness,

frenetic activity, innovation

A Word of Caution: Don’t bring Water into a space if you want to encourage lively, loud, and action-oriented behavior

How to Incorporate Water into a Space: Listen to a recording of ocean sounds, add a glass sculpture or vase, hang a picture of the sea or ocean, use a dark blue or black rug

And that’s it! I’ve covered all of the Five Elements. Thanks for sticking with me while I explored the core concepts of feng shui – I hope you learned more about how this practice works.

Have you noticed that you’re partial to a particular element in your home? Do you find that certain areas of your home are dominated by one element over others?