Still Jacey

View Original

How I Use Feng Shui in My Home

Jacey Herbert

Feng Shui is an ancient, traditional Chinese practice, with origins over 3,500 years ago. The basic principle of Feng Shui is that everything in our world, and especially the space around us, affects the energy (Qi) of our lives. Favorable Feng shui leads to positive movement, harmony, and flow of Qi. Unfavorable Feng shui results in stagnant or drained Qi. I firmly believe that everything is energy and that the energy we surround ourselves with deeply affects us in our daily lives.

When my partner and I first moved in together, I consulted a Feng shui specialist (linked below). We were moving in together for the first time, into a small basement apartment, while we completed renovations on our future home right above our heads. This was not my ideal scenario. I had never lived with a partner before, and I wanted it to be "cutesy and romantic” lol. Our dark, cramped basement (which also had a mold problem, ew) was not “good Feng shui”!!! I asked the specialists, “How can I optimize the energy in this space while going through a life transition with my partner?” They looked at the layout and gave me a few recommendations, and we made it through that living situation and are still together! Maybe it was the Feng shui, maybe we’re compatible, or maybe it’s a solid combo of both!? I wasn’t taking any chances, once we moved upstairs I consulted another specialist (linked below) to go over the full house.

We discussed goals for the house, as well as life, and how we wanted to feel in the space. She helped me plan some things out and bring in pieces that would either stimulate or ground the energy where it was needed. The following are a few ways that I have learned through these consultations and my own research on how to infuse Feng shui principles into my home to live in an optimum energy environment.

The Bagua Map

When starting out with Feng shui the most important part (IMO) is how to read the Bagua map. The Bagua map has nine sections that correlate with different aspects of life. This can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! First, I only use the square Bagua map, this way cardinal directions and the lay-out don’t get tricky. The key is to place the bottom edge of the Bagua map at the ENTRANCE of the space. This goes for upper or lower levels too. If you walk up/down the stairs and face out from the landing, this is where the entrance edge gets lined up.

I found this from roomhints.com after a quick google search. See how the front door is located in the space between the living and den/br.3 right along the bottom edge of the Bagua map? To start you simply lay the Bagua map over your space to see which area of the map corresponds to which area of your home. For example, in this house the master bath falls in the love/marriage section and the dining room is in the family/new beginnings section.

Hot tip! The Bagua map is not exclusive to home layouts. You can lay the Bagua over individual rooms, your yard, and even your desk! Just remember that the entrance point must fall in one of these three sections - knowledge/self-cultivation (dark blue), career (black), or helpful people/travel (grey). If you’re placing it over your desk the “entrance” would be where you sit and face the desk.

You might notice for your home that there are sections that fall outside of the squares or some squares that are not completely filled by your home’s layout. That’s really ok and normal, not everyone lives in a perfect square! It does not mean your house has inherently bad Feng Shui!!

Ways I Like to Stimulate Qi

In the picture above you can see that each square has a correlating color, element, and attributes. I do not recommend going after every single square at once, that would be a lot of energy stimulation at one time! I recommend tackling one area of your home at a time. Think of a current goal, or an area of your life that you would like to improve, and identify which square in the Bagua it relates to and then find that area in your home. Once you identify a goal or certain zone for improvement decide how you’d like to stimulate the energy.

Let’s work with an example goal - “I am ready to find a life partner.” I would start with the top left love/marriage section. You can stimulate the Qi here through a few different avenues. First, color choices, bring in something pink, maybe a pillow, or a vase, something that catches your eye. If you notice, the “love and marriage” section is ruled by the earth element. Earth element can be highlighted by other “earthy” colors such as dark yellows (think clay) and browns. You can also include “earthy” items like ceramics, stones (read crystals!), or heavy objects (think connecting to earth’s gravity). Another stimulation for this type of goal or section of the house - if you’re looking for a two person monogamous relationship add items in pairs eg. two candle sticks, two bird pictures, two pink pillows, etc. You can also add images of couples or romantic scenes to really to help enhance that partnership energy!

Also, I want to add, the “love and marriage” section is NOT only for romantic partnerships! This section is equally, if not more important, for self-love cultivation as well as platonic connections! If you have a goal to improve self-love, get more in touch with your femininity, or to find more authentic partnerships, this is your Bagua section too!

This chair sits in my love/marriage section, note my pink blanket and earthy tone pillow.

Depending on the area and lighting of your home you can also bring in new Qi through plants! Bonus points if it’s three plants because three is an auspicious number in Feng shui. When I’m starting something new I love to put three plants in my area of family/new beginnings to help me get a rush of new energy to start the project or initiate my ideas. This area is ruled by wood element which includes plants and is highlighted by the color green so adding greenery here is perfect!

Another way to stimulate Qi is through the incorporation of Feng shui crystals! The most common one to use is the clear, multifaceted sphere that you can hang. Search “clear hanging Feng shui crystal” and you will find many options. The clear quartz crystal is used to amplify, activate, and harmonize Qi. This crystal makes beautiful prisms of light, like dancing rainbows, and really helps enhance, disperse, or shift the energy of the space. It is best to hang the crystal from a red string (lucky color) by a length that is a multiple of three (lucky number, eg 6, 9, or 18 inches).

It is difficult to see, but there are two clear quartz crystals in this picture. The first is hanging from a plant basket and can be seen in the window, the second is on the plant stand next to the conch shell. This picture is of the knowledge/self-cultivation section of my home. The clear quartz here helps with clarity and amplification of spirituality, understanding, and self-awareness.

Other Feng Shui Mini-tips

If you’re looking to magnetize your abundance, clean your stove and oven! The kitchen, and more specifically the stove, is the heart of the home. Further, the stove represents wealth in Feng shui, even if it is not in the wealth and prosperity section. If you don’t ever use your stove/oven, or it stays really dirty you’re allowing the energy of wealth and abundance to be stagnant, stale, and icky! If you want money to flow freely, cook a meal using your stove and infuse it with love, then make sure to clean it really well to get that good Qi flowing again!

There are many crystals used in Feng shui and each have their own properties that benefit different areas of the home. Some crystals (other than the aforementioned clear quartz) I like to use include:

  • Black tourmaline for protection. I have two on either side of my front door and many on window sills around my house to ward off negativity coming into the home.

  • Rose quartz for love, soothing energy, and enhancing harmony. I put a large one in my love/marriage section and a few under the bed so my BF feels all the love vibes while he sleeps (hehe).

  • Amethyst for abundance and spiritual connection. I have a few of these in my wealth/prosperity section. The purple color stimulates the Qi there and provides amplification for my manifestations!

Did you like this blog post?

Overall I feel that including intentional Feng shui practices into your home and daily life can greatly improve the energy that surrounds you. Do you think you will add any of these Feng shui practices into your home? I love to talk about Feng shui and have more practical tips to share. If you enjoyed this blog post, let me know!

Below are Feng shui specialists and books that really helped me get started in understanding its benefits and how to use this ancient practice: