by Strentini | Aug 29, 2013 | Feng Shui
The pop quiz for finding your elements within you may help to identify how those elements are within us.
And those elements within may also be represented in what we surround ourselves with in our physical spaces. We surround ourselves with the things that we are most attracted to and our homes, our desk and our closets are a visual representation of who we are and what we like.
Here are some ways in which we can identify those elements.
Wood: Greens, Blues, plants, flowers, actual wood, columnar and pillar shaped items.
Fire: Reds, triangle shapes, cones, pyramids, sunlight, wool, leather, animal products.
Earth: Yellows, earthtones, soil, rectangles, square shapes.
Metal: Whites & pastels, rocks, stones, metals, arches, circles, ovals.
Water: Black, dark colors, glass, crystal, mirrors, assymetrical shapes.
If you want to balance out a room that has a dominant element, the same controlling cycle applies.
If you want bring more of an element into your life you could also choose to wear the associated colors. So take a browse through your closet, which element do you most often wear?
As an example Red may not be a color that for everyone wants to cover themselves in or paint an entire room in. Choosing a red pen or a red journal, or red undergarments can add some spark or fire and melt a bit of metal.
If you find yourself wearing or surrounded by a lot of earthy colors, try adding blue or green throw pillows to the sofa or a blanket to add some pop.
Color and shapes can amuse the eye and add that little something something to your wardrobe and also to your space.
I’m curious does your physical space reflect your Pop Quiz results?
by Strentini | Aug 26, 2013 | Feng Shui
If you took the pop quiz I posted previously you may be asking the question,
Is it necessary to balance out my elements?
or
Does everything have to be matchy matchy?
The short answer is no, if you are content and feel that all is as it needs to be then hey, keep doing what you are doing. If you are feeling like you would benefit from moving some energy to feel different or more balanced then the answer would be, yes.
It is not ideal to have equal scores on each of the elements. It would be difficult to manage that and since life is dynamic we need both Yin and Yang elements in order to keep us moving.
Yang elements are the ones we project outside of us, from the quiz standpoint they are the ones with a score of 72 or greater. Yang is masculine, bright or light, big, busy, high contrast, and open.
Yin elements are the inside of us, scores on the pop quiz are less than 72. Yin elements are dark, feminine, muted, and softer.
We need both for overall balance, as we need the light and the dark; day/night; big/small and so on. Essentially balancing opposites.
Nourishing Cycle:
Choosing to control an element would be desired if the overpowering presence of one of the elements inhibited your ability to nourish another element or energy in your life.
Here are my top tips on how to you may be able to balance out the main Yang element.
Controlling Cycle
Fire is strong communication, Water is strong connection to Spirit.
Fire is connected to speaking words, Water is connected to the sense of hearing.
Fire is leading; Water is going with the flow.
Top tip to cool your flames: You have something valuable to share and when you talk people listen, however, we can learn more by listening than speaking.
Metal is mental and intellectual; Fire is passion and emotion.
Metal is focused, quick and sharp; Fire is lively, spark and excitement.
Metal is strength and endurance; Fire is warmth and community.
Top tip to melt your Metal: Allow your wisdom to be conveyed with clarity and delivered with warmth. The facts may speak for themselves but may be received better if delivered with emotion as well.
Wood is intuition and inspiration; Metal is mental and intellectual.
Wood is taking root and branching out; Metal is excavated and can be manipulated.
Wood is what you see; Metal is what you smell.
Top tip to prune the tree(s): Your vision of life is strong, however you may benefit from backing up your intuition with the facts. The facts can help you determine where you can prune your branches in order for the stongest ones to really prosper and for the roots to take better hold.
Earth is grounded; Wood is connected to both heaven and earth.
Earth is practical and stable; Wood is rooted and flexible.
Earth is fertility; Trees have seeds (knowledge)
Top tip to your cultivate your forest: Start planting your ideas by getting them out there in the fertile soil, in order for them to start to grow. Let your intuition guide you and trust in your ability to allow yourself to take reasonable risks.
Water is movement and depth; Earth is stability.
Water is the tapping into spirit; Earth is grounded in here and now.
Water is synchronicity; Earth is accountability.
Top tip to get more earthy: Too much water can make you feel overwhelmed and you may benefit from stepping on firm ground in order to take stock. Connect physically, meditate, stabilize yourself by taking a stand, choosing to process all the floating “stuff” that is washing over you.
Top Tip for all the elements: Be Gentle with Yourself as you experiment with finding your own balance!
by Strentini | Aug 23, 2013 | Feng Shui
The Children and Creativity Gua is the home of Metal and is associated with water, Lakes specifically.
Metal is is the thinking, the intellectual element. Metaphorically speaking you have a mind like a steel trap. You are focused, quick witted and razor sharp. Determination along with strength and endurance would potentially be ways to describe you.
Metal is excavated from the earth, and the large gap between your earth score and metal depicts that. This element can be shaped to our liking, as in using metal for jewellery or building skyscrapers. It is both strong and can be malleable.
When we have too much metal in us it can also be portrayed at times as uncompromising or an inability to change course even when it makes sense to do so. The razor sharp mind may also be interpreted as having a sharp tongue.
Yang Water is the connection to Spirit and Spirituality. Your metal thinking may be a high source of creativity, which brings Joy to yourself and others. Water is tapping into your spirit or going with your flow. Metal is a nourishing cycle to water, in that metal holds water.
These elements are Yang elements and are what we show to the world.
To control Metal the addition of Fire is necessary. Fire controls metal since it melts the element. Fire is our communication to our community. Fire is our passion and emotion, it is leadership, it is connecting.
Absorbing and accumulating information comes easily and it shows you are one to go with the flow. I would invite you to consider sharing your wisdom and creativity in teaching another or a group of others. Stoke the fire within by communicating what you know.
You have a strong sense of connection and synchronicity and may benefit from tending the wood element to nurture your own ideas by sharing what brings you Joy.
Wood, Fire and Earth are yin elements. Yin is the inner details of ourselves.
Allowing the water vibe in your life to nourish the ideas you have to branch out. Fire needs wood to burn. Perhaps there are things you are “thinking” about and not doing.
What would it feel like to grow those ideas (wood), and tell others about what you are thinking (fire), and connecting to your ground (earth) to take action on your ideas?
I would invite you to think about how it wood feel to put yourself out there rather than think about it?
by Strentini | Aug 19, 2013 | Feng Shui
Fire is the dominant element in this assessment, followed by Earth.
You are a connector and communicator; you are passionate about what you say and do. You have a strong connection to your ecosystems: family, friends, colleagues etc. A healthy amount of fire is nourishing, lively and adds excitement. Your personal warmth draws people to you and you make people feel wrapped in warmth as well.
Earth is the element of the physical and tangible. Fire burns wood which feeds the Earth and the numbers show a nourishing cycle. That feeling of being Present, Grounded and connected is important to you and you seek ways to cultivate it in your life. You take action and are accountable for your words and actions.
These two elements together bring to mind: You stand up for what you believe in.
The yin/inner elements are Metal, Water and Wood.
Metal is connected to the Children and Creativity Gua. It is the home of Joy! Having fun, being creative, colorful bubbles up from deep within you. Laughter is an expression of this joy. This element is also the thinking part of you, the intellectual. We draw metal from the earth and can mold into whatever we choose. Again an expression of your creativity.
Water is going with the flow of life and we use water to control Fire when it is dominant. There is an imbalance between the two elements in the assessment and that may be present in feeling stuck, going against the flow, or not feeling the flow you want. There may be lots of thinking going on and you may be keeping this to yourself. Not seeking out Helpful People, literally or energetically. I invite you to consider where the idea of “diving in” or creating a wave for yourself in order to remove the blockages of your flow.
Wood is required to fuel the Fire. The current assessment would suggest that you may be at the beginning of something. That being open-minded, being open to trust and accept guidance may be in your life presently. I invite you to nurture the seeds of your knowledge and wisdom, and trust in the process.
by Strentini | Aug 16, 2013 | Feng Shui
In the 5 element image above we can see that Water is the dominant element, Earth and Metal are also Yang (or what we show to the world). Wood and Fire are the internal or inner Yin elements.
The water total is 12 points greater than the next closest of Earth. When we have too much water energy it may manifest in being overwhelmed or overwhelming others. Flood of emotion and or white rapid ride. Your Wood number is 38 less than Water so you may be having a difficult time getting things going. Your ideas, inspiration and seeds are drowning rather than growing.
Earth’s archetype is fertile soil. It is the accountability of what we do and say. The earth number is Yang (greater than 72) yet in this instance with too little earth to control the Water you may be feeling precarious and floating.
Metal, another Yang element in this instance, may still present by way of procrastination. You may be in too deep of water to be able to focus, communicate clearly and convert your acumen into clarity.
To control water when it is dominant is to add Earth.
What do you do or what could you do to make yourself feel more grounded and centered. Are there things that you could let go of, busymaking, that would allow you to slow the flow down?
Yin is the inner and the details, your yin elements are Wood & Fire.
When the wood element is overwhelmed by the flow of water it may be keeping you from branching out. Again I would invite you to find a way to look at things from a practical standpoint and see where you may benefit from decluttering.
Fire is leadership, speaking words, and emotion. I would suggest you to observe when you are saying no to something are you saying yes to yourself; when you are saying yes to something are you saying no to yourself. Fire burns the wood which turns into earth.
Notice how you are communicating and as above; look for the contrasts in your choices.
Your assessment is one where the word “busy” keeps running through my mind. I also invite you to pause and be present.
