Water is critical to life on Earth. It covers over 70% of our planet’s surface and makes up about 60% of the human body. So it’s no surprise that it played important roles in human cultures. Most connected it with its cleansing and life-giving properties, but the ancient Chinese took things a step further. Water is a key part of feng shui, the art of arranging interior spaces to harmonize with the natural world. This quick guide explains water’s place in feng shui and how it’s used to promote positive energy flow.
Feng Shui and the Five Phases
Feng shui incorporates the idea of wuxing. You’ll see it in a lot of traditional Chinese thought, including Taoist principles. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that wuxing translates as “five processes” or “five phases.” Wuxing encompasses cycles of motion or change, instead of static material substances as in ancient Greek thought.
Wuxing’s five elemental phases occur in both creative and destructive cycles. In classical Chinese philosophy, the creative cycle begins with wood fueling fire. Fire produces earth by generating ash. Earth produces metal through geological processes, and metal allows water to condense in vapor form. The cycle begins again when water hydrates wood. The destructive cycle starts with fire melting metal. Metal cuts wood, which in turn breaks up earth by growing through it. Earth can soak up water, which restarts the cycle by quenching fire.
Feng shui uses a map called a bagua to guide the arrangement of interior spaces. The Spruce explains that the bagua divides a space into nine distinct areas, each aligned with one of the five elemental phases. Every area represents an aspect of a person’s life. Creating good energy in those areas requires balance – and that means bringing the right elements into each one.
Water, Wisdom, and Work
Classical Chinese philosophy associates water with the color black and the winter season. You’ll also see it represented with wavy or curvy shapes. Water occupies the Kan area of the bagua – typically the northernmost segment of the map. In most feng shui traditions, this area represents one’s career or life path.
Architect Anjie Cho describes the water phase as flowing and shifting, with connections to wisdom and intuition. Given that it’s in the career area of the bagua, these connotations aren’t surprising. Cho adds that adding more of this element may be helpful if we want to improve social connections and wealth. This also makes sense – social connections may lead to better career prospects, which can help generate more wealth.
Boosting the Water Element in Your Home
Feng shui schools use different approaches to find north. Some use the literal compass direction, while others set the front door as the northern point. Either way, practitioners suggest incorporating the water element in the northern area. Doing so can encourage positive energy flow.
Fortunately, there are tons of ways you can do this. Fountains and aquariums are the most obvious solutions – you’re placing literal water in those spaces. But if these aren’t workable, you can use other things to symbolize the water element. Black, charcoal gray, and navy blue décor objects can work – think vases, art, throw pillows, rugs, or other accessories. Mirrors are another great option thanks to their reflective properties. You could also try artwork with watery imagery. Don’t forget that you can use shapes to bring water into your space. Try objects with wavy, curved, or irregular-shaped patterns and edges.
Water, Water Everywhere
Several cultures believe that there’s a cosmic energy that flows through everything. Feng shui aims to encourage energy flow for better harmony and positive outcomes. As one of five elemental phases, water possesses both creative and destructive energies. With a few simple additions, you can easily introduce and balance this element inside your home.
Mirrors have been around for thousands of years. The oldest man made versions date to around 6,000 B.C.E., constructed from polished black volcanic glass. Modern editions have been with us since their invention in 1835. Besides showing our reflections, mirrors also have scientific, industrial, and decorative uses. But in the Chinese art of feng shui, they take on a completely unique purpose.
How Mirror Is Like Water
Traditional Chinese thought defines qi as essential life energy moving through all of existence. It must flow smoothly, not rush in too quickly or stagnate. Many things can impact its movement, but mirrors are unique in one key way: Qi can bounce off their surfaces just like light.
Feng shui treats mirrors as if they’re water. This isn’t surprising, given that they both have reflective surfaces. But architect and feng shui expert Anjie Cho adds that mirrors embody water’s qualities, encouraging contemplation and the search for wisdom.
Depending on their application, mirrors can also improve or enhance energy focus within a space. With their reflective properties, mirrors are often used to make small adjustments to the flow of qi. Cho mentions that this practice is called xie zi fa, which translates as “method of minor additions.”
Negative Energy in Feng Shui
Qi comes in three different forms: positive, negative, and stagnant. Positive qi is uplifting, while stagnant qi is slow and sluggish. Negative qi can come from sharp angles or pointed objects — a corner or a tree branch, for instance. Feng shui practitioners call it “sha qi,” a type of harmful energy that attacks like poisoned arrows.
In another piece for The Spruce, Cho mentions that negative qi can also originate from building corners or sharp roof lines pointing at your home. These are particularly problematic if they’re aimed at your front door. Some associate negative qi with loss, so poison arrows may play a role in financial, social, relationship, and health problems.
Mirrors as Feng Shui Remedies
In feng shui, mirrors’ shapes and reflective properties can create unique effects. Cho explains that popular mirror styles in feng shui include flat, convex, and concave. Flat mirrors simply reflect, while convex mirrors provide a larger view with a wider angle. Concave mirrors shrink images and flip them vertically, which can be useful when dealing with negative qi. By diverting this “poison arrow” energy, concave mirrors can ward off its harmful effects.
Of course, not just any mirror will do. Cho emphasizes that mirrors used in feng shui must consist of single glass pieces to achieve the best effects. None of the glass should be broken, missing, clouded, or distorted. Mosaic mirrors are not ideal because they lack a unified surface.
A Special Kind of Mirror
While standard mirrors are considered useful in feng shui, one special kind of mirror has made its way from classical usage into modern practice. You may remember that the bagua is an octagon-shaped energy map. It’s superimposed over a physical space to show where certain types of energies lie — fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. All the bagua mirror does is combine this eight-sided map with a simple mirror at its center.
Cho describes the bagua mirror as a protective amulet. Its primary purpose is averting negative qi, but it’s only used on the outside of a building. Moreover, it requires careful placement to achieve its desired effects. Most feng shui experts recommend that only qualified practitioners use bagua mirrors. With incorrect placement, they could push away positive energies or attract negative ones.
A Case of Spiritual Reflection
Mirrors reflect images we can see. Yet feng shui practitioners believe they impact how unseen energies move through our homes. Like any other tool, they must be used wisely to achieve ideal outcomes.
If you’re ready for asparagus, morels and fresh spring lettuce, you’re not alone. It has a been a long winter. Shubenacadie Sam and Wiarton Willie, famous weather forecasters from Groundhog Day, were no help in deciding whether winter would continue or not in the north, splitting the vote. Punxsutawney Phil sides with Sam in predicting an early spring. March 21 marks the spring equinox, and it’s hoped that the flowers will be in bloom soon after. Even if they aren’t, find a celebration of spring and enjoy this time of renewal.
Thailand Water Festival
In Thailand, in mid-April, come for the Songkran Water festival. It’s a huge public water fight held in honor of the new year. The water represents the cleansing of negative influences. It might be summer in the southern hemisphere, but you can still think of it being spring. Come for the festival and hope that the flowers will be in full bloom when you return.
Japan Shunbun no Hi
The spring equinox is a national holiday in Japan. They actually celebrate three days before and three days after, but the actual day when the equinox occurs is a day to honor nature and show affection for living things. Part of the Japanese tradition of Shunbun no Hi is to visit their ancestral graves and clean them up. People leave flowers and incense on the graves, then go visit with other family members as part of their spring festivity. They also clean their home and start new activities to renew their life. Farmers pray for luck for the upcoming growing season.
Granny March
In Bulgaria, Granny March or Baba Marta marks the arrival of spring. Legend says that the final snow of winter is just when Baba Marta is in the midst of spring cleaning and is shaking out her feather bed. Beginning on March 1, people give martenitsi, a red and white figure which can almost resemble a tassel, to wear until the first signs of spring appear. Once the trees begin to bloom, the martenitsis are tied to the branches in honor of the season.
The Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival
If you can’t wait until May for Tulip festival in Ottawa, take a trip south to Washington D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It begins March 20 and runs through April 17 in the capital of the United States. Much like the tulips are a sign of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, the cherry blossoms celebrate the ties of the U.S. to Japan. It’s spring and the flowers are in bloom. What better reason could you need for a break from all the snow?
Hindu Holi Celebration
In Southeast Asia, the festival of Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. Legends tell two different tales of why the tradition of throwing powdered pigments at each other got started, but the main idea is that good conquers evil. In one story, Holika attempted to burn her nephew, Prahlad in a bonfire, but he was saved by Lord Vishnu in a strange turn of events. In remembrance, Hindus light bonfires and celebrate Prahlad’s victory. Much of festival is fun, but it also has spiritual significance. It’s a time to renew friendships and forgive those who have hurt you in the past year.
Celebrate Renewal
It doesn’t matter when the first buds of spring occur, it’s just a given that the season will change and the earth will come alive. Enjoy the festivals of spring and remember that you’re given new opportunities to make your life all you want. Take time this year to think about the changes you need to make to make your dreams come true.
Water is critical to life on Earth. It covers over 70% of our planet’s surface and makes up about 60% of the human body. So it’s no surprise that it played important roles in human cultures. Most connected it with its cleansing and life-giving properties, but the ancient Chinese took things a step further. Water is a key part of feng shui, the art of arranging interior spaces to harmonize with the natural world. This quick guide explains water’s place in feng shui and how it’s used to promote positive energy flow.
Feng Shui and the Five Phases
Feng shui incorporates the idea of wuxing. You’ll see it in a lot of traditional Chinese thought, including Taoist principles. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that wuxing translates as “five processes” or “five phases.” Wuxing encompasses cycles of motion or change, instead of static material substances as in ancient Greek thought.
Wuxing’s five elemental phases occur in both creative and destructive cycles. In classical Chinese philosophy, the creative cycle begins with wood fueling fire. Fire produces earth by generating ash. Earth produces metal through geological processes, and metal allows water to condense in vapor form. The cycle begins again when water hydrates wood. The destructive cycle starts with fire melting metal. Metal cuts wood, which in turn breaks up earth by growing through it. Earth can soak up water, which restarts the cycle by quenching fire.
Feng shui uses a map called a bagua to guide the arrangement of interior spaces. The Spruce explains that the bagua divides a space into nine distinct areas, each aligned with one of the five elemental phases. Every area represents an aspect of a person’s life. Creating good energy in those areas requires balance – and that means bringing the right elements into each one.
Water, Wisdom, and Work
Classical Chinese philosophy associates water with the color black and the winter season. You’ll also see it represented with wavy or curvy shapes. Water occupies the Kan area of the bagua – typically the northernmost segment of the map. In most feng shui traditions, this area represents one’s career or life path.
Architect Anjie Cho describes the water phase as flowing and shifting, with connections to wisdom and intuition. Given that it’s in the career area of the bagua, these connotations aren’t surprising. Cho adds that adding more of this element may be helpful if we want to improve social connections and wealth. This also makes sense – social connections may lead to better career prospects, which can help generate more wealth.
Boosting the Water Element in Your Home
Feng shui schools use different approaches to find north. Some use the literal compass direction, while others set the front door as the northern point. Either way, practitioners suggest incorporating the water element in the northern area. Doing so can encourage positive energy flow.
Fortunately, there are tons of ways you can do this. Fountains and aquariums are the most obvious solutions – you’re placing literal water in those spaces. But if these aren’t workable, you can use other things to symbolize the water element. Black, charcoal gray, and navy blue décor objects can work – think vases, art, throw pillows, rugs, or other accessories. Mirrors are another great option thanks to their reflective properties. You could also try artwork with watery imagery. Don’t forget that you can use shapes to bring water into your space. Try objects with wavy, curved, or irregular-shaped patterns and edges.
Water, Water Everywhere
Several cultures believe that there’s a cosmic energy that flows through everything. Feng shui aims to encourage energy flow for better harmony and positive outcomes. As one of five elemental phases, water possesses both creative and destructive energies. With a few simple additions, you can easily introduce and balance this element inside your home.
Mirrors have been around for thousands of years. The oldest man made versions date to around 6,000 B.C.E., constructed from polished black volcanic glass. Modern editions have been with us since their invention in 1835. Besides showing our reflections, mirrors also have scientific, industrial, and decorative uses. But in the Chinese art of feng shui, they take on a completely unique purpose.
How Mirror Is Like Water
Traditional Chinese thought defines qi as essential life energy moving through all of existence. It must flow smoothly, not rush in too quickly or stagnate. Many things can impact its movement, but mirrors are unique in one key way: Qi can bounce off their surfaces just like light.
Feng shui treats mirrors as if they’re water. This isn’t surprising, given that they both have reflective surfaces. But architect and feng shui expert Anjie Cho adds that mirrors embody water’s qualities, encouraging contemplation and the search for wisdom.
Depending on their application, mirrors can also improve or enhance energy focus within a space. With their reflective properties, mirrors are often used to make small adjustments to the flow of qi. Cho mentions that this practice is called xie zi fa, which translates as “method of minor additions.”
Negative Energy in Feng Shui
Qi comes in three different forms: positive, negative, and stagnant. Positive qi is uplifting, while stagnant qi is slow and sluggish. Negative qi can come from sharp angles or pointed objects — a corner or a tree branch, for instance. Feng shui practitioners call it “sha qi,” a type of harmful energy that attacks like poisoned arrows.
In another piece for The Spruce, Cho mentions that negative qi can also originate from building corners or sharp roof lines pointing at your home. These are particularly problematic if they’re aimed at your front door. Some associate negative qi with loss, so poison arrows may play a role in financial, social, relationship, and health problems.
Mirrors as Feng Shui Remedies
In feng shui, mirrors’ shapes and reflective properties can create unique effects. Cho explains that popular mirror styles in feng shui include flat, convex, and concave. Flat mirrors simply reflect, while convex mirrors provide a larger view with a wider angle. Concave mirrors shrink images and flip them vertically, which can be useful when dealing with negative qi. By diverting this “poison arrow” energy, concave mirrors can ward off its harmful effects.
Of course, not just any mirror will do. Cho emphasizes that mirrors used in feng shui must consist of single glass pieces to achieve the best effects. None of the glass should be broken, missing, clouded, or distorted. Mosaic mirrors are not ideal because they lack a unified surface.
A Special Kind of Mirror
While standard mirrors are considered useful in feng shui, one special kind of mirror has made its way from classical usage into modern practice. You may remember that the bagua is an octagon-shaped energy map. It’s superimposed over a physical space to show where certain types of energies lie — fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. All the bagua mirror does is combine this eight-sided map with a simple mirror at its center.
Cho describes the bagua mirror as a protective amulet. Its primary purpose is averting negative qi, but it’s only used on the outside of a building. Moreover, it requires careful placement to achieve its desired effects. Most feng shui experts recommend that only qualified practitioners use bagua mirrors. With incorrect placement, they could push away positive energies or attract negative ones.
A Case of Spiritual Reflection
Mirrors reflect images we can see. Yet feng shui practitioners believe they impact how unseen energies move through our homes. Like any other tool, they must be used wisely to achieve ideal outcomes.
If you’re ready for asparagus, morels and fresh spring lettuce, you’re not alone. It has a been a long winter. Shubenacadie Sam and Wiarton Willie, famous weather forecasters from Groundhog Day, were no help in deciding whether winter would continue or not in the north, splitting the vote. Punxsutawney Phil sides with Sam in predicting an early spring. March 21 marks the spring equinox, and it’s hoped that the flowers will be in bloom soon after. Even if they aren’t, find a celebration of spring and enjoy this time of renewal.
Thailand Water Festival
In Thailand, in mid-April, come for the Songkran Water festival. It’s a huge public water fight held in honor of the new year. The water represents the cleansing of negative influences. It might be summer in the southern hemisphere, but you can still think of it being spring. Come for the festival and hope that the flowers will be in full bloom when you return.
Japan Shunbun no Hi
The spring equinox is a national holiday in Japan. They actually celebrate three days before and three days after, but the actual day when the equinox occurs is a day to honor nature and show affection for living things. Part of the Japanese tradition of Shunbun no Hi is to visit their ancestral graves and clean them up. People leave flowers and incense on the graves, then go visit with other family members as part of their spring festivity. They also clean their home and start new activities to renew their life. Farmers pray for luck for the upcoming growing season.
Granny March
In Bulgaria, Granny March or Baba Marta marks the arrival of spring. Legend says that the final snow of winter is just when Baba Marta is in the midst of spring cleaning and is shaking out her feather bed. Beginning on March 1, people give martenitsi, a red and white figure which can almost resemble a tassel, to wear until the first signs of spring appear. Once the trees begin to bloom, the martenitsis are tied to the branches in honor of the season.
The Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival
If you can’t wait until May for Tulip festival in Ottawa, take a trip south to Washington D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It begins March 20 and runs through April 17 in the capital of the United States. Much like the tulips are a sign of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, the cherry blossoms celebrate the ties of the U.S. to Japan. It’s spring and the flowers are in bloom. What better reason could you need for a break from all the snow?
Hindu Holi Celebration
In Southeast Asia, the festival of Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. Legends tell two different tales of why the tradition of throwing powdered pigments at each other got started, but the main idea is that good conquers evil. In one story, Holika attempted to burn her nephew, Prahlad in a bonfire, but he was saved by Lord Vishnu in a strange turn of events. In remembrance, Hindus light bonfires and celebrate Prahlad’s victory. Much of festival is fun, but it also has spiritual significance. It’s a time to renew friendships and forgive those who have hurt you in the past year.
Celebrate Renewal
It doesn’t matter when the first buds of spring occur, it’s just a given that the season will change and the earth will come alive. Enjoy the festivals of spring and remember that you’re given new opportunities to make your life all you want. Take time this year to think about the changes you need to make to make your dreams come true.
