Essential Feng Shui Tips: Angles and Corners
Inner Feng Shui
Are there any sharp edges or dark corners within you? Do you feel “edgy,” irritated, or cornered in some way? Once you’ve identified an inner “poison arrow,” soften and disarm it with inner compassion and forgiveness. Let go of any hard and fast position, and consider positive outcomes where everyone wins. Dissolve edginess with “soft” activities such as soaking in a hot bath, relaxing by a warm fire, or taking a walk in nature. Know that you can always balance inner-cutting Ch’i by doing something for yourself that is nurturing and kind.
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Essential Feng Shui Tips: Angles and Corners
Feng Shui Definitions
In Feng Shui, where feelings of safety and comfort are paramount, protruding sharp angles and corners are considered dangerous. They produce “cutting Ch’i (pronounced CHEE),” or arrowlike energy that can make people feel irritable, uncomfortable, and unsafe (see Ch’i). Our angular Western architecture also creates corners in every room where Ch’i tends to collect and deteriorate. In Feng Shui, these extreme features need to be balanced.
- Even if the general shape is square or rectangular, choose architectural designs and furniture with rounded corners and more organic lines to assure safety and comfort.
- When existing furniture has sharp corners, drape fabric or a vining plant over the corners to soften them, or turn furniture at a diagonal to minimize the corner’s effect.
- Balance protruding angles with the softening influence of plants, screens, textiles, and lighting. Or explore the magical possibilities of faux painting and trompe l’oeil (a French term meaning “to fool the eye”).
- Fill in room corners with items that soften and round them out, such as diagonally placed furniture, lamps, curtains, plants, baskets, screens, and art.
Essential Feng Shui Tips: Water Features
Water features invigorate Ch’i flow. You will find many indoor and outdoor varieties in department stores, nurseries, and catalogs, or you can make your own.
- Aquariums are highly prized Ch’i enhancers, as they gather the five elements of Wood (plants), Fire (fish), Earth (sand), Metal (rocks), and Water into one dynamic feature (look here for the Five Elements chart and here for other Ch’i enhancers). When maintained properly, they attract prosperity into your home or business.
- Whether inside or outside, place directional water features so that the water “points” toward the house or into the room. Still-water features such as birdbaths and urns also enhance Ch’i flow when kept crystal clean.
- Pools, Jacuzzis, and hot tubs are considered water features and must be kept clean, well lit, in good repair, and in many cases, fenced for safety. When designing these features, “amp” them up by including a waterfall flowing toward your house and the fiery touches of good lighting, bright flowers, and comfortable seating nearby.
Essential Feng Shui Tips: Wind Dancers
Wind dancers such as whirligigs, weather vanes, mobiles, prayer flags, and banners, serve to beckon, uplift, and invigorate the Ch’i that circulates through our homes. Outdoors, they act as friendly landmarks and symbolically lift low roof lines and steep slopes. Inside, they help to balance extreme features such as beams and high ceilings with their soft, inviting presence.
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Essential Feng Shui Tips: Ch’i is Always Changing
The Ch’i in Everything Is Always Changing: We witness change all the time in our bodies, relationships, energy level, state of mind, emotions, and in nature. The one constant in our physical universe is change. In Feng Shui, we accept change as a gift. We make friends with it. We embrace and invite change to continually make our lives better. So long as we are alive, we are growing and changing. When our homes reflect our changes, we move harmoniously forward. When we are fully engaged in the dance of change and just let it happen, we are drawn to reinvent our homes to reflect our personal evolution.
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Essential Feng Shui Tips: Enhancing Ch’i through Art
Art of all kinds, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, basketry, and textiles, greatly enhances the Ch’i when it elicits positive feelings and associations. Ask yourself what your art is “saying” to you. Ideally, you love and are inspired by every piece of art in your home. Very special Ch’i resides in the art that you, your friends, and family members make. Bring an extra spark into your home by displaying art made by the people you love. Resurrect cherished art that may be in storage or need repair.
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