Feng Shui Specialists Online Practitioner Certification in Feng Shui

Module Four

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One of the biggest tasks the ancient Chinese shamans were assigned by the ruling Emperor was to make sure​​ the​​ Five​​ Elements​​ were plentiful in the new location they selected for their villagers.​​ Water, Wood, Earth, Fire and Metal.

Chinese belief​​ purports​​ that ALL Five Elements must be present in an environment in order for​​ success and happiness​​ to be experienced. ​​ The belief is that​​ when​​ all five elements​​ are​​ present​​ together, they​​ create harmony,​​ particularly​​ when they are in balance.​​ 

This is the second principle in Feng Shui Practice:​​ When all Five elements are in balance in the environment we experience harmony.

As Feng Shui Practitioners, we place items​​ which represent The Five​​ Elements​​ in​​ the environment​​ intentionally,​​ and​​ thus, we​​ create the balance.​​ 

Before​​ we talk about​​ that​​ balance, let’s learn what the​​ Five Elements​​ are​​ and what they​​ individually​​ represent. Each element has a myriad of qualities it brings to the party.​​ It has a personality, and energy, a shape, a color and a style.​​ 

Each element also relates to a human sense: Touch, Taste, Hearing, Smell​​ and​​ Vision.​​ 

The Five Elements are also represented through color or a color palette. As well as​​ by symbols or icons that represent it. ​​ As with everything in Feng Shui, the Five Elements have yin and yang versions of themselves.​​ 

The Water Element

Photo by Mahkeo on Unsplash

Water is:​​ Spiritual​​ in nature. There are​​ many​​ different types of water. For example,​​ a roaring ocean is​​ yang water and a placid pond is yin water. Each of the​​ elements we study​​ will have yin or yang versions of themselves. This is important to understand so you will know the different qualities each element possesses in the​​ different​​ ways it shows up in our environment.​​ 

Since our​​ Earth is mostly water,​​ and​​ Feng Shui is the management of​​ wind over​​ water,​​ Water​​ is​​ therefore​​ a crucial​​ element​​ to our practice.​​ 

Each element relates to one of the five senses. For​​ Water​​ the sense is hearing.

See all the various qualities of the​​ Water​​ element below:​​ 

Sense:​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Hearing

Qi​​ Qualities: ​​  ​​ ​​​​ Mystical, meditative, relaxed, calm, flowing, trusting the higher​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​     ​​ ​​ ​​​​ order, synchronistic.​​ 

 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Water takes the shape of its container.​​ This is likened to​​ our soul​​  ​​ ​​ ​​​​     ​​ ​​ ​​​​ which has no shape​​ of its own​​ only the shape our body​​ gives it.

Remember:​​ Water always seeks its lowest level.

Symbols:​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Streams, rivers, pools, fountains, water features, reflective​​      ​​ ​​ ​​​​ surfaces, cut crystal, mirrors, glass.​​ Art depicting waterscapes.​​ 

Shapes:​​   ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Asymmetrical, flowing, free form, movement, natural forms.

Colors:​​   ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Black, dark blue, charcoal gray, midnight blue, indigo.

Excess: ​​​​   ​​ ​​ ​​​​ No​​ structure, passive, inconsistent, "wishy-washy”.

Lack:   ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Anxiety, inability to handle stress, need to dominate, lack of flow,​​    ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ disconnected to spirit, dry, combustible. 

The​​ WOOD​​ Element:

Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash

Wood is:​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Vision and​​ Intuition.​​  Yang=tree;​​ Yin=flower

Sense: ​​ Vision & seeing.​​ ​​ You may recall from Norse mythology that​​ Odin​​    ​​ hung from a tree to​​ gain​​ wisdom​​ and insight.​​ 

  ​​ Wood is​​ also​​ represented by roots, like dendrites​​ in the body,​​     ​​ expansion​​ and​​ growth.

Qi​​ Qualities: ​​ Trust, openness, receptive, inner guidance, progressive in thought​​    ​​ and action, flexible,​​ expansive, cooperative, continual new growth.

Symbols: Wooden furniture & accessories, wood floors,​​ wood paneling, siding,​​    roofing, decks, kitchen cabinets, wicker, bamboo, picture frames,

  Indoor & outdoor plants & flowers, (silk, dried)

  Art depicting landscapes, gardens, plants, flowers, carvings,

  floral prints, upholstery, draperies, linens, natural fiber, hemp, flax,​​    rayon.

Shapes: Columns, tree trunks, beams, pedestals, poles, stripes.

Colors: Green and blue spectrum

Excess: Over-expansive, overwhelming, Type-A behavior​​ 

Lack:  Bonsai: undergrown, lack of trust, skeptical, scientific, stunted​​     growth.

The Fire​​ Element

Photo by Guido Jansen on Unsplash

Fire is: ​​ Emotional.  ​​​​ Yang=blazing fire, Yin=soft light like a candle.

Sense: Touch. ​​ Digestion.

Qi​​ Qualities: ​​ Dynamic vitality, enthusiasm, excitement, decisiveness,     ​​ assertiveness, creativity, originality, leadership, motivation,​​     ​​ emotional balance.

  ​​ Ancient fire ceremonies​​ were initiations​​ and included​​ songfests as​​    ​​ well as dinner.​​ Gathering around a hearth​​ is a long-honored​​     ​​ tradition.

  ​​ Acupuncture (touch). TV is our​​ current “fire".

  ​​ Heat, movement.

Symbols: All lighting, electricity, oil, candles, sunlight, fireplaces, electronics.

  Things from animals: fur, leather, bone, feathers, wool.

  Pets & wildlife

  Art depicting people, animals, fish, butterflies, angels, sunshine, light,​​   fire, Buddha statuary.

Shapes:​​  Triangles, pyramids, cones, stars, diamonds.​​ 

Color:  Red & red-spectrum.

Excess: Aggression, anger, impatience, impulsivity, overly ambitious,

  burn out, crash.​​ 

Lack:  Lack of enthusiasm, lethargic, dull, cold, unmotivated.

  Lack-luster, cool as a cucumber.

The Earth Element:

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Earth is: Physical. Yang=planet, ​​ Yin=mother

Sense: Taste.​​ ​​ Remember how we​​ mentioned that​​ the​​ Ancient Feng Shui​​    Masters​​ tasted​​ the​​ soil​​ to see if it could produce crops?

Qi​​ Qualities:​​ fertility, practicality, stability, sensuality, being grounded, organized.

Symbols: Adobe, brick,​​ tile, ceramics, earthenware, pottery, soil

  Art depicting landscapes, deserts, fields, meadows, grids

Shapes: Square, rectangles, long, flat surfaces.

Colors: Yellow, earth tones.​​ 

Excess: Overly disciplined, anal, serious, conservative.​​ 

Lack:  Spacey, ungrounded, disconnected, lacking stability, shaky, barren.

The Metal Element:

Photo by Sam Goodgame on Unsplash

Metal is: Mental.​​ Yang=scaffolding, ​​ Yin=gemstone

Sense: Smell.​​ 

  The human skeleton is metal.​​ The epitome of strength &​​     endurance.

Qi​​ Qualities: Mental clarity, determination, concentration, perseverance, wit,​​    brilliant,​​ even during hardship or failure,​​ 

  connective, quick, networking, communications.

Symbols: All types of metals, stainless steel, copper, silver, gold, brass, iron,​​    aluminum, pewter.​​ 

  All rocks and stones, marble, granite, flagstone,​​       concrete,​​ all-natural​​ crystals, rocks and gemstones, precious jewels.​​    Minerals are​​ also​​ archetypes.

  Art depicting sculptures of metal or stone.

Shapes: Circles, ovals, arches.

Colors: White and light pastels

Excess: Rigid, unable to compromise, fixed, stuck, sharp tongued, isolated.

​​ 

Lack:  Weak, indecisive, procrastination, dull, cloudy, foggy, unclear,​​     indeterminate, non-specific, spineless.

Many people​​ in the west​​ ask​​ why Air isn’t considered an​​ element. ​​ Just as​​ light isn’t considered an element, air is​​ also​​ not considered​​ an element.​​ 

Light and darkness​​ come from the cosmos and are products of our galaxy. You cannot contain them or control them. The same​​ for Air. You cannot contain or control it. It just is. Air is a part of the earth’s atmosphere and part of our cosmos.​​ 

In addition to​​ all of their qualities, shapes, colors, weaknesses and strengths,​​ The Five Elements​​ also have cycles. ​​ 

The first cycle we’ll look at is the positive (yang) cycle of nurturing.  ​​​​ If we place the Five Elements on a wheel, you can see by the arrows and direction of flow, the nourishing qualities of each element.​​ 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ezine/2007-05/11/content_870679.htm

You​​ can see in the graphic that the support direction is clockwise. Wood supports fire in that it gives itself to the fire and burns. Fire creates and supports Earth because it cleanses and purifies it. Earth creates metal deep in the crust and mountains.​​ Metal holds water and Water nurtures and feeds Wood. ​​ Those cycles, going clockwise are supportive, nurturing, creative​​ and enhancing.

Looking inside the graphic you will see black lines pointing and​​ crossing​​ over each other. These lines represent the controlling nature of the elements.

Wood​​ controls Earth because it can overtake it.​​ Fire controls​​ Metal because it can melt it.​​ Earth controls Water because it holds it and contains it​​ as in a dam.​​ Metal​​ controls Wood because it can cut it​​ and​​ outlast it. ​​ 

The cycles going counter-clockwise are destructive, controlling and oppressive. But not in​​ a bad way! ​​ According to the principle of yin-yang everything must be either be created or controlled to keep the proper balance in nature. If one gets too aggressive, or out of control, the others will become stifled and perish.

The second principle underlying all​​ Feng Shui​​ belief​​ is that by imitating and reflecting the balance found in nature we can attain harmony within our own lives​​ and environments.

Whether​​ we​​ realize it or not, our home and work environments​​ are​​ constantly either supporting or sapping our life energy. ​​ Making a few simple changes within​​ the​​ home can have an immediate and powerful effect, not only on our personal energy level, but also on the entire scope of our​​ lives.

A cure or remedy means an actual addition,​​ subtraction,​​ adjustment or correction​​ that​​ we​​ make to our home or office space for the purpose of enhancing the flow of positive energy within​​ the​​ environment and ultimately, our life.

This is precisely​​ why we​​ master​​ these principles and balance our environments​​ according to the natural order.​​ 

Homework Module 4:

• Show two examples of yang water and yin water

 Show two examples of yang fire and yin fire

 Show two examples of yang metal and yin metal

 Show two examples of yang wood and yin wood

 Show two examples of yang earth and yin earth

• Read pages 91-99​​ in​​ Feng Shui The Easy Way.

• Write 100-200 words on the second principle in Feng Shui Practice: When all Five elements are in balance in the environment we experience harmony.​​ What does this​​ mean to you and why.

• Watch:​​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsHztnIjVQc

• Watch:​​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFR9z6dq3CE​​ (47:00 Mins)

Tina Falk instructor

• Take the Module 4 Test.