Working with your Element Type

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Working with your Element Type

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The five feng shui elements - wood, fire, earth, metal, and water - are

among the most important aspects of successful feng shui. The different

element energies or qualities of chi help you to select appropriate

colors, furnishings, and accessories for your home. You can also use the

five elements to develop a personalized feng shui strategy based on the

element that is reflected most strongly in your own style of living.

Metal energy is clean, simple and detail-oriented. Earth energy is lush,

nurturing and comfortable. Water is free-flowing, expressive and

intuitive. Wood is ambitious, forward-thinking and practical. Fire is

passionate, excitable and changeable. Each of us has a unique combination

of these five energies in our own personality, usually with one element

dominating, although the dominant element can shift over time.

The element that is strongest in your personality right now will

influence your current decorating style, housekeeping habits, and your

approach to feng shui. Your experience will be more fun and more

comfortable when you tailor your feng shui strategies to your element

style. Let's begin by seeing which of the five descriptions below most

closely describes you:

Neat Freak (METAL): I hate clutter! My home is always immaculate, with

everything tidy and well-maintained, and I am very thoughtful about what

I bring into my space.

Pack Rat (EARTH): I love my stuff, and can't get rid of anything. My

house is so full of clutter that when something is broken I can't even

get to it to fix it.

Free Spirit (WATER): I'm too busy being me to clean up! If something's a

mess, I just toss a shawl over it. People say my home has lots of

personality, and I am constantly redecorating and moving things around.

Go-Getter (WOOD): Housekeeping? Home décor? Don't ask me; that's what the

maid and decorator are for. I just want things functional and practical,

and I need a quiet place to come home to at the end of a busy day.

Whirlwind (FIRE): Enough of the quiz already! I have a million things to

do and a short attention span - just tell me how to feng shui my house!

Many people are a combination of styles, so it may be hard to choose just

one answer. If you're not sure, ask a relative or close friend for

feedback; if you're a true Neat Freak, you may think your house is a mess

even when it's immaculate by other people's standards!

You may also find that you live one style, but secretly crave another. As

a dyed-in-the-wool Free Spirit, for example, I regularly break the feng

shui rules of good housekeeping because I'm just too busy creating,

writing and living to keep things as clean, organized and uncluttered as

I know they should be. But whenever I visit a Neat Freak's home, my soul

goes " ahhhhhh. " The trick is to be aware of what type of space you are

really, truly most comfortable in. As much as I like visiting pristine,

zen-like spaces, I know that I don't really want to live in one - and

that if I did, it would soon look just as lived-in as my current home!

Here are some guidelines based on the element affinities described above

to help you develop a personalized feng shui strategy:

NEAT FREAK

Your home is so neat and tidy that it may be a little rigid, sterile or

monochromatic. You tend to like the minimalist look, and are the most

likely type to have all-white decor. If your furniture has been in the

same position for years, look for ways to get chi moving without making

more changes than you'll feel comfortable with. Live plants and flowers

will bring natural energy and color to your space. You may also need to

add more personal touches here and there. Find a place to display a few

favorite photographs of friends and family members, so there are some

human images around you. Your love for clean, simple spaces and attention

to detail means you are probably on top of any maintenance or clutter

issues, so focus on creating a good flow of chi through your home,

counteracting any negative influences, and activating your power spots.

Your clean and tranquil home is a wonderful environment for

self-nurturing methods such as meditation and qigong.

PACKRAT

Your biggest problem is clutter! Closets are overflowing, you have three

of everything, books are stacked two-deep on every shelf, you've saved

every greeting card you ever got, you still have clothes from college (or

even high school) in the back of your closet, and all the flat surfaces

in your home are piled with stuff. You might still be able to breathe,

but your space isn't getting any chi at all! Create some breathing room

in your home before you do anything else, or you'll just activate all

your clutter into even greater chaos. Chances are, you've been feeling a

little stuck lately, so focus on getting rid of the old to make room for

the new before you do anything else. Once you've cleared out enough stuff

to get a good look at your house, make sure you've got a good flow of chi

through the space and address any maintenance issues before making other

feng shui changes. Your own chi will shift a lot as you clean out your

home, so be sure to include some grounding and balancing techniques such

as yoga and meditation in your feng shui strategy.

FREE SPIRIT

You've been feng shui-ing your space since the day you first got your own

bedroom, even if you didn't know to call it that. You are the type most

likely to want to work on everything at once, so be sure to define some

priorities before jumping into making changes. Your enthusiasm for

creative décor may lead you to overlook basic maintenance and

housekeeping issues and allow clutter to pile up. Take care of those

first, then make sure that you are applying your individuality to your

power spots rather than scattering it randomly about the place. Of all

the types, you are boldest in your use of color, so make a trip to the

paint and fabric store and have some fun with feng shui color-theory.

Make sure that you haven't overlooked any negative influences that should

be corrected, and use your creativity to develop your own unique feng

shui enhancements. You've probably tried a lot of different personal

renewal methods over the years, but may not have kept up a consistent

practice. Make a commitment to pay as much attention to the inner you as

you do to your surroundings.

GO-GETTER

Your house is probably beautifully furnished and well maintained, but you

may have delegated so many of your home-maintenance chores that you no

longer have a strong energetic attachment to your space. Make sure you

don't delegate all your feng shui tasks, too, or they won't have much

power behind them. Find small, simple things you can do yourself and be

sure to put some of your own energy into enhancing your key power spots.

If you arrange for someone else to take care of other feng shui chores,

it will be especially important to empower these changes by spending a

few minutes visualizing your desired outcomes. Throw practicality out the

window for a moment and choose one unique and unexpected item for your

home that expresses the inner you that others so rarely see. Chances are

good you've been pushing yourself pretty hard for a long time, so be sure

to make time for balance and renewal. A candle-lit aromatherapy bath will

help you relax so you can enjoy your beautiful home.

WHIRLWIND

You're usually moving too fast to pay much attention to your house, but

once you get into feng shui, you'll want to get it all done in one

afternoon. Do some planning before you begin, or you'll jump from one

unnecessary embellishment to another without getting to the important

stuff before you're distracted by the next exciting idea. You want to

start with the wind chimes and water fountains because they look like the

most fun, but if you skip over locating your personal power spots you

won't know where to place them. And leaving the household maintenance

tasks for later could sabotage your other efforts. You'll benefit from

the discipline of empowering your changes with a daily ritual - it's an

essential part of the process, and the thing you're most likely to skip!

Promise yourself a massage when you're done, and splurge on a big bouquet

of flowers as a centerpiece for your home, so you remember to stop and

smell the roses from time to time.

For more feng shui tips and information, including a free downloadable

e-booklet on feng shui five-element theory and guidelines for locating

your feng shui power spots, please visit www.fastfengshui.com.

Copyright © 2002 by

Adapted from " Fast Feng Shui: 9 Simple Principles for Transforming Your

Life by Energizing Your Home " (Lotus Pond Press, Kahului, HI, ISBN

1931383030).

is the author of the Fast Feng Shui books, which are

available at independent booksellers, amazon.com, and at

www.fastfengshui.com. She lives in Maui, HI, where she writes about feng

shui and designs feng shui jewelry and home accessories

*¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- ~ @love, Jolene....

¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) ~a seeker... a finder...an encourager~

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:-

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ * If it doesn't bring peace, make another

choice