DECORATING WITH THE WOOD ELEMENT

The Wood element is associated with vision, flexibility, strength and growth. The season corresponding to the Wood element is Spring, this is when we set our intentions, create ideas for our future projects to be executed during the year. It is also the time we create the space for the ideas to come to life, we declutter (Spring Cleaning), create vision boards, and find ways to support our ideas. Wood is also Yang energy that is associated with growth, strength, expansiveness, vitality and upward growth. Homes that are dominant in Wood elements are usually bright, tall ceilings and lots of wood furniture or fabrics that come from trees like woven rugs, and linen sheer drapes. They can also have plants, and windows that pull nature inside the home. The Water element is used in tandem with the Wood element because water nourishes wood. In the destructive cycle, metal weakens wood. This means if you have too much wood element then you can add small objects that represent the Metal element to balance your space.

WOOD PROPERTIES & BENEFITS

Benefits:

The Wood element increases vitality, the expression of abundance, and supports the inception of new ideas. Think of the spring time, when we plant our seeds, or when the egg is fertilized by the sperm, this is the energy of the Wood element.

How to Use:

You can incorporate the Wood element into your spaces by enhancing the Guas that are associated with this element or in the guas that are nourished by it, refer to the image above for a quick guide. This element is best used in the Wealth & Prosperity and Family guas. You can also incorporate it into the Fame & Reputation corners of your home as it is associated with the Fire element which is enhanced by wood.

Shape:

The Wood element is represented by squares, rectangles and columnar shapes. Anything vertical embodies the energy of the wood because it expresses growth and expansion.

Color:

Colors in green shades, and browns, are associated with the Wood element as you can see these pallets in nature. You can also add shades of purple in the Wealth corner to increase abundance since it is associated with royalty.

Increasing the Element:

If you notice your areas are in need of the Wood element’s characteristics, you can enhance the areas by adding color, rectangular, squared or columnar shaped objects, plants and books. To enhance the Wealth & Prosperity and Family guas you can also add water features which nourish wood. Any of the items below can be used to enhance the Wood element in your spaces.

Decreasing the Element:

Sometimes having too much of one element can affect your space as well. If you feel you have too much wood energy in your home, you may experience stagnation and frustration around the growth of your career or money or any area of your life pertaining to the corner where there is an over abundance of wood. If you feel you need to tame this element, you can incorporate the Earth element, but adding any of the Metal element colors, items and textures to tone down the wood. This happens because wood is the pioneer, it sees ahead and wants growth quickly, sometimes metal is used to tame the element down and keep it from growing too quickly with little grounding (earth) or support. Likewise, if there is too much Fire element in wood areas, you may feel burned out and you can balance that by adding more Water element.

The Family & Community gua is associated with ancestors, family and your community that are your direct support system. If you’re looking to enhance your support system or create a stronger bond in your family this is the space to focus on. This area is represented by the wood element and is supported by water since water increases the strength of wood. Avoid using too much water, just like plants over watering them can weaken them.

Color: Green
Element: Wood
Supporting Element: Water
Destructive Element: Metal

Decor in this space includes plants, wood furniture, art of landscapes and nature, columnar shaped items, family or ancestral photos, and art or decorative objects. Shades of green work best in this space. To create a supportive nurtured family gua, you can add shades of blue, reflective items, lightly making sure not to overdo it. If you feel this area has too much wood and it needs to be tamed, you can add metals sparingly, to cut some of the wood energy down.

The Wealth & Prosperity gua is also known as the Wealth gua. This is the space you want to focus on to create financial wealth or minimize your expenses. Like the Family gua, this area is also governed by the wood element. It is also represented by the I-Ching as the gua influenced by wind, therefore wind chimes are popular in this space. Using water elements in this space in tandem with the wood element is helpful in bringing in the flow of money.

Purple is used in this space for wealth, since its the color associated with royalty. If your bathroom or kitchen happens to fall in this space, you may want to temper the element by adding “Feng Shui cures” to the plumbing, such as tying a red string around the plumbing or using pebbles behind the toilet for that energy of water doesn’t flush out since flushing is a disruptive energy of water.

Color: Green, Purple
Element: Wood
Supporting Element: Water
Destructive Element: Metal

Decor in this space includes plants, wood furniture, art of landscapes and nature, columnar shaped items, and water art. Shades of green work best in this space. To attract abundance and you can lightly add shades of purple and reflective items. If you feel this area has too much wood and it needs to be tamed, you can add metals sparingly, to cut some of the wood energy down. Avoid Fire element as it burns wood.

Common Earth Element Household Items:

  • Plants & flowers
  • Wood furniture, chairs, tables and consoles
  • Wood flooring and paneling
  • Columns
  • Verticals blinds
  • Cotton

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