Feng Shui and Color By Nancy Kamp

Feng shui (fung shway), the ancient Chinese art of home and business arrangement and location to improve life, has been embraced by non Buddhists because it brings harmony into the environment.  The principals of feng shui are grounded in thousands of years of observation and experiment. 

Feng shui has a strong tradition of the importance of color.  The Six True Colors are white, red, yellow, green, blue and black.  Together and in sequence they represent emptiness and substance, the cycle of life from the blankness of white to the completeness of black, which is all the colors together.

The Seven Color Spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple reflect the energy of a rainbow.

The Five Element Colors are a keystone of feng shui.  Each color has a meaning and a corresponding “element” or substance.  By placing these colors and their elemental counterparts in the correct area of a room - as determined by a feng shui master or a really good book, one can influence prospects and outcomes.  Traditionally, this means the redirection of “ch’i” or energy.  For those who view feng shui from a non religious perspective, color and element placement may be seen simply as giving a psychological boost.

Five Element Colors	Five Elements	Meaning or association
white	metal	helpful people travel fertility of rice
red	fire (includes red fabrics)	fame luck  happiness
yellow	earth and clay (ceramics) and stone	authority wisdom
green	wood and healthy plants	family health reduction in stress
black	water and aquariums	career  money

 

Things to consider when using color in the home or office:

• Strong colors should not bring discomfort.

• Balance cool and warm colors.

• Good lighting is essential to good living.

• Strong colors in bathrooms can decrease family harmony.

• Homogenize exterior colors with nearby buildings to please the eye.

• Taste and style have nothing to with feng shui, but harmony and balance result in a more comfortable environment.

Direction has always been important.  Feng Shui tells us not to position our windows to the west because evil will enter our homes (and strong sunlight).  Kanan Makiya tells us north meant "back of the head" to the Nile-focused Egyptians and that the early Christians prayed facing east, the traditional location of paradise.  In his novel, The Rock, Makiya looks at the sacred rocks of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Jerusalem and Mecca toward which so many face for their devotions to present a mosaic of religious evolution.  Makiya's explanation for tradition and belief, albeit fictionalized, is well-researched and helpful in these times of hate and misunderstanding, though I wish there had been more to the actual story.  Still, the book is fascinating.  Knowing why another religion has chosen to do anything makes tolerance a little easier.  And knowing more about the roots of your own religion is always a better thing.  Nancy If a book you're looking for is out of print, click on any link to Amazon Books Home Page, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, or Alibris to find out if it is available as a used book. Book Review List