September – wow! How did that happen so quickly?
If you’re like me, the summer months seemed to quickly disappear. It seems like we just got started – getting out to see family and friends…literally, getting outdoors to see family and friends. Now, feeling the weather change slightly there is different energy to be felt. Let’s choose not to mourn what is over but to embrace what is next.
As we begin to ease into the fall months it’s a great time to evaluate what is happening in your home. When we think of changing the energy in our homes and surroundings our minds often go to Spring Cleaning and embracing the refreshing energy of new life. Preparation for Fall can and should become a ritual or tradition as well. Be thankful and gracious when putting away the summer shorts, bathing suits and beach toys. Acknowledge the energy of the summer and enthusiastically move forward with the new energy of the fall and winter months.
Embrace the messy middle when you put away summer to make way for the new energy of fall and winter.
If you have children in your life, the preparation for back to school definitely has a strong energy attached to it. Do you remember the excitement around back to school clothes shopping? Picking that one new outfit that frames how you “show up” on your first day. The purchase of school supplies…the smell of new books and the discovery of new friends, the development of new relationships? Maybe you feel the changing of the energies in your gardens and yards through the raking of the leaves or putting the flower beds to sleep for the winter. Make a point of acknowledging Mother Nature for the gifts of beauty that she has given us for the past few months. Understand that she too needs time to rest and rejuvenate.
In the practice of Feng Shui everything in the universe is associated with one of the five elements; Fire, Earth, Wood Water or Metal. The seasons also have a correlation to the elements. Autumn is associated with small Metal. The Metal Element represents wisdom and planning with experience. A person who has Metal associated with their personality is generally prone to strong discipline and can appear to be matter of fact sometimes on the verge of being cold. The Metal Element is represented by large rocks, marble or slate. Circular shapes represent metal and the colours are white, brass, silver and other “metal” colours. Too much metal influence in your space can make it feel cold and barren. See how the small Metal Element is truly representative of autumn…the stripping away of everything to make way for the influence of big Metal and the restfulness of winter.
If the energy of Metal becomes overwhelming, you can calm it down by adding items representative of the Water Element. Interestingly enough the Water Element is associated with mid-Winter. The Water Element can be added by the use of the colours blue and black; by adding wavy, free flowing shapes and anything reflective like mirrors and crystals. Conversely, components of the Earth Element can be used to support the Metal and make it more comforting. The small Earth element is the energy felt in the late Winter and early Spring, the next phase of our changing seasons. Browns or Yellows and Blue to Green (beige) are the colours you can use to add an influence of the Earth element. Keeping in mind that the overuse of any one element will influence the feel of the energy in any space. By combining the components of all of the elements you can create harmony. The energy within your home then becomes one of balance and comfort.
Many people associate Feng Shui with Clearing the Clutter and Minimalism.
I’m not a hard core minimalist and would suggest that by removing too many things from your life it becomes void of emotion and energy. If you haven’t used something for quite some time should you remove it from your life? Yes! But if you’re simply packing things away that you will need next Spring and Summer, perhaps the approach of purging is a bit too aggressive.
Be thankful and gracious when putting away beach toys, bathing suits and all of the things that you won’t be using for the next few months. If you don’t enjoy the winter months, look at it as a time for rejuvenation and regeneration of the energy that fuels your soul.
Acknowledge the energy of the summer and enthusiastically move forward with the new energy of the fall and winter months.