The past few weeks I’ve felt the shift in the season and started to apply some transitional Feng Shui. Getting that final outdoor painting done as well as putting the garden to bed before the ground freezes in Maine has been part of my focus.
The Yang of Summer (longer days, hotter temps, more outdoor activities) has waned to the more Yin characteristics of Fall. It is darker, colder and we venture indoors more often. The growing season is over and harvests are gathered. Animals and humans alike begin making instinctual preparations for the deep Yin of Winter.
There are many ways you can transition this Autumn to keep the Feng Shui balanced in your life and accommodate the change.
For my Southern Hemisphere friends, you’re likely feeling more pull to get outdoors and feel the Yang influences revving up. With a bit of modification the ideas shared here will create a good Ch’i flow for you as well. Comment below with any questions you have, and I’ll give you some additional guidance.
Fall Feng Shui Tip #1: Create a Feng Shui Front Door
Focus on getting your Feng Shui Front Door ready for Winter. Creating a Feng Shui Front Door is such an important way to balance your home I decided to cover the details in two installments:
Feng Shui Front Door Part 1: This post explains how to identify which exterior door is your Feng Shui Front Door, its significance and ways to lead vital Ch’i energy there.
Feng Shui Front Door Part 2: In this post 5 key tips to energize the space around your Feng Shui Front Door are covered.
To get you started, here’s a few Feng Shui Front Door tips:
- Clean the surface of the door as well as the surrounding area
- Spruce up the paint if needed
- Add a new doormat
- Hang a seasonal wreath or other decoration
- Welcome guests with a Front Door Greeter such as an outdoor flag or welcome sign
Fall Feng Shui Tip #2: Adjust Ch’i Flow Outdoors
I live in Florida in the Winter so I understand that everyone will not encounter a barren tundra in the months ahead. There are, however, more subtle shifts that do occur in Winter in warmer climates so take those into consideration as you read on.
Until about five years ago I lived in places that did become frozen winter wonderlands, and the Feng Shui shifts dramatically in these settings. Recalling how your outdoor space looks without green leaves, no garden plantings, flower pots stowed away and outdoor furniture likely put inside will help you with this tip.
The lack of “complexity” in a Winter landscape coupled with harsher conditions allow Ch’i to accelerate. Taking the time now to strategically place a few items to modify this flow can give you both visual and energetic benefits.
If your situation allows, add one or more Feng Shui Energy Boosts outdoors. Put them in spots that have been cleared out such as your yard, garden, deck, balcony, porch, patio or other seasonal space.
- Hang a wind chime to moderate Ch’i flow in places where there are long, open stretches to encourage the wind to blow
- Add a whirligig to your front garden or lawn to call vital Ch’i into your yard until the plants and flowers return
- Add a sculpture, weatherproof plant pot or other eye catching feature to a bare deck, patio, porch or balcony
Fall Feng Shui Tip #3: Bring the Outside In
On your next excursion outdoors look for a few Objects of Nature to bring inside for a natural Energy Boost. Often these items are more lovely than something you could buy in a store.
What is available on the walks where you live? Driftwood, feathers, beautiful rocks, seashells, sea glass, birds nests and dried hydrangeas are some of my favorite finds.
For many years I volunteered at a local nature center that raised money with an annual holiday bazaar. I often decorated between 20-30 balsam wreaths with pine cones, evergreen boughs, dried flowers, twigs, lichen, rose hips and other treasures gathered from Nature. It was so much fun to have such a varied and inspirational assortment of materials to choose from and the wreaths we made always sold out.
Focus your Feng Shui lens and retrieve some of the bounty Nature has created for you. I trust you will be happy to have it, and the Energy Boost it provides, available for you in the months ahead.
Fall Feng Shui Tip #4: Clutter Clear the Garage
I’ve seen many a neighbor with a jam packed full garage get super motivated to give it a good clutter clearing right before the snow starts to fall! It only takes the prospect of one bad storm where you need to take half an hour to scrape off your vehicle to get folks moving to get their piles sorted, stored and donated.
My posts on Clutter Clearing as well as a free Feng Shui Clutter Clearing Tips download can give you both the process and positive possibilities of this most essential endeavor. Plus, just imagine how great you will feel as you pull that nice warm, clean car out of the garage after the first snowfall.
Feng Shui Clutter Clearing
Clutter Clear for a Yard Sale
Feng Shui Clutter Clearing Tips: Free Download
Fall Feng Shui Tip #5: Wash the Windows
Autumn brings shorter days and more darkness. Many areas, like the Pacific Northwest where many of my family members live (and a shout out to my friends in Auckland, New Zealand with similar weather in Winter as well) experience cloud cover, rain and gray skies a good portion of the time as well.
You can brighten your world a bit with a good window washing while you can still get outside. I’ve used a hand held steamer to clean my windows with excellent (and more speedy) results.
In Feng Shui windows represent the “eyes” of the adults in the home. Washing windows clears our vision and “opens our eyes” to greater possibilities. If you’re uncertain about what path to take in some area of your life, washing windows in that part of your home’s Bagua (Career, Relationship, Health, etc.) can encourage helpful insights. Now that’s an added bonus!
Download your own Free Bagua Map and How To Instructions here.
Fall Feng Shui Tip #6: Set an Intention to Feng Shui
Fall is still upon us, but some people give their attention to dreading the prospect of the deep Yin of Winter which depletes their energy. Truthfully, I used to get quite forlorn and upset when the first leaves began to turn. Even though Fall can be quite beautiful and the temperatures weren’t severely cold yet, I’d start dreading the prospect of the deep chill and snow to come.
If this is sometimes your perspective as well, let’s turn again to our understanding of the Yin/Yang cycle. Add the opposite influence when either has become too extremely imbalanced.
Therefore, when there is too much Yin, add Yang.
One way to do this is to add more activity, forward progress and action. An idea I like to accomplish this is to plan an indoor project that will improve the Feng Shui of my home. In the Fall, analyze and discern what might be most beneficial energetically to you and your family moving forward.
Here’s a few ideas:
- Reclaim a space that isn’t functioning properly. Clutter clear and organize a room, corner or cupboard that could be put to much better use. Clear a kitchen table for games or empty a toy box so holiday presents can be more easily accommodated.
- Improve systems that aren’t working. Getting drawer organizers for your makeup in the bathroom all the way to designing and installing a complete basement storage system will go a long way to making your life easier and raising your Ch’i whenever you encounter the improvement.
- Redecorate a space. Whether a small room or an entire floor, dreaming and planning this kind of project reaps creative benefits. After completion the new energy is even more gratifying.
Setting an intention now for some type of Feng Shui project this Winter will allow you to use the extra Yang Ch’i available in the Fall to plan. Then your project can get rolling more easily later. Having things to look forward to creates a special energy all its own.
Enjoy your Fall! For many it is a favorite time of year. When you understand the energetic principles behind the change of season and apply a little Feng Shui, it can be even more glorious.
Have fun,
Carol
Disclosure: Please be aware that when you buy an item from links in this content, I may receive an affiliate commission. Whether or not I receive compensation, items mentioned are products I feel offer the potential Feng Shui benefits explained in this post. I recommend them whether I am compensated or not. Thank you for supporting The Feng Shui Studio.
