Traditional Feng Shui is intended to even out the energy that surrounds you in your environment, by providing external elements in a rational way. The elements concerned are structures, forms, sounds, colors, odors.
Color is a subtle element of Feng Shui, but it carries a lot of energy. It can be used in many areas of your life, clothes, jewelry, furniture, surroundings.
You probably use expressions of Feng Shui colors subconsciously, even if you are not oriental. Think about it, do you wear the same clothes at a funeral that you would to a wedding? You learned that some colors are appropriate to some occasions and others are not. Similarly when it comes to interior decorating you react differently when you are surrounded by all white bedroom furniture, for example, than when you are in a black and white bedroom with high contrasts, or a red bedroom. In China this type of learning is taught more formally that it is in the western world, where we were expected to pick it up from our parents.
Let's explore how in the orient colors influenced a way of life. In traditional China, Feng Shui colors used at the table were chosen to stimulate appetite, wine when served was chosen in function of its color. As our own coloring changes with the passages of our lives, colors should change around us as well.
Feng Shui means to live in harmony with the environment. Simply put it is to feel good, and feeling good is certainly not feeling better. This feeling of balance, feeling of well-being comes from the relation that we perceive between what is outside and what is inside of us.
Colors bring, to our lives, energetic vibrations that are very subtle. The taoist practitioners who were at the origin of Chinese medicine, believed that color was pure energy and that this energy could influence profoundly our psyche and our bodily functions. Consequently when a color is disturbed, for a reason or another, it can in turn disrupt the energy around us.
Light is at the origin of life in most cultures. Light is the sum of all colors, darkness is the absence of colors.
When colors are in harmony with life energy, the strength of vitality is "Feng Shui colors", and cannot be ignored. There are "Four Orientations" of directions used in Feng Shui.
The Red Phoenix, its orientation is South, and it requires an open space.
The Black Turtle corresponds to the North, and represents a stable position.
The Green Dragon is East, and is the element of growth.
The White Tiger, West, is the protective element.
These four directions can in turn be divides in eight celestial directions. At that point the colors are clockwise: North is black, North East is blue, East is turquoise, South East is purple, South is red, South West is carmine, West is white, North West is gray and the center, the position of observation, or the self is either yellow or brown.
For centuries, yellow was the imperial color of China, therefore a very respected color that was not used much. To temperate yellow a little red can be added, giving it a saffron color, each balancing the other, like fire giving its extra energy to the earth.
Blue is perfection, constant evolution, and should be used in rooms where study, teaching and intellectual work takes place.
Green is for the renewal of nature, the force of life, spring, the courage to move forward, it is highly recommended for children bedrooms.
Turquoise is serenity, tranquil authority and benevolence, it is what represents parenthood and is appropriate for parent's bedrooms.
Emerald green, a dark rich green is a symbol of intelligence, and an awaken spirit. It is a good color for office spaces.
Crimson, the color of kings and majesty, is mature, authoritative, it gives the calm authority gained by experience, patience and life. A color for aging gracefully. Use it in grandparents' bedroom.
Purple, will awaken the spirit to all what is hidden. It communicates with spirits and is reserved to ancestral altars.
Red, is for all things joyful, vitality, rich abundance. Use in living areas, on main entrance doors.
Carmine pink is sensual, keep in your boudoir or the bathroom.
White is purity, justice, decision, factual authority. It is also used to purify energy in an entry way to protect those who enter or leave the house.
It is a protective energy.
Gray, is the color of wisdom. A great color for room where art is prominent.
Black is creative and still, it is introspection, deep reflexion and humility. A difficult color to use. Play with light when using black. Use shadows created by nature objects as seen in Chinese shadow puppet theatre. Shadows on north walls are considered to be good luck bearers in Feng Shui.
Remember that Feng Shui colors alone do not make a Feng Shui room. The use of mirrors and placement of objects as well as empty space are also important in Feng Shui. Mirrors can create shadowy zones, bright colors should be used for decoration, but subtle colors for what is precious.
