Embracing the Energy of Fall Using Feng Shui

When you think about the fall, what comes to mind? The cooler weather? The gorgeous colours? Cable knit sweaters, blankets and pumpkin spice everything? When I think about fall, all of that comes to mind but I also think about fall as the season for gathering the harvest, of reaping the rewards of all of the hard work you’ve put in throughout the spring and summer months. 

The fall season is a time of transformation and renewal. With the changing of the leaves comes a new energy and a renewed sense of purpose. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice that helps us to align our environment with our goals and intentions. By embracing the energy of fall using feng shui, we can create a space that amplifies the positive energy of the season and helps us to stay focused on our goals. In this blog post, we'll explore some simple tips for using feng shui to create an environment that harnesses the power of fall.

When I was growing up, I heard so many stories about farm life because my mom grew up on a farm. Her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins were all farmers in southern Ontario so I’ve grown up hearing about all of the things that happened in the fall on the farm. Stories of my grandfather, my great-grandfather and my uncle out in the fields harvesting everything. Stories of my grandmother, my mom and my aunts spending hours canning and preparing everything to store for the winter. Stories of my great-grandparents harvesting things the “old-fashioned” way, and cutting cords of wood to keep the wood stove going all winter long. To me, fall is a time of preparation and just like gathering the harvest, this is the perfect time to gather your energies from the yang season of summer.  

With an abundance of food being harvested at this time, fall is definitely a season of abundance. In feng shui pumpkins are considered lucky charms because they attract material goods and wealth. They are also seen as protection against negative energy. With an abundance of pumpkins and gourds at this time of year, you’ll definitely be able to find some that you can decorate your home with. 

In feng shui, fall is associated with the metal element, of slowing down and contracting inwards. It’s a yin season, a season of less light, lower energy, and a time for self-reflection. It’s associated with creativity, communication and inspiration. It’s also a time for completing projects and getting things in order. 

In fact, just as the trees are dropping their leaves, this is a great time for us to let go of the things that are no longer serving us too. Things like mindsets, habits or relationships that are weighing us down or keeping us from moving forward. This is the perfect time to connect with your inner wisdom.

When decorating your home for fall, the best colours to use in your home during this time are colours associated with the metal element, such as white, grey, and silver as well as warm earthy colours. Yellow and brown are earth colours that bring a grounding, comforting energy to your home. Orange is a social colour and can increase the conversations at family gatherings. Red attracts attention and new opportunities. (It is also the most auspicious colour in feng shui, bringing abundance, health and overall good luck!)

Feng Shui Tips for Fall
​

• This is the perfect time to declutter everything in your life that is not working for you. If it’s not supporting your goals, let it go. Physical clutter is one of the first steps in any feng shui practice. 
• Clean out your office and your desk. Get rid of any old business files, ideas, notebooks, pens that are out of ink. All of that stuff is weighing you down and keeping you in the past.  While you’re at it, move your desk into the command position.
• Finish up any projects that need to be completed. If you’ve started something and have changed your mind about finishing it, let it go if it’s weighing on you. 
• Get things in order. Organize your finances, budgets, schedules and calendars. Start setting your goals for the next year. 
• Make time for self-reflection. Journal. Meditate. Work with a coach, counselor or therapist if necessary. Release all of the old mindsets, beliefs and thoughts that are keeping you stuck. Start a daily gratitude practice to remind you everyday of how blessed you are.
• Practice deep breathing meditations to strengthen your lungs 
• Eat warm, cooked, comforting foods. What is comfort food to you? Warm apple crisp? Beef stew and biscuits? Pumpkin pie? Now is the time to indulge and enjoy the bounty of food.
• Decorate with pumpkins, gourds, apples, and items found in nature such as pine cones, nuts, branches and leaves. .
• Put a bowl of apples on your table to symbolize your table never being empty
• Use warm spices such as garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne in your cooking and baking. The warmth of these spices balance the cold days
• Decorate your home using metallic finishes, reflective surfaces and round shapes to enhance the metal element
• Incorporate a balance of elements with items you can find in nature (e.g. branches, acorns, pine cones, feathers, stones, crystals, etc.)
• Hang a metal wind chime either outside your front door or inside your entrance to enhance the metal energy and attract positive opportunities to you

Fall is a transitional season, just like spring. It's the time between the yang energy of summer and the yin energy of winter. Slow down and enjoy the gentle transition as we get closer to winter.

---