Can you tell me more about the fire element?

We use the five elements in a lot of feng shui applications. The five elements are earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Right now, we’re in a fire season. Fire is related to summertime and we just had the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, so it seemed like a good time to answer this question and talk about what the fire element means in feng shui.

Feng shui is related to a lot of different Asian modalities that also use the five elements, like Taoism and Chinese acupuncture. We also find the elements in many different cultures, and across the board, fire looks very similar. As humans, we have this connection to fire, and we really understand it. Fire is bright, consuming, red, and it stands out. It’s also this expansive energy. Of course, summertime is very fiery.

If you want to bring the fire element into your home with feng shui, you can start to bring in different aspects of fire. One of these is the color red. Red and fire are not only related to heat and summer, but also being seen in the world and your reputation. If you feel like people pass you over for promotions, or you’re not being recognized for all the good work that you do, you might need to bring in some more fire element. 

Fire is also related to triangle shapes. This is a connection that is seen in many cultures. Bringing in that fiery triangle shape is another way to add more fire energy to your home. 

My favorite way to bring the fire element into your home is to use your voice and sing. Professor Lin Yun, who brought BTB feng shui to the West, talked about letting your heart sing to really activate the fire element. I recommend you put on your favorite music, and then sing out loud and dance around! This will really inspire some passion, and invoke the fire element to promote more vitality. Allow yourself to be heard and seen in the world!

I hope you have fun working with the fire element!

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com