Are Snake Plants Bad Feng Shui?

Guest User August 17, 2022

Green snake plant with pointy leaves in terra cotta pot on wooden table — Photo by Kara Eads on Unsplash

Are snake plants bad feng shui?

Snake plants are very popular houseplants that are quite beautiful and easy to care for. They have robust, pointed leaves that stand upright. In my view, they embody the metal element because they’re strong and rigid, like a metal sword.

I’m often asked whether snake plants are bad feng shui, and the short answer is that it depends. Generally, it’s recommended in feng shui to avoid plants that are particularly sharp or pointy. However, something that’s not typically considered a good feng shui plant can be used if you really consider your life and your needs, and if you can find an appropriate time and place for it. This is where you can bring some skillfulness into your feng shui, rather than following general rules about what is good or bad.

Snake plants may be supportive in certain situations and in certain areas of your home, and not so much in others. To find out whether a snake plant in your home is supporting you, the first thing you’ll want to do is draw up your floor plan. Then, you can overlay the bagua, which is a mandala we use in feng shui that has different areas representing different areas of your life. Once you’ve laid the bagua on your home, notice where your snake plant is located, and consider what that could mean.

For example, a snake plant may not be the best plant to put in the relationships area, called Kun in Chinese. This could mean that you’re being defensive and protecting your heart more than you need to, or that you’re being sharp-tongued in your relationship.

However, snake plants can be very beneficial in certain areas of the bagua if you need more fierceness and strength in that part of your life. I have a snake plant in my fame area, called Li, and it’s been very helpful for me. Since I have a public face, I also need to protect myself a little bit. I actually placed this snake plant in my fame area when I needed to cultivate more strength and the ability to have a sharp tongue when necessary.

It also depends on your energy and situation. If you’re already pretty assertive and sharp-tongued, you may not need a snake plant. If you need more strength and protection, though, it can be beneficial. Also, your needs can change over time. After you’ve had a snake plant for a while, you may decide that you’ve received the lessons you needed, and it may no longer be serving you in the same way.

Another great place for a snake plant is on your desk, which represents your career. I find that a lot of people need some protection there, especially if they work with some difficult people, or if they need to stand up for themselves more at work.

Snake plants are also great additions to your home’s entry when you want to feel more protected. However, if you really want to open yourself up to invite in new opportunities, I wouldn’t recommend this placement. In that case, you may want to choose a plant that’s more typically recommended in feng shui, like a monstera or pothos.

I encourage you to have some curiosity about what you need, instead of making blanket statements about what is good or bad. There is a lot of polarity and duality in the world, but feng shui teaches us through the principles of yin and yang that things are “yes and,” rather than “either or.”

Do you have a snake plant in your home? Where is it located in the feng shui bagua? Do you feel like it has protected you in some way?

by Anjie Cho

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

How to Work with Color in Feng Shui

Guest User June 29, 2022

Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

Using color is a powerful way to shift your qi, or life force energy. Most humans are especially reliant on visual cues, and color can make a big impact on how we are feeling. It’s helpful to think of colors as energy; after all, color is light in varying wavelengths. To work with the power of color in feng shui, you can choose colors with specific meanings to bring into your home or your wardrobe. While we often focus on our homes in feng shui, you can also think about your body as a home, and intentionally wear certain colors that are meaningful to you. It can be helpful to think about your own energy, and become aware of how it intermingles with the energy of your space.

Here are some of the feng shui meanings behind different colors, and some ideas for how you can work with them:

Greens and blues

Greens, teals, and blues represent the wood element, which has to do with hope, growth, and new beginnings. We often see these colors in nature, and they have a calming, balancing effect. A great way to introduce more green into your home is by bringing in houseplants.

Purple

Purple is an auspicious color that is associated with wealth and royalty. It also activates the crown chakra, which is connected to enlightenment and wisdom. To work with purple in your home, try placing an amethyst crystal or a vase of purple flowers in the Abundance area of your desk. This can help you create more prosperity in your career.

Yellow, orange, and brown

Deep yellow, rusty orange, and warm browns are all connected to the earth element in feng shui. Like green and blue, these colors are often found in nature. They are restful and strengthening, and can help you feel cozy and nurtured. To add these colors to your space, try bringing in bed linens in earthy tones when you want to feel more supported and grounded.

White

White is connected to purity, heaven, simplicity, and precision. On a practical level, white is also a great way to make your space feel brighter, which is one of the most important things people are often looking for in their living spaces. While an all-white room can be a bit harsh, painting your walls white creates a great base that allows you to bring in other accent colors.

Gray

Gray is a calming, quiet balance of yin (black) and yang (white). Too much gray can be a little depressing, but accents of gray can complement almost any color. Gray is related to the helpful people area and the metal element. It can help you voice your need for support and invite helpful people into your life. One way to bring gray into your space is to get a gray teacup with the intention of receiving support. There is a Buddhist adage about teacups, in which an empty cup symbolizes being open to receiving from the people around you.

Dark blue

Dark blue is related to the knowledge area of the feng shui bagua. This color is reminiscent of the night sky or the deep ocean. Bringing dark blue into your space can create a meditative, relaxing, refreshing feeling. Blue is also related to the throat chakra, which helps you communicate and express yourself. You can work with the energy of dark blue in your home by placing a dark blue stone like lapis lazuli in the Knowledge area of your home or bedroom or in your meditation space.

Red

Red is the most auspicious color in feng shui. It is fiery, stimulating, and sensuous. A little bit goes a long way, and it’s not the best choice in rooms intended for relaxation. Red is also connected to passion and the Recognition area of the bagua. To invite more recognition in your career, try placing fiery red artwork in the Recognition area of your home office or desk. You can also wear red, like a red necklace or red lipstick, to inspire this fire energy.

Black

Black is the most yin color, and it’s related to wisdom and knowledge. It is also the combination of all colors, and it represents depth. Black can be contemplative, but too much can be depressing because it absorbs light. Black tourmaline crystals are a great way to work with black in your home. You can create a protective grid by placing a piece of black tourmaline in each corner of your home or under each corner of your bed, with the intention that it will shield you from negative energy.

Pink and peach

Pink is the color of the Relationship area of the feng shui bagua. It is soft, nurturing, and romantic. Pink and peach are especially flattering colors for skin tones, especially when they’re used on walls. In feng shui, peach is recommended when you want to attract a romantic partner. You can paint your walls peach, wear peach, or bring in peach linens or pillows. After you meet a partner, be sure to change the intention of the color unless you want to attract additional romantic prospects!

by Anjie Cho

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

How Feng Shui Can Help You Attract More Abundance in Your Career

Guest User June 8, 2022

Wooden desk with laptop computer, mug, cell phone, and potted plant — Photo by Amanda Vick on Unsplash

If you want to bring in more prosperity and wealth through your career, it’s a good idea to look at your home office, and specifically your desk. Your desk represents your career and path in life, which affects how much abundance you can attract to you.

One of the most important things to pay attention to is the location of your desk. When you’re at your desk, what are you facing? Your view from your desk has a big impact on your energy, and is reflected in how much abundance you can invite in through your work. In feng shui, we recommend placing your desk in the commanding position. This means that you are facing the room, instead of a wall, and that you can see the door to the room without being directly in line with the door. Usually, you’ll be located diagonally from the room’s entrance. Being in this position represents being in control of your life and career.

If it’s not possible to put your desk in this position and you have to face a wall, you can improve the situation by putting a mirror on the wall in front of your desk. When you’re directly facing a wall at your desk, this can mean there is a block in your career or path in life, or that you’re not able to move forward. Placing a mirror here will expand your view and allow more forward motion.

Often, people will orient their desk towards a window. While this can give you a pleasant view while you’re working, it isn’t the best position for someone who wants to advance their career, because it means that your qi, or your life force energy, is going out the window instead of staying with you and your work. Instead, try placing your desk so that the window is at your side, so you can take breaks to enjoy the view without getting too distracted from your career and wealth goals.

Once you’ve found the best location for your desk, you can also activate the Wealth corner to invite more abundance and prosperity through your career. To find the Wealth corner of your desk, divide your desk’s surface into a three-by-three grid. When you’re sitting at your desk, the Wealth area will be in the far left corner. This area is connected to how much wealth you can attract, as well as your self-worth adnd how you value yourself.

To activate this area of your desk, you can place a potted plant or a vase of freshly cut branches or flowers here. A plant is ideal, because it is a way to invest in slow and steady growth when it comes to building wealth through your career. If you are using cut flowers or branches, be sure to change the water frequently and refresh the stems when they are starting to wilt.

by Anjie Cho