Have you ever wondered what your closets mean in feng shui? One way to look at this is to see where your closets fall in the feng shui bagua. The bagua is a mandala that we overlay on a space, with different areas that represent different parts of your life. If you lay the bagua on your home, take note of where your closets are. Pay extra attention to any closets that are the most cluttered or the most neglected, since these can represent issues that you may be hidden. 

Depending on where your closet is located in the bagua, this can symbolize different things. For example, a cluttered closet in the Helpful People area might mean that there are helpful people in your life that you haven’t been aware of. A cluttered closet in your Abundance area could signify your wealth being hidden behind blocks. In your Partnership area, a neglected closet might mean that it’s been hard to find a relationship. 

If you do have a closet that is cluttered or unused, it can be as simple as going through it and looking at what’s inside. If there are any areas you’re especially hesitant to go through, pay special attention to that. This can be an indication that there’s a block there that you could uncover. I invite you to look a little deeper at any neglected closets, and be curious about what it might represent. What area of the bagua does it relate to? Feng shui principles encourage us to look at areas in our homes that we normally neglect. Are you open to looking into the dark closets and starting to shift the energy in your home?

It’s also interesting to note how our modern society is so full. When we can let go of the things in our closets that we don’t need, our hearts and minds can also open and release unwanted things in our lives, like stress and harmful people. Clearing out your closet is one way to create space to invite in new energy. In feng shui, our goal is to let go of stagnant qi (life force energy) and let in fresh, healthy qi. If your closet is full, you will not have room for anything new. This applies both literally and metaphorically — you may have decluttered your closet and then noticed that you quickly fill it up with new things. A full closet may also mean that you have no room to grow and no space to accept new opportunities, friendships, or partnerships. 

As you’re going through your closets, I would suggest setting aside a box for items that haven’t been worn in the last three years. You can donate these to organizations that collect used textiles and shoes. Even items that are no longer wearable can be recycled and made into something else. 

I encourage you to open up your closets, let go of what you don’t need, and create space for the universe to bring something new and wonderful into your life! 

by Anjie Cho

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