Welcome the Summer Solstice with Feng Shui

Photo by James Douglas on Unsplash

Happy Summer Solstice! Tomorrow is the first day of summer, finally!

What is the summer solstice? A solstice is one of two points at which the path of the sun is either the furthest north or the furthest south it can be during the Earth’s rotation around it. As a solstice causes a change in the amount of daylight we see on Earth, both solstices (summer and winter) are associated with the beginning of a new season, respectively, in the top half of the planet.

During the summer solstice, the sun travels its longest path through our sky all year, which results not only in longer daylight hours, but also warmer weather in our hemisphere due to the direct angle of the sun’s rays. Thus, the name “summer solstice.” Every year, the summer solstice falls on June 21, and its effects will last until mid-September, when we experience the autumnal equinox, thus beginning fall.

What does this mean in terms of feng shui? This means that we are shifting from wood yang energy into a time of more explosive yang fire energy. We will naturally hold more heat in our bodies and be more active. At this time it’s helpful to balance the hot yang energy of fire with cooling water or earth energies. You could add cooler blues, greens, pinks and grays into your home accents and fashion choices. Also take care to eat cooling, raw foods such as melons and salads.

I also just put away my winter clothing and made way for summer clothes. When going through your clothes, make sure to take time and see what items still work for you. If it has not been worn in three years it is time to donate that piece of clothing. If there is a piece that needs mending, make a decision to get it repaired or let it go. Finally, if it does not fit… again, it is time to let it go.

This is my favorite time of year! Be sure to enjoy it! 

by Anjie Cho

Text says "Mindful Design Feng Shui School: Energy. Meditation. Sacred Space."

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

My Favorite Things: 5 Home Accessories for Summer

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

Last week was the summer solstice, the first day of the warm season in the northern hemisphere. The summer is associated with the element of fire and the Recognition area of the bagua. As with each season, there are ways to balance out your holistic space using design features and feng shui philosophy. These are some of my favorite ways to welcome summer into your space!

Coyuchi Relaxed Linen

I love warm, cozy sheets and bedding during the cold winter, but when summer arrives, it's time to pack those thick blankets up and switch to something a little cooler!

I love these Coyuchi linen sheets. Linen is a wonderful option for summer - it helps keep cool and wicks away any sweat. These are available in a variety of neutral colors that will match any holistic bedroom! Try Alpine White, Fog or Storm for more Metal, Misty Ocean for more Wood or Undyed for more Earth. 

Available at: Coyuchi

Organic Buckwheat Pillow

In our list of organic pillow options, buckwheat is my favorite and is amazing for summer. Buckwheat pillows are great for eliminating back and neck pain as well as snoring. They are known for incredible air circulation and don't hold any heat, which is perfect for the hot season. 

My mom bought me a buckwheat pillow in college, and it's still my favorite pillow. I've dragged it around everywhere with me, and now my husband even has one too! It's worth noting that these pillows can be a bit loud due to the filling, so be sure to choose a pillow with an outer covering to muffle the sound, like these organic cotton options! 

Available at: CozyPure

no. 3 Space Mist

One of my favorite ways to welcome any new season is with a space clearing ritual. There are many ways to do this, including the BTB orange peel method, palo santo and more, but one of my favorites for summer is the Holistic Spaces sage spray!

Sage is known for its healing and space clearing properties, and this mist makes it portable so that you can clear your home, car, office or any areas you travel to without causing an issue with smoke alarms. It's perfect for hotel rooms or guest rooms and is one of our most popular apothecary items, so it sells out very fast!

Available at: Holistic Spaces

Folding Hand Fan.jpg

Folding Hand Fan

Folding fans serve a dual purpose as symbolic decor and an energy-efficient, no-cost cooling method. I was recently given my Shambhala name, which relates to fans, and in my studies, I found fans can be metaphorical in many ways. 

They represent femininity, but they can also be seen as swordlike to cut through difficulties and were actually used as weapons in some Asian countries. Fans even have their own secret language in China and the Victorian era, when women were almost forbidden from speaking their minds. I recently purchased a white fan with gold trim from DengraDesigns, and I absolutely love it!

Available at: DengraDesigns

Aloe Vera

I'm always a fan of adding more greenery to a space, and aloe vera is a great addition for summer! Traditionally, spiky plants or plants with pointy leaves are not good feng shui, but there are exceptions. 

Adding aloe vera to your space as a healing tool, not as a feng shui adjustment, can be a wonderful move for summer. Aloe vera is widely known for its healing properties, especially with regards to sunburns! This is also a great opportunity to add some water colors to combat the fiery summer element. Opt for a black or dark blue pot to cool off your space!

Available at: CB2

Q&A Sunday: A Bathroom in the Fame Area

I really appreciate and enjoy your podcasts, and have found the one on finding a job particularly helpful. I immediately took the "do one good deed a day for 27 days challenge" and am currently on day 24 first time around :) My easy, go-to good deed is removing rubbish at the entryway of my apartment block. 

My question for you is that the "Fame" area in our apartment is the bathroom and I'm wondering what I can do about it. The bathroom door directly faces the front door, and they are maybe four meters apart. The connecting hallway is very narrow so I feel like the energy is probably just shooting from the door straight down the drain. As this bathroom also has no window, I need to air it frequently (after a bath or shower) by leaving the door open. Is there anything I can do? 

Piera, Hamburg, Germany

Hi Piera,

Thank you for listening to the podcast and for your wonderful question!

AND…Kudos to you for taking on the “One good deed a day” adjustment!! Did you make it through to day 27? I’d love to hear more about it. Interestingly, when I thing of the feng shui of removing rubbish from the entryway to your apartment block, I'd guess that if you were doing this for a new job, it would definitely help to open up how many opportunities would come to you. Removing the rubbish would probably weed out the undesirable jobs to make space for something amazing. I’d love to hear more about your experience if you’d like to share!

As for your question: What can be done about your bathroom located in the Fame area of your apartment? Since Fame is related to fire, it’s not the most ideal place for a bathroom because it can put out the passion and power of your reputation and how the world sees you. You also noted that the front door is directly in line with the bathroom door, approximately four meters (13 feet) away, all connected with a narrow hallway. If you could send along a floor plan, it would be helpful in determining just how quickly the qi is moving out towards the back of the home.

My first suggestion would be to place a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. Second, I would suggest that if you have to keep the bathroom door open, perhaps use a curtain (like bamboo, a light fabric, or even a Japanese noren) to keep the bathroom out of the direct line of sight from the front door. Another option could be to place something nearer to the front door that blocks the view to the toilet. It’s unhealthy in feng shui to have the toilet be the first thing you see when you walk in the home. Again, I suggest you send in your floor plan to see if that’s possible. Either way, I would go with the curtain option as well to help with this situation.

Again, I'm very excited to hear that you are working on the 27-day challenge. I find it to be a very helpful feng shui adjustment and hope it has been effective for you! Your intuition regarding the feng shui of your bathroom is excellent, and I do hope you'll send along a floor plan or schedule a 15-minute consultation call so we can be sure your fame and passion isn't flowing right down the drain!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!