Make Room for Metal and Clarity with the Autumnal Equinox

Anjie Cho September 14, 2022

yellow autumn leaves on tree branch — Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

I can't believe it's already time to say goodbye to summer! In a few days, we will experience this year's Autumnal Equinox and feel the shift from long, warm summer days to shorter, crisper fall days before we head into winter. Many of our friends have shared incredible ways to adjust to the new season and welcome the equinox. Be sure to check those posts out! We've also pulled together a few tips for this year to make autumn your best season yet!

What is the Autumnal Equinox?

Let's cover the important bases, first. Just what is the equinox, and why is it so important? The September equinox, also referred to as the Autumnal Equinox, marks the point in the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator, a sort of extension of the earth's equator that "sits" above the planet, from north to south. So essentially, the sun is crossing the earth's equator.

The term "equinox" comes from Latin roots "aequus" and "nox", meaning "equal night," which corresponds to the belief that, on an equinox, night and day are equal length. As it turns out, daylight still typically lasts longer than night. The center of the sun sets 12 hours after rising on this day, but each half of the sun still has to travel through the sky, so day and night times will vary. In fact, the equinox is not an all-day event, but the specific moment when the center of the sun reaches this point. This year, in Eastern time, that will happen at 4:02 pm on September 22.

For everyday purposes, the equinox most notably represents the change from summer to autumn. As some of our holistic experts have noted, this is the time to move from yang energy, high activity and cool foods to more inward, yin energy, self-care and a warming, nourishing diet. And, based on the feng shui bagua map and five elements, autumn is a season of Metal.

Autumn and the Metal Element

In feng shui and the five elements theory, the autumn season corresponds to the Metal element and the Completion area of the bagua, which relates to the color white, the number seven and the element of joy. Metal is also associated with clarity.

If you're looking to update your space for the new season, you might think you should add more Metal. But in fact, for the most part, because this season carries more of this element, there can be an overabundance of Metal. Metal relates to metallic colors (think gold, silver) and the colors white and grey, as well as to joy and the mouth, and governs order and beauty. It's associated with efficiency and organization, circular shapes and a general turning inward. So what does an overabundance of Metal mean? Metal out of balance can be rigid and inflexible, stuck on having everything perfect. Since Metal is related to the mouth and speech, individuals with an excess of this element often speak without precision and boundaries. If this describes you in fall, you may have too much Metal!

Some ways to adjust a Metal imbalance: add Water, which drains Metal, or Wood, which dulls and softens the Metal element. For more Water, try enjoying walks along the water, bringing wavy patterns into your space or incorporating the sound of water into your home, like with music or a fountain. If you'd rather add Wood, add blue and green tones or plants to your space! Check out our My Favorite Things series for more insight on adding Water and Wood.

Get Clarity with Metal

Autumn is also the time for harvest, both in agriculture and metaphorically in life. The planting season is ending, so maybe it's good to look at this in terms of your life and space. What no longer serves you in your home? It could be as literal as summer clothes you haven't worn in three years or letting go of old food in the fridge and composting it. Think about things or people in your life that are no longer serving you, as well. Metal element can also be like a sharp sword, cutting through what's unnecessary. It's time to harvest what's come to fruition, look at why some things didn't grow and think about planning for the next year.

Take some time as we transition to fall and consider how your "harvest" has turned out. And what do kind of energies do we want invite the next time around?

by Anjie Cho

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

Feng Shui for Autumn

Guest User November 10, 2021

We’re well into fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, when the weather gets cooler and things start to die away. The leaves on trees start to change color and fall, and things start to get slower as we wind down for the holidays. During this season, we also have more yin time. Yang energy is related to the sunshine, while yin energy is related to nighttime and darkness. During the fall and winter, we have more dark hours of the day and less sunlight.

At its core, feng shui is really about connecting to the cycles of nature. Applying feng shui principles can be a way to engage with these cycles and the changing seasons in our homes and our lives. If you want to really embrace this time of year, here are a few ways you can do this using feng shui principles.

The metal element

First, you can work with the metal element, which is related to autumn. Metal also gives way to water, which is connected to the season of winter that we’ll be moving into next. One way to embrace the metal element is just to understand that we are moving into a time where things are falling away, and that it’s okay to let go of things. It’s okay to be going through a transition. The metal element has the feeling of a sword or scissors cutting through something. What do you need to cut through? What do you need to let go of that is no longer serving you? Once you’ve done some reflection on this, take action. Metal is about movement and taking steps to move things forward, not staying still. It’s also about contraction and becoming more compact. Think of an acorn: it has all the energy and wisdom of an oak tree, but in a smaller package.

Protect your neck

My acupuncturist always tells me to protect the back of my neck during this time of year as it’s getting colder. It’s a good idea to protect this part of your body from the wind. There’s actually an area of the feng shui bagua that’s related to your neck and head, and it’s usually near the front door. To support this part of your body and your home, make sure you have extra protection from wind and drafts.

Accept sadness

With the change in seasons, some people start to feel more sad. The metal element is connected to sadness as well. If this resonates with you, I would encourage you to recognize that it’s okay to feel sad. If there were never any sadness, you would also never feel any joy. It’s a part of life. It’s not about trying to eradicate sadness, because there is always sadness in the world. Begin to embrace all parts of you, including the sad parts.

If you are feeling very low and sad because of the waning light, there are a few practical things that you can do. You might want to bring in more full-spectrum lights to use during the day, and go out in the sun more. You can also look at how things are placed in your home. Is your bed or the artwork in your home placed especially low? If your mood feels low, and especially if you have a tendency towards depression, you might want to pay attention to this, and maybe take some time to lift the qi of your home. You might want to get a taller bed frame, or add a box spring or lifts for your bed. You also might want to carefully rehang one or more pieces of art. Take it off the wall, dust it, and place it even just an inch higher to lift your qi and raise your spirits.

I hope these tips help you to welcome autumn!

by Anjie Cho

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

Feng Shui for Your Bedroom

Guest User October 27, 2021

Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

If you’re new to feng shui, getting started can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. If it feels like a lot, remember that you don’t need to do the feng shui of your whole home right away! I always recommend starting with your bedroo m. Your bedroom is a great place to begin, because it represents you, and it’s the most personal, private part of your home.

One of the first things I look at in a bedroom is the position of the bed. Ideally, your bed should be in the command position, which means that you can see the main entryway to the bedroom when you’re sitting up against the headboard. A lot of times, people don’t have their bed in command, which often corresponds with poor sleep and increased anxiety. It’s a good idea for everyone to have their bed in command if possible, because it helps you feel more at ease and more in control of your life. If you can’t put your bed in a position where you can see the door, you can add a mirror to correct this. The mirror should be located so that you can see the reflection of the door from your bed.

You also want to avoid having your feet pointing directly at the door if possible. If you can move your bed to offset it from the door, that is the best thing to do. However, if you have a smaller bedroom and aren’t able to position your bed in this way, you can correct the flow of qi fairly simply by placing a feng shui crystal halfway between the foot of your bed and the door to your bedroom. To learn more about feng shui crystal balls and how to hang them, check out this episode of the Holistic Spaces Podcast.

The next thing to look at is your headboard. It’s important to have a solid headboard that’s securely attached to your bed. A headboard offers support, and it helps you to feel more grounded and secure. You can think of it like a mountain behind you, providing a solid backing. In BTB feng shui, which is the school of feng shui that I practice and teach, we are not especially concerned with what the headboard looks like, although you do want to look for something that feels sturdy and solid. Generally, I’d recommend something either upholstered or wood. So many people, especially young people, tend to forgo a headboard, but it’s really important when it comes to creating stability in your life and in your romantic relationship.

The last tip I’ll share is to take a look at your window treatments. Often, when I have a client who is having trouble sleeping, they don’t have very good window treatments. Sometimes, they don’t have any window treatments at all. I would recommend you look for good-quality curtains or blinds with a blackout capability. One reason feng shui practitioners talk a lot about window treatments and lighting is that they really affect the yin and yang of a room. Yin is restful, quiet, dark, and cool, which is the perfect environment for sleep. By adding blackout blinds or curtains, you’re bringing in yin energy to support restful nights. In the morning, you want to be able to open your window treatments and let in the bright, yang energy of sunlight as you begin your day.

by Anjie Cho