Q&A Sunday: Is a Spiky Cactus Good Feng Shui?

Anjie Cho December 20, 2020

A business colleague gave me this lovely little cacti garden in a little earthen ware pot as a “thank you” present. It is a gift that really touched me. I’ve had it in my little office on a bookshelf. It’s doing really well there in that corner, but I wondered if I could ask you where optimum placement would be. That seems to be "Relationship area" for the office, and I suddenly thought probably not great placement! It's got two spiky cacti, two succulents that I think are aloes, and one that I think is a little jade plant.

Sharon R., New York, NY

Hi Sharon,

This is a wonderful question to share on Q&A Sundays, because the question about spiky cactus plants comes up often. The general rule of thumb is that if you use a plant for feng shui purposes, it’s better if the leaves are rounded and smooth, rather than spiky and sharp.

In your situation, the sharpness of the cactus may cause spiky and touchy relationships in your business life, because it’s in the Relationship area of your office. Of course this isn’t ideal. But does this seem like this is something that is arising in your career relationships? A plant doesn’t always have to be a feng shui adjustment, and it doesn’t always necessarily affect your feng shui, especially if you have very strong and pleasant business relationships. And this might be the case since you receive this as a gift from a business relationship.

Another aspect to consider is that if you have very deep fondness for it, it may be okay. Or if you are especially attracted to this cactus, maybe you do need some spikiness in your business relationships to protect yourself. Maybe you can be a pushover and let people walk over you.

Also you mentioned that there are some aloe plants, which are spiky, yet very healing. So it really depends. If you really love this plant and the placement, you could also manicure it very carefully, maybe trim the sharp points from time to time, which can be a metaphor for giving attention to those difficult business relationships. Depending on your situation, there’s not necessarily a “better” place to put it, but I think all of this gives you many things to ponder on.

My intuition is telling me you should keep it there and remember that although the plant is sharp and spiky, you can offer it special attention and love to make it a positive thing. Sometimes being a little tough is good when it comes to business relationships, isn’t it?

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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

Q&A Sunday: What to Look for in Houseplants

Guest User September 27, 2020

I just moved to a new apartment and am excited to get some new plants! Is there anything in particular I should look for feng shui-wise?

Congratulations on the move, and thanks for your question!

Everybody is loving their houseplants right now, myself included! They’re also great from a feng shui perspective. Indoor trees and plants add positive qi, or life force energy, to a home. They also bring wood energy into your home, which is related to vitality and growth. They’re especially great additions to any area of the bagua where you would like to invite in new beginnings and flexibility.

It’s true that certain plants are better than others when it comes to feng shui, although it always depends on your circumstances. This is why it can be helpful to work with a consultant.

In general, you want to look for plants with soft, rounded leaves, and avoid plants with spiky leaves or thorns. This is because you want to invite in soft, flowing energy. Plants communicate a lot about the kind of energy they will bring to a space through their appearance. Think of the adjectives you would use to describe a certain plant—that’s also how you could describe the energy of that plant. This is why plants with spiky thorns or needles need to be used with more care, and are not usually recommended in feng shui.

I also always tell my students that not everything needs to be a feng shui application. You may have a cactus that came from your grandmother that you really love, and that’s ok! If you love something, it has positive energy around it. There are always exceptions to the guidelines.

It’s also important that the plants in your home, including ones you already have, are healthy and well taken care of. When you’re getting new plants, do a little research to make sure you are getting a plant that’s suited for the conditions of your space. You don’t want to have plants that aren’t thriving because they’re in the wrong environment. Putting a plant in a space where it can’t thrive is like putting a square peg in a round hole, and can cause difficulties and obstacles.

One last thing to keep in mind as you’re choosing a plant is to look for something you love and are attracted to. If you love your plants, they’ll be a source of positive energy!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

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

Best Feng Shui Colors for a Baby's Room

Guest User August 5, 2020

Anjie Cho was featured on The Spruce

Color is one of the most effective ways to enhance the energy and qi (life force energy) in our environments. When inviting a baby into your home, parents are especially mindful of how to create the most nurturing room for their new addition.

When choosing the paint color for your baby’s room, there are different feng shui approaches.

One way is to paint the room with an elemental color that you are most attracted to. This means a visual color you're attracted to and/or a color with attributes that you feel most connected to.

Another way you can incorporate feng shui is to support your baby’s element. First determine the baby’s numerology using the Nine Star Ki and next, figure out their primary birth element. Then, check out our best feng shui paint colors below to select the paint colors that nourish your baby’s birth element.

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