Earth element in Feng Shui relates to the ground we walk on, the land we build our houses on, the physical bricks and mortar of a building and to the natural environment of mountains, gorges, canyons, ploughed fields ready to bear a harvest, and also to desert environments. 

Earth is also associated with the stomach (yang) and spleen (yin) and the emotion of worry and the act of excess rumination (over thinking). When in good balance, we are grounded and confident and not 'up in our head'. Interestingly, the English language describes such people as 'down to earth' or 'salt of the earth'. We instinctively understand our interconnection with the natural world.   

Earth is expressed by the colours of brown, sand, grey, terracotta and yellow. This can also be wooden furniture painted in those colours. 

Earth energy is solid and defined so the typical shape is rectangular and square. In clothes this can be chequered shirts, tartan pattern and in interiors too you can use low long shapes to imitate the earth element. A chaise longue or sofa, particularly in say brown velvet, would be a good way to add more earth element if it were required according to the unique Feng Shui consultation compass readings of the property.

The compass direction related to Earth is the Centre, Southwest and Northeast.  This refers to not only the directions in your home or office,  but also  those directions within a city or a country.  It can also apply to 'earth' type regions like craggy mountains with little forest and also to desert environments. 

Let's imagine you wear brown all the time and live in a home that is predominantly yellow and is Southwest facing and you sleep in an Northeast bedroom and you spend most of your day in the study at the centre of the house,  which is painted cappuccino beige and has lots of stone tiles in it,  you are likely going to start feeling pretty unbalanced and possibly even a little depressed and stuck. I paint an extreme picture of course, but I actually know people who need Earth energy and despite a fear of potholing, they actually love walking in underground caves! Some people already have too much earth and would not need to be exposed to any more for lengthy periods of time.  

Of course, not every interior is going to be extreme but it does occur, and it can easily happen when there has been no consideration of the feng shui readings at a property. Many people move into a new home without considering the feng shui energy, and paint throughout in the wrong colours just because it is a latest fad (like soft grey or chocolate brown everywhere) or they just like the style of it (fair enough). While I LOVE supporting you to express your unique sense of style, I also believe it is best to work within the feng shui framework and guidance. 

It is a myth to that you need all five elements in every room. This is not how feng shui works. That being said, all the different elements interact with each other and if you also have too much fire, then you are strengthening the earth influence as fire supports earth. 

There are special form horoscope charts, such as Four Earth Direction chart or Farmers Earth chart, which have really strong Earth influence, meaning that you are an Earth Day Master or Earth Self Element born in an Earth month and an Earth year, for example, so you already have a lot of Earth energy in your blueprint. You have so much that you need to just 'go with it'. These types of charts can be a blessing or a bit of a disadvantage if you don't learn how to make the most of its unique power.  

Are you getting a fuller picture of how intricate and multi-layered this whole wisdom system is? Hard to do self-help feng shui without getting confused, right?! ;) 

I hope you have found this informative. In my next blog, in a week or so, I look at the Metal Element in Feng Shui and Chinese Medicine. 

In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out if you have a feng shui consultation project to discuss. I cover London Feng Shui consultations and further afield, particularly Cotswolds Feng Shui and Cambridge Feng Shui visits. 

Kindest, Sarah x