Our Favorite Feng Shui Colors for Autumn
Photo credit: Unsplash Nunzio Guerrera
Feng shui has a lot to do with the cycles of nature, so we always want to encourage you to pay attention to the seasons and what’s happening in the world around you. In feng shui, we recognize that each season is connected to one of the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, or wood. In the Northern Hemisphere we’re currently moving into autumn, which is the season in which metal element energy is most prominent.
Each element also has a direction associated with it, and for metal, that direction is inwards. This means that metal energy contracts and pulls in to conserve itself. This makes a lot of sense when you think about what’s happening in the world during this metal element season: things are dying away and conserving their energy to prepare for the colder months. Metal also has to do with finishing things, gathering, and the harvest.
One way to explore metal element energy during this time of year is to intentionally work with certain colors based on their elemental connections. You can use these colors in your home through seasonal decor, add them to your fall wardrobe, or even just notice where they show up around you as you’re moving through the world.
There are a few different ways you can approach color for the season, depending on what you feel would be most supportive to you. Below, we’ve shared some of our color suggestions to help you embrace the metal element, balance the colder energy of the season, or focus on nurturing yourself.
Embrace metal element colors.
The most obvious way to work with color when the metal element is heightened is to embrace colors that are associated with metal. Traditionally, this is white. This can be a pure, clear zinc oxide white, which really embodies the cold, rigid, contracting energy of metal. Creamy whites with pink or yellow undertones are also connected to the precision and spaciousness of the metal element, but in a softer, more nurturing way because these warmer pigments also bring in some earthy qualities. Metallic colors like silver and gold are also connected to the metal element. When you’re looking outside at the changing leaves, you might not see a lot of whites or metallic colors, but notice where you do find some examples of these shades in the natural world.
Warm up with fire element colors.
As it starts to get cooler outside, we naturally seek to warm up. The fire element, which is connected to yang energy, becomes more nurturing and appealing as we enter a more yin season — and we may also be missing the warmth and yang energy of summer as the seasons change. Fire brings forth feelings of inspiration, warmth, and dynamic movement. Fire element colors are red and fiery orange. Red is the most powerful and auspicious color in feng shui because it’s the color of our blood and life force. It’s also the color of protection, and it’s said that the color red can change your luck. Dark, dramatic shades of red, sometimes called dragon’s blood, have a strong, powerful energy, like a dragon. Vermilion, which is a red with a small amount of orange, is fiery and energizing. You can also work with shades of fiery orange. We love to do this by putting out a bowl of fresh oranges or tangerines, or working with orange essential oil to brighten the qi in our spaces. In feng shui, orange citrus fruits are also symbols of abundance and prosperity, adding another layer of meaning to this symbol.
Nurture yourself with earth element colors.
Earth is about slowing down, nurturing yourself, and celebrating the harvest of the season. While metal qi moves inwards and fire qi moves upwards, earth qi is stable and grounding. Yellow is the traditional color associated with the earth element, and there are many different types of yellow. Sunflower yellow, for example, is a vivid shade that expresses the yang energy of the sun. This color is also known as imperial yellow because it was reserved exclusively for the garments of nobility in the ruling classes of ancient China. Yellow ochre, a pigment that comes from the earth, is another variation of yellow often found in artwork that dates back to prehistoric times. Another earthy tone is umber, a warm dark brown that looks like rich earth. All of these deep earthy tones will connect you with the grounding and stabilizing qi of the earth element. You may notice that many foods we associate with fall, like pumpkin, squash, and spices, embody these earthy colors. Cooking and feeding people is also a very earthy activity, and many of us are drawn to our kitchens this time of year!
We hope this helps you to understand how color connects with each of the five elements, and how different elements can be supportive during a certain season. Even though you might be experiencing a season that’s associated with a particular element and color, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should focus on that color — feng shui encourages us to get curious about what type of energy will bring you into harmony and support you.
Want to learn more about feng shui and color? Listen to this podcast episode or check out our new book, Mindful Living: A Guide to the Everyday Magic of Feng Shui.