There are many tools that we use in feng shui to assess the flow of qi through a space. One way of understanding this energy flow is to look at the magnetic compass directions of certain aspects of a home. While not all schools of feng shui use the compass directions, some well-known schools such as the Classical and Compass schools do take this into account.
Find Your House Facing Direction
To find your house facing direction, you’ll need a compass. Feng shui practitioners use a special compass called a luo pan, but you can use a standard compass or even the compass app on your smart phone. Stand in the front door to your home facing out, and check the compass to see which direction you are facing. This is generally your home’s facing direction. If this is something you’re really interested in, we would recommend working one-on-one with a feng shui practitioner. There are additional factors that can change your home’s facing direction, and a trained practitioner will be able to give you the most complete and accurate information.
What a West-Facing House Means in Feng Shui
In feng shui, we work with something called the bagua. The bagua is a mandala with eight areas around a center, with each area representing a certain aspect of life. If you work with a feng shui practitioner, they will likely lay the bagua over your floor plan to gain insight into what might be going on in your home and your life. Each area of the bagua has many layers of significance in addition to being associated with an area of life. For example, each area is also connected to a color, one of the five elements, and a magnetic direction. The West direction is related to the area of the bagua map called Dui. Dui is also known as Completion or Children, and it’s connected to finishing projects as well as children and offspring. This section of the bagua is related to the metal element and the color white.
How to Activate the Energy of a West-Facing Home
You can activate the energy of a West-facing home by making some changes in the West sector of your home.
Metal and Earth Element Colors
One way to enhance the West sector of your home is to add metal or earth element colors. Each of the five elements that we work with in feng shui corresponds to certain colors, and intentionally adding an element’s colors to your home is one way to invite more of that element’s energy into your life. Since the West direction is connected to the metal element, you can add metal element colors here to activate this part of your home. Metal element colors are white, gray, and metallics. You can also add earth element colors because the five elements work together as a creative cycle, and earth is the element that feeds and supports metal. Yellow, brown, and earthy tones are all expressions of earth. There are many different ways to incorporate these colors into your home’s decor. Painting your front door is a powerful way to shift your qi, because your front door represents how energy and opportunities come to you. This is one of the most important areas of the home from a feng shui perspective. You can also add metal or earth colors in smaller ways like a welcome mat, a piece of furniture, or plants with white or yellow flowers.
Enhance the West With Metal
In addition to color, there are other ways you can bring the metal element into the West sector of your home. Metal is related to circular shapes, so look for ways to incorporate circles in this area. You might want to try adding a round side table or a patterned rug that includes circular shapes. You can also add items that are actually made of metal, like a light fixture, picture frame, or decorative sculpture.
Enhance the West With Earth
Similarly, there are ways you can bring the earth element into the West sector of your home through shape and material. Earth is connected to square and rectangular shapes, so you can add more earth through things like rectangular furniture, artwork, or pillows. Another popular way to bring in the earth element is with natural stones or crystals. These embody earth energy because they come from the earth. This is also true for earthenware, so you may want to look for a ceramic vase or dish that you love to enhance the West sector of your home.
