We have finally arrived in France after much planning. Lots of small potential dramas with solutions and support usually at the 13th hour, just to add to the general stress of moving with two cats at Christmas and with a pandemic on! Not ideal but we managed and the cats seem to have settled in more quickly than we have. After sorting out boxes and placing furniture where we could, we decided to find the Christmas decorations and get in to the general spirit of things. Our local Christmas markets have opened and it was a lovely night of food, wine and Christmas spirit, albeit with masks and social-distancing.
Decorating for Christmas Feng Shui Style
We have beautiful German decorations which haven’t come out of boxes for years so we pulled out what we could. Green and gold for the Wealth sector. We have added lights and rich green and gold leaf table runners from Zara Home. This is to encourage growth and prosperity. Leaves in particular are a symbol of growth but make them round instead of spiky. Rather than using holly, use ivy which is a softer leaf. Avoid cones and dried flowers or leaves as these are symbols of death in Feng Shui practice. It is better to have live plants if needed. Yes, fresh wreathes are really popular but unless the branches are fresh, they quickly become dead energy. If you can get silk or linen flowers that would be ideal but even plastic is preferred.
The Relationship Sector
You will see that I love fairy lights! They appeal to the child in me. They look great wrapped around candles and ornaments and the battery operated ones are an economical version to use with less hassle. Two candle holders were bought in a local store for a few euros each and once filled with baubles with lights around, they give off a lovely, gentle glow.
Using Red
Red is aligned with the Fire element and is great to use in the Career sector. The combination of red and green is popular at Christmas and they represent the elements of Fire and Wood. Wood feeds Fire but you need to balance the combination as it can offer too much ‘energy’ in the sector.
Your Traditions
Some have advent calendars, others have their own country traditions. In the South of France, they have traditional small figurines called Santons – little saints. These days, they represent local traders and people and can be very colourful. In honour of our new place, we have four white and clay townsfolk and have placed them in the relationship corner to celebrate our new home.
