Alexander Herzen said: “To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius.”A recent visit to Venice immediately showed a city that has the destructive cycle of the Earth element trying to hold back the flow of the Water element. It is an amazing city built on man-made canals and wooden pilings for the foundations of some of the world’s grandest buildings and it has been sinking ever since. So how does this present in our personal place?
Earth
This is the element which is all about foundations, stability and grounding a space. The three key sectors where Earth exists are, the Relationships, Knowledge and Self-Cultivation areas and the centre of a home or room, for Health in general. It makes sense, as our friendships and partners are the foundation of our lives, our internal knowledge builds self-worth, confidence and guidance and health is all-important to survive. The Earth element is truly about what establishes our lives, and our living areas reflect this.
Colours that partner with Earth are all shades of yellow-based browns and beige. Red-based terracotta colours lean to the Fire element and are best in the Fame sector. Think cafe latte, caramel and orange tones. For the Relationship corner, look for pink which has a light red base but don’t go to cherry pink shades. If, like many, a pink bedroom is not on the agenda, look for soft lemon tones or a touch of pink. A note; apricot is considered to be for single people, so if romance is on the mind, move towards a real pink shade! Earth is represented in all things stone and pottery and is seen to drain the Water element or help the Metal element to grow. Think walls to push back waves and metal becoming sand. Decor can include floor and wall tiles, ornaments, pebbles and artwork depicting natural landscapes but not water.
Water
This is the element around the flow of life, our emotions and prosperity. Too much can become a flood of emotions and money going down the drain in a bathroom. Those who read my posts on bathroom Feng Shui know all about draining the Water element of a bathroom with stone decor. There is only one true sector which has Water as the element, the Career and Life Path area, often at the front door of a house or living space. Any Water decor should flow gently rather than a massive waterfall or surf waves. Water marries well with the Metal and Wood elements.
Colours that partner with Water are black, deep petrol blue to sky blue; just think of the sea. Royal blue is fine but is best used in the Wealth sector. These colours mix well with white and silver which represent Metal. Surprisingly, metal works well with Water as it is seen to run like Water. Some may think surely it becomes rusty, but it is more about what the element represents. As in previous posts with the bathroom, play down the water aspects, there is a lot of water going on in this room with taps, showers, baths, toilets and so on. Keep away from the sea colours, shells and beach theme; we used grey stone or pale beige in bathrooms to ‘drain’ the Water element.
Final Thoughts
Coming back to Venice, it is hard to see how the water isn’t going to erode the stone eventually but we humans always love a challenge. As Erica Jong said, “It is the city of mirrors, the city of mirages, at once solid and liquid, at once air and stone”. Just don’t create your own Venice at home.
