Feng Shui for the New Year

Who doesn’t love a new beginning?   Luckily, those of us who practice feng shui or honor Eastern cultures have two chances to celebrate New Year’s!  First on the traditional calendar day of January 1^st, and then again, a few weeks later when the Chinese New Year comes around.

In feng shui, the Chinese New Year is considered very important, and it is highly celebrated.  It’s a major shift in energy, marked by animals such as Rabbit, Dragon, Tiger, and Ox and elements such as Fire, Water, and Earth.   This year the date is January 31^st, 2014, and we are entering the Year of the Wood Horse, moving out of 2013, the Year of the Water Snake.

It’s considered beneficial to acknowledge the changing of the years with certain rituals and acts in order to usher in good chi (a.k.a. energy) to last all year long. 

Here are 5 feng shui tips to help you do just that:

1.     Do a clean sweep.   Literally.  It’s tradition in feng shui leading up to the Chinese New Year to clean like crazy as to not bring any of the old, “dusty” chi into the new year.   The goal is to have the home in best condition as possible on the first day of the new year and then NOT do any cleaning that day and the days after.  You want to keep the good chi IN those days!   When you clean, be sure to pay special attention to your stove (it represents prosperity) and under you bed and any places that are particularly neglected.

2.     De-clutter.  Clutter is the biggest feng shui no-no of all!   Go through your things, and if it doesn’t fit with the “future version of you” or if you don’t use it, don’t love it, or it’s just not serving you, get rid of it!  It’s the fastest way to shift the energy in your space and therefore your life.  

3.    Set some intentions.   In the West, we call them resolutions.  In feng shui, we call them intentions.   There is something powerful about being specific about what you would like to experience in the upcoming year and then voicing them or writing them down.  Even better, implement symbolic feng shui cures to bring the intention further into your subconscious.  For example, if you intend to write a book this year, mock up a jacket for your book and put it on another one and place in your Creativity section of your home.  If you’d like to manifest more romance, put two candles (representing a pair) in your Love corner.   (The list goes on!)

4.     Decorate.  Traditionally, the Chinese use reds and golds to make their home beautiful and “rich” for the new year, hanging lanterns and paper cut-outs.  Again, symbolism is considered: placing candies in bowls to bring in a “sweet” year; oranges for abundance; and flowers, for beauty and love.  Another tradition is to buy something new to wear on New Years Day, especially in the color red or a hue that correlates with the element for the upcoming year. 

5.     Celebrate.   There are many traditions on how to spend the first two weeks of the new year, including handing out money in red envelopes (generating prosperity), giving oranges as gifts, (also generating prosperity) and snapping firecrackers on new year’s eve (to scare away any unpleasant energies from the previous year).  Another one is to gather with friends and family in good cheer with good food, especially on New Year’s Eve.  Although these may seem like fun and games, the very act of celebrating actually generates positive chi.   So even if you don’t participate in the red envelopes, perhaps invite some friends for dinner — and make a toast to the blessings of new beginnings.