In Chinese astrology, every birth year is assigned one of five natural elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Understanding yours can help you play to your strength and harmonize with your loved ones, co-workers, and friends. We like to think of this system as feng shui astrology because it blends the five-element system that’s used in both feng shui and Chinese astrology. But newsflash: Life isn’t a perfectly staged Pinterest board. Human beings are involved, and that’s where feng shui astrology really comes in. While designing our new online course Home Reset (check out the free webinar here), we realized that the five elements influence not only the energy of a physical space but also the people that inhabit it. Balancing interpersonal dynamics is as important as properly positioning a bed or desk, for example. The most divinely appointed home can still turn chaotic depending on the cast of characters that walks through your front door. (Yep, even if you painted it red for good luck!) Your birth element shapes your personality, the energy you exude, and the way you decorate, dress, and express yourself. How will you resolve conflict? Do you need more privacy to concentrate, or are you an “open-plan” extrovert type who doesn’t believe in walls? Like any ecosystem, all five elements are interconnected. To create harmony in any environment—whether at home or on your Zoom conference calls—they must be balanced. The Water people are listening to music and creatively flowing. The Metals are banging out that proposal spreadsheet they weren’t able to focus on at home. The Fire and Earth folks are sipping lattes, trading gossip, and hatching a startup (with the Fire playing evangelist). And the Wood folks are nerding out with the barista about the single-origin coffee beans while waiting for their pour-over brews (no rush!). For example, an excess of attention-seeking, competitive Fire energy in a group can be exhausting. Everyone’s shouting over each other; nobody’s listening. Can we pass the “talking stick,” puh-lease? But on the flip side, a lack of Fire in a group can feel dull and lackluster, devoid of the spark that gets projects and parties started. Your birth element in feng shui astrology can help you find—and embrace—the role you were born to play. Then the next question arises: Do you play well with others? Understanding the feng shui astrology “life cycle” reveals which elements support yours and which ones you may feel out of sync with. After all, the goal here is harmony and flow, finding a way to coexist amid our differences. That’s something the planet needs more than ever.
