Mix in Metal for Some Modern-Day Alchemy

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Tisha Morris, author of Mind, Body, Home and the new Decorating with the Five Elements of Feng Shui.

In the book, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho inspired us all to turn simple metals into gold. In our more modern culture, it can be thought of as turning lemons into lemonade. Alchemy, which is an ancient tradition, has survived due to the power and prestige of metals, such as swords, armor, and jewelry. It is no wonder that Metal is also one of the Five Elements in Feng Shui.

In Native American traditions, there are four elements—fire, water, earth, and air—that make up the Medicine Wheel, and thus Metal often gets overlooked. In Feng Shui, Chinese Medicine, and Taoist traditions, however, there are five elements—fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. The Five Elements are cyclical, with each one affecting the other. Autumn is the season that embodies the energy of the Metal element. After the heat and harvest of summer, the accumulated energy begins to minimize, organize, and alchemize before the eventual completion of the cycle in winter.

Whether you are aware of it or not, all Five Elements are in your home—from building materials to furniture to décor items. In fact, you just may be under-utilizing your own alchemical abilities. Like any of the Five Elements, it is important to not have too much or too little metal in your home. It is a delicate balance that starts with becoming conscious of what elements are in your home.

Metal elements add the energy of structure, order, and focus into your life. At the same time, too much metal can make you feel on edge, sharp-tongued, or too structured.

I find that Metal is one of those elements that people are either really drawn to, or not at all. Some easy ways to mix in metal to your home is adding items made of bronze, silver, stainless steel, copper, steel, or aluminum—such as lamp bases, appliances, metal art, singing bowl, or metal-legged tables. Other ways to incorporate the energy of metal is to add round items, such as round pillows, a round mirror, or circle-motif fabrics. Crystals and gemstones are also considered to be Metal elements.

Start turning ordinary opportunities into golden opportunities by adding the alchemical qualities of Metal to your home.

Our thanks to Tisha for her guest post! For more from Tisha Morris, read her article, “5 Ways to Embrace Your Home as an Archetype of the Divine Feminine.”