Run rings around retrograde season with stylistic principles founded in Feng Shui.
Ahhh Mercury retrograde, you mercurial mischief maker. Here to harness its cheeky cosmic energy in the skies once more starting August 4th to August 27th, the planet of communication has copped some bad PR in the last few years due to the haywire happenings that seem to occur when this planet goes retrograde.
Retro who? Just what does it mean when a planet is in retrograde?
In the simplest of astrological terms, when a planet within our solar system is in retrograde, it appears to be travelling backwards across the sky. Given that Mercury is the planet in control of commerce and communication, we are often warned that Mercury retrograde is a time for miscommunications and misunderstandings, and certainly not a time to sign any new contracts or take grand leaps of faith.
Seems like a pretty big deal from the smallest planet in our solar system! And of course, whether you’re an astrological aficionado or a cosmic cynic will influence just how much you buy into all of this cosmic chatter. But we like to err on the side of clever caution, after all, why mess with what’s written in the stars!
So while we gird our linguistic loins during this time and try our best to not get lost in translation, it seems a fitting time as ever to keep busy, avoid too many social gatherings, big decisions and do our best to keep calm and carry on during this retrograde.
How do we plan on doing this? By embracing a healthy dose of feng shui to keep the Mercury retrograde at bay! Essentially, we are fighting fire with fire by bouncing one belief system against another to hopefully play the odds in our favour. The added bonus of staying in and rearranging one’s space to maximise the chi (flow of energy) means our social interactions may be lessened, and therefore fewer chances of feuds is a win/win in our stylistic book.
So what is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is a Chinese practice which centres around the spatial arrangement and orientation of a space to maximise the positive flow of energy. Derived from the two words, Feng, meaning wind, and Shui, meaning water, the concept centres around human life’s connectedness to the environment. The pivotal goal of achieving or adopting Feng Shui is to create balance and flow in your space so that it seeps into your overall life as well.
A short course on the four main tenets of Feng Shui:
1. Chi: The universal life-giving force, Chi is believed to be the energy which permeates all energies in existence (from our internal bodily energies to the external planetary energies). To master the manipulation of this energy to flow in a positive manner is the end goal of this tenet, whereas negatively flowing energy will bring with it detrimental effects.
Relative to interior design: As Chi relates to the flow of energy, ensuring your space has been cleverly planned from an architectural and design perspective is paramount to achieving positive Chi. Much like the way you move through a room, Chi needs to be unobstructed so removing clutter and streamlining your decorative choices will work to achieve positive Chi.
2. Yin and Yang: The tenet relating to balance. To have a balance between Yin and Yang’s opposing energies is said to bring harmony to our environment and therefore our life. In our busy modern lives, this tenet is often in jeopardy as balance can seem an intangible ideal.
Relative to interior design: Focus on balancing your space (whether commercial or residential) with equal amounts of Yin and Yang. You can do this by balancing dark and light colours throughout your space.
3. The Five Elements: Namely wood, fire, earth, metal and water; the ideal interior will incorporate all five elements into its space.
Relative to interior design: An easy example would be to create a sanctuary of plants to incorporate the element of wood into your space whereas catering to the earth element could be via home decorative accessories made from naturally sourced materials such as marble, sandstone and terracotta.
4. Commanding Position: This term refers to the most “powerful” position within a room and is generally the area farthest from the room’s door, generally diagonal from the door allowing for the entry/exit to be seen at all times. The reason this specific spot is coined as commanding is it is thought to place the subject in a controlled position, in command of the energy of the space.
Relative to interior design: When furnishing a room, think of the specific use of that space and how you would like to maximise the energy for the purpose of that room i.e. if it is a work from home office space, place your desk in the commanding position of the room to capitalize on the energy. Similarly in the bedroom, the bed should always (if possible) be placed in the commanding position of the room to encourage maximum restfulness.
Here’s a handy checklist to find your Feng Shui just in time to prevent rascalish Mercury retrograde from running rampant and ruining your personal, professional and social life:
- Keep spaces clean and void of clutter
- Utilize a balance of colour within your space
- Incorporate plants and natural elements
- “Less is More” approach
Breathe in, breathe out, and get ready to feel and furnish your way through this latest retrograde with tools and tips to find your ultimate Feng Shui.
Happy Styling x GIGI&TOM
