Feng Shui Colors: Using a Bagua Map to Find the Perfect Colors

Feng Shui may be the art of placement but it also relies heavily on the correct colors in specific areas of your home and office to bring about harmony and peace, and ultimately help you achieve those things that mean the most to you. Applying the right colors in specific areas will enhance that area of your life. You will need a simple bagua map and an understanding of what each area of your house means in order to apply the proper colors there.

Let's start by learning what a bagua map is and how to use it. A bagua map is an octagonal map that tells you what each area of your house means and what colors you will want to highlight there in order to achieve balance in that area of your life. They can be used to cover an entire house or for a particular room. The Career area of the bagua map is the front door or your house or your office and the rest of the areas follow the map. Standing at your front door, facing into your house your extreme right is the helpful people and travel area. To your extreme left - your knowledge and wisdom area. The center right of your house is the creativity and children area, the center left is your family area. The area in the back of your house to the extreme right is the relationship area, to the extreme left is the prosperity area. The center back of the house is the fame and reputation area. If you don't have an actual room for each of these areas don't stress out - most people don't. The key is to define the part of your house according to the map and fit it into your interior decorating. You may also find yourself with a house that has the front door place on either the far left or right of the house rather than a traditional center. Again - you don't need a whole room to make this work you just need to know the direction.

For instance - if your front door is on the far left of the house you are simply entering into the knowledge area rather than the career area. Likewise for a front door placed on the far right of the house - you're simply entering into the helpful people and travel area. Many people enter their houses most often through the garage rather than the actual front door. It is suggested by many Feng Shui experts that you try to use the front door of the house as much as possible but if this is not a viable option some believe it's ok, and actually preferable to use the door the family normally enters as the place to begin with your bagua map. In offices you can use the front door of your office to begin the map, as well as applying the map to your desk itself. An example would be putting a picture of you and your spouse on the far right part of your desk, but a picture of your parents and the kids to your left.

Now that you have an idea of where each area in your home or office is it's time to look at how color will work for you. Remember that in each of these areas it doesn't mean that you have to paint the walls that color, it simply means you will want to have elements of this color in your interior design. You'll also want to make sure the area is de-cluttered and you have placed the furniture properly in accordance with Feng Shui placement. We'll start at the front center, or career area, and work our way around the bagua map in a clockwise fashion.

The Career area, front center, color - black. The color black seems foreboding and most people will not want a lot of black in any room. Black is actually rather simple, though. Black is in many pieces of art and even in welcome rugs as just an accent. If you are looking to change jobs, want to go further in your current career or don't have a job and need to find one fast you will want to pay particular attention to this area of your home. The other elements of the career area are metal and water, so if you don't want to add too much black you can put a decorative mirror in that area (the mirror is a symbol of water). This is also a good place for a Feng Shui fountain with the water flowing in to the house, as water flowing inward brings prosperity.

The Knowledge and Wisdom area, front left, color - blue. The knowledge and wisdom area pertains to gaining greater inner knowledge, and this wisdom can be about a great number of different things. Enhancing this area can help with grades in school, learning more about the business you're in to go further in your career, or gaining insight to a family problem. If it's knowledge you seek than this is the place to begin. Add elements of blue to this area.

The Family area, middle left, color - green. The family area pertains to immediate family, extended family and to those that just feel like a member of the family. Green is the best color to use in this area, as are elements of wood and water. The easiest thing to do in this area is place a wooden framed mirror here or pictures of family in wooden frames. Add elements of green where applicable.

The Prosperity and Abundance area, back left, color - purple. This is an area many people are concerned with as it pertains to making money and being able to handle it wisely. By enhancing this area you will not only be able to earn more money and spend it properly, but you will have a new appreciation for how much money you actually need. Aside from the color purple you can also use elements of wood and water in this space. It is also said that a jade plant is a plant of prosperity. A healthy jade plant in either a purple or wooden container is a prosperity double whammy!

The Fame and Reputation area, back center, color - red. This area can pertain to your career, in which you want credit for a job well done or want to become well known for something. This is an excellent place for a fireplace, as it's elements are wood and fire. However not everyone has a fireplace here, nor can they just put one there on a whim. Red is a powerful color, so a little will go a long way in this particular area.

The Relationships and Love & Marriage area, back right, color - pink. This area is fairly self-explanatory - it pertains to all things in your relationship with your spouse or significant other. This is a good area to enhance if you are looking for love or want to enhance your current relationship. Any elements of pink in this area will do, including plants with pink blooming flower. Just make sure any plants you put in this area have rounded leaves and no thorns!

The Creativity and Children area, middle right, color - white. If you want to have children, are having trouble with your children or just want to become more creative you will want to enhance this area. This area can help with careers that require a certain degree of creativity. If you are having trouble getting pregnant you may want to enhance this area. This is also a good place to enhance if your child is having trouble at school or is in a difficult time of their life.

The Helpful People and Travel area, front right, color - gray. This area has two different meanings. Helpful people are those that can assist you with absolutely anything in your life. If you're trying to lose weight and you need someone's help you will want to enhance this area. Travel means just that - if you want to go on vacation or are trying to move this is the area to enhance.

The Health area, center, color - yellow. The Health area is the center of your house and for some people a difficult place to enhance. If the center of your house is a closet you will need to be pretty creative. If the center of your house is a bathroom you can certainly accent it with hints of yellow, however you will want to put a mirror or reflective surface on each wall of the bathroom so the chi, or good energy does not stagnate in the health area of your house.

Feng Shui color is not something that has to be placed in every room of your house. You can use this as needed to enhance area of your life that are in current need of help. You do not have to saturate an area in these colors for them to be enhanced - it only takes a few accents or hints of the color for it to work.