Cottage Witchery (5 page)

If you are a feisty, fiery sign of Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, you are enthusiastic and more willing to be bold and daring with your personal space. Fire signs like spontaneity and are passionate and romantic. With a fire sign, anything from medieval to modern could work. Perhaps you enjoy bright red and white quilts and a more country look, or a lipstick-red sofa or crimson bedspread with black lacquered furniture—even antiques, dark woods, and heavy, opulent burgundy fabrics. Fire signs could be into any or all of these. They may rearrange things and try out new looks quite often. Tones of burgundy, red, and terra cotta; warm shades of orange and gold together with accents of dark woods or even bright white will add the drama and excitement you crave. Plus it will spice your home's décor right up.

If you fall under the influence of the element of air and are a Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius, you are prone to being intellectual, objective, and very communicative. Try a more modern or minimalist look. Pare down clutter and streamline your rooms. Add clear or frosted glass and mirrors to reflect light and to visually open up the room. Think of bright and airy open spaces that let the light and the air flow through. Then look to yellows (from buttery soft to bright), quiet neutrals, pastels, creams, and the very palest of blues.

Now, if you have taken a look at this astrological color information and wrinkle your nose up at your suggested colors (and sometimes that does happen), then consider checking out the following handy-dandy color list. As mentioned before, blue could cover any shade, from pale baby blue to denim to navy. The basic correspondence stays pretty much the same for the color, no matter what shade it happens to be. Use your imagination, try looking at this from a witchy perspective, and see what you can conjure up for your place.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

a colorful natural magick
correspondence chart

black:
removes negativity, is powerful, and establishes boundaries
(which is probably why my teenage daughter has black curtains and
a black bedspread in her bedroom)

blue:
the element of water; peaceful, healing, and soothing

brown:
earthy, stable, grounding, and comforting

copper:
earthy and rich; a lucky color that is thought to encourage
healing and prosperity

gold:
opulence, wealth, the sun; a god color

green:
the element of earth; prosperous, stable; a Faerie Kingdom color

grey/neutral:
neutral, soothing; a harmonious color for homes

ivory:
sentimental feelings, memories, and coziness

orange:
energizing, exciting, warm; a harvest color

pink:
a “warm fuzzy” color; soothing, quietly romantic, and relaxing

purple:
magickal, spiritual, passionate, powerful

red:
the element of fire; lustful, vital, loving, and warm

silver:
mystique, illusion, the moon, and a goddess color

white:
all-purpose, the moon, fresh, pure; a great basic starting point

yellow:
the element of air, spring; creative and knowledgeable

These colors and their magickal associations should give you a starting point. Remember that colors can always be changed by softening or brightening up their tones and by adding complementary colors to go along with your home's décor. Experimenting with the use of color magick in your home is a very individualized process and it takes a bit of instinct, trial and error and, most of all, practice. But it is fun trying out those new magickal ideas and the possibilities are endless. Add a few touches of color into your rooms and see what sort of transformation you can achieve.

By the transformation of yang
and its union with yin, the five agents arise:

water, fire, wood, metal, and earth.

Chou Tun-Yi

Hey, What About Feng Shui?

Feng Shui literally means “wind and water,” and it is the 5,000-year-old art of arranging and decorating your home to encourage a happy life, well-being, prosperity, and contentment. The basic idea of Feng Shui is that everything in your surroundings, including the furnishings and color of your home, can either influence your life in a positive way or hinder your success. Feng Shui bases its principles of balance and harmony on the concepts of ying and yang (masculine and feminine), the five elements, and the eight directions. Feng Shui also encourages the use of positive
chi
or energy. With Feng Shui, you direct how energy flows through your rooms and your house.

Using the five elements of Feng Shui in your magickal home is a fascinating concept. Most magickal users will notice a bit of a difference between the Wiccan traditional elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit and the following ones listed here. In Feng Shui the five elements are represented as water, wood (sometimes called “tree”), fire, earth (occasionally referred to as “soil”), and metal. The ability to manipulate chi by using the five elements is the basis of many Feng Shui decorating remedies and designs. Try adding a touch of all the Feng Shui elements into your life and home, and see what changes you can bring about.

This is a great illustration of the five elements of Feng Shui (no, I'm not reinventing the pentagram). The Chinese elements are at the top and the traditional Wiccan elemental symbols are at the bottom.

the five elements of feng shui

wood
shapes are rectangular and tall, thin, and vertical. Wood's season is spring and color is green. Folks who feel a strong connection to this Feng Shui element are outgoing, full of life, artistic, and hard working. Materials to incorporate are wood, wicker, bamboo, and paper. The element of wood corresponds with the east. The associations that go with
the element of wood—some texts call this element “tree”—are just as you'd imagine, these being life, expansion, energy, and movement.

fire
shapes are pointed, triangular, pyramid, zigzag, and star shaped. The season is midsummer, and the color is red. People who are attuned to this Feng Shui element are natural leaders that often inspire others to follow. They are passionate groundbreakers with a great sense of humor. Fire
belongs to the south. Materials to work with include red flowers and pointed objects, crimson-colored, star-shaped candleholders, and red
fabrics. The meanings of this element include passion, enthusiasm, warmth, and communication.

earth
shapes are low, squat, flat, wide, and horizontal. The season is early fall, the colors are yellow and brown. Earth people are practical and loyal to their friends. These folks are the proverbial rock in a stressful situation
and a pillar of strength in a crisis. This element corresponds with the north.
The associated materials include plaster, china, ceramics, bricks, and natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, and silk. The elemental associations of earth or soil are comfort, security, prudence, and reliability.

metal
shapes are rounded and arched: domes, ovals, circles, and spheres. The season is late autumn and the corresponding colors are white, silver, and gold. Metal people are independent, determined, and can be single-minded. They are, however, extremely organized souls who prefer everything to be in its proper place. The element of metal corresponds to the west. Materials to incorporate include stainless steel, brass, silver, bronze, copper, iron, and gold. The meanings of this element are wealth, strength, leadership, and orderliness.

water
shapes are irregular and wavy, curved and fluid. The season is midwinter, the color is black, and the recommended material is glass. Water people are great communicators, persuasive, and very sensitive to the feelings of others. Natural diplomats, they are excellent negotiators. This element is also aligned with the north. The magickal associations of this final element are depth, power, flexibility, peace, and tranquility.

These Feng Shui effects will be especially powerful if you combine the colors with the particular patterns or materials. One book suggests green vertical-striped wallpaper to represent earth/tree energy. A tall green lamp, a small pot of lucky bamboo, and green upright plants would do the same.

For fire, use red candles or clear, decorative oil lamps with red liquid paraffin inside; star-shaped votive holders in metallic red (bet you'll find those around the winter holiday season); fresh red flowers, like carnations and roses; and red luxurious fabrics and pillows.

To bring the chi of earth/soil into your home, try adding a window-box type of terra-cotta container. The shape, color, and the potting soil within pretty much cover all the bases. See if you can add a low-growing houseplant with yellow on the foliage or yellow-colored flowers, or add to your home's décor a square yellow-gold frame or checkered fabrics in brown to golden yellow.

For metal, work with metal itself and round silver, gold, or white objects, like a circular-shaped, silver-edged mirror, a small silver gazing globe, rounded metallic wire sculptures, or a round metal planter or pot. How about round silver trinket boxes?

To introduce the chi of water, try introducing glass objects, small irregular-shaped dishes, or black fabrics on your upholstery that feature a flowing pattern. What about some of those shiny black glass marbles that are so popular nowadays? You could arrange those in a funky clear shallow dish for instant water energy. Wouldn't that be cool? Here are a few more nifty tips and tricks for adding a bit of Feng Shui chi to your home.

crystals:
To add more positive chi to your home, try hanging crystal sun catchers in a sunny window. For Feng Shui purposes it is recommended to use the round, multifaceted crystal sun catchers. (The irregular-shaped sun catchers may cause spiky or unbalanced chi.) When the sunlight catches the globes, it refracts into rainbows, and then positive energy radiates out in all directions, pushing old, stagnant energy out and bringing in fresh energy from the outside.

candles:
As you'd expect, a lit candle brings fire energy to an area immediately. Fire is thought to encourage passion—what a surprise—and it also creates a focal point in a room. Tall white candles are recommended in Feng Shui and are best placed in the southern quarter of a room.

sound:
It is thought that sound encourages positive chi energy. Wind chimes are popular, as is the sound of running water from a miniature
inside fountain. Chimes made out of metal, wood, or ceramic are thought to enhance their coordinating elements of metal, tree, and soil. The sounds of wind chimes, bells, and ticking clocks may be used to break
up stagnant energy that may be lurking under the eaves of your porch, in a dark hallway, or in those corners. The chimes should sound pleasant to you, so choose wind chimes with care. Hang them up inside; with a sweep of your hand, you can send the chimes dancing against one another and negativity scurrying right out the door.