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Halloween is a fun-filled autumnal event and, at times, can be scary. One key thing to remember about Halloween is the energy it can bring into your home, which can be influenced greatly by Halloween decorations.
To help make it easier to understand how your spooky decorations can affect the energy of your home, we have enlisted the expertise of Suzanne Roynon to explain how Feng Shui can be incorporated into your Halloween in an auspicious way.
First things first, what is Feng Shui?
Suzanne said, “Feng Shui has been used in China and the Far East for over 6000 years although its knowledge was restricted to royalty and elite members of society. During the 1970s, practitioners brought Feng Shui to the west and it’s now available to everyone.
“Western Feng Shui is an ‘off the peg’ version which invites energy through a front door. The traditional compass method creates a bespoke plan unique to a house or apartment to identify areas of positive and negative energy, fine-tuning the ‘chi’ or ‘life force’ to support the occupants. With this knowledge, specific remedies can be placed to bring balance and harmony to the home and invite improved health, wealth, wisdom, and wellbeing as well has happier relationships with family, friends and significant others.”
Why is Feng Shui important at Halloween?
Suzanne said, “Halloween is very much a Western tradition dating back to the Samhain festival celebrated by the ancient Celts to recognise the beginning of winter. It was said that the dead walked at this time of the year and although Christianity spread through Europe, the old stories lived on and Halloween (All Hallows Eve) became the focus of the folklore rituals.
“In China and the Far East where Feng Shui originated, while Halloween doesn’t feature in their culture, there are many traditions associated with the dead and the spirits of ancestors. The most famous of these is the Hungry Ghosts festival which takes place in August as summer changes to autumn. The Chinese make offerings to feed and appease the ghosts.
“From a Feng Shui perspective, the focus is to promote positive energy within and surrounding a house while clearing any negative energy which can make life difficult for the occupants. It makes sense to avoid inviting bad vibes into any home and if they happen to creep in, to ensure the unpleasant energy doesn’t hang around after the Halloween celebrations.”
Six ways to feng shui your home this Halloween
1. Stay clear of black-coloured decorations, especially if you've been teary or had high emotions
In Feng Shui, black isn’t considered a colour and is, instead, seen as the absence of light. The colour should, therefore, be used in moderation when picking Halloween decorations for your home if you are planning to leave them in place for more than the night itself.
Suzanne confirmed this, “In traditional Feng Shui, the deep, dark colours (black included) are regarded as representing water energy and ‘too much water’ can trigger high levels of emotion, tears, and tantrums. It also extinguishes fire and vibrancy so long term use encourages dark feelings and low mood which may result in anxiety, depression or overwhelm. I’d, therefore, recommend using black and other very dark colours with extreme care, especially in rooms where you spend a lot of time.”
2. Restrict your use of orange-coloured candles, as they can impact your mood, anger, and stress levels
Displaying candles throughout your home can bring in the energy of purification, protection, and inspiration. As the candles are burned, they naturally help us relax as they slowly burn up stress and give us soothing energy.
Suzanne said, “However, fire energy should always be used with caution, and not just because of fire risk. Filling your home with firey energy from an orange-coloured candle, for any length of time can have a detrimental impact on mood, anger, stress levels and ultimately lead to burn out and exhaustion.
By all means incorporate orange candles for one night, but please don’t use them for more than a couple of days unless that area of your home needs a permanent fire Feng Shui remedy.”
You should also aim to choose candles that are made of more natural materials, such as clean-burning wax and cotton wicks, as this also helps reduce pollution and smoke damage in the home.
3. Decorate your front door to send positive energy to future guests but AVOID dried flowers
When decorating your home, place special emphasis on your front door. Naturally, this is one of the first things a guest sees when they visit your home, so it’s a great way to help create positive energy from the get-go. You could add a gorgeous autumnal wreath or place a Halloween-themed doormat down.
“Creating a welcoming and beautiful entrance to a home is excellent Feng Shui, although I’m always wary of using dried flowers anywhere in a home” Suzanne explains. “This is because they represent dead energy and tend to create stagnation (and spiders!) around them. If you’re creating an autumn themed wreath, try to incorporate symbols of new growth like berries and acorns to emphasise positivity and rebirth rather than decline.”
4. Place pumpkin lanterns and tealights around your home to ward off ghosts
Light is one of the most integral components of Feng Shui, due to it impacting how a room feels. This means that Halloween is the perfect opportunity to become playful by placing pumpkin-shaped lanterns and Halloween-themed tealights around your home.
Bright lights bring ‘yang’ or masculine energy into a home and ward off the dark ‘yin’ forces which, around the time of Halloween, would traditionally include the ghosts and spirits of the dead. Having fun with pumpkin lanterns means you’ll also encourage the ghosts to go elsewhere, but as with any flame, use with care and never leave them unattended.
5. Never place a mirror opposite your bed as it can cause nightmares, infedelity and insomnia
Many Feng Shui experts have shared that a mirror facing your bed can bring you nightmares. It is said that when a person sleeps at night, their soul leaves their body so when it is greeted by its reflection, it’s shocking. Subconsciously, this makes you more likely to have bad dreams and nightmares. This also shouldn’t be too surprising given that many horror movies, such as The Shining and Carrie, feature someone being scared by a mirror reflection.
In addition, the Feng Shui lore states that placing a mirror opposite your bed can cause both insomnia and increase the risk of infidelity. This is because a mirror doubles and bounces the energy in a room, disrupting your inner tranquillity which is essential for a good night’s sleep and may also invite the energy of a third person into your relationship. With this in mind, you should aim to place your bedroom mirror so you cannot see into it from the bed. Consider using a mirror to reflect your window if you have an attractive view so that the beautiful view is invited into your space, creating more harmonious and positive energy.
From a design perspective, this is also the best place for a mirror as it helps reflect the natural light from your window, creating a brighter room. The reflection may also make the outside look more enticing, encouraging you to leave your bed in the morning and head out for a walk.
6. Feeling stuck in life, missing an ex-partner, or struggling to relax? You should declutter under your bed
Did you know that the items you have stored under your bed can affect you while you’re asleep in a passive ‘yin’ state? This is because certain items underneath your bed may represent or create subconscious blocks in your life.
Suzanne shared some examples – “letters or cards from your ex-partner will keep you stuck in your current relationship status. Filing and tech will stop your mind from relaxing, luggage might keep you on the go and home can never quite feel like ‘home’. Shoes can leave you feeling restless as your subconscious is continuously moving.
“Ideally, it’s best to keep the space underneath a bed completely clear, but under-bed storage is often essential in today’s homes. With that in mind, only use this area of your home for spare bedding, towels and out of season clothes to minimise the impact on your sleep and wellbeing.”
You can also read more on how the Full Moon can impact your sleep, or even read up on our latest sleep hacks to help you fall asleep faster. Or, for your own bespoke Feng Shui report, you can contact Suzanne at Interiors Therapy.
