As the summer ends, it's sometimes stress that enters households: kids go back to school, companies’ financial year end goals are set, physical and emotional stress can be prevalent since we typically leave our medical issues behind in the summertime. There's a strong pressure to "accomplish" in September.

Deadlines, thinking (vs. feeling), the “mental” all are of the Metal element. So is Autumn. Leaves start to fall, to reveal bare trees, and the metallic skies are more prominent.

It is the element of accomplishment and cleansing: the colors white and gray, round shapes, metallic objects, electronics are all metal representations.

Please take a second to look around you and tell me what you see. Do you notice the presence of the Metal element everywhere?

As for me, it's not a coincidence. The digital era has coincided with very white / gray aesthetics.
The Metal element is prevalent in city living. It’s not so prevalent in country living.

But while Metal is necessary, and cleansing, it is now more prevalent than ever, year round. Phones, Wifi everywhere, tall metallic buildings, cellphone towers, TVs, computers, white interiors, etc. How could we not feel burdened by the metal element since the end of the 90s and the turn of the 21st century?

The preservatives in our food and beauty products are metallic (lead, copper, aluminum, etc.). The simplest processed foods such as pasta have a likelihood of containing aluminum. Our vaccines have undue amounts of metal in them (aluminum for example). Fish are full of metal (cadmium, lead, mercury), teeth fillings are full of mercury. Our houses and workplaces are 24/7 connected with Wifi, and constantly acting in the background.

Just as a comparison, what do you associate the 60s and 70s with? Wood. No doubt. Flower power (wood), brown, midcentury furniture, straight vertical shapes, columns, long straight hair, a strong connection to nature. The Wood element relates to growth and expansion of the mind, having options.
Wood provides the strength to expand and experience more things, a questioning of the establishment, but also, a lack of a clear direction, which the Metal element provides.

The Metal element provides a direction, a cleansing of sorts, but can also create a lack of empathy, a lack of meaning, a lack of spirituality.

If you feel overpowered by the Metal element, like I often do, what can you do in terms of Feng Shui terms?

You can start by avoiding electronics and TV when not absolutely necessary. You can also unplug your Wifi before going to bed.

What about in terms of adjusting your interior decor?

You can do these two things:

You can use the reducing element : Water (use black, dark blues, actual water with water features, sinuous and asymmetrical shapes, mirrors).
You can also use the controlling element : Fire. Fire can be found in reds, oranges, burgundy, the triangular or pointed shapes, animal skins, portraits of people and animals.

Incorporating these changes will have an immediate effect on your home Feng Shui and will translate into more flexibility (water) and more warmth (fire).

Since Metal also triggers anxiety, discord and stress in houses, avoid crisp white as a wall color, and try to prefer earthy tones like off-white. In bedrooms especially, only skin tones should be used (brown, pink, cream, etc.)

As far as cleansing your body, sweating and infrared saunas will definitely help burning toxins (fire), swimming, spas and drinking lots of water will also reduce Metal toxicity (water).

Many tests now exist, so you can ask your trusted doctor or naturopath if you have aluminum toxicity as a good starting point.

Do not hesitate to book a consultation with me. I consult remotely.

Many blessings,

Marianne

PS: Metal also rules the colon, so doing a colon hydrotherapy might help detoxify too… It is not a “fun” thing to do, but I can say it has changed my life.