The feng shui metal element relates to productivity, simplifying, organizing, minimalism, logic, and clarity.
It is responsible for things like planning and completing projects, focusing your mind, and creating a clean slate.
When you think about the simplicity of metal, how it can be cut and molded with precision, and that most metal objects are strong and refined, you can see how those characteristics translate to the element.
Harnessing the metal element in your home can help you simplify your life, clear mental fog, and create organization out of chaos.
It helps you clear your mind so you can access creative thinking and take advantage of new opportunities that come your way.
Whenever you feel the need to declutter and organize in order to get things done, you’re thinking of the metal element!
Metal energy can help you create a framework for your life that enhances creativity and playfulness, as well as call in help from benefactors and supportive people in your life.
It can help you cut through confusion and move forward with clarity.
Metal energy gives you the power to create structure, boundaries, and take control of your life.
Feng Shui Metal Element Colors
White
White is crisp, clean, and pure. It is the blank canvas everything else is painted upon.
It represents clarity and simplicity.
The color white means new beginnings, cleanliness, purity, and innocence.
Gray
Gray is the color of knowledge and perception.
It represents control, neutrality, and stabilizing energy.
Gray is timeless and is associated with wisdom and reliability.
The meaning of the color gray is practical, formal, mature, and compromise.
Metallic
All metallic colors represent the metal element.
Bronze, gold, silver, chrome, brass, copper, and nickel are all commonly used metals in home design and decor.
Metallic colors represent success, wealth, prosperity, optimism, and taking action.
They also represent reflection, strength, and achievement!
Metal Element Shapes
The shape associated with the metal element is the circle.
For example:
- Circles
- Rounded edges
- Spheres
- Polka dots
Feng Shui Metal Element Items
Metal element items are simple and structured.
Some examples of metal element items:
- Round coffee tables, end tables, or dining tables
- Spheres
- Circular lamp shades
- Round vases
- Items made of metal, like light fixtures or door handles
- Metal decor items, like lamps, flower pots, vases, dishes, and utensils
- Coins
- Jewelry
- Globes
- Circular mirrors or picture frames
- Metal element crystals
- Artwork with circles
- Artwork with white, grays, or metallic colors
Metal Element Artwork
- Art with circles
- Modern art with clean lines and shapes
- Art in greys, whites, or metallic colors
Feng Shui Metal Element and the Bagua Map
The areas of the bagua associated with the metal element are: children and creativity, and travel and helpful people.
Adding metal to these areas can help you with: clarity, creativity, joy, playfulness, connection with your children and others, calling in helpful people, and creating safer travel.
Metal magnetizes these areas and helps you manifest more productivity and success, while activating help from the universe!
You can also stir up metal energy in all areas by creating space, organizing, and decluttering!
The Metal Element and the Element Cycle
In the 5 element cycle, the metal element feeds and nourishes the feng shui water element.
Adding metal elements to the water area of the bagua will feed and strengthen their energy.
The water element area of the bagua is the career area.
Adding metal items to your home’s career area, to your home office or desk, and even your workplace will nourish and energize your career.
Metal elements also attract business opportunities and success, so add them to your place of business, too!
In turn, the metal element is fed and strengthened by the feng shui earth element.
Adding earth element items to the metal areas will give them a boost and help them grow!
Earth provides stability and grounding properties, giving the metal element properties a firm foundation.
The Metal Element and the Destructive Cycle
In the destructive element cycle, the metal element is destroyed by the feng shui fire element (fire melts metal.)
Adding too many fire element items to the metal areas of the bagua can cause energy to move too quickly and be unsustainable.
In addition, the metal element destroys the feng shui wood element (metal cuts wood.)
Adding too much metal to wood areas of the bagua cuts the energy off at the knees, so to speak.
It can inhibit growth and forward momentum.
The wood element areas of the bagua are the family and legacy area, and the wealth area.
Adding a little metal here is always good (balance is the underlying philosophy of the element cycle!) but too much will cause stagnation and frustration.
The Metal Element Personality
The five elements can also be attributed to different personality traits and characteristics.
Depending on what school of feng shui you practice, you can also have a personal element associated with your birthday and personal direction.
In Western feng shui, however, the metal element represents characteristics within your life and personality, and what you are currently drawn to in the moment.
This can shift over time, depending on how energy is flowing and what is going on in your life and home.
Metal Element Characteristics Are:
Ambitious
Strong
Forceful
Decisive
Clear
Takes Action
Organized
Meticulous
Can be set in their ways
Can be unemotional or cold
Can be isolated
To balance the metal element, you can bring in more water element items, which will start to use up the metal energy and create more flow.
You can also bring in earth element items, which will cause more stability and break up the energy.
Metal is more of a Yin energy (receptive, quiet) so you can also do more Yang activities, like:
- Exercise / physical activity
- Physical labor
- Socializing with others
- Eating spicy foods
- Wearing more colorful clothes
Or earth activities, like:
- Grounding
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Gardening
These things will get you out of your head and into your body, which is always a good thing!
Feng Shui Metal Element Q & A
What is the metal element direction?
While western feng shui does not deal with directions, if you study other schools of feng shui, the metal element directions are west and northwest.
What happens if you have too much metal element?
If the metal element is unbalanced, you can feel like you are thinking too much.
You can feel anxious, controlling, or forceful. Too much of the metal element can make things feel cold and constrictive, like you don’t really want to touch anything or do anything.
Think about how you feel in a modern or minimalistic space, where there isn’t any warmth or cozy place to sit – it feels cold, sterile, and like there’s “nothing to do.”
While minimalistic/metal element spaces can be blank canvasses for creativity and inspiration, there can be too much of a good thing!
Of course, not enough of the metal element will also feel unbalanced.
Spaces without enough metal element items can be confusing, chaotic, cluttered, and make you feel smothered or like there’s too much going on.
It can be hard to focus or know what to do next, leading to feelings of indecisiveness or brain fog.
This is why when you sit down to study or work you can suddenly feel the need to declutter or clean.
You are being drawn instinctively to the metal element!
Now that you know how to activate and balance the feng shui metal element, you might also want to know about:
The rest of the feng shui elements:
- Feng Shui Fire Element
- Feng Shui Water Element
- Feng Shui Earth Element
- Feng Shui Wood Element
- Feng Shui Metal Element Crystals
