Having House Plants May Bring You Luck In the Year of the Metal Ox, According to a Feng Shui Consultant

The incoming Lunar New Year is a great time to take stock of the flow of energies in your home, especially if you feel that there are parts of your space (and your life) that have become stagnant. To help you welcome the Year of the Metal Ox, we reached out to Mr. Paul Tan Caoili, a life coach and Feng Shui consultant, to find out how to create new beginnings and find balance in personal spaces.

 Real Living: How do we get rid of stagnant and negative energy?

Paul Tan Caoili:  We should remove and discard of things that do not serve our greatest good anymore , such as old reading materials like books, magazines, or newspapers that have been piled up collecting dust. Broken pieces, or broken furniture or home accessories and appliances, [as well as] clothes and other personal belongings of which we haven’t been used in six months or more should all be cleared and disposed of as this causes stagnation of energy or Chi . Either throw them away or donate them to charity. 

Real Living: What are the lucky colors is are encouraged to use in the Year of the Ox?

Paul Tan Caoili: As the four pillar chart of this year’s 2021 Metal Ox lacks the Elements of Fire, Earth, and Wood, it is advisable to incorporate these three elements within our living spaces, by using the colors that symbolises them.  

The Red color that symbolises the element of Fire, [and] bears the strongest Yang of the color spectrum. Using this in our homes and work places, and even personal items, would draw in a lot of Auspicious Wealth Luck. Incorporating scented candles, burning incense, and using oil burners would also work very well.  

Yellow represents the element of Earth and wearing or using any of its shades this year will bring respect and authoritative power to one’s self. Displaying natural crystals within the living room also imbibes this element. Using  yellow-coloured stones such as amber, citrine, and yellow sapphires can also tap on the benefits of the Earth Element for this year.

Green, in all its shades, represents the Wooden element for growth, signifying Ingenuity and Great Foresight. So using this color could exponentially increase and expand any form of business endeavor or project to a very favourable outcome akin to the lucky numbers 168, meaning "On my way to the top." Using Green colored crystals or jewelry with green colored gems this year imbibes the energy of the Wooden element for 2021. Again, incorporating house plants into your home or working area does this as well.

Real Living: How do you invite love and luck into the home?

Paul Tan Caoili: The Peach blossom luck star  is strong for this year as it resides in the East which is a Wooden sector. This occurrence makes the energy for people who are singles or those looking for a special someone have the greatest possibilities of gaining passionate love and romance. You do this by enhancing and fortifying the East sector of your home. Use certain decors which are in pairs or always in two, putting plants such as blooming African Violets, Gloxinias, Orchids in pairs to bring forth luck in love, commitment, and marriage. 

On a final note: to attract Auspicious and Good Luck this year, burn incense, white sage smudging sticks. Use fragrant oil burners or diffusers. Use very fragrant candles [as these] work very well too. Keep everything in the home properly cleaned and organised, anb always pray intently and fervently for Divine Providence and Protection.