No matter how strong-minded, intelligent and educated one may be, if you’re looking for new ways and outstanding solutions you definitely need some creativity too! I’m absolutely certain that each and everyone can be creative – or did you ever met a child, that didn’t know how to play?

The question is not ‘if’ it’s ‘how’. How can we reactivate and bring this power back into our life.

The bagua for creativity and children is located in the West or in the right side area of your home. It represents the element metal, the color white, round shapes and the pungent taste. Also connected to this direction is the autumn, the afternoon, the age and the tiger, especially the white tiger of the West. 

The correlating trigram is Dui. Dui translates with bog or lake and stands for a kind of cosmic ocean, the source of life. It embodies a creative, cheerful and vivid way of life. Together with the power of the tiger this results in a somehow unpredictable and instinctive, yet powerful, pleasure-loving and very satisfying energy. In Feng Shui the tiger is placed opposite to the dragon. Its wild nature is difficult to control, therefore you should always make sure that the dragon retains the upper hand – together they are unbeatable.

Attention: First care about the basic energy and structure of your Bagua zones. The qi must flow freely before you can start planing measures for individual life areas. Install one Feng Shui vehicle or symbol after the other and give it some time to unfold its impact before going on to the next stage. 

A Creative Playground!

Whether you have a real desire to have children, or you concoct other creative projects doesn’t make any difference to this quadrant: here is the place to generate, receive and bring it to life. Any kind of change, upheaval, spontaneity, playfulness and imagination in your life has its origin in the Bagua life area n° 7. As well as the joy this all may bring into your life. This also includes your sex life. If you have an artistic profession, or you pursue a creative hobby, this is the most suitable room for your development. Apart from that your children will enjoy the liberating and inspiring force in this life area. 

Metal is the most difficult of the five phases to understand for Western people. Because we immediately think about something cold, rigid, inanimate and valuable; not about a lively and dynamic principle. In Asian traditions metal represents the transition from earth to water – this energy is ripe, condensed and directed inward. Metals are the precious minerals found deep within the earth, they nourish our water and provide us with necessary nutrients. These little components are essential to us – one can say, that this alchemical process is essential to life and existence in general. It provides structure and organization, tends to connect and relate, yet it is flexible and creative too – it’s literally the stardust our universe is made of.

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Easy Metal Element Decorating Tips:

Use white, gray, pastels and metallic colors like silver and gold, combined with round, circular shapes. The element metal is nourished by earth, so you can complement your look using yellow, natural colors and square shapes.

The Chinese character for metal (金 = jīn) simultaneously translates with gold – so it’s no big a surprise the element is connected with wealth and golden items. There’s no need in transforming your home into a jewelry store though, there are less obvious possibilities to attract metal energies and prosperity. In addition it would be a pity to reduce the element to that single quality and to ignore the motherly, supporting, nourishing and creative aspects it offers. 

Decorate with round, metal objects, such as bowls, pots and vases or metal sculptures, preferably related to joy and play – this can be a tiger or a cat, but doesn’t necessarily have to be – how a bout some playful old metal toys?

In Feng Shui metal is always associated with bonds (chemical, personal and emotional ones). There are two life areas related to this element within the Bagua square. This one and also the Northwest area, which is connected to helpful friends and travel.

In Asia the West is inseparably connected with the symbolism of the tiger, known for its wildness, creativity, intuition, foresight, sensitivity, motherliness and unconditional love. In China you can often see depictions of tigers on door jambs and graves – guarding the house or a final resting place. It is told, that the tiger even expels demons, therefore justly seen as a symbol for bravery as well.

Some More Tips, Charms And Ideas:

If you want to make use of this lively and imaginative energy, you should definitely pay attention to the seventh quadrant. Design these rooms with plenty of light, round shapes, original Furniture and decorative objects to create a playful, stimulating and unusual atmosphere.

White and light colors suit best for this Bagua area, combined with earth tones and yellow. 

If you don’t have the possibility to devote an entire room to the subject of this quadrant, you should stimulate the corresponding zones in the other rooms instead. It would be a pity not to benefit fully from this inspiring and creative power! These areas are ideal to place any kind of art work (especially made out of metal), for toys, bells, bouquets or stereos and other consumer electronics. In your office, this area is the perfect place for an inspiration board. Staple everything that makes you happy and stimulates you on a board and get inspired every day!

Things To Avoid:

Avoid big metal boxes or cases – they could evoke that something is locked or hidden – in the worst case they keep your creativity and your lively spirit under lock. The same is true for designs or structures that look like a fence or a metal cage. So no bird’s gage in this area!

And of course: No arms!

No fire and water representations! Fire melts the metal and water will corrode it, so don’t use lots of blues, reds and triangular shapes.

Popular Symbols For This Area:

It’s always good to find personal, symbolic pictures or objects to decorate and boost a specific life area. Your own, positive relation to the piece/symbol can be very helpful! On the other hand, you have to keep in mind, that the cycle of the five phases retains its validity and that also personal symbols have to support the basic concept of the area. 

Browsing the web you will literally find tons of Feng Shui charms and symbols for your purpose, in any size, style and quality. The following examples from my catalogue do fit well to the creativity and children area as well.

Chrysanthemum

In China, the chrysanthemum is one of the Four Noble Ones (the others being plum blossom, orchid, and bamboo). As such it represents the fall and is extremely popular. The plant is grown there for more than 1700 years and well known as a symbol of courage (because of its flowering time in the cool autumn). Its name Jú is auditory similar to the word “stay”; therefore the chrysanthemum is also a common symbol for duration and longevity. Other attributions are modesty, nobility and eternal love. 

During the 15th century the flowering plant was brought to Japan, where now it is regarded as the national plant. Finally, in the 18th century, the chrysanthemum found its way to Europe and became very popular, just to defray its existence as a graveyard flower during the last decades.

In the West of your apartment the chrysanthemum feels home and can develop its whole potential, but the beauty can brighten up any room. If you want to take advantage of the longevity aspect of this symbol, you should beautify your health-corner with a chrysanthemum image. To bring about eternal love you best place the symbol in the according corner of your house or in the bedroom.

Toys

The symbolic meaning of a toy is obvious: it’s made to play, so let’s play! According your specific needs or wishes you can vary the kind of toy. A doll will inspire you in another way than a clown, a stuffed animal or some lego bricks. Be as personal as possible and use your imagination and intuition! An example: you want to explore your artistic, painterly talents in a playful way. How about placing a little figurine of Barbabo (the black, hairy and sensitive artist from the Barbapapa family)?

Egg

Since the earliest times the egg serves as a symbol – in addition to its biological aspect and its importance as a food. Especially in the form of the world egg it is of fundamental importance. Formally, the egg is an oval; symbolically, it is a close relative of the circle. In many religions and myths around the world, the egg was considered to be a symbol of becoming and creation, due to the bursting of the shell and the new life it brings. The diversity of the cosmos unfolded from a single germinal. 

In many different creation myths (including Indian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Scandinavian and African myths) the world egg was the egg from which the world, the universe or some kind of primordial deity hatched into life existence. It represents infinite, creative power and the feminine, fertile principle. So the egg became the epitome of fertility, spring and new beginnings and a central symbol for the cosmic, human and divine birth (or rebirth). Not only in Egyptian temples, Mohammedan mosques and Christian churches people are decorating with colorful eggs in springtime  – it is almost a global phenomenon.

The symbolism of the egg is so “charged” worldwide, that it would be a pity to use it as an Easter decoration only. Whatever, wherever you want to bring something into live, the egg is a perfect representative!

White Tiger Of The West

The white tiger of the West is one of the five heavenly beasts (constellation), a fundamental symbol in Taoist cosmology representing the element metal, West, fall, harvest,  afternoon, creativity and the colors white, gray, silver and gold. 

Other than its powerful appearance may suggest at the first sight, the tiger represents a feminine energy (Yin) and embodies the polar opposite to the male dragon in the East! She’s the queen of this life area and very powerful.

> Learn more about the Five Heavenly Beasts

Note! Using suitable Feng Shui charms and symbols can harmonize and strengthen Bagua life areas, but can’t replace a energetic Feng Shui consultant, of course. For more complex and individual solutions it’s always worth to invest in a pro!

Curious about other Bagua life areas?

> Career and Life Journey (1)
> Love and Relationships (2)
> Health and Family (3)
> Wealth and Prosperity (4)
> Wholeness and Spirituality (5)
> Helpful Friends and Travel (6)
> Knowledge and Wisdom (8)
> Fame and Recognition (9)