We all know that the arrangement of furniture within your home can change the energy you surround yourself with – one misplaced sofa can totally throw off the harmony, or Feng Shui, of the space. But have you ever considered that where you place your Christmas tree might influence the amount of luck your home attracts?
As the holiday season fast approaches and decorations are underway, it may be worth factoring in how your festive decor, and specifically your Christmas tree’s placement, can bring the intended energies into your home.
“Feng Shui is an art centered around balance, getting prepared for the holidays is no different — it requires balance,” says Abby Magill Henry, Feng Shui consultant at Abby Lane Design. Feng Shui is calculated using the map of Bagua, and is based on five elements you may wish to bring into your home. There may be areas of your life you feel lacking in, or things you might want to enhance. Either way, this is one way to create as harmonious a festive season as possible – and might just stand you in good stead for the new year too if you get your Christmas Feng Shui right.
To help you master your energy flow this season, we’ve consulted some experts in Feng Shui for guidance on where you should (and also importantly, shouldn’t) place your Christmas tree this season.
Why should I position my Christmas tree in accordance with Feng Shui?
“Each ‘life area’ on the map is like an energy meridian,” explains Amanda Gibby Peters of Simple Shui. “We can approach these different areas as opportunities to improve that area of our lives by deliberately adding, changing or physically shifting something in that space.”
Each of these meridians responds differently to specific elements and metaphors. Christmas trees represent the Wood Element, making it a particularly fertile opportunity to enhance change within your home.
“Wood represents a new beginning, breaking new ground and the start of something,” says Abby Magill Henry. “This is lovely metaphor this time of year as we usually look inward in Winter, most of us can use a little coaxing toward starting something new.”
While the best placement for a Christmas tree depends on the individual, their goals and needs, and how they can work with their unique home layout, both experts recommend aiming to place your tree in the Family, Fame or Wealth life areas of your home.
Placing a tree in the Family and New Beginnings area can help you to live in the present moment, says Abby. “This is a lovely symbol for this time of year, enjoying the season and being in it without rushing through it.”
The Wealth and Abundance area, meanwhile “could speak to growth of abundance, gratitude and wealth in all forms,” Abby says. This doesn’t necessarily mean financial abundance, but can also include health and family connections.
Unlike the first two life areas which respond well to the Wood Element, the Fame and Reputation sector works well with the Fire element – represented by the twinkling lights and colorful ornaments of your Christmas decorating ideas. “Placing a tree here can symbolize a heightened awareness in our place in our family, society, our career and beyond. This area is about visibility in the world and a nice bright tree can help us shine bright too,” explains Abby.
Amanda agrees, saying: “Fire is the element associated with visibility, recognition and holding people’s interests, so a little attention here can get the spotlight on you!”
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Lean into the natural inspiration of the Wood Element with these eco-friendly bird feed mini ornaments
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This pine garland brings bushy verdant greenery into your decor, and comes fulled kitted out with twinkly lights and decorative connifers
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This mushroom garland brings a whimsical, original approach to Christmas decor
How can I energy map my home?
To reap the benefits of these different life areas, the first step is to figure out where each life area falls in your home, by using an energy map.
“There are two ways we can energy map your home,” explains Amanda. The first approach is via BTB Feng Shui, and it orients the Feng Shui map (known as the Bagua) off the front door.
The way to figure this out, according to Amanda, is to: “Imagine your home being divided into a tic-tac-toe board of 9 equal squares (or rectangles). Standing at your front door looking into the home, your Family area is the far left-side middle square; the Wealth area is the back left-hand square; and your Fame area is the back middle square.”
You can also use a Compass Feng Shui reading to map your home. In this reading, “your Family area is located in the East; the Wealth area ‘lives’ in the Southeast area of your home; and your Fame area resides in the South,” says Amanda.
Where is the best place for a Christmas tree to be placed according to Feng Shui?
With all of the above considered, there is still the question of whether to put your tree in an area which gets a lot of use, or keep it more ornamental by placing your tree in a room used for more special occasions.
“I will almost always advocate for the tree to be placed in a room where it will be appreciated and gathered around,” says Amanda. “A central room makes sense since everyone is already comfortable and naturally drawn to this space.” It's a great case for your living room Feng Shui to keep a tree in there, for example.
“I love the look of a tree in the middle of a room or in the middle of the home,” agrees Abby. “It asserts influence on the whole house by being in the center and brings a bit of Fire and Wood energy everywhere.”
However, an unused room can also represent an area of your life which might need a little more attention. “Seize the moment and bring the tree in!” Amanda says. “It will not only brighten the space and wake the room ‘up’, but it will also elevate the energy in that part of your life and ‘attract’ some new attention your way.”
Can a Christmas tree’s decorations also influence Feng Shui?
Feng Shui doesn’t stop at the tree’s placement: lean further into Feng Shui principles by choosing decorations which further enhance the chosen life area.
“Something really magical happens over the holiday decorating season – people give themselves unapologetic permission to be creatively expressive,” says Amanda. “And in that expression, they ‘give’ their homes and lives what they might need more of in their lives.”
Energy meridians respond well to certain colors – decorating with this in mind can help to harmonize with these life areas. For instance, according to Amanda, “the Family area appreciates the color green, while the Wealth area adores those rich, regal colors often associated with holiday décor – like red, gold, silver, and green.” With your map in hand, this can help you plan out some living room Feng Shui colors.
When decorating in accordance with the Fame area, honor its appreciation of Fire energy by decorating with warm red, orange and gold ornaments. Decorating in these colors and twinkling lights “really ‘light up’ the energy of this space in your home (and life!)” says Amanda.
These sparkly gold and silver tree ornaments add a touch of the regal colors adored by the Wealth area
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Indulge the fire-colored decor loved by the Fame area with red decorations like this bow
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These green velvet ornaments represent the green color loved by the Wealth and Family areas
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FAQs
Is a real or synthetic tree better for Feng Shui?
While real trees bring in the best Chi, Abby concedes, the most important thing is intention. “Whatever type of tree is the most environmentally friendly is truly the best option. If a faux tree is reused year after year it can be a great option,” she advises.
There’s also no strict script about what ‘counts’ as a tree – “A tree made of lights, a tree drawn on the wall or a mini tree made of donuts - they all bring the same intention and so bring the same energy,” Abby adds. So don’t fret if you can’t make it to the tree farm this year!
What problems can bad Feng Shui from a Christmas tree cause?
Feng Shui is mostly understood in metaphors, explains Amanda. “If you had a live tree that starts to die (struggle) or a strand of lights that completely burn out (feeling burned out), it ‘might’ suggest you share that sense of struggle or notice less ‘energetic wattage’ in that area of your life,” she explains.
How can I continue to use Feng Shui after the holidays?
To avoid the customary post-holiday flatness once everything is packed away, Abby recommends introducing some decorative elements to preserve the elements you’ve brought into your home over the festive period.
Abby recommends adding extra lights to maintain the extra brightness which festive twinkle lights brought into your home, or adding new indoor plants – “when the tree leaves consider a few new plants in its place to keep that Wood energy thriving,” she suggests.
