Australian Opal

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese method to balance the constantly changing forces of the natural world and to create peace, harmony and prosperity in your home and family. The ancient Chinese divided the universe into five elements: water, fire, wood, metal and earth. Each element embodies one of the basic energies that shape all events and processes. If the energies of the world flow well within your home, it will result in a relaxing but energizing space, which is at once welcoming and calming. As part of this method, gemstones can be used to help to balance the energy of your home.

Natural Peridot

Gemstones are perfect for Feng Shui work because they are formed through the powerful dynamic processes of nature. As a result, gemstones embody the energy of the elements that are central to feng shui. Depending on how particular gemstones are created, they contain specific elemental energies. For example, peridot or obsidian invoke fire because both are formed as a by product of volcanic action, or in the case of peridot, even from a fiery meteor.

Traditional Feng Shui positions these five elements, or objects that represent them, in a particular location in order to balance the elemental energies. In gemstone feng shui, gemstones and crystals are used in place of other objects.

To apply gemstone energy to your environment, you can use the Feng Shui tool known as the Lo Shu grid, or Magic Square, which divides space into nine sections or directions. Each square represents certain attributes and associations, as follows:

To use the Magic Square, you should make a drawing of the floor plan of your house or the room where you want to perform feng shui. Make sure you know the direction of north, then orient your floor plan in the correct direction. Next, draw a Magic Square grid over your floor plan with the middle row of squares oriented north and south, and with the center square in the center of your floor plan.

Brazilian Andalusite

Using this as a guide, you can determine in what area of a room, or your house, you should invoke particular elemental energy. To do so, simply place one of your gemstones in the corresponding sector.

For example, to improve the progress of your career, put some opal or a pearl in the "North" square of the grid. You can feature the stones, or disguise them; they can be put in corners, taped onto skirting boards, suspended from the ceiling or displayed on tables or shelves. Regardless of where they are placed, you may be surprised, and pleased, by the power of these elemental gemstones to improve the ambience of your home, as well as the progress of your life.