Metal element in Feng Shui relates to physical metal like gold, silver, iron, aluminium etc. This can be large structures like iron bridges or smaller items like metal chandeliers or candlesticks for example. On a personal level you can increase Metal element if you need to by wearing more gold or silver jewellery. 

Metal is also associated with the large intestine (yang) and lungs (yin) and the emotions of sadness and optimism. Quite often if someone has blocked metal energy they have a tendency to be sad and distant and very messy and disorganised. The opposite of this is being optimistic and organised and having clarity around life goals. 

Metal is expressed by the colours of white and metallic silver and metallic gold, not really copper and certainly not metallic red or metallic blue for example.  Incorporating these colours in your wardrobe or interiors will bring some of the metal vibration. 

Arches and circles express the metal element. The Taj Mahal in India or St Paul's Cathedral in London is a classic domed structure that has metal Feng Shui energy. Metal shaped hills in the landscape around your home or office are those which are domed or rounded. 

The compass direction related to Metal is the West and Northwest. This can be the Westerly and Northwesterly parts of your house and the West or Northwest of a city, or of a country. Cities like London have more metal element in general than the countryside. 

Let's imagine you wear white all the time and live in a home that is predominantly white with lots of metal and is West facing and you sleep in an Northwest facing bedroom and you spend most of your day in the West facing study which is painted metallic gold and has lots of metal objects in it,  you are likely going to start feeling pretty unbalanced and possibly even a little sad and possibly even a bit OCD (the complete extreme of messy) and even a little isolated.   

Of course, not everyone is going to be this extreme but it does happen, and it can easily happen when there has been no consideration of the feng shui readings at a property. Many people move into a new home without considering the feng shui energy, and paint throughout in the wrong colours just because it is a latest fad or they just like the style of it (fair enough). While I LOVE supporting you to express your unique sense of style, I also believe it is best to work within the feng shui framework and guidance. 

It is a myth to that you need all five elements in every room. This is not how feng shui works. That being said, all the different elements interact with each other and if you also have too much Earth, then you are strengthening the metal influence as earth supports metal. 

There are special form horoscope charts, such as Western Metal chart or Metal Armour chart, which have really strong Metal influence, meaning that you are a Metal Day Master or Metal Self Element born in a Metal month and a Metal year, for example, so you already have a lot of Metal energy in your blueprint. These types of charts can be a blessing or a bit of a disadvantage if you don't learn how to make the most of its unique power.  

Are you getting a fuller picture of how intricate and multi-layered this whole wisdom system is? Hard to do self-help feng shui without getting confused, right?! ;) 

I hope you have found this informative. 

In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out if you have a feng shui consultation or interior design or architecture project to discuss or want a Chinese Horoscope reading. 

Kindest, Sarah x