Feng Shui meaning: what it is and where to place Feng Shui items

Feng Shui means "wind and water" in Chinese. It is the Chinese practice of arranging a home or workplace so that chi flows well. Chi is the idea of life energy in Chinese thought, pictured moving through a room like a breeze or a stream. Feng Shui is a Chinese practice over a thousand years old, and people still use it every day.

Browse our Feng Shui items to see the wind chimes, lucky cats, brass dragons and water features we stock in the UK. Each one has a traditional meaning, and this guide explains them one by one.

Two big ideas sit underneath it all:

• Yin and yang: the Chinese idea of two opposite, linked forces, such as dark and light or still and moving. Feng Shui tradition aims for a balance of both in a room.
• The five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These are five phases in Chinese thought, each linked with colours, shapes and materials. Brass, for example, belongs to metal.

You will also meet the Bagua, an eight-sided symbol that maps eight areas of life, such as wealth, family and career. You see it on mirrors, charms and the Feng Shui Bagua Energy Disc (£12.49), a 2 x 4.5 cm brass spinner that joins the Bagua design with the yin-yang symbol.

Coins are another classic motif. In Feng Shui tradition, round Chinese coins are associated with wealth and prosperity. The Feng Shui Wealth Dice Rounded Spinner (from £9.99) carries Chinese coin motifs on every side, in 3.5 cm or a large 5.5 cm size, so it sits neatly on a desk or slips into a pocket.

The good news: you do not need to rebuild your house. Most people start small, with one item in one room.

Every classic Feng Shui item carries a traditional meaning. Here is what each one stands for:

• Wind chimes: traditionally associated with moving chi gently through a space with sound. Metal chimes belong to the metal element, bamboo chimes to wood.
• Lucky cat (maneki neko): a Japanese figure, not a Chinese one, but widely used alongside Feng Shui. It is traditionally placed in shops, its raised paw beckoning customers in, and is linked with good fortune in business.
• Dragon: a traditional Chinese symbol of strength and good fortune, often shown holding a ball or pearl.
• Wu lou gourd: a double gourd shape, traditionally a symbol of long life in Chinese culture.
• Elephants: popular in Feng Shui displays, traditionally associated with strength and good fortune.
• Coins and dice: round Chinese coin motifs, traditionally associated with wealth.
• Water features: in Feng Shui tradition, moving water is associated with the flow of chi and of prosperity.
• The Bagua: the eight-sided map of life areas, also used as a symbol in its own right.

Now for the pieces themselves. The Maneki Neko Lucky Money Cat (from £5.49) comes in seven styles, from a 12 cm solar powered cat to a 25.5 cm very large one, each with a waving left paw. The battery styles take AA or AAA batteries, not included.

The Feng Shui Brass Double Gourd Hanging (£15.99) is solid brass with an antique-style finish, topped with a dragon head and hung on a beaded cord with red coin-style inserts.

The Brass Elephant Figurines Set of 3 (£35.99) gives you three brass elephants from 4 cm to 5.5 cm tall: a neat little family for a shelf.

One thing to remember: these meanings come from tradition. They describe what an item stands for, not what it will do.

Placement in Feng Shui starts with the Bagua map. This is an eight-area grid laid over your floor plan, lined up with the front door. Each area matches a part of life, such as career, family or wealth. The wealth area is traditionally the far-left corner as you stand in the front door looking in.

Here are the traditional spots for the classic pieces:

• Wind chimes: near a door or window, where air moves and the chime can sound.
• Lucky cat: facing the front door, or near a till or desk, just as it sits in shops.
• Water features: near the entrance.
• Dragons: in the east of a room or home, in Feng Shui tradition.
• Coins and dice: in the wealth corner or on a desk.

The Brass Feng Shui Dragon with Ball (from £18.49) is handmade in brass, in Medium (27 x 11 cm) or Small (20 x 7 cm), so you can match it to a mantelpiece or a desk.

The Tabletop Water Feature (from £17.99) comes in six resin or polyresin styles, from 18 to 35 cm. The 18 cm Cascading Rock Formation has a pump, built-in lighting and flow rate control.

The Feng Shui Hanging God of Wealth (£20.49) shows Caishen, the God of Wealth, holding a wealth coin. Caishen is a figure of devotion in Chinese folk religion, so hang him with respect. Tradition places him near an entrance or a desk.

Two rules matter most:

• Keep the entrance clear and tidy. In Feng Shui, the front door is where chi enters the home.
• Place sacred figures with care. Statues of the Buddha belong at or above eye level, never on the floor or in a bathroom.

Choosing Feng Shui items is simpler than it looks. Ask four questions:

• Element: which of the five elements suits the room? Brass belongs to metal, bamboo to wood, water features to water.
• Material: brass for a warm, lasting look, bamboo for a natural feel, glass for colour.
• Size: a 12 cm cat suits a desk, while a 25.5 cm cat stands out on a shop counter.
• Room: tradition puts chimes by doors and windows, water near the entrance and dragons in the east.

For a wood-element chime, the Bamboo Wind Chime, Natural Finish (from £6.49) is handcrafted from sustainable bamboo in eight styles, from simple tube sets up to a Coconut Dragon design 115 cm high. It suits the garden or indoors.

For colour, the Recycled Glass Wind Chime, Three Stick (£39.49) uses recycled blue and green glass on wood and measures 30 x 70 cm.

Care is quick and easy:

• Brass: polish with a soft, dry cloth. Brass darkens naturally over time, and a gentle polish brings back the shine.
• Water features: clean them weekly and keep the water topped up, so the pump never runs dry. Keep cables tidy and out of reach of children and pets.
• Salt lamps: keep them dry. Salt draws in moisture, so avoid bathrooms and damp rooms.
• Wind chimes: dust them now and then. Bring outdoor chimes in during storms.
• Battery lucky cats: the battery compartment has no cover and no on/off button, because the paw is made to wave all the time. Keep it out of reach of small children.

Feng Shui sits happily alongside other traditions. Here is what pairs well:

• Crystals: in crystal lore, amethyst is linked with meditation and spiritual practice, and rose quartz with love and friendship. Read our amethyst meaning and rose quartz meaning guides, or browse our crystals.
• A selenite plate: a flat slab of selenite, a soft white crystal. Many people use one as a resting place for other crystals and charms.
• Salt lamps: the Crystal Rock Himalayan Salt Lamp (from £14.49) comes in four weights, from about 1.5 kg to about 10 kg, and three of them come with a base.
• Incense: many people burn incense as part of a cleansing ritual. Use a heatproof holder, keep a window open, and never leave it burning alone.
• Evil eye charms: a blue eye charm from Mediterranean tradition, often hung by the front door. Our evil eye meaning guide tells the story.

For a calm corner, the Buddha Feng Shui Set, Albasia Wood (from £43.99) pairs a 25 cm Buddha with a stand of 42.5 to 45 cm, in four designs. It is devotional and decorative art, and the stand keeps the figure raised, as tradition asks. For more spiritual art, see our world spirituality range.

Moving house? A wind chime, a set of brass elephants or a tabletop water feature makes a thoughtful housewarming gift, with a story behind it.

Ready to begin? Browse our Feng Shui items and choose one piece for your hallway today. Every order goes out with tracked UK delivery by Royal Mail or courier, and you have 14 days to return it if it is not right for your home.