Ah autumn, I do love you. I love you too summer, but by the time the blueberries ripen and the potatoes are ready to harvest I am a ready for a change.

I also love a routine. Those who know me, know that I am very, VERY organized. Being organized is a key aspect of the metal element and autumn is metal season. So maybe that’s why I love it so much!

The metal element is associated with letting go, of contracting and refinement. You can see the metal element at work in the fall as the plants start to die back to the earth and the trees lose their leaves. As I write this post I see that the once green stalks of the onion and garlic in our garden have shriveled up and turned brown, signaling to us that it’s time to harvest. And after we’ve harvested our garden, we will clean it up and prepare for next season.

The abundance of late summer gives way to the letting go of autumn. Don’t you find there is a lightness in the air in the fall? When the humidity lifts and the air becomes crisp, when you start to clean up your garden and home and get back into a routine you may feel more in control and at ease.

And not to be overlooked, the metal element is also associated with joy. It’s a time to celebrate the harvest and the fruits of your labour.  To take some time to relax and look at how far you’ve come.

To help embrace the onset of autumn, I’m sharing 5 feng shui tips that you might find useful:

• Clean up your front entry way.  Your front door is the way qi enters your home, but also opportunities and fortune. Sweep around your door and steps, clean up any planters you have and maybe even bring in some fresh flowers for fall. Give your door a wipe down with a clean cloth. If you want to paint your door, check out my blog post on door colours for some inspiration. Inside, organize the shoes and make sure there is room for the door to fully open and for people to move freely in and out.
• Declutter. Embrace the metal element and what’s happening in nature by taking some time to declutter. It can be a full room or maybe just a drawer in your kitchen. Start small if decluttering feels overwhelming. Make it fun by putting on some music or listening to a podcast while you do it. Enlist help from your family if you can. Letting go of items frees up space for new things but also new fresh energy. Don’t feel bad if you do have clutter, it’s the sign of a full life. But sometimes things can be a bit too full meaning there is no room for anything new.  
• Put your desk in command position. Back to work and school means more time at a desk. Putting your desk in command means that you can see all entry ways to the room you are in. If you can face the door(s), that is best. If you can’t then position a mirror so that you can see behind you to the ways someone can enter a room. Being in command helps you feel like you are in control of your work or schooling. You are not surprised or blind sighted by things ‘coming up behind’ you… literally and figuratively.
• Invite in the wood element to help give you a fresh start. Metal and wood work well together.  Embrace the metal element to declutter, organize and plan and then put those plans into action by using the characteristics of wood. Live houseplants, pictures of wood or nature scenes or the colours blue and green all help. Maybe add a new plant on your desk or in your office? For many, fall is a time to start something new, so give yourself that boost with wood.
• Embrace fire to warm the coolness of metal. In the cycle of the elements, fire melts metal. So if you are feeling like you need extra coziness as the temps drop, embrace the fire element. Bring in the colours red and orange or fire in the form of more candles or twinkle lights. There’s a reason why all things orange are popular in the fall, it helps transition from the warmth of summer to the coolness of fall. Embrace the change of colours and all things pumpkin.

When we start to notice the play of the elements in nature… their cycles and how they work together, we can use that knowledge to embrace them in our lives. Living in harmony with nature can increase or sense of ease and comfort in our daily lives. And isn’t that what we are all searching for?

I hope you enjoyed reading these tips… use them all or pick one that resonates the most with you. It’s not about doing it all but about doing things with intention.