Every year, during Annual Update season, I advise clients on what to maintain or change regarding their entrances. After the bedroom, the entrance is the most important area to consider in its influence on occupants.
A common follow-up question from clients has to do with whether the remedy recommended should be placed in the house just inside the entrance or if the remedy was meant for the outside. As an example, if I were to recommend the fire element, clients want to know if a red entry mat outside the door is acceptable or if painting the outside of the door is correct.
In most cases, the remedies need to be INSIDE the house, not outside. The magnetic field which needs to be balanced is contained by the walls, flooring and ceiling. The boundaries of those directional areas inside the house are determined based on the dimensions of the exterior walls.
That said, there are a few circumstances where having a large amount of an element just outside an entrance or surrounding a house could influence the magnetic field inside. Case in point would be a pool very close to a part of the house. That much water, thousands of gallons, could affect the energies inside almost like having a fountain placed inside the room in question. So, while a certain color just outside your door on the porch might not affect the flying stars inside, something really substantial like a pool could.
When a room needs the metal element, clients have pondered whether iron bars or security doors would count for their metal requirement and the answer is usually no. Again, the metal element needs to be inside the space so that the air (qi) in the room can touch the surface of the metal.
There are many Feng Shui remedies for the outside spaces and landscaping; however, for annual influences regarding the elements, the most potent positioning of the element should be inside.
This is not to say that outside influences are not as strong as the interiors. Quite the opposite when it comes to very substantial influences. This can include large bodies of water, mountains, roads and highways, other buildings, and overwhelming influences which affect all our five senses.
Both inside and outside affect us, although in modern times we live and work mostly indoors. If a choice had to be made, I might say that interiors are more important, but that too would be a generalization. Almost anyone can attest that living with something obnoxious going on outside your home, even a noisy neighbor, could ruin your sense of well-being, even if your interiors are a haven.
Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®
From the Landscape and Exteriors Blog Series
