Your kitchen is the ‘soul of your home’, the tie that binds. It embodies all the ingredients to bring household members together – love, unity, patience and compassion. It is the space that both affects and is influenced by the maternal energy of the home; but – it can still be a powerful tool for everyone if you know how to use it. Just make sure you don’t burn your money away by positioning your stove in the wrong direction!
Did you know… According to the Eight Mansions (Eight Houses) and Flying star formulas, certain sectors of the house are deemed to be lucky and unlucky? Well, your kitchen is actually really useful for suppressing and dispelling ‘bad luck’ caused by certain flying star numbers or personal directions of bad fortune. If your kitchen is located in an ‘unlucky’ sector of your home, don’t worry, this could be a good thing as it will help to channel and dispel any negative effects on the household.
When considering Feng Shui and your environment you are always aiming to create harmony and balance between elements. There are two important elements in the kitchen: FIRE, represented by the stove; and; WATER, represented by the refrigerator and sink. Because of their incompatibility, you should always try to avoid placing your stove next to, or directly opposite, your sink or refrigerator. Where possible, place the stove and sink at least two feet away from each other. This will help by enhancing the barrier between the conflicting elements of water and fire.
To avoid the flow of negative energy, a stove should not directly face a toilet/bathroom door or be placed directly underneath a toilet/bathroom on the floor above. If possible, consider rearranging the layout of the kitchen to increase the physical distance between the stove and the door. Otherwise, introduce a visual barrier to distract attention from the alignment.
If your stove is facing a main entrance/doorway, toilet/bathroom door, or any bedroom door; try placing a screen or divider between the stove and the door to block direct sightlines. If your stove is directly under an exposed overhead beam, try hanging a decorative element such as a pendant light or a hanging plant, to visually reduce the impact of the beam.
The North West corner of a house always represents the paternal energy. It is also the place where ‘heaven energy’ pours into the home. Placing a stove in this sector is called “Fire at Heaven’s Gate” and brings bad luck to the breadwinner, causing the loss of employment & money, by fire! Never place your stove in this sector if you can help it. To remedy an existing layout, position the stove to face one of the patriarch’s favourable directions to energize it (check the Kua number of the patriarch or breadwinner of the family to determine their best directions). This also ensures the food cooked here will bring auspicious and favourable to the family.
PRO TIP: You can activate positive energy by ensuring your kitchen always has sufficient lighting, promoting a spacious and vibrant environment. Kitchens should also never be located in the middle of the home; is it better to be closer to the back than the front of the home.
UPDATED: April 25th, 2024.
