The Chinese New Year is about welcoming abundance, prosperity and good fortune into your life. In Chinese culture, the beginning of the new year is the perfect time to align our energies with our space we live in to enhance our blessings and luck.
This is where Feng Shui comes in and can help elevate our environment and create spaces that nurture and nourish ourselves in terms of health, wealth, relationships and personal growth.
As we welcome the Year of The Fire Horse, two experts – Feng Shui expert Gayle Swaffield and Chinese medicine practitioner Katie Brindle – weigh in on Feng Shui rituals we can try and how they help us step forward into the new year on our best foot.
To start, we asked Gayle Swaffield the basic principles of how Feng Shui can elevate your space. She explains that it’s about “aligning it with how you want to live, feel, and move through your days.”
She adds, “It’s about understanding how energy flows through a home or workplace and making intentional adjustments so that flow is supportive rather than draining. When a space is balanced, light, calm, and thoughtfully arranged, it naturally supports clarity, focus, rest, and opportunity.”
But where do we start if we’re never done it before? Swaffield reassures anyone can start incorporating Feng Shui practices into their lives and that being new to the practice shouldn’t deter you.
She says, “If you’re new to Feng Shui, the most important thing to know is that you don’t need to understand complex formulas or directions to begin. Feng Shui starts with awareness and intention and noticing how your space makes you feel and making small supportive adjustments.”
Katie Brindle further details how we can apply Feng Shui rituals to the Chinese New Year. She explains that the front door holds a lot of meaning in Chinese culture and is called the “Main Gate of Qi” and is thought to be the place where good luck and wealth arrives.
Swaffield also reminds us to make sure our front entrance clean, well-lit, and welcoming, suggesting that we even try to replace old door mats or fix any squeaky doors.
Avoid trying impulsive Feng Shui fixes or copying trends without understanding their relevance to your home – Gayle Swaffield
Brindle further suggests trying one simple yet impactful ritual to begin the new year in a bright and positive way. She says, “Opening your front door symbolizes inviting blessings, wealth, and new opportunities for the year ahead. It also represents letting go of the old year and starting fresh with hope and happiness,” adding that we can also customise our front doors with auspicious items such red ribbons or the the 福 character which means “fortune” or “blessing.”
When it comes to letting go, Swaffield also suggests cutting out anything that heavy and unfinished in our lives. This could be as simple as ” finishing up paperwork you’ve been avoiding, clearing items you no longer use or that hold old emotional weight,” and with such a simple decluttering what you’ll notice is a shift in energy.
She explains, “In Feng Shui, clutter represents and holds on to stuck energy and when you release it, you make room for fresh opportunities to enter,” further adding, With the the Year of the Horse carrying fast, dynamic energy, cluttering your life with too many intentions can also lead to burnout and frustration. Instead, make sure prosperity is supported by clarity, intuitive movement, and conscious direction.”
“In Mandarin and Cantonese, the word for orange sounds similar to words meaning “fortune” and “gold,” so they’re seen as an auspicious fruit – Katie Brindle
In line with decluttering your energy and space, Swaffield also notes her personal favourite ritual at the start of a new year includes keeping the back door open at the same time as the front door.
If the front door symbolises the place where good luck arrives, opening the back door is meant to gently usher out what’s no longer needed. She adds, “Symbolically, this creates a clear pathway for renewal — welcoming in the new year’s energy while releasing anything that feels heavy or complete.”
Brindle also adds one of her personal rituals involving the traditional red money envelopes ( hóngbāo). Typically, exchanged by families on New Year’s Eve for good luck and blessings, Brindle’s ritual involves writing a wish for the year ahead inside our own envelope and then placing the envelopes underneath a fruit bowl, filled with mandarins.
Mandarin oranges are important during Chinese New Year because they symbolise good luck, wealth and prosperity. This is also why people roll oranges through their entryway on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with Brindle adding, “In Mandarin and Cantonese, the word for orange sounds similar to words meaning “fortune” and “gold,” so they’re seen as an auspicious fruit. The rolling of oranges is often seen as a form of Feng Shui, clearing out stagnant energy from the previous year and welcoming fresh, positive wealth energy into the space.”
If there are rituals to try, there are also Feng Shui practices to be more aware of, especially during the Year of the Horse. Swaffield recommends avoiding trying impulsive Feng Shui fixes or copying trends without understanding their relevance to your home.
She advices, “The Horse’s energy can amplify haste, so adding too many cures, colours, or symbols without intention can create imbalance rather than abundance. Feng Shui works best when it’s personal, considered, and supportive, not rushed.”
Overall, as our experts clarify Feng Shui might seem daunting but it is a simple yet intentional practice that’s simply about align ourselves to our desired lives.
Whether you celebrate Chinese New Year or not, inviting abundance and prosperity is for all of us. So if you’ve ever wanted to try Feng Shui rituals, give them a try!
Happy Chinese New Year 2026!
(Images belong to respective owners)
Will you be infusing Feng Shui rituals to elevate your space? Visit Lyrical Muse for more culture and lifestyle stories.
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