As someone who has been obsessed with books from a young age, could spend a whole day in a bookstore, and who loves a good shelfie moment, you can imagine the number of books I have in my home.
When I first started learning feng shui, I was really dismayed to learn some feng shui practitioners don’t believe you should have many books in your home.
In fact, many feng shui experts see books as clutter (or worse, poison arrows!) and recommend putting them in cabinets and for SURE keeping them out of the bedroom.
So what’s a girl who loves home libraries and also loves feng shui to do? Did I give away all of my books?! (Spoiler alert, the answer is no. ;))
What does feng shui say about books?
Honestly, what feng shui says about books isn’t complicated.
Everything in your home carries an energetic footprint.
This is the basic principle of feng shui.
This means how YOU feel about things in your home, plus the object’s inherent energy, affects how it feels in your space.
If you LOVE books, then they will carry that energy for you.
If you don’t, then of course you might see them as clutter or have negative energy associated with them.
This means what feng shui really says about books is: it depends!
That’s really what feng shui says about everything in your home.
If you love something, keep it in your home!
If you don’t, then don’t keep it in your home.
And yes, that means if you don’t love the vase your family passed down to you from 4 generations ago, you shouldn’t keep that either.
Pass it along to someone who will LOVE it.
Don’t keep low-energy items in your home just because someone said you should or because someone gave it to you.
The other thing that feng shui says about books is that everything in your home has a voice.
Everything is speaking to you on some level or another, which is why having negative feelings about things in your home can bring down the Chi (life-force energy) and stop it from circulating.
So when it comes to feng shui and books, you DO have to consider what kinds of books you have, how you feel about them, and where you keep them.
Anyway, now that we’ve established that books aren’t bad for feng shui, let’s talk about bookshelves and where you should keep books in your home according to feng shui.
Where to Keep Your Books According to Feng Shui
Because books are active items (they carry yang energy, which is active and moving) they work best in areas of your home that are also active.
Living rooms, family rooms, home offices, home libraries or studies, and even dining rooms are more active rooms and can be great places for bookshelves.
They aren’t rooms used for sleeping or resting, and they tend to be enjoyed by the whole household.
Keeping books in these areas will keep the energy circulating and moving throughout your home.
Because books are associated with the feng shui knowledge and wisdom area of your home, keeping them in that area of your home (or that area of the room they’re in) is an especially good energetic pairing!
Should books be kept in your bedroom according to feng shui?
Generally no, because your bedroom should be for sleeping, resting, and connecting with your partner.
As we discussed, bookshelves and books carry active energy, which can disrupt sleeping and resting.
Of course, feng shui is also about balance, so if your bedroom is generally a restful place, you can keep a few books in your bedroom and not cause problems.
What if you want to or have to keep books in your bedroom? Is it okay?
You can definitely keep your books in your bedroom if that works best for you.
Just make sure to follow the feng shui bookshelf tips, and make sure you LOVE every book you’re keeping in your bedroom.
If you find that the books have too much energy, you can try a closed bookcase that can contain them.
Or you can even place a plant or screen in between the bookshelf and the bed.
It can also help to not keep a huge stack of books right next to you while you’re sleeping, too.
Feng Shui Bookshelf Tips
Keep it clean and tidy.
Make sure you dust and keep your bookshelf organized.
Otherwise, it can trap stagnant Chi and bring down the energy.
Keep it updated.
Make sure the books reflect what you currently love.
Try to weed out the books that reflect an old version of you that you don’t want to be anymore.
For example, do you have a lot of books about old hobbies you’re no longer interested in?
Self-help books for issues you don’t have anymore?
Old textbooks that are no longer relevant?
Go through your books at least once a year and weed out the ones that reflect where you’ve been, not where you’re going.
Consider what the books are saying to you.
Are they positive or negative?
Do you want to display them…
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