TL;DR: Feng shui treats each destiny as suited to the colors of its own element and of the element that generates it, and as unfavorable to the colors of the element that overcomes it. In the common arrangement, Kim suits white, silver and earthy yellow, not red, pink or purple; Mộc suits green and black, not white; Thủy suits black, dark blue and white, not earthy yellow or brown; Hỏa suits red, pink, purple and green, not black; Thổ suits yellow, brown and red, not green. The books do not all agree, and these are feng shui conventions, not scientific conclusions.
Why are colors assigned to the Five Elements?
Feng shui does not treat color as only a physical property of light. Tuệ Duyên's Phong thủy học (Feng Shui Studies) writes that, in the feng shui view, colors form energy fields that govern the home environment and affect each person[1]. This is feng shui's way of seeing things, not a conclusion of physics.
Assigning colors to the Five Elements comes from the old idea of five elements, Kim, Mộc, Thủy, Hỏa, Thổ (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), and the two cycles of generation and overcoming between them. The same book lists the five main colors: "Metal is white, wood is green, water is black, fire is red, earth is yellow", and places colors by direction: red in the South, green in the East, blue and grey in the North, white in the West, yellow in the centre[1]. From the two cycles, feng shui derives which colors it regards as suitable and which as unfavorable for each destiny.
What does the feng shui color chart by destiny look like?
The table below sums up the common arrangement. Books may name the same shade differently, and in places they assign colors differently (see the section below).
| Element | Colors of the element itself | Colors of the element that generates the destiny (feng shui treats as suitable) | Colors of the element that overcomes the destiny (feng shui treats as unfavorable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim | White, silver, metallic | Earthy yellow, brown (Thổ generates Kim) | Red, pink, purple (Hỏa overcomes Kim) |
| Mộc | Leaf green, green | Black, dark sea blue (Thủy generates Mộc) | White, silver (Kim overcomes Mộc) |
| Thủy | Black, dark sea blue, grey | White, silver, metallic (Kim generates Thủy) | Earthy yellow, brown (Thổ overcomes Thủy) |
| Hỏa | Red, pink, purple | Leaf green, green (Mộc generates Hỏa) | Black, dark sea blue (Thủy overcomes Hỏa) |
| Thổ | Yellow, brown, orange, earthy yellow | Red, pink, purple (Hỏa generates Thổ) | Leaf green, green (Mộc overcomes Thổ) |
Which colors suit Kim destiny, and which to avoid?
Feng shui treats white, silver and metallic tones as suitable for a Kim destiny, along with earthy yellow and brown because Thổ generates Kim; it treats red, pink and purple as unfavorable because Hỏa overcomes Kim.
Phong thủy học explains Hỏa overcoming Kim with the image of solid metal that slowly melts when heated in a strong fire[1].
To know whether someone has a Kim destiny, the full can chi of the birth year is needed, not just the zodiac animal. Vũ Đức Huynh's book gives an example: Giáp Thân belongs to Thủy while Mậu Thân belongs to Thổ, though both are Thân years[2].
Which colors suit Mộc destiny, and which to avoid?
Feng shui treats leaf green and green as suitable for a Mộc destiny, along with black and dark sea blue because Thủy generates Mộc; it treats white and silver as unfavorable because Kim overcomes Mộc.
Green is the color of the Mộc element itself, tied to plants and growth. Phong thủy học explains Kim overcoming Mộc by the fact that metal can be forged into knives and axes that cut down trees[1].
Which colors suit Thủy destiny, and which to avoid?
Feng shui treats black, dark sea blue and grey as suitable for a Thủy destiny, along with white, silver and metallic tones because Kim generates Thủy; it treats earthy yellow and brown as unfavorable because Thổ overcomes Thủy.
Phong thủy học explains Thổ overcoming Thủy by the way earth can be built into walls that hold water back[1]. The explanation rests on a simple natural image, and it is why feng shui regards the colors of Thổ as unfavorable for a Thủy destiny.
Which colors suit Hỏa destiny, and which to avoid?
Feng shui treats red, pink and purple as suitable for a Hỏa destiny, along with leaf green and green because Mộc generates Hỏa; it treats black and dark sea blue as unfavorable because Thủy overcomes Hỏa.
Phong thủy học explains Thủy overcoming Hỏa with an everyday example: any fire, once water is poured on it, loses force and may even go out[1].
Which colors suit Thổ destiny, and which to avoid?
Feng shui treats yellow, brown, orange and earthy yellow as suitable for a Thổ destiny, along with red, pink and purple because Hỏa generates Thổ; it treats leaf green and green as unfavorable because Mộc overcomes Thổ.
Phong thủy học lists brown and palm-leaf color as colors of Thổ, and explains Mộc overcoming Thổ by roots pushing into earth and rock to draw in soil and water[1].
Does every book use the same color chart by destiny?
No. Even Phong thủy học has two arrangements. One passage says "the colors of metal are white, red and golden yellow", with pink and purple as the colors of fire; another passage puts red with Hỏa in the South[1]. Vũ Đức Huynh's book says a Hỏa destiny suits red, yellow and orange[2], while the common chart puts yellow with Thổ. The chart above follows the more common arrangement: red belongs to Hỏa, white to Kim.
There are also two ways of setting the destiny used to pick colors. The common way takes the nạp âm destiny of the birth year, from its can chi. The Bát Tự school takes the elements of the whole four-pillar chart and picks colors by the element the chart needs, so people born in the same year can still get different colors.
How do colors for one's destiny differ from colors for one's age?
Vũ Đức Huynh's book separates the two[2]. Colors for one's age are set by the earthly branch of the birth year (Tý, Sửu and so on), and the book uses them for interiors such as wall paint. Colors for one's destiny are set by both can and chi, and the book uses them for things that always go with the person, such as clothes and personal items. The book says colors that suit one's destiny make a person feel at ease, without feeling pressed or uncomfortable[2]. That is the book's claim, not the result of a verified study.
What to keep in mind when reading a color chart by destiny
- Books do not assign colors in exactly the same way, especially red and yellow.
- The full can chi of the birth year is needed to set the nạp âm destiny; the zodiac animal alone is not enough.
- Colors for one's destiny and colors for one's age are two different lookups.
- These are feng shui conventions, not scientific conclusions about how color affects health or one's path in life.
A suggestion from Nhật Nguyệt: the color chart by destiny is a cultural way of looking at color. Anyone who uses it to pick house or clothing colors can treat it as one more hint alongside taste and practical use, not as a rule to be kept at all costs.
