Feng Shui Tips on Where to Place Cremated Ashes
Laura Cerrano
“Where is the best place to locate cremated ashes?”
This is a common question I receive from clients who have just lost a loved one. I understand this topic can be sensitive to many and for various reasons. Respectfully, I invite you to take what I share with an open heart and mind. If you resonate with what you read, perhaps consider incorporating the tips into how you set up the urn when honoring deceased loved ones. There is no right or wrong, it’s what you personally connect to.
In the practice of Feng Shui, there are some areas within the home recommended to keep cremated remains away from. These areas tend to include the:
front entrance
bedroom
bathroom
kitchen
attic
basement
On a very practical level, a few of these rooms tend to have high foot traffic which makes the cremated remains inside the urn more susceptible to someone accidentally bumping into it and knocking it over.
As for the front entrance, it’s among the first impression and imprint you’ll see day in and day out. In regard to the bedroom, ideally it’s recommended to reserve that space for your own time to reset and rest. Avoiding the kitchen is more so for cleanliness. The bathroom is reserved for flushing away and removing waste, which does not present the most proper setting to honor the deceased. If you are looking to promote a healthy grieving process, keeping the urn ‘hidden away’ within the attic or basement may not be ideal. The attic relates to the future and the basement, to the past. However, if the attic is finished and being used, that could be the exception.
Essentially, from a Feng Shui perspective, it’s typically recommended to place the urn within an area of the home that provides breathable space and healthy boundaries for both the living and the deceased. There’s a lot of heavily charged energy coming from the symbolism and physical remains within the urn. It’s vitally important to allow the human mind and emotions space to rest. Quite honestly, this is the same for the deceased. According to Buddhist teachings, when the living tug on the soul cords of deceased loved ones who are in process of transitioning, we unknowingly tend to keep them stuck on the earth plane and that is not ideal for either parties.
Returning to the recommended placements of urns with ashes, more commonly recommended areas to place them include:
living room
den
home library
room dedicated for an altar
indoor conservatory
Each of these areas tend to promote more neutral yang (uplifting - life force) energy. It’s also easier to blend the urn into the decor of the room or yard.
Some other Considerations:
Besides urn placement, also take into consideration the atmosphere in how you choose to display the urn. There is already a lot of yin energy (death - stillness), so if the urn is to remain within your home for a short or prolonged period of time, it would be wise to bring in more yang energy influences to rebalance the space.
Adopt living plants into the space of where you’ll be displaying the ashes
Place the urn in a location that receives natural daylight
Display a photo of that person and be sure to choose a happy, healthy image
Place a ceremonial cloth beneath the urn
Maintain a clean table or shelve the urn is placed on
Allowing the urn to be close to eye level vs placed on the floor
Display a universal symbol or symbol of your choosing that unifies the living and deceased, in a respectful way
An example of this can be viewed below. I recently had a client in Los Angeles, CA who shared the best location to place their grandfather’s urn was literally by the front entrance. After surveying the home, she was correct. Being practical, we made some simple subtle changes, while also being very intune with what was truly allowed to be changed vs not.
Some Key Takeaways My Client Did:
exchanged a fake plant for a real one
opened the blinds nearby to allow in more natural light
decluttered the front entrance so nothing hang over the altar and blocked the pathway into the home.
changed the artwork above the altar to fit the energetic atmosphere and altar appropriately. We shopped around my client’s home and came across the flower of life artwork. For this purpose, the image really pulled the altar together, while also creating a feeling of stability and neutrality. The flower of life can hold a few meanings, yet for this purpose the intention was to honor cycles of life and offer a easier transition of those cycles for the departed family member and those living within the household.
The Results?
Within a few short moments of making the Feng Shui adjustments, we could all feel the energy shift into a lighter frequency. It felt more open and welcoming. One of the family members who was upstairs, came down and said, “I feel like grandpa has more space to breathe.” The energy shifted from sad and sorrow to feeling a bit lighter with a sense of saying hello as they walk past the altar. Of course my client and her family is still grieving, but the emotional management seems to have taken on a much more balanced state in navigating the acceptance of their grandfather’s transition.