It's the fifth season in Feng Shui – here's how I'm grounding my kitchen with nourishing ‘Earth' energy before the busy winter hosting season arrives

I always find that September is a transitional month. The burning heat of summer is fading, but it’s still not quite cold enough to curl up with a blanket and a pumpkin spice latte.

There's a name for this in-between season, explains leading expert on creating good Feng Shui in your home, Cliff Tan. 'What the West calls the Indian Summer is the fifth season, late summer or early autumn [in Feng Shui], representing Earth. This is the equinox between the yang and yin seasons; a moment to pause and recharge.'

'Without Earth’s stability, we risk entering fall feeling scattered or depleted,' continues Feng Shui practitioner Helen Ye Plehn. 'By anchoring your home and body now, you step into the next season nourished, centered, and supported.'

6 ways to Feng Shui your kitchen & dining space for the Fifth Season

The experts shared a few simple tips to help me bring grounding ‘Earth’ energy into my home this September, with a focus on the kitchen and dining room, which are the key areas to harmonize during this transitional period.

1. Create a tablescape with color and texture

When it comes to fall table decor ideas, 'colors should draw from the Earth palette,' advises Cliff Tan. 'Soft yellows, pale oranges, and warm earthen tones, echoing the green leaves of summer slowly yellowing and drying out. Complement these with tactile, warm textures such as clay, ceramics, or natural linens, so the table feels inviting, nourishing, and perfectly in tune with the grounding energy of the season.'

I've been inspired by the earthy tones featured in Crate & Barrel's latest fall tableware collection, which naturally celebrates colorful stoneware and table linens.

2. Add nourishing centrepieces

'It’s a time to keep your tables full and abundant think bowls of seasonal fruit, fresh bread, or other simple symbols of nourishment and a good harvest,' continues Cliff Tan. 'These elements don’t just decorate your space; they make the dining table the heart of the home, a place that invites gathering, sharing, and celebration.'

Feng Shui practitioner, Helen Ye Plehn, advises placing your seasonal fruits and farmers market staples into tactile clay, ceramic, stone, or porcelain bowls. I've chosen a simple, accessible terracotta fruit bowl from Pottery Barn, filled with figs for my family and friends to take from.

3. Choose sturdy, square shapes

To frame this energy, Cliff advises leaning into 'stable, grounding shapes like squares or wide horizontal rectangles.' You may want to choose these shapes for your tablescapes. 'Think a sturdy wooden block, a low, generous bowl, or anything that feels solid and anchored,' explains Cliff.

Cliff's advice reminded me of my favorite Dutch oven alternatives: the rectangular casserole dish. As a kitchen appliances editor, I've seen this shape re-emerge as a trend recently, with stylish picks like Joanna Gaines' new Hand & Hearth Dutch oven. I love the low, angular shape and gorgeous deep burgundy color, bringing ripening harvest colors that are so celebrated in the Fifth Season straight to your stovetop or dining table.

4. Declutter your kitchen countertops and cupboards

In Feng Shui, clutter in the kitchen reflects stagnation in digestion. Helen Ye Plehn urged me to perform a Feng Shui energy cleanse by clearing my countertops and pantry to make 'space' in my physical and emotional digestive system. 'Keep only what is nourishing and functional,' she says.

I am a kitchen appliance tester, constantly testing the best non-toxic cookware, so you can imagine that my kitchen is jam-packed with pots, pans, and boxes. I am slowly but surely organizing my kitchen cabinets – donating items I no longer use, disposing of old herbs and spices at the back of my pantry, and refreshing my kitchen with fresh, seasonal herbs to create a more Feng Shui kitchen that aligns with Earth’s rhythm instead.

5. Gather around nourishing, one-pot dinners

Acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine and Feng Shui practitioner, Tsao-Lin Moy, tells me that the Earth element also relates to the stomach and digestion. 'Focus on eating foods that are in season, and are nourishing, and vegetables that are cooked well,' she explains. 'Avoid fried foods, or meat-heavy meals, or too many raw vegetables; they can be harder to digest.'

The experts suggest one-pot, warming dishes: think: fennel and bean soup, stews, and sides of roasted vegetables. For slow-simmered recipes, I either turn to my favorite slow cooker ideas or my trusty Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It has an enamel-coated cast iron surface that gives food those golden, caramelized edges, while the tight-fitting lid locks in steam for tender vegetables.

Tsao-Lin Moy suggests choosing a red or orange dish, explaining, 'You can create a 'campfire' effect by placing the Fire Element as a center piece, drawing people around the table.' If you don’t already have a Dutch oven, you might want to choose a Le Creuset's 100-year anniversary 'Flame Doree' colorway to bring that ‘campfire energy’ into your kitchen. Helen Ye Plehn also suggests lighting a candle for a more grounding, mindful dining experience.

My picks for a nourishing fifth season

As a kitchen appliances editor, I'm constantly on the lookout for high-quality tableware and cookware. I think these pieces are not only gorgeous and grounding, but timeless classics you can turn to time and time again.

I hope these tips help you to integrate the busy days of summer into a calmer, nourishing space for your fall routine. If you are interested in bringing more balance into the rest of your home, you can follow Feng Shui energy mapping, strategically position a plants and furniture in your areas of your home associated with wealth, vitality, and luck.

Cliff Tan

Cliff Tan is an architect with over 15 years of experience in planning and space optimisation. characterised by an intuitive sense of spatial flow and economy, coupled with the logic of form feng shui. He has over 3 million followers on TikTok and is the author of Feng Shui Modern, a modern guide to opening up your living space-and your life-using the ancient principles of feng shui.

Helen Ye Plehn

Helen Ye Plehn is a Feng Shui expert and interior designer with a focus on human sensory. She is the founder of Helen Creates Beauty and author of The Aura Color Wheel. As a third-generation Feng Shui master, she can sense the energy of space before she senses the energies of people.

Tsao-Lin Moy

Tsao-Lin Moy is an Alternative and Chinese Medicine expert with over 23 years of experience. A licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, Tsao founded Integrative Healing Arts in NYC, where she offers acupuncture, herbal medicine and energy healing to treat patients.