The essence
Almost every great city in the world grew up in a valley, usually a river valley. Valleys were the first highways: people, goods and news all travelled along them. So a valley isn't a remote hollow; it's where life flows.
Valley people integrate with the world. This is the theme of the number 5, universalising, reaching beyond one's own circle. They're more likely than most to meet outsiders, people from other cultures, countries and backgrounds, and they often find a partner from far away. The ideal image is someone on a bench or at a café on a busy street with the whole world walking past.
Physically, valleys are the opposite of mountains. This color suits the denser, oxygen-richer air of the lower levels. In a skyscraper lift the mountain person feels better the higher it goes; the valley person just wants to get off.
Left orientation — Narrow
A left arrow means an active environment. Narrow valleys are above all the city's canyons: streets between buildings, busy neighbourhoods, a ground floor looking onto the traffic. Here the person is actively part of the stream, walking, meeting, exchanging. They do well where things are dense and fast.
Right orientation — Wide
A right arrow means a receptive environment. Wide valleys are roomier and closer to nature: small valley towns, rural and pastoral country, open plains. But even here something has to move past: a road, a railway, a river. The person calmly watches the world flow by from a distance, even if they seem to live far from everything.
How to apply it
- Choose lower floors, and a home that looks out onto a street or some movement.
- Look for places where routes cross: busy streets, squares, stations, a café on a corner.
- Even somewhere quiet, it helps to have something moving nearby: a bus stop, a road, a river.
- Notice how you feel on high floors compared with down at ground level.
The trap
The main trap for valleys is real isolation. A valley person may dream of a remote cabin or a penthouse high above the city, but being completely cut off from the flow usually doesn't suit them. Another trap is treating their openness to strangers and other cultures as something frivolous. For this color, meeting another world is a natural part of life.