DOUBLE HAPPINESS SYMBOL

In Chinese culture there are three main ‘happiness’ occasions throughout life, known as ‘Hei See.’

The first is the celebration of birth, of a new life being welcomed into the world; the second is the celebration of a happy marriage and the final happiness occasion is the celebration of longevity, that is celebrating the long and continued good health of someone in the family. 

In ancient China births were said to be particularly auspicious when the baby was a son.  This was seen as a good omen for many blessings to be granted to the family. 

Thankfully in our modern times the birth of any child is seen as a happy and fulfilling experience.

Double happiness is important when two people find each other and commit to spending their lives together in a loving and close relationship.  The symbol is therefore a significant part of Chinese Wedding celebrations representing the union of two people and the hope that the couple will be blessed with many children.  The symbol itself literally means ‘happiness doubled.’

The Chinese rarely celebrate the birthday of anyone under 60 years of age.  To reach this age is seen as the manifestation of good fortune.  Celebrating the birthdays of younger people is said to be tempting fate.

Displaying the double happiness symbol (which translates simply as ‘happiness’ or ‘joy’ doubled) in your home is auspicious throughout life.

It can be the image on a lantern, a plaque, painting or a wall hanging in the Southwest of your home.  The Southwest is the Earth area representing Love and Relationships.  This is the area to enhance if you are looking for love or if you have found your soul mate and want to safeguard your relationship.

The Southwest (area of the female), the West or the Northwest (area of the male) are auspicious areas to display a jade double happiness symbol.  Jade is said to attract love and is a highly sought after gemstone.  It is described as combining the virtues of Yin (Earth) and Yang (Heaven.) 

“Its colour represents loyalty. Its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity. Its iridescent brightness represents heaven. Its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth.”

An excerpt from the “Eleven Virtues of Jade” attributed to Confucius (551-479 BCE)

As well as having a profusion of the double happiness symbol  displayed during Wedding celebrations many Chinese couples choose to have the headboard of their double bed carved with this symbol as a constant reminder of their mutual love and devotion.

It is also possible to wear the double happiness symbol.  It has been fashioned into auspicious gold and diamond rings, pendants, earrings and cufflinks so can play a significant role in your Wedding ceremony and your future life.

To activate your home for a family you can display a Metal plaque or painting in the West which is the Metal area representing Descendants Luck.

To activate your home for longevity displaying a carved wooden double happiness symbol in the East is auspicious.  The East is the Wood area relating to Health and Longevity.

So to the Chinese double happiness signifies a couple setting out on life together; it signifies their marriage being blessed with many children and it signifies them living a long and happy life.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

Money Pots

Chinese Feng Shui wealth vases used to attract wealth have a tightly-fitting lid to contain all the ‘wealth’ inside.

They are filled with precious objects and symbols of wealth as discussed in our blog on ‘Vases’ and then sealed with five different coloured materials and five different coloured strings to represent the five elements.

We are all familiar with western piggy banks which can be decorative pigs or one of many variations; all of which have a slit in the top or the side to fill with coins or notes. 

These tend to have an ‘escape mechanism’ in the bottom so they can be emptied and then refilled.

We were interested to discover recently that an Italian tradition, going back as far as the time of the Romans, around 2000 years ago, has a money pot which is very similar in shape to the Chinese wealth vase. 

These are a significant part of history and there are examples of these ancient money pots displayed in the British Museum in London.

The only difference between this money pot and the Feng Shui wealth vase is that the money pot has a sealed top.  It also has a slit in the side to accept coins and notes offered to it.  Traditionally, once a coin is dropped into the money pot it should be fed until full.

So what do you do when it is full? 

It is customary for the money pot to be smashed while at the same time making a wish.  To welcome good fortune and good luck the money should then be spent on something enjoyable.  Something fun and exciting.

There are some suggestions that you can carefully break part of the pot around the slit with a chisel or a hammer saving the major part of it to be used for decoration such as a plant, pens or sweets.

Feng Shui practice suggests a preference for smashing the pot and disposing of it after emptying in line with the original recommendation.  Using the broken pot as a decorative item is indicative of it reverting from being an auspicious item to an inauspicious item.

Anything damaged brings with it negative energies (Shar Chi.)

Far better to begin again, buy a new pot and repeat the process.

These would make a perfect gift especially when a coin is placed in the pot before it is given. 

If you are interested in purchasing one of these money pots the original website is www.terramundi.co.uk. * 

These pots are handmade in Italy and hand-painted in the UK.  They each contain a separate ‘fortune coin’ – another link with the wealth vases of China.

*We have no link with this site and there are many other places to purchase these money pots.  The choice, as always, is yours.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

LAUGHING BUDDHA

There are many images available of the popular Laughing Buddha, who is known as Budai in Chinese and Hotei in Japanese.

He is shown holding Chinese coins, a fan and linen sack or surrounded by children.  He can be sitting on an elephant, on a mountain of coins or with a dragon.

‘Buddha’ is identified as ‘one who is awake’ or ‘one who has achieved enlightenment.’

He has been associated with an unconventional Chinese Zen monk who lived over a thousand years ago and is now a dominant figure in Buddhist culture.  Some identify him as an incarnation of the Maitreya Bodhisattva (Future Buddha.)

He is an open and jolly character with a large expansive belly and infectious smile which is why he has become commonly known as the "Laughing Buddha."   It is difficult to look at an image of the Laughing Buddha without smiling or laughing with him.

Rubbing the tummy of the ‘Laughing Buddha’ is said to invite wealth and good luck to you; rubbing his long ears is said to bring you wisdom and rubbing his head will make him laugh even more.

The Laughing Buddha is a representation of contentment, generosity, wisdom and open heartedness.  He is the patron saint of restaurant owners, bartenders and clairvoyants. When a person drinks or eats too much the Laughing Buddha's influence is said to have been at work.

The Laughing Buddha sits in many temples and restaurants, and is imaged as jewellery.  His image has come to represent a Buddha of abundance or wealth.  He is nearly always seen carrying a linen sack which is forever full.  It is full of many valuable items, such as rice, (an image of wealth in Chinese culture); sweets for children; food; or all the grief of the world locked away.

He is the Buddha of the weak, the poor and of children.

Laughing Buddha statues are represented as a fat, smiling or laughing bald man in monk’s robes.  He has an exposed pot-bellied stomach which symbolises happiness, good luck, and good fortune. Some statues also have small children at his feet.  Laughing Buddha statues often show an alms bowl which represents his Buddhist nature.

In other interpretations the Laughing Buddha may be sitting on a cart drawn by children, or he may be holding a fan which when waved is said to fulfill all your wishes and desires.

 All of these features represent the Laughing Buddha as a roving monk who travels the world removing sadness from all people and inviting wealth and happiness in its place.

Displaying images of the Laughing Buddha in your home in elements suitable for its location (ceramic, crystal or pottery in the Southwest, Northeast, Centre, West or Northwest; wood in the East, Southeast or South and Metal in the West, Northwest or North) is always auspicious. 

And don’t forget to rub his tummy.

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC

FENG SHUI and the Grand Duke Jupiter

In the blogs on ‘Xceptions’ we included the 15^o location of the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui) and his place around the compass based on the Chinese calendar.

What we didn’t get around to was explaining why the affliction known as the Grand Duke Jupiter (also known as the God of the Year) came into existence.

It is well known that many ancient cultures, like the Chinese, the Greeks and the Egyptians surveyed the night sky and recorded the movement of stars, planets, the Sun and the Moon.

The fifth planet from the Sun, and the largest, is Jupiter; known for its majestic appearance in the night sky and its infamous ‘red spot.’

Ancient Chinese Astronomers observed that it took Jupiter twelve years to orbit the Sun, hence the 12 Chinese astrological animals in Chinese Astrology were ‘born.’

Year 1 of the Chinese astrological calendar is also the first year of the cycle of Jupiter.  This became known as the Year of the Rat and its location matched the direction of Jupiter during that year, which is North2.  From there it moves in a clockwise direction in line with the cycle of the planet Jupiter to NE1 (Ox), NE3 (Tiger), East2 (Rabbit), SE1 (Dragon-which coincides with this current year of 2012), SE3 (Snake), South2 (Horse), SW1 (Sheep), SW3 (Monkey), West2 (Rooster), NW1 (Dog) and NW3 (Boar.)  

This is why the Grand Duke Jupiter is located in the position of the astrological animal of the year as he moves around the compass in each of the twelve years of the cycle. 

Because of the size of Jupiter it is considered inauspicious to face his location in any given year.  Feng Shui Masters warn against confronting the God of the Year because he represents an overwhelming obstacle.  If you do inadvertently face the Grand Duke it can bring about loss, illness and failure.

However, if you sit so that the Grand Duke is behind you, he will give you his support.  It is rather like having a mountain, or the image of a mountain, behind you for support at work.

As well as avoiding confrontation with the Grand Duke it is important to keep his location quiet and undisturbed.

This means no loud noise, no digging or banging and no demolition work in the area for the entire year.  This will invite his wrath and bring about negative consequences.

Even when the location of the Grand Duke is in one of your auspicious directions based on the Eight Mansions Formula of Feng Shui you will suffer misfortune by facing the God of the Year.  You have three other auspicious directions and it is to your advantage to face one of these to avoid conflict.

The animal directly opposite the Grand Duke Jupiter in any given year is said to be in ‘conflict’ with him making their year challenging. 

To the fulfillment of your dreams

LynC

www.abundance-chi.com

We hope enjoy our blogs and leave any comments below or email: crystal@abundance-chi.com visit: www.abundance-chi.com LynC