An ancient legend about carp
In China, it is believed that a fish that is able to rise to the upper reaches of the Yangtze ends up in a special area where it turns into a dragon. The dragon carp is often depicted on religious buildings in countries where the philosophy of Feng Shui and similar teachings are popular. Legends about this unusual fish are popular in China, Japan and many East Asian countries.
The King of Carp, who reached the upper reaches of the Yangtze, accidentally fell into the nets of fishermen and was taken to the emperor's palace. The ruler called the court artist to capture the unusual fish and then cook it for dinner. The artist depicted koi, and as a reward was invited to the table.
But eating a beautiful and strong fish seemed sacrilege to him. Risking the wrath of the emperor, the artist refused the treat and fell out of favor, deprived of work and livelihood. One day the spirit of the carp king appeared to him and persuaded him to visit his underwater possessions. Tai offered the artist treasures in gratitude for the fact that he refused to eat fish in the emperor's palace, sacrificing his well-being. The old man refused, insisting that his reward was the opportunity to see and draw a dragon carp.
Ty brought the artist back to earth. After this, the affairs of the former courtier suddenly began to improve, and his paintings began to be in extraordinary demand. This is how the spirit of the fish thanked the man. Since then, the koi figurine has been considered a symbol of prosperity and good luck. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, images of fish should be placed in the wealth sector in order to receive a constant flow of funds necessary for a prosperous life.
Love
Talismans of love are often paired. They symbolize the harmony of two people. Couple amulets work both to attract love and to preserve it in marriage.
- Two swans. This talisman means love and loyalty for life. A pair of mandarin ducks and dolphins have a similar effect.
- Red Chinese lanterns. If you hang a couple above the front door, then love will soon stop by for a visit.
- A pair or a flock of butterflies - to create a romantic atmosphere.
- Live or painted red peonies are a powerful magnet of love and passion. A single woman should place the flower in the bedroom, and when a partner arrives, move them to the living room.
- A pair of candles in candlesticks: one red, the other white.
In what areas of life will carp help?
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, carp is a multi-valued symbol. Images of strong fish can be found not only in the southeastern sector of the bagua, but also in other zones. Tai, who became a dragon, symbolizes perseverance in achieving one's goal, endurance and courage. In Japan, images of carp are hung above the entrance of the house where a boy was born, attracting corresponding flows of energy into the home.
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According to Chinese beliefs, the koi symbol helps those who achieve their goals despite obstacles and difficulties. Thai will give a purposeful and courageous person endless patience on the way to his goal. A talisman in the form of a carp can be useful for students and scientists, creative people and politicians. A single fish figurine represents good luck.
Paired images of koi are also popular. Two carp are considered a symbol of a happy marriage. A painting or figurine with their image can give newlyweds harmony in relationships and happiness in marriage. Such an amulet is placed in the corresponding sector of the apartment; A couple of carps can be placed near the matrimonial bed in the bedroom.
A painting or mat with a design of 2 fish will not only decorate the bedroom, but will also affect the quality of the nights spent by the spouses together.
It will take a whole flock of koi to attract wealth. In the wealth zone, it is customary to place images with 9 fish: this number is magical and helps to direct flows of favorable energy into a house whose owners wish to receive material benefits. Other water symbols may also accompany carp in this zone: turtle, three-legged toad, lotus, etc.
There are also figurines depicting an old man sitting on the back of a large fish. Such a figurine personifies wisdom and symbolizes the spiritual development of its owner. Its influence extends to creative people or teachers who are called upon to work on shaping the personalities of their students.
Magic square Lo Shu
It is a square with nine sectors, which, like the Bagua octagon, serves as a tool for analyzing the energy of rooms.
Different schools of Feng Shui use either the Lo Shu magic square or the Bagua octagon, both tools give almost the same result, but there is still a slight difference, but we will not consider it in this article. For beginning Feng Shui practitioners, I would recommend using the Lo Shu square, as it is easier to apply to the apartment plan.
How to use the Lo Shu square
The Lo Shu square is one of the main Feng Shui tools for assessing the energy of any room. To use it, you will need a plan of your apartment or office, house, garden plot, etc., after which you will need to determine the orientation of your room to the cardinal points.
To do this, take any tourist compass, stand with your back to the front door of your apartment, and take measurements with a compass; when measuring, you need to take into account interference from iron structures. So take a step forward from the door and take a second measurement, and if they match, then there is no interference and your measurement is accurate.
If the results do not match, try to identify the source of interference and take measurements at a distance from it.
After you have taken measurements with a compass and accurately determined the orientation of your apartment. Apply a Lo-Shu square to the plan of your apartment, aligning it exactly with the cardinal points.
How to correctly apply a Lo Shu square to a floor plan
According to Feng Shui practice, the correct shape of a house is a square or rectangle; in such rooms, Qi energy is distributed evenly, and applying a Lo Shu square to the house plan will not be difficult.
To do this, take a plan of a house or apartment and draw lines along the load-bearing walls of the house; you should end up with a square or rectangle, depending on the shape of the building. Everything that fell overboard, balconies, ledges, all non-residential premises does not need to be taken into account.
Next, evenly distribute this square or rectangle into nine identical sectors, you should end up with nine identical squares or rectangles. Then mark the cardinal directions on the diagram.
As can be seen in the figure, the eastern zone of the apartment is completely absent; this sector belongs to the family; below we will describe them all. According to Feng Shui, the residents of this house have disagreements with their parents, misunderstandings with their children and everything that is associated with the family sector.
If you have a similar situation and are missing any sector, do not worry, there are corrective Feng Shui remedies that correct such situations and make the energy of your home favorable.
Where is the talisman placed according to Feng Shui?
You can place carp in almost any sector of Bagua, but the head of the fish should be facing the center of the home. In each zone, the magical image will have a special impact on the life of its owner:
- in the knowledge zone (northeast) you can place a single koi figurine or use the image of 2 carp jumping through the dragon gate;
- the southeast (wealth sector) serves to attract wealth, and it is better to place a single fish there;
- the zones of the southwest (love) and east (family) are suitable for a souvenir with a pair of lovers;
- north is the career zone, which is governed by the element of water, and the dragon-headed carp in this place will be especially strong and will bring good luck in achieving your goals;
- the west (creativity) and north-west (patrons and travel) are also favorable for placing a carp figurine and can enhance its influence on the life of the owner of the talisman, but in this case it is worth choosing a metal or metallic-painted figurine.
Koi talismans cannot be placed only in the southern sector, ruled by the element of fire. The sector is in charge of a person’s reputation, and with strong influence from it, it can suffer. If the energy of fire turns out to be stronger, then the tai figurine, installed in the sector for the purpose of strengthening the reputation or for some other reason, will remain a simple figurine. In the worst case, it will work in the opposite direction and lead to the destruction of your reputation.
What you should pay attention to when buying a talisman
Ideally, if you have the opportunity to buy a Wealth Ship in China and bring it to your home. The Chinese know a lot about talismans; usually in old shops they sell “correct talismans”, and sellers can advise in more detail on their use.
To fill your atmosphere with positive energy, it is best to choose a metal or wooden ship, the side of which should be filled with coins, natural stones or small bills, and the sails should be wide open towards a tailwind.
You can also put small objects here, talismans that represent those material objects that you really want to get. Do not forget that the ship is purchased exclusively with good intentions: there should be no aggressive symbols, weapons, nails or military attributes here.
The philosophy of Feng Shui is aimed at energetically improving your space in all its manifestations, but not at chaos, fighting and all sorts of disorder in life.
Also make sure that your sailboat is not a prototype model of any famous tragic shipwreck.
But if you haven’t found any other model, then you can use a plastic boat - the main thing is to activate it correctly, load it with valuables and place it in the right place.
A sailboat in a bottle, a fashionable souvenir these days, cannot be used to attract good luck and money, as it symbolizes dead end and hopelessness. Judge for yourself - it’s as if the ship is imprisoned in a bottle and will never be able to get out of it through a narrow neck.
Activation of carps for quick changes in human life
In order for the talisman to bring the necessary changes to the life of its owner, it needs to be activated. According to Feng Shui, a figurine of a fish should be adjacent to water, if it cannot be placed directly in it. Stone or plastic koi can be placed directly into a container of liquid. There are also figurines depicting a fish swimming in a wide vessel. It is advisable to pour a small amount of water into it. It gives the carp life and its image special power.
Chinese-style paintings depicting fish in water do not need any additions. But in sectors that allow or require the installation of water symbols (sectors of the elements of wood and water), it would be appropriate to place an indoor fountain or an image of a water space.
Koi carp as a symbol of longevity and wisdom
Koi carp is a symbol of wisdom and longevity
Koi carps are long-lived. In calm conditions of captivity, they can reach an age of up to 200 years. Thanks to this, koi carp is a symbol of long life and accumulated wisdom.
The Chinese legend about the Taoist saint Qin-Gao also contributes to the consolidation of this symbolism. The elder wanted to cross the pond, and the carp responded to his request for help. They sailed slowly and thoughtfully for 100 years. Qin-Gao observed life, learned a lot along the way, but could not pass on his knowledge to the people he left on the shore, because when he and the carp returned back, another 100 years had passed, and the world had changed. The saint repeatedly made journeys lasting 100 years through time and space. Therefore, his image riding a carp symbolizes wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and also personifies the management of time and taming the elements. But it is believed that it is the carp that is able to cross the border of time and tell contemporaries about the discoveries of the sage.
Wisdom accumulates over the course of life, no matter who lives on this earth, and each creature has its own volume. It’s a tradition that you’re supposed to get smarter with age, but in 200 years you can see a lot and draw conclusions.
Carps in autumn. Painting by Terry Gilecki
Layout
Inspect the house: a poor layout can be corrected with plants, objects and colors. Sharp corners should not be reflected in mirrors.
The proximity of the toilet and the front door is undesirable. This is where a mirror placed on the door to the bathroom will help.
- Arrange your office in the north, south or southeast.
- For a bedroom, the ideal sector is southwest or east.
- For a nursery, west or northeast is suitable.
The purpose of the room must coincide with the Bagua zone.
Balance is important in everything. A house overloaded with Feng Shui symbols will cause unpleasant sensations. To avoid conflict, focus on each of the five elements and limit yourself to a couple of talismans.
Is a painting in the house an important element or a common thing?
Often we purchase this item solely to add style to the interior, a special mood, or because the color scheme of the image matches the furniture or carpet. Unfortunately, we rarely think that each picture carries special information and energy.
- Each artist, depicting this or that subject on the canvas, puts in a certain idea. Accordingly, the thing carries a semantic load that can either help the owner in life, establish peace and tranquility in the family, in the house, or do harm, attract poverty and illness.
- If you even just want to cover up some flaw on the wall or decide to hang someone’s gift so as not to offend the person, remember that it doesn’t matter whether the picture is painted by the hand of a master or is just a reproduction, the image will influence life, because you look at it every day.
- Before hanging a picture on the wall, carefully examine it and follow the rules. For example, take the teachings of Feng Shui as the basis for the arrangement of things in the house. And intuition has never bothered anyone. If a painting or other object causes anxiety, bad mood or discomfort, immediately remove the image from the room.
