Symbolic Animal Guardians Around the Home
When examining the surrounding landform of your home, we often refer to the 5 symbolic celestial animals. Locating and observing the
position of each animal helps us identify certain feng shui aspects,
which can be enhanced or remedied accordingly. Once you understand the basic principles behind the placement and function of each celestial animal position, you will be able to balance and
strengthen the surrounding landform around your home in order to
encourage harmonious and nurturing energy for you and your family.
THE PROTECTIVE BLACK TORTOISE
The Tortoise area refers to the rear of your home (ie the back
yard). In order to feel secure and supported within your home, your
back area should contain a protective `mountain effect' which is
symbolic of the Tortoise's strong, hard shell. You can introduce
this Tortoise feature by having a solid fence or a row of trees or a
collection of large earthenware pots or statuary along the back
boundary behind your home. You can also simulate the Tortoise
support with a shed or other building structure at the rear of the
property, which is solid, uncluttered and tidy. A statue of a single
Tortoise will symbolically add the Tortoise influence to your
backyard, however you will still need to add a `mountain' feature to
enjoy the protective qualities of the Tortoise support. The Tortoise
feature helps retain accumulated chi that has entered your property,
as well as protecting your back. If the rear of your property slopes
away from the home, then your back is weakened. You will need to add tortoise support via the above-suggested features, and you should
also consider adding up-lights to the back area to symbolically
raise the chi.
THE GREEN DRAGON
When standing in your front yard looking towards your home, the
Dragon side is on the right hand side of your property. The Dragon
side of your property should ideally be higher than the Tiger side,
as the Dragon keeps the Tiger energy benevolent. If your neighbor's
house on the Dragon side is taller than yours, then this is OK from
a feng shui perspective, as their house represents protective dragon
energy. Keeping this in mind, it is still important to retain a
sense of balance in your surroundings – so you don't want to be
totally overshadowed by any neighboring buildings. If they tend to
substantially rob your home of sunlight, block a beautiful view or
overhang above your property, then the building is potentially
draining beneficial chi from you. You can introduce Dragon energy by
planting a raised garden area with flowering trees and shrubs,
having your driveway on the Dragon side (the yang activity activates
the benevolent Dragon energy), installing up-lights to symbolically
raise the chi, placing 9 stepping stones in this area in a
meandering fashion, and/or by placing statues or pots with dragon
images on the Dragon side of your property.
THE CRIMSON PHOENIX
The Phoenix area is the front yard of your property. This is the
area where chi first enters your property. From a feng shui
perspective, we want to attract and accumulate positive sheng chi
energy to this area. One of the fundamental key principles behind
the term `feng shui' (translating literally as `wind water') is the
concept that positive energy is carried along by the `wind' (or
unseen energy currents all around us) and is attracted to and
captured by `water'. You can simulate the chi-attracting benefits of
water in the Phoenix area by adding a `Footstool' effect to the
front yard, in order to capture and retain beneficial chi as it
enters your property. You do this by creating a mound of earth (ie
garden bed) that is raised (like a footstool in front of the home),
while also maintaining an open area in the middle of the front yard
for the chi to accumulate (known as the `Bright Hall Effect'). You
can further stimulate the attraction of beneficial chi to your
Phoenix area by planting bright displays of flowers in the front
yard to add positive growth and abundance chi. Red colored flowers
are especially auspicious for the front area. The Phoenix influence
can also be symbolically introduced to the front yard (in
conjunction with the above suggestions) , by adding statuary,
artworks, whirly gigs and symbols depicting birds (ie: rooster,
phoenix, peacock etc). If your front yard is lower than the road
level, then you can symbolically raise the chi by installing up-
lights in the front yard, which shine up onto the front face of the
house to make it visually appear taller.
THE WHITE TIGER
When standing in your front yard looking towards your home, the
Tiger side is on the left hand side of your property. Ideally, any
neighboring buildings on this side should be lower than your home,
otherwise the Tiger energy can become too strong and it can turn
against you (often in the form of negative relations with the
neighbors). Try to ensure that the garden area on the Tiger side is
lower than the Dragon side. Plant low-growing shrubs and plants on
this side. White flowering plants are considered auspicious for the
Tiger side. If your driveway is located on the Tiger side, then each
time cars travel along this part of your property, the Tiger is said
to be prowling. This is especially symbolized at night when the car
headlights traveling up the side of your property resemble Tiger-
eyes glowing in the dark. The yang activity connected with a
driveway on the left side of your property can turn the Tiger
against you. If your driveway is situated on this side, make sure it
is kept uncluttered and relatively quiet, and concentrate on
building up your Dragon side to keep the Tiger energy benevolent.
THE SNAKE
This celestial creature represents the heart of your home, (ie the
Center of your dwelling). Ideally, the Center of your home should be
open and uncluttered, so the Snake energy can flow freely and
communicate with the surrounding external guardians. In feng shui,
the Snake is known to be a wise and sagacious creature. Its position
in the Center of your home indicates the need to utilize your
knowledge of the surrounding celestial guardians in order to feel
balanced and centered within your own home environment.
If you want to predict the future- create it