Earth Star – Feb / March 2001
The Oriental Dragon
Since getting involved with Feng Shui (the 4000 year old Chinese Art of Placement and Interior Design, pron. fung sch’way), I’ve developed a fascination for dragons. Not your “St. George and the Dragon” fire breathing dragon nor the Kundalini Serpent Power of India but your “Chinese New Year Dragon”. The kind of dragon that undulates playfully through the streets as it does through nature.
The Chinese dragon is a spectacular kind of dragon. It is a dragon that lives in the east and is associated with fertility and spring rains. It is the kind of dragon that is good natured and beneficent. With its serpentine body it can be found in the water, in the sky and across the landscape. On land it shows us where the most vibrant locations are for siting a home. In the air it brings a favorable breeze and in the water it brings us abundance.
The Dragon Symbol
The dragon symbolizes the Vital Life Force as the Cosmic Breath of Life or Cosmic Ch’i (energy). It is this Breath of Life that dynamizes all things, animate and inanimate alike. The dragon is often depicted as playing with a fiery ball symbolizing this Vital Life Force and at the center of the ball of fire can be found the precious Pearl which in turn symbolizes the purest of energies or the Elixir of Life sought after by alchemist throughout the ages.
The Chinese dragon is unique as it has no wings and yet can fly in the sky, its horns are like deer antlers and its ears like a goat. The dragon has scales like a lizard and clawed feet like an eagle. The Chinese dragon commands attention appearing noble and to the uninitiated fearful. To those who know, the dragon is simply awesome.
Invite A Dragon Into Your Home
The ancient art and science of Feng Shui (literally: wind- water) utilizes many techniques to remove obstacles to our success and good health while energizing us for maximum effectiveness. One technique is the appropriate use of symbols to stimulate the subconscious to action and to act as an anchor in the subconscious to assist us in the fulfillment of our stated intentions. The image of the dragon consequently has been suggested for thousands of years as a remedy where courage, enthusiasm and positive results are needed.
With this in mind, inviting a dragon, or dragons, to come live in your home is a great symbolic gesture. One or more dragons in the home is a great motivator resulting in dynamic action and great achievements. Placing a dragon anywhere in your home or office will energize an area of your life that may be obstructed and in need of revitalization. A dragon properly placed will stimulate the flow of harmonious and prosperous Cosmic Ch’i into your life.
Dragon Guidlines
There are many guidelines to adhere to when making friends with dragons. Dragons come in many shapes, sizes, colors and crafted from many different materials. There are many different ways to maximize its power and effectiveness.
If you own or purchase a carpet with dragon images, you would be best advised to hang it on a wall. If you lay it on the floor, walking on it will hinder it and perhaps injure it, preventing it from flying freely about. And dragons do fly, so avoid hanging dragon images in your bedroom as they will keep you awake during the night as they frolic about. Dragons are best hung in the living room, den, playroom and office areas.
Symbolically dragons, as strong abundant life force, represents prosperity. Indeed, the water in which many dragons reside symbolizes money flowing to you, accumulating in pools, bubbling in fountains, flowing in streams and waterfalls. Pictures of water flowing are not as powerful as the real thing but certainly a dynamic substitute. You need a dragon in your home if your personal energy has been down or if more money is going out than is coming in. Likewise, dragons undulating in any form stimulate good fortune flowing to you as well.
The more dragons you can accommodate the better, but avoid dragon images that feel overwhelming. And never invite only three dragons as they will, like three children when left alone, argue and fight with each other.
Best Placement For Dragons In Your Home
As dragons can symbolize water and water symbolizes money, the best color for dragons would be either the color of water (black, dark blue green, dark blues, etc.) or the color of money (green or gold) or the color of vitality and energy (red). Without water we cannot live. With abundant water we can grow our crops and live quite abundantly. With financial abundance we have purchasing power and the wherewithal to share our abundance with others.
As abundance is symbolized by flowing water, the best material to make dragons from is metal as metal turns to liquid when it melts. Feng Shui lore says the Metal element nourishes the Water element. Therefore it is preferable to frame a picture or any image of a dragon with metal as the metal frame will feed the good fortune that the dragon is bringing. Conversely, it is not advisable to frame a dragon image in a wood frame as wood needs water to grow resulting in the Wood element inhibiting the Water element. Therefore a wood frame diminishes the power and effectiveness of the dragon.
According to the teachings of the traditional Compass School of Feng Shui, dragons made of wood or as a decoration on furniture, should be placed in the East side or corner of the home or office. The East is considered the home of the dragon and is itself associated with the element Wood. Therefore, never put a metal dragon in the East as the Metal element destroys the Wood element. Dragons made of ceramic, crystal or semi-precious stones or used to decorate vases, bowls or lamp bases would be strongest in the Southwest or Northeast where the Earth element would be enhanced.
The Kitchen Dragon
As flowing water symbolizes flowing prosperity and good fortune, placing a dragon figurine or a wall hanging with a dragon image facing the kitchen faucet will enhance your good opportunities for accumulating prosperity in all forms. As the water flowing from the faucet that you use to drink and cook with is energized in the subconscious. With this in mind, never put a dragon in your bathroom as the bathroom water is used for washing or flushing and symbolizes dirty money. Certainly you would not want to enhance your ability to make dirty money.
Best Placement For Dragons In Your Office
How you determine the best placement of your dragon image depends on the configuration of the room, placement of desk or other preconditions. For instance, it is better to put a picture of a dragon on a wall behind you as you sit at your office desk rather than in front of you. With a dragon picture behind you you will be energized by the dragon image from behind rather than have to confront and eventually fight the dragon everyday if it is before you.
Dragon Power Energizes
If you are ready for an expansive shift in your life, you can align yourself with the power of the dragon to get you going. Taking on the consciousness of the dragon results in greater vitality and strength which in turn yields a greater sense of determination, self-confidence and over all well-being. If your business is wobbly, you definitely need the power of the dragon to turn things around. You need a dragon in your office if your business or career has been stalling or faltering. A dragon properly placed will get your career moving again. A dragon properly placed and energized will stimulate your cash flow.
There are many other prosperity and life enhancing ideas recommended by the ancient art of Feng Shui – the 4000 year old Chinese Art of Placement and Interior Design. And inviting a Heavenly Dragon into your house is the most dynamic of them all.
May your life be abundant with blessings of Good Health, Great Wealth, Harmonious Relationships and Career Success.
Dragon Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s:
- Have your dragon face a body of water, a water fountain, water cooler or a source of incoming water (faucet).
- Frame pictures of dragons in metal frames.
- Dragons should be blue-green, black, dark blues, gold or red.
- Put dragons in kitchens, activity rooms and offices.
- Dragons are strongest behind you at the desk.
- Dragons can be hung in any direction but are strongest in the East sector of the home or room.
- Wood carved dragons can be placed in the East and Southeast.
- Ceramic, porcelain or crystal dragons can be placed in the Southwest or Northeast.
Don’ts:
- Do not hang dragons in the bedroom or bathroom.
- Do not frame dragons in wooden frames.
- Do not put metal dragons in the East sector of the home or room.
- Never have three dragons in a room.
- Never walk on dragon carpets.
- Never depict a dragon within a circle as a dragon needs to be free to fly to be an effective symbol of vitality and action.
- Don’t sit opposite a dragon.
- Dragons shouldn’t feel overwhelmingly large.
- Dragons are incompatible with individuals born during the Year of the Dog:
2/14/34 – 2/3/35; 2/2/46 – 1/21/47; 2/18/58 – 2/7/59;
2/6/70 – 1/26/71; 1/25/82 – 2/12/83; 2/10/94 – 1/30/95.
Invite A Dragon Into Your Home
All the Dragons depicted in this article are available in two sizes (8×10 and 5×7). These framed prints are adapted from the traditional Chinese folk art of paper cutting. They are painted in vibrant rainbow colors and will energizes you, your office and home. These prints have dark metallic frames that can be hung on the wall or placed on a table or bookcase. Placed in the kitchen placed over or facing the water cooler or kitchen faucet will enhance your cash flow.
***And be sure to order my book, Choose the Best House for You: The Feng Shui Checklist. For the feng shui student it is a textbook of Landform Feng Shui problems and their solutions. For the layperson who just want to know what to do, the Checklist format makes it easy to go down the list, see what situations relate to you, turn to the page provided, and learn what solutionsyou can use to remedy any difficult feng shui situations.
