Symbolism in Water Fountains
Asian architecture and art often incorporate symbolism in the elements of their designs. This is especially true for Asian-influenced water fountain design. Whether your fountain is styled after Zen garden principals, feng shui, or traditional Asian Designs the symbols in your water fountain could mean many things.
Here are a few common design elements often seen with Asian-inspired water fountains:
Animals and People
Frog – Depending on the culture, frogs can be seen as slimy and cold or as symbols of transformation and good fortune. They can symbolize a happy family life, healing and good luck.
Dragonfly – As one of the best trick fliers in the insect world, dragonflies have long been admired. Dragonflies often symbolize new light, joy and strength.
Koi Fish – Koi are an ornamental carp species and are very popular in outdoor ponds and fountains. Koi symbolize perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose.
Dragons – Dragons have been known in Asian cultures as benevolent and intelligent. Asian dragons can symbolize strength, authority and mysticism.
Buddha – Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of the Buddhist religion. Buddha often symbolizes enlightenment, meditation, individualism, prosperity, and riches.
Flowers and Trees
Lotus Blossom – The lotus blossom grows in the muck at the bottom of a pond, then grows toward the water surface where it blooms. It can symbolize enlightenment and purity.
Bonsai Tree – Bonsai trees are dwarfed trees that grow in shallow pots and are pruned and trained into a shape. They can symbolize peace, harmony and good things.
Peony – Along with the plum blossom, the peony is the traditional floral symbol of China. Peonies symbolize riches, honor and nobility.
Bamboo – Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth, reaching its full height and girth in 3-4 months. Bamboo can symbolize flexibility, wisdom and experience.
Orchid – Orchids are a long-lasting plant that has a very unique and graceful appearance. They can symbolize abundance, higher growth and prosperity.
Metal and Coins
Coins – Old Chinese coins are often seen in fountains and are easily recognized by the square hole in their center. They can symbolize wealth, prosperity, and good luck.
Gold – As the most precious of metals, gold carries special meaning in many cultures. It often symbolizes perfection of mind and spirit.
Silver – Silver is often associated with the feminine and can symbolize intuition, clarity of vision and subtle strength.
Copper – Copper was once used for mirrors because of its reflective properties. It often symbolizes love, balance and artistic creativity.
Next time you purchase a water fountain, think about the symbolism of all the design elements. You might be surprised!
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Feng Shui Life with Water Fountains for Greater Wealth
Placing a feng shui water fountain in the Wealth area of your home is one of the most effective cures to attract more money into your feng shui life. Before you do so, determine where the wealth area in your home or office is with the use of the bagua. As a tip, this area is usually located in the far left section of your space. This is considered a “power corner” and is usually located farthest from the entry way.
Once you have determined where your wealth area is, place the feng shui water fountain cure in this place and strengthen its effectiveness by creating a clear vision in your mind that wealth is flowing abundantly in your new feng shui life.
Water fountains are effective regardless of size, but in this case, larger can sometimes be better. Fountains for the home are also easy to find in any home decorating store, hardware store, department stores and on-line. You can also create your own wealth fountain by using a big ceramic pot, a small aquarium pump and some smooth stones and crystals.
It is also important to make sure that the water in your wealth fountain is clean at all times. This will reflect how clean and steady the flow of your financial feng shui life will be, constant and never slowing. Skipping regular water maintenance will cause a stoppage in the flow of wealth and energy will be stagnant so make sure to keep it well looked after, just like your money is.
Keep in mind however, that this cure is only as good as you intend it to be. Make sure that you have a clear picture of your intention in mind as you place this water cure. Take a moment to breath, and exhale as if you’re releasing all the negative energy in your mind and body. Focus your energy on the image of what you want to achieve. Do this as you hold the feng shui water fountain in your hands, as if it contains your dreams of wealth and prosperity. If you take time to do this, you will see tremendous results pouring into your prosperous and abundant feng shui life.
Also, make sure that the area where you intend to place your wealth fountain is clean and free from clutter. Any damaged or broken items should either be repaired or discarded. Wealth energy will flow so much better in a free space. Remember that this space is sacred and needs to be kept that way. Release stagnant energy by ringing bells or banging cooking pots together. You can also burn sage to purify and cleanse this area. If you do this, make sure that a door or window is open so that the negative energy escapes.
When choosing water fountains, make sure that it suits the style of your home decor, is proportionate to the size of the space that you are placing it in, and incorporates a nice blend of element-symbolizing materials that represent what you want to add in that space.
Experiment with the speed and sound of the flow until you find one that complements you. When placing a feng shui water fountain by a door, make sure that the water flows towards your door and not away from it. This will ensure that good chi will always flow into your home and not out of it, creating a very wealthy and healthy feng shui life for you.
Lin Mai is a Feng Shui enthusiast and author. Visit WayToFengShui.com for more expert advice on how to enhance your feng shui life, decorating ideas, and great tips that will invite powerful positive energies into your home.
Feng Shui And Indoor Water Fountains
Sometimes called “the art of placement,” Feng Shui actually means “Wind-Water” in Mandarin Chinese. Obviously, water and water symbolism are extraordinarily important in Feng Shui. Feng Shui practitioners use the “art of placement” to organize their homes in a more harmonious fashion, according to traditional rules and metaphors. Water fountains are a part of that tradition and by observing some of those guidelines you can add some meditative calm to your own household by placing one in a critical location.
Feng Shui traditions list associate water with prosperity in many forms, from health and energy to financial security. Water is part of a set of elemental symbols and cycles in Feng Shui – the five classical Chinese elements. The others elements are earth, fire, wood and metal. In this system, water cools fire and nourishes wood. Fire is the element of passion and zeal, while wood represents perception and intuition. Accordingly, Feng Shui traditions recommend a water fountain to enhance concentration and productive efforts – by “cooling” fire, it channels it into focus. By “nourishing” wood, it adds intelligence to your efforts. For best effect, Feng Shui masters recommend that the fountain’s water flow toward you so that you receive these positive qualities.
A similar guideline advises you to avoid installing a fountain so that its flow faces a window, door or other portal out of the house or living area. Your concentration and prosperity might flow out of the passage, symbolically speaking. There are occasional exceptions. For example, some practitioners think it’s a good idea to place an indoor fountain face your front door. You’ll be walking toward it and closer to symbolic prosperity when you enter, and you’ll be sharing it with your guests. Earth symbols are said to channel the flow of energy, so as an advanced technique you might “pin” an indoor fountain’s energy to keep it from escaping. Mirrors can redirect Feng Shui energies as well, so you can use them to “reflect” the fountain’s benefits to a work alcove or other out of the way location.
Classic Feng Shui lists water as a Yang symbol – it’s energetic and expansive, so it enlivens a location. If you do office work or sedentary hobbies, a water fountain might be just the thing to prevent drowsiness and promote discipline. Similarly, Feng Shui doesn’t typically recommend keeping a fountain in your bedroom, but here we must bow to modern life, where people are likely to work in their bedrooms. As a compromise, you can keep a small fountain positioned so that its flow moves away from the bed or is block from its sight lines.
Some Chinese communities (and an increasing number of Westerners) take Feng Shui quite seriously. Professional feng shui consultants advise on large scale property renovation and construction. But even if you don’t believe in its metaphysical underpinnings, a great deal of Feng Shui is in tune with common sense. In the end, it tells you to create comfortable spaces that fit their purpose – and that should be your ultimate guide when you pick a fountain for Feng Shui.
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Water Fountains & Feng Shui: Top Ten Water Fountain Feng Shui Cures To Instantly Improve Your Life
Feng Shui is an ancient art developed in China more than 3,000 years ago. Feng means ?wind? and Shui means ?water?. Wind and water for Chinese bring good health. It is a complicated field of knowledge that shows how to balance the energies of any given place to provide good health and good fortune to people occupying it.
Here are the top ten water fountain feng shui cures:
1.) Electricity & Water: A water fountain operates through an electric water pump. It is said to promote wealth in the traditional Chinese culture where water was crucial for the growth of the rice. Electricity (power) brings sparking activity and change. Water is one of the five elementary components of the ancient Chinese art and harmony doctrine of feng shui.
2.) Moving Objects: ?wind and water? are the primary essence in feng shui which is both present in a fountain. The cascading water and circulating air around is active CHI which signifies abundance. Chi should always be able to move freely through any space in order to help us to be in balance with the elements surrounding us.
3.) Living plants or objects- plants and flowers represent life and growth. When integrated with a fountain they produce new energy in the house and helps in the circulation of the energy already present there.
4.) Sound- the sheer sound of flowing water attracts people and draws them towards the source for marvelous sensory experience. Chimes and bells when added into a fountain make it enticing for Chi and customers.
5.) Objects solid and heavy- likes stones and statues that are used to decorate a fountain prevents positive Chi from leaving, promoting health and well being.
6.) Objects that shine- crystal balls, mirrors and candles make any interior bright and attract positive energy. Many fountain models come with under water light placed in the frame area providing delightful colors to the water and draws life, happiness and positive Chi.
7.) Colors- red means ?happiness and strength?. It gives a promise of good fortune. Purple, pink and plum are relatively fortunate colors. Green and blue-green promote tranquility. These colors are easily incorporated into your fountain. To draw in harmony and happiness you may put a red bird figurine, rose quarts, or green plants.
8.) Bamboo flutes- for stability, growth and safety you may lay out a small bamboo flute diagonally on a rock or use a hallow bamboo water spout through where the water could flow.
9.) Ribbon, fringes and fragrance- Using mist fountains allows integration of aromatherapy and water fountain. If not using a mist fountain, it is still possible to have fragrance in the form of aromatherapy essential oils placed in a container with some rocks, or an incense cone artistically positioned on a shell or a scented candle. Your creativity may be put to practice as far as this category is concerned because it is applicable in many ways to increase the flow of positive energy.
10.) An ancient Chinese term ?bagua? means ?eight areas? (?ba?=eight, ?gua?=area ) and Feng Shui bagua is a map or chart that relates the various areas of your life to the 8 sections of your living space. Your fountain must be placed in the gua or area you wish to enhance
People who practice feng shui believe that their quality of life depends on how the positive energy flows in the area which they stay. If matter and space are arranged correctly harmony with the environment is attained in the home, relationships, health, wealth and other aspects in life.
Amy C. is a Feng Shui water fountain expert. She has discovered powerful benefits of water fountain through its integration with Feng Shui concepts. Amy invites you to browse her personal favorite collection of indoor tabletop Feng Shui fountains and experience its wonderful benefits in your life. Amy’s garden bamboo fountain kit collection is one of the best ways to integrate feng shui in your garden.