Above: A horseshoe placed in a newly refurbished kitchen for good luck. Photo Courtesy: Kelly Teague
For thousands of years, people and cultures all over the world have used symbols and charms to bring luck into their homes and ward off evil and misfortune. Here are some easy ways you can bring luck into your home.
Four Leaf Clovers
To me these are the quintessential good luck symbol. They became a symbol of good luck owing to their rarity but having found several myself, I can confirm they do exist! The three leaves on a three leaf clover are said to represent faith, hope and love. On a four leaf clover, the fourth leaf is said to represent luck.
There are many ways that you can introduce a four leaf clover symbol into your home. If you are lucky enough to have found one then I highly recommend pressing it and framing it or preserving it in some way as a keepsake. Check out this handy guide to preserving clovers… http://www.fourleafclover.com/vshop/how_to_preserve_clovers.
Also, if you can get a photo of it before you pick it then even if the preserving doesn’t work, you can frame the photo and keep it on your desk or anywhere else in your home where you might want luck. If you haven’t found your own yet (do keep looking – they’re out there!) then you can buy all manner of four leaf clover charms on the internet.
Symbolic Animals
Goldfish is said to attract wealth to your home according to Feng Shui! Photo Courtesy: LBTCStock
There are lots of animals that are considered to be lucky in different cultures, so there’s bound to be one that you identify with. Obviously it’s not always practical to introduce live animals into your home – a tiger might start to seem less lucky when you’re sharing a house with it – but a great way to bring the symbolism into your home is through wall art. A large canvas print of your favourite lucky animal would make a beautiful addition to your home and hopefully promote luck! You could choose from the following animals or even choose your own…
- Goldfish – said to attract wealth to your home according to Feng Shui.
- Butterflies – not just beautiful, these insects represent the freedom and the wonder of nature. A butterfly transforms itself from a caterpillar into a symmetrically perfect decorated flying creature.
- Scarab beetles – these creatures represent the renewal of life in ancient Egyptian artwork.
- Elephants – a symbol of good luck in many cultures, they represent strength, wisdom and power. Choose a picture of an elephant with it’s trunk in the air to symbolise prosperity also.
- Bats – in ancient Chinese culture, bats are said to bring good fortune and are popular symbols of luck.
Lucky Plants
Holy Basil flower (Tulsi) – Water droplet about to fall from a Tulsi (Holy basil) flower after a downpour. Photo Courtesy: Third Eye
Certain plants are considered lucky and some of these plants can be easily grown in your own home.
- Lucky bamboo plants – if you want to be picky then lucky bamboo plants aren’t technically bamboo but the plant itself is still considered lucky. You can buy these plants from most places that sell houseplants. They are easy to grow in either water or potted in soil. Have a look at http://www.lucky-bamboo.org/index.html for all you need to know about lucky bamboo.
- Mother-in-laws Tongue/snake plant – certain cultures in Africa use this plant to ward off evil.
- Lucky basil – an important plant in Hindu culture thought to protect the home against misfortune. It symbolises harmony, serenity and luck.
There are many other symbols and ways to bring luck into your home, but these three ideas are a great place to start. They’re easy, relatively inexpensive and should hopefully work wonders for you.
Michelle Brockman is a professional home decorator specialising in eastern symbolism and design principles. She specialises in helping to transform Western homes with canvas art and unique spiritually related wall art.
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