Where Should You Place the Gourd at Home? Never Place it Randomly!

The gourd is an important decorative item in home feng shui. You can find gourds in any feng shui supply store. Nowadays, many families have gourds placed in their homes. But here comes a question: Does the gourd really have feng shui effects? If so, what are the basis and principles behind it?

The gourd is probably a product of folk beliefs rather than something truly originating from feng shui. The gourd, also known as "pulu" in Chinese, has a homophonic pronunciation similar to "fortune and prosperity" in Chinese. It is an annual herbaceous plant, and its stem is called "mandai", which is homophonic to "generations" in Chinese. Therefore, "pulu mandai" sounds like "fortune and prosperity for generations", making it a symbol of good luck. This is likely the origin of the gourd as a feng shui decorative item.

Apart from its homophonic meaning, the gourd is related to medicine. In ancient times, Taoists used gourds to store medicinal pills. This is depicted in Journey to the West, where the Supreme Lord Laozi used a gourd to hold his pills. Because of this, the gourd became a symbol of medicine. In ancient times, when a doctor "hung a gourd to help the world" (a phrase indicating a doctor's benevolent practice), hanging a gourd meant that the person was a doctor. Even the logo of Yunnan Baiyao, a famous Chinese medicine brand, adopts the shape of a gourd for this very reason.

In addition, the gourd has the function of storage. For example, the legendary monk Jigong used a gourd to hold wine, and Tieguai Li, one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese mythology, also used a gourd to hold wine.

Immortals not only used gourds to hold wine and medicinal pills but also to collect evil spirits and demons. In Journey to the West, the Silver Horn King and the Golden Horn King's magic weapon was a gourd stolen from the Supreme Lord Laozi, which could capture anything. The plot in the animated series Calabash Brothers, where several gourds fight against demons, also originates from such mythological legends.

The above three aspects - the homophonic meaning of fortune and prosperity, the use for storing medicinal pills for healing, and the ability to collect evil spirits - are probably the sources of the gourd's status as a feng shui decorative item.

So, does the gourd really have feng shui effects? Is it really as some people claim, capable of protecting the house from evil, attracting wealth, enhancing marital relationships, bringing fertility and blessings, and dispelling diseases and bad luck?

Some people believe that the gourd can enhance marital relationships. The possible reason behind this is the unique shape of the gourd. The gourd consists of two connected circles. In the symbolic meaning of traditional Chinese culture, this shape is regarded as a symbol of the close connection and mutual dependence between husband and wife, implying a harmonious and affectionate relationship between them, thus being given the beautiful meaning of enhancing marital relationships.

The so-called feng shui is such that the movement of the mind is wind, and the existence of things is water. Feng shui is the mutual influence and interaction between the self's mind and external objects (this is my original idea; please correct me if I'm wrong).

Therefore, feng shui is manifested in two aspects: the tangible and the intangible. Tangible feng shui refers to the terrain (also known as "luantou"), and intangible feng shui refers to the energy patterns (also known as "liqi"). There is also a current theory about the "inner five elements", which is the role of the mind and consciousness. At present, the feng shui significance of the gourd is more of the role of the mind and consciousness, that is, psychological suggestion.

There are few examples to prove the positive meaning of the gourd, but there are claims about its negative meaning. In the feng shui formulas of the Golden Lock and Jade Gate School, when talking about the "Kan water" among the twenty-four mountains, it is mentioned that "if it is shaped like a gourd, the short man will fear her", which refers to the "Zi sand". The north prefers sand. "Sand" is a feng shui term, representing yang. The north is divided into three mountains: Ren, Zi, and Gui. The north prefers yang, and it is good to see sand. However, if there is sand in the due north, that is, in the Zi mountain, and this sand is shaped like a gourd, it will cause trouble, hence "the short man will fear her". Why? Placing a gourd in the due north harms the kidneys! The due north is Kan, and Kan represents the middle son. If the middle son's kidneys are damaged, his sexual function will be impaired, and he will feel inferior in front of women. That's why "the short man will fear her"! When talking about "Ren water", it is also said: "If it is shaped like a gourd, it will also cause damage to the waist and stomach (the interior of the stomach)." That is to say, if there is a gourd-shaped object (or a gourd) in the Ren mountain, it will lead to stomach and waist problems. The kidneys are located at the back of the two waists, so there is no contradiction between kidney damage and waist damage. Kan is associated with the kidneys, so the kidneys will be damaged. Why will the stomach also be affected? Because the Kan position is the innate Kun, and Kun is associated with the stomach, so the stomach will also be injured.

Placing the gourd in other positions has little impact, and its positive meaning varies from person to person depending on your own perception. However, there are two directions where you should not place it. One is the north, and the other is the west. The north should not have a gourd, which is clearly stated in the feng shui formulas, and Mr. Liu Dongliang has also provided some examples. Why can't it be placed in the west? This is my own speculation. Because the west is the innate Kan, and since the acquired Kan position should not have a gourd, the innate Kan is of course also taboo. So, it cannot be placed in the west.

There was a sister who had a sore throat. She hung two gourds on the west wall, and I think she hung them in the wrong place. There are two reasons. One is that the west, being the innate Kan, should not have gourds. The other is that the shape of the gourd, with a narrow middle and not being smooth, is similar in shape to the throat, which is what is called a "shape evil" in feng shui. Mr. Liu Dongliang said: "Every word and sentence in the feng shui formulas are often the result of many people paying a heavy price and suffering painful lessons." This is absolutely true! Mr. Liu Dongliang mentioned in his article: "If there are gourd-shaped objects or a water pool in the due north of a living room or office, it is likely to cause leg and waist injuries. The most likely time for this to happen is in the years, months, and days of Zi and Wu." The waist and kidney problems caused by the gourd often occur in the years, months, and days of Zi and Wu. That sister's throat problem occurred exactly in the Wu month. Why does it occur in the years, months, and days of Zi and Wu? This is not difficult to understand. The problems caused by the gourd in the north are related to the time corresponding to the north, which is Zi. Feng shui emphasizes the balance of opposite positions. If there is a problem in the north, there will also be a problem in the corresponding south. The north and south correspond to Zi and Wu. So, the problems caused by the gourd naturally occur in the years, months, and days of Zi and Wu.

Experience: Do not place gourds in the north and west, and even objects similar in shape to gourds should not be placed there. There are no taboos for other positions. Placing gourds in the north and west is likely to cause problems related to the liver, kidneys, legs, waist, and teeth.