Lucky Bamboo: Learn Everything About this Good Luck Charm
Wealth, prosperity, happiness, fortune... know someone who wouldn't dream of receiving all of this?
That would be surprising to say the least.
In any case, if one of your friends could answer yes to this question, you absolutely must talk to them about the virtues of lucky bamboo!
Better yet, you can give that person a small plant. As we will see in this article, this plant known as “lucky bamboo” has everything it takes to claim the title of perfect gift.
In this article, we will try to learn more about lucky bamboo through what Feng Shu i tells us about it.
We will then see its main uses, and especially the impact of the number of plants on its effects.
Before talking about all this, however, there is one point we must raise about the nature of lucky bamboo...
Contents :
A central element of the practice of Feng Shui
Bamboo… or maybe not!
When we talk about lucky bamboo, we are talking about a unique plant in the world capable of increasing our luck or, rather, attracting it for us.
It is therefore not surprising that millions of people around the world choose it as a houseplant to decorate their bedrooms, living rooms and entrance halls.
What few know about this plant… is that it does not actually belong to the bamboo family!
Yes, despite its name, the “lucky bamboo”, its real name Dracaena sanderiana, is part of the botanical class Dracaena.
Very widespread in South and East Asia (yes, our plant is native to a tropical area), it is true that the members of this family often show an astonishing resemblance to bamboo.
Whether we look at their trunks or their leaves, an untrained eye is easily mistaken. If you want to learn more about this rather particular plant, here is a fairly detailed descriptive sheet about this plant species.
In short, even if it is not entirely correct from a scientific point of view, in this article we will continue to talk about lucky bamboo, for reasons of convenience.
A central element of the practice of Feng Shui
By the name of Feng Shui, we designate an ancient Chinese spiritual art aimed at balancing the energies inside human beings, but also in the places they occupy.
Describing the hidden forces behind Feng Shui would take hours.
To put it simply, for millennia now, wise people have noticed how balancing and harmonizing the energies around us could bring us things like health, motivation, courage or joy.
In short, among the many Feng Shui tools (of which you will find some examples selected for you here), plants occupy a special place.
Few decorative elements are indeed capable of bringing such life and such energy around them.
Plants therefore constitute a central part of Feng Shui. However, one species stands out from the others by a long way: the lucky bamboo.
According to these ancient teachings, lucky bamboo would indeed allow us to get rid of negative energies and transform it into a more positive one like few other tools are capable of. There are two main theories that explain how it attracts good luck.
The first connects bamboo to the universe through its link with the five elements of Chinese philosophy :
- The soil, necessarily present in the pot.
- The wood, which constitutes the bamboo itself
- Water, which every plant feeds on
- Fire, through the bamboo's need for the chance to receive the energy of the Sun
- Metal, by the gardening tools we use to maintain it
The second tells us about lucky bamboo as a sort of “channel” which would attract bad energies on one side, transform them and let them leave cleansed on the other side.
This idea would seem to be based on the tube shape of bamboo.
If you ask us, the reason is undoubtedly much deeper than that.
Other virtues of lucky bamboo
Feng Shui therefore describes bamboo to us as a particularly powerful plant, perhaps even as the most effective of all.
More than a simple energy tool, this plant species carries great messages.
Chinese wisdom has been able to teach us many things. Perhaps one of the most important is the need to be flexible if we are to resist the attacks of daily life.
“Like the reed, bend but do not break. »: we have all heard this phrase before... Well it also applies to bamboo!
Besides this, the hollow appearance of bamboo teaches us the importance of emptiness. If, like the reed, we leave a part of emptiness in us, the energies will be able to circulate without being blocked.
Another benefit of lucky bamboo is its musicality. Although it is more practical to grow it indoors in our latitudes, anyone who has ever heard the sound of the wind passing through its leaves will describe it as a soft and soothing melody.
Finally, the exceptional growth speed of bamboo and its great resistance to disease and bad weather make it a fairly significant lucky symbol of vitality. Even if it is in a vase similar to that of your other indoor plants, this is not a simple decorative shrub...
In short, if you want to benefit from all these benefits, we advise you to enhance your decoration with objects made from bamboo.
Several bamboo plants for different senses
If there is one thing to take into account when it comes to choosing your lucky bamboo, it is the number of stems present in the pot.
Indeed, tradition teaches us that this variable greatly influences the effects that this plant will have on your energy.
Here is a (brief) summary of the virtues of each number:
- A rod: represents unity and the ability of energy to remain concentrated
- Two stems: number of couples and lovers
- Three stems: with the number, three, the family grows and a new member appears
- Five stems: very popular, this plant is associated with success, happiness and health
- Six stems: this type of bamboo is suitable for businesses and businesses due to its link with money
- Seven stems: seven is a lucky number very popular with the Chinese, just like the plants made of this number of stems
- Eight stems: this is a question of infinity and spirituality
- Nine stems: the nine is halfway between personal success and external gratitude
If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that the four is missing here. The reason for this is quite simple: you should avoid it at all costs.
According to Feng Shui, the number four is indeed linked to death, sadness and all that is bad.
If you respect this simple rule (to avoid a four-stemmed lucky bamboo), there is no reason for things to go wrong for you.
So all you have to do is choose the effects you most want to see happen around you!
Taking care of your lucky bamboo
As we discussed earlier in the article, lucky bamboo is a fairly easy plant to care for.
However, there are a few simple rules to follow if you want it to grow as well as possible:
- To plant your bamboo, use a mixture of clay, potting soil and gravel. You can also find ready-made solutions to easily repot your plants.
- Place the plant in the light, but avoid directly exposing the pot. This could literally burn its roots and eventually cause the leaves to turn yellow.
- As with all plants, move your pots regularly so that your bamboo has a change of atmosphere. Just make sure that enough of its leaves get direct sun.
- If it is too cold, do not hesitate to use a thermal pot cover to prevent its roots from burning.
- Don't forget to water it: this species loves water. However, make sure that there is never any stagnant water in the pot.
- To avoid too rapid evaporation and not have to water too often, you can cover the surface of your pot with beads (to prevent direct sunlight from hitting it).
- You can prune its foliage if it becomes too large, but avoid doing so from September onwards. (Don't forget that part of lucky bamboo lies in its green leaves!)
- At pruning level, do not cut too many stems at once and avoid damaging the trunk at all costs.
- Give your lucky bamboo lots of love. He will know how to give it back to you. In the absence of love, your bamboo will appreciate a little liquid fertilizer mixed with its watering water.
- For more advice, here is an article bringing together everything you need to know about its maintenance. You can also always ask your florist for information.
Follow these few instructions and everything will go well.
If, however, you notice any irregularity, do not be afraid: lucky bamboo is a plant that forgives some mistakes.
Yes, apart from its effect on luck and energies, its easy maintenance is one of the reasons which explains its great popularity as an indoor plant!
Lucky charm featured in this article
Feng Shui Bamboo Circle
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