The Mandarin ducks are the most popular, well known, and widely used traditional feng shui cure for love. Note the word traditional, or classical feng shui, which means that a cure is based on culturally specific images, symbols, and overall historical use.
Choosing the Mandarin Ducks
Does it’s traditional value mean that you should use the Mandarin ducks as a feng shui cure if you are looking to attract a love partner? It depends on you. The best answer is this: “Choose the Mandarin ducks as a feng shui cure to attract love only if you genuinely, completely and absolutely feel the energy of love and devotion when you look at them.”
Do the Mandarin ducks speak to you of love? Or a happy marriage? Be honest with yourself when you choose feng shui cures for your home, because you are the one to benefit (or not) from your honesty and intelligent feng shui work.
Because feng shui is considered to have originated in China, most of the classical feng shui cures—including the use of Mandarin ducks—have their roots in Chinese folklore.
If you grew up in China or Japan, where the Mandarin ducks are widespread—you most probably have heard stories about the love and devotion of Mandarin ducks. They mate for life and are considered loyal and devoted to their chosen partner.
Because in symbolic feng shui level one works with images and symbols to represent the desired energy, the Mandarin ducks have become the perfect feng shui cure for love. That is, in Chinese culture. Does that mean you have to use it? If you like it, certainly go for it; if you do not feel the love attraction when you look at the Mandarin ducks, rest assured there are hundreds of images out there that can speak to you of love and devotion.
Let’s look at the use of Mandarin ducks as a Classical feng shui cure for love, and then see if there are other, more appropriate (for you) images with good feng shui energy of love.
What Display Objects to Use
You can use either an image, such as a photo or a painting, or choose small statues of Mandarin ducks as a feng shui love cure. You can find small Mandarin ducks statues in different materials—from faceted lead crystals to figurines made from rose quartz, brass or jade. Because rose quartz holds healing love energy, a pair of Mandarin ducks made from rose quartz crystal may bring additional energy to your feng shui love cure.
Placement
The traditional placement of the Mandarin ducks is in the love and marriage area of your home Bagua. If you use the classical feng shui school, then place your ducks in the Southwest area of your home. If the BTB feng shui school is your choice, then focus on the upper right corner or area of your home. Another good feng shui placement is in your personal lucky direction for love, which is based on your date of birth.
Display Requirements
Always display your Mandarin ducks as a couple, never have just one duck as it will not work as a happy love symbol. Have them face the same direction and be sure the energy around them is clean, well lit, attractive and fresh.
Other Feng Shui Cures
What if you don’t like the mandarin ducks? No worries, you can easily find another feng shui cure. Full points to you for your honesty!
The way to find the best love symbol is to ask yourself which images stir the energy of love and the desired relationship in your heart. You can choose a representation of a happy couple—be it art or photography—or keep exploring the animal kingdom for loyal energy similar to the Mandarin ducks. Swans, eagles, turtle doves, wolves, most penguins, gibbons, and many other species are considered to mate for life, so feel free to choose any image that speaks to you.
You have to approach feng shui in a wise and intelligent manner. This means you understand that feng shui is powerful energy work, and thus not bound by culturally specific images and quick and magical “fix-it-now-and-forever” type of cures. No feng shui cure will solve your problems; but good feng shui energy created in a skillful way will definitely release blockages and invite stronger, more potent energy to support your life journey.
Mandarin Ducks, an Important Feng Shui Love Symbol
1. Living Symbols
Actual Mandarin ducks have to be one of the most colorful ducks anywhere. Natives of East Asia, they’ve been imported to other regions of the world where they’ve become naturalized. Large colonies of these immigrants exist in the British Isles with small groups thriving in northern California. Here, they can be seen with their equally showy North American cousins, the Wood ducks. Both species possess silver-white edging on their flight feathers and a penchant for perching high in trees. Mandarin ducks differ from Wood ducks in having less deep green coloring and an orange-gold cast throughout their bodies. They also have unique wingtips they hold up like sails when swimming or just sitting around.
2. Two is the Magic Number
Attracting love and maintaining it are the central goals in incorporating Mandarin ducks into a home’s layout. The love stems from that between a breeding pair of Mandarin ducks. They are part of the greater philosophy of Feng Shui that believes the addition of various materials and objects, correctly arranged in the home, will lead to success, health, and well-being by properly channeling the essential energy of the universe known as Chi.
Early on, people noticed that this driving force caused events to go through cycles in which things would go to one extreme before moving to its opposite. In the end, the balance was achieved between these opposing characteristics called Yin and Yang or the female and male principles. A breeding pair of Mandarin ducks can be seen as representatives of Yin and Yang. They not only represent love, but they also help keep the household in harmonious balance. But this is only the case when there’s just two.
3. The Right Material
Paintings and sculptures are the two primary means by which Mandarin ducks come into the home. With one or two paintings, things are fairly simple. With sculpture, the choice of materials plays an important role. Everything from metal to glass can be used to cast the figures. They are also often carved from jade. A particularly favored material is rose quartz. Along with being a beautiful, natural material, rose quartz also possesses its own power to draw and amplify love. Combining it with the likenesses of a Mandarin breeding pair creates an especially powerful talisman. Considering that figurines made of this gemstone usually have to be hand-carved, they’re nice works of art to have in the home, too.
Their remarkable beauty might have first caught the eyes of ancient Chinese philosophers and mystics, but it was their characteristic of mating for life that inspired a deeper interest. The love and loyalty of a breeding pair of Mandarin ducks are so powerful that when one passes away, the other will soon die of a broken heart rather than search out another mate. Even when separated for any significant length of time, a Mandarin duck will become distressed. For this reason, paintings and figurines of the ducks must never be facing away from one another or else they will bring strife instead of love.
5. The Unbreakable Bond
Even as symbols, Mandarin duck figurines stay true and committed to each other. If only one is broken, both must be discarded. When they’re separated under these circumstances, their love is lost. The love in the home will also be chased away.
6. The Right Spot
Since Feng Shui considers arrangements as important as objects themselves, placement of the Mandarin ducks is the next important step in allowing them to work their magic. Their location is just part of a larger scheme involving the layout and upkeep of the home. For example, the northwest, southwest, and center of the house are considered the most important locales. In particular, the southwest area is viewed as the center of love and marriage. When a new house is constructed according to Feng Shui, the master bedroom will be located here. The Mandarin ducks, of course, will also take up occupancy here. If an existing home has the bedroom situated elsewhere, that’s the best spot for them. For a lone resident, keep the ducks near the bed. For married couples, the husband’s side of the bed is better.
7. Keep Things Light
Feng Shui teaches that light promotes Chi while darkness deters it. The Mandarin ducks should be in a lighted area. If there’s a window close by to accomplish this, that’s great. Artificial lighting will do the trick, too. In fact, in Feng Shui, the southwest area is connected not only to love but to the essential elements of earth and fire. Lighting is seen as a representation of fire, so it harmonizes well with the love emanating from the Mandarin ducks. While on the subject of basic elements, wood in the form of plants along with water should preferably be avoided in this space.
8. Keep Things Clean
A cluttered environment is just as detrimental to the flow of Chi as darkness is. The Mandarin ducks need plenty of open space around them to let their love radiate outwards. Keeping them in an open location also enhances their attractiveness as a displayed work of art.
Bottom Line
Now that you have the important knowledge about Mandarin ducks, there’s no reason to hold off bringing a pair of them into the household. Feng Shui is all about fostering the good things in life. Love is certainly part of this package, and Mandarin ducks have it covered.