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Are Dried Flowers Bad Luck?
Hi Nancilee,
I was just told by a friend that hanging dried
flowers in my house was a symbol of death. Is this true?
Paula (Kentucky, Ill)
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Dear Paula,
There are some "old wives
tales" in traditional feng shui. Typically there is
a valid reason for their premise, but lamentably they
sometimes become distorted or the rationale which made
them originally valid is no longer sound. While there is
no documented historical evidence supporting the notion
that dried flowers are symbols of death, I would like to
offer some reasons why this dictate might have emerged.
It is pyramid feng shui’s job is to uncover the
rationale for all ancient dictates. Here’s some
speculations.
- Dried flowers are symbolically can be
associated with death insofar as they represent a
physical manifestation of a life that is no longer
vital.
- Those who take the easy route in life
(choosing dried flowers over fresh) are often those who
lack the discipline to care for themselves in the
highest and best way.
- Flowers are often strewn on a grave
whether after the burying ritual or during subsequent
visits. Further they decompose in the same way as the
buried body and could therefore represent death.
In our culture, dried flowers are
often associated with positive events and activities.
Victorian artisans often pressed dried flowers into
works of art and proudly displayed them. Many female
teens press prom night corsages between pages of books
as keepsakes. Wreaths are often designed exclusively
with dried flowers and used seasonally. Thus, in our
culture, not all dried flowers take on the expression of
negativity. However, it is possible that dried flowers
in a particular location could. I had a client who used
dried flowers as decoration and in her case it was a
negative.
My client was approaching her fortieth
birthday and feeling depressed. Most of her friends has
either stellar careers or were married with children.
She had neither. When asked to consult on her home’s
feng shui and to help her have either a satisfying
career or finding a life partner, I sought signs of her
ability to manifest her goals. Her lack of stamina to
conquer those things in life she desired was obvious to
me. Julie’s front yard was in various stages of
decline. Bushes looked unhealthy and scrawny, her grass
was patchy and not the vibrant green one usually
experiences during the onset of spring. Inside, there
were dried flower arrangements on the foyer and dining
tables as well as on her bedroom’s dresser. The
arrangements were dusty. Her furniture looked worn and
because of its mismatched appearance looked like
hand-me-downs. Not much in her home looked as if she had
put forth-dynamic energy to generate. It was dreary as
was her life.
The dried flower arrangements were
easy and inexpensive way to help her acquire a dynamic,
positive pattern that would translate in her approach to
these goals. The first feng shui cure I suggested was to
replace the dried flowers with fresh flowers twice a
week. It didn’t matter whether she picked them or
bought them. I wrote down some ways she could keep the
flower fresh looking longer, that is to add Clorox to
the plant’s water (approximately one teaspoon for each
quart of water).
In this client’s case, dried flowers
represented giving up (the death of a desire or the
demise of actions to achieve goals) and by asking her to
toss them out and replace them with fresh flowers, I was
reshaping what appeared to be a life-long negative
pattern. Being involved, vigilant and bestowing oneself
with gifts is a first step to achieving goals that
involve putting your best foot forward.
I hope these explanations help you to
understand why dried flowers may or may not hold a
negative association.
Best future,
Nancilee Wydra
Nancilee Wydra, Feng Shui Master and author of six books
on feng shui travels the country lecturing and
consulting for Fortune 500 companies and individuals.
She is the founder of the Feng Shui Institute of America
and has developed the first nationally certified
professional training program on feng shui in the
country. The next class is March 15-22, 2002 in Palm
Beach Florida.
To secure additional
information about her lecturing, consulting and teaching
contact her at: NancileeWy@aol.com
or visit www.Windwater.com
or 888-488-FSIA or --for FREE answers to feng shui
questions: www.EfengshuiUSA.com.
Nancilee Wydra’s
Books:
Feng Shui The Book of Cures
Feng Shui in the Garden
Feng Shui and How to Look Before You Love
Feng Shui Goes to the Office
Feng Shui for Children’s Spaces
101 Feng Shui Ways to Change Your Life (Coming in June 2002!)
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