|
Mid Autumn Tradition
The Mid-Autumn Festival or commonly known
as the Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival, is celebrated
on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (28th
September 2004). The 8th lunar month marks an auspicious
beginning again after a bad 7th month of the Hungry Ghost
Festival which ends on 14th September. Legends say that
the moon is at its brightest and roundest during this month.
The 8th lunar month is extremely great for starting of new
businesses, moving into a new home, travelling, moving to
a new job, getting married and embarking on something new.
It is time of the year to fill up your home with feng shui
symbols of good meanings, foodstuffs and spark up your wealth
luck for a good year end.
Legends surrounding the Mid Autumn
Tradition:
The Mid Autumn is a special month for the
women in ancient China. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month
was one of the rare opportunities for women to socialize
outdoor. Thus, it is considered as the women's festival.
The moon symbolizes beauty and elegance. It is the yin or
female element of mankind, thus the festive season is associated
to trust, passiveness and harmony.
Around 2170B.C, the legend of Lady Chang
Er emerged. During that time, the earth was surrounded by
10 suns taking turns to illuminate it. At one time, all
the 10 suns threatened to appear at the same time together
and this was expected to harm people and crops. A famous
but tyrannical archer shot down 9 suns and became a king.
He was then being presented the elixir of life from the
goddess of the West. His beautiful wife Chang Er drank the
potion to save the people from Hou Yi's tyrannical rule.
After drinking the potion, she floated to the moon.
Another version of the same legend said
that Hou Yi shot down 9 suns and left with only one supplying
heat to the earth. He was unaware that the suns actually
were the sons of the Jade Emperor. To avenge their deaths,
Hou Yi and his family were punished. The goddess of the
West took pity on them and gave Hou Yi the potion of immortality.
He presented it to his wife who drank it and floated to
the moon to reside there as the Lady of the Moon on the
15th day of the 8th lunar moon. Ever since, people have
prayed to her to have their wishes fulfilled.
The second legend said there were three
sages who transformed themselves into pitiful old men. They
begged the rabbit, monkey and fox for food. The monkey and
fox offered food to the old men. However, the rabbit had
nothing, so it offered its own flesh and jumped into fire
to sacrifice for the old man. This noble deed touched the
sages, and let the Rabbit live in the Moon Palace where
the rabbit became the Jade Rabbit.
How did the mooncake came about?
During the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1280-1368),
the Mongolians ruled China after destroying Sung Dynasty.
Under Mongolian rule, the Han people were oppressed and
being made slaves. A rebellion was planned by Chu Yan Chang
during the Mid Autumn Festival. He ordered the making of
special cakes. Backed into each mooncake was the message
"revolt on the 15th of the 8th Moon". Mooncakes
were sold openly everywhere then to all the Han people who
united to successfully rebel and overthrew the Mongolian
Government. Today, mooncakes very much remind everyone of
this rebellion.
Wish fulfilled By Lady of the Moon:
To commemorate the Lady of the Moon
Chang Er, people would gather with friends, family or relatives
to gaze at the moon. They would lay lots of foodstuffs such
as mooncakes, cookies, cakes and fruits for a feast together
during this season while gazing at the beautiful moon. Some
would even make wishes or pray to the moon as moon energy
is strongest during this month. Singles would make wishes
to get married while married couples would ask for descendants
luck and harmony. Those who are eager to get rich would make
their wealth ships and placed wishfulfilling symbols in their
homes to tap to such luck as the 8th month is simply so auspicious.
The Moon being a POWERFUL source of
YIN energy:
To obtain ultimate good feng shui, both
yin and yang energies must be in equilibrium. Yin energy must
not be neglected to the extent that they become absent in
our lives. The moon exerts clear yin energy through its moonlight
and is considered auspicious type of yin energy as it is not
stagnant or stale. Yin energies from the moon is considered
pure, unlike the stagnant kind of yin energy from dying plants
or dark quiet areas.
Many legends are associated to the moon. For example, God
of Marriage lives in the moon and ladies wanting to get a
husband needs to tap to the energy from the moon. One of the
simple rituals to activate marriage luck is to use the magic
mirror according to Taoist feng shui. Just absorb the energy
from moon light and use it as a makeup mirror. It is also
associated to the popular Three Legged Money Frog. The Money
Frog was once the wife of one of the Eight Immortals and one
day she stole the elixir of life from her husband. As a penalty,
she was banished to live in the moon.
It is a good time of the
year in the 8th lunar month to invite the Three
Legged Money Frogs into our homes. Place 9 of them scattered around in your living room under your chairs, cabinets or tables.
|
Recommended Feng Shui Enhancers for
the month (15th September-14th October):
1.The moon energy is strongest during
the 8th lunar month, therefore ladies who desire to be pretty
must not miss the opportunity to absorb this strong yin energy
from the moon. Such energy resembles elegance and beauty.
Use the magic mirror
to absorb such energy and use the mirror onto faces of ladies
to enhance beauty and lady-like luck! This would make them
hard to resist from men.
2. Filled up your space with food and fruit images. Fresh
and yummy fruits represent the "about-to-be-harvested"
produce of the motherland and displaying them in your dining
room or living area on an auspicious month brings prosperity
to the family. The luckiest of all fruit symbols are like
apples, grapes and peaches. Especially the grapes, it implies
prosperity of material kind, a life full of luxury and plenty
to eat as recommended by Lillian Too in her book "Symbols
of Good Fortune".
3. Since this is a women's festival, most ladies who desire
to meet their future husbands would take the opportunity to
activate their love luck. Place the blissful couple, rose
quartz mandarin ducks in homes and wear the elegant
rose quartz apple pendant to tap to the luck of the festive
season.
4. For ambitious people who desire to activate their wealth
luck during this auspicious month, invite the 8
Carps, as many wealth
ships as you could afford,
money frogs, wealth gods, wish-granting
bull and gold ingots
into your homes and offices. For investors, if you desire
for your stocks to rally, get the wish
granting bull placed on your desk. It brings surprises!
 
Auspicious symbols to fulfill your wishes for the year end
|
|
