Gourd gourd, also known as Wu Lou, Hu Lu and Calabash, is one of the most popular Chinese health talismans. It is shaped like a figure eight and is made from a variety of materials, including metal and wood.
This Feng Shui talisman brings joy, gives a good mood, cleanses the space around itself and the thoughts of its owner.
Use in ancient times
In China, the gourd, which was called Hu Lu or Wu Lu, was of great value in ancient times because it was used as a vessel for drinking water. In those days, purified water was rare.
For this reason, the gourd, which was a vessel for vital fluid, was considered a talisman that brought untold wealth to the owner. Chinese doctors used the vessel to store healing potions and drinks.
There is a legend that says that Taoist monks could catch evil spirits with the help of a gourd. Thanks to this property, the pumpkin began to be considered a talisman that absorbs all negative energy, thereby freeing the space around itself from negativity.
Another legend is also known that the same monks could enclose the whole world in a gourd, and then take from it as many positive emotions and strength as they needed.
What is a Woo-Loo pumpkin?
The gourd gourd has many different names in Feng Shui - Wu-Lu, Wu-Lou or Ho Lu. All of them were formed as a result of the presence of different Chinese dialects, but have the same meaning. Therefore, no matter what name this amulet is sold under, its power and properties will be the same.
In appearance, it is quite easy to distinguish it from the mass of other Feng Shui symbols. It resembles the pear-shaped fruit of an annual creeping vine called Gorlyanka. Wu-Lu can be issued in the form of a keychain, a small figurine, a pendant or a pendant that you can carry with you.
Positive properties
The gourd has another name - U-Low. It is believed that the talisman is able to influence the life expectancy of the owner, granting longevity, maintaining his health and relieving him of diseases.
In addition to its healing properties, gourd gourd is also credited with influencing any relationship. It is believed that lagenaria can enhance feelings of love.
The gourd is used in situations where love fades between spouses - it returns the husband and wife to their former passion, as a result of which the old relationship is improved.
The gourd is capable of absorbing negative energy, thereby clearing the surrounding space of negative particles. She can also accumulate positive qi energy, which she then returns back.
The talisman is considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
In Buddhism and Taoism, pumpkin is a symbol of good luck. In many images of the gods of these religions, you can see a gourd in their hands.
In Eastern countries, this talisman is still placed above the entrance to public places, for example, shops and hotels, in the belief that the gourd protects against evil spirits.
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, a pumpkin enhances the effects of objects placed inside it. So, if you leave the medicine there for the whole day, it will become more effective, and if you put coins, the pumpkin will attract even more wealth.
The talisman looks very simple, but it has a wide range of useful properties, so it’s worth taking a closer look at it.
Materials for production
In ancient times, a water vessel was made by a master who, while working, thought only about good things and decorated it with carvings. Out loud he could tell instructive stories that were absorbed by the pumpkin.
The talisman can be made from natural pumpkin, which is dried in a special way, as well as from many other things. Porcelain, ceramics, wood, metal and any other available materials are suitable for this purpose.
The surface of the talisman is covered with inscriptions, symbols and images that enhance the properties of the pumpkin. Peaches, cranes, and turtles will enhance the properties of gourd in terms of longevity and health.
If you need to attract wealth and money, you need to depict a three-legged toad or deity on the lagenaria. You can tie a red thread in the middle of the talisman.
Lagenaria - an unusual bottle pumpkin
Scientifically, the hourglass-shaped fruit is called lagenaria pumpkin and is classified into a separate genus, Lagenaria, which includes seven species. In most cases, bottle gourd has no nutritional value. Its spicy pulp is either bitter or completely inedible. At a young age, the pumpkin is an unusual plant, or rather its berries are bitter in taste and loose in structure, similar in aroma to ordinary pumpkin (Chinese pumpkin is also bitter). The gourd can be eaten as long as the diameter of the fruit is 20-40 cm. During ripening, the pulp inside the lagenaria gradually dries out, and the bark hardens to a tree-like state. This process occurs thanks to sclereids or stony cells, which, as the name suggests, make the pumpkin skin as hard as stone. Check out the article about pumpkin varieties.
Where to place the gourd?
The talisman can be placed in any areas where it will enhance the influence of other important objects. You can hang it above the head of the marital bed, then it will have a beneficial effect on family relationships.
If you place the gourd in the work area, it will help make important decisions, and will also protect the owner from the influence of envious people and enemies, and will alleviate the stress that often arises during work.
Placing in a children's room will help siblings improve relationships with each other and find a common language with their parents. If there is a sick person in the house, it is recommended to place a gourd above his bed. It will absorb all diseases, collect negative energy and cleanse the surrounding space.
The patient will feel much better, and as a result, a complete cure will occur. The properties will be enhanced if three gourds are hung above the bed at once.
You should not place the amulet in the toilet or bathroom, as this will have the opposite effect.
If there is no way to put the talisman in the required place, you can hang it on the door of the toilet room from the outside, but this is recommended to be done only in extreme cases, if it is not possible to come up with another, more suitable solution. You should not keep the amulet in the attic, basement or other places where there is a lot of unnecessary things and junk.
Is it possible to clean the amulet?
It happens that the gourd has been at the patient’s bedside for a long time. What needs to be done with it next? Can it be cleaned or does it need to be thrown away immediately?
The talisman can be easily cleaned with incense, sea salt, water, sun and medicinal herbs . You can simply rinse it under running water and dry thoroughly. This procedure is recommended to be carried out once a year or after rituals during which it actively absorbed negative energy.
As a result, the pumpkin will be completely cleaned and will be suitable for further use. If you want to get rid of a pumpkin that has collected all the diseases and negative energy, you can throw it away, but you need to do it correctly. It is forbidden to place it in a trash container; you must bury the amulet or throw it out into the river.
Making a talisman with your own hands
A vegetable amulet will work well if placed near a window.
To make a magic amulet, you need to purchase an ordinary round pumpkin from your own hands or grow it yourself, but purchasing it in stores or supermarkets is not recommended. Practitioners allow the use of both fresh and dried fruit. The easiest way to use it is to place a small pumpkin inside the house near the window. This is an ideal location to absorb negative energies coming from outside. If you have a personal plot, then the large pumpkin is located outside.
If the fruit suddenly becomes covered with cracks, bursts or deteriorates, it means that the protective amulet has served its purpose and absorbed the maximum amount of negativity. The peels must be carefully collected and burned, preferably using an open fire or stove. To replace the old fruit, you need to put a new one in the same place.
According to Feng Shui, it is forbidden to leave a pumpkin in the toilet or bathroom, because instead of prosperity, such a talisman will bring grief to the family.
For medicinal purposes, ancient Chinese healers recommend purchasing young gourd. The fruit is placed at the head of the bed to charge the sick person with positive energy and take away the disease. After recovery, it is not recommended to throw away the pumpkin; it is better to wash it thoroughly in running water and dry it so that it regains its magical properties. To activate the fetus, a paraffin candle is placed nearby. In the future, you can use the gourd again for treatment or protection, for example, by putting it in a desk closet - this will hide a person from envy and gossip.
Another method of making a talisman involves cutting off the neck of the fruit and tying it with a scarlet wool thread. A gold ribbon is suitable as an alternative. Chinese characters for wealth and luck are carved onto the peel using a knife, as well as totemic patron animals or appeals to divine entities. Modern practitioners recommend replacing a natural gourd with an artificial metal or ceramic one, which, due to its shape, carries the same sacred meaning and lasts much longer. To attract money to the family, it is recommended to choose a precious base for the amulet.
Activation of the talisman
After purchasing a gourd, you need to activate it so that it can begin useful work.
First, decide what exactly you expect from the amulet and choose the future location. Then say out loud all your desires, voice your good thoughts and sincere wishes, your requests. Then place the pumpkin in the chosen location.
Activation must be repeated, preferably annually. First, the talisman is washed under running water and dried.
Then a large candle is placed next to it, which must burn out completely, or the object is fumigated with incense. This is necessary to rid the pumpkin of negativity. After this, they do not touch the gourd for two days, then they again say all their positive thoughts and return it to its place.
How to strengthen the Pumpkin Pumpkin talisman yourself.
It is no secret that many talismans attract all sorts of benefits to a person, but it is also no secret that a talisman made or strengthened with one’s own hands is many times stronger and more beneficial. So let's strengthen the Pumpkin Pumpkin talisman to receive all sorts of benefits. So, buy a gourd pumpkin, preferably without any decorations, ribbons or carvings. Clean it as described above, and leave it to dry and “rest” in a dry and dark place for a couple of days. Prepare a red or gold ribbon (the length should be no shorter than 16.2 cm and no longer than 27 cm - these are favorable Imperial sizes), three Chinese coins (with a square hole in the middle) or a ready-made mystical knot made of thin cord, a black or red felt-tip pen, your favorite aromatic oil. So sit comfortably, close your eyes and sing (speak) any favorable mantra, affirmation, affirmation, and then say out loud your deepest desire. Open your eyes, take a gourd in your left hand and tie a ribbon around the narrowest part of the talisman two or three times with your right hand. Tie three Chinese coins or a mystical knot to the ends of the ribbon. Using a felt-tip pen on the widest part of the pumpkin, write the hieroglyph symbol of your desire. For example: if you want wealth - the hieroglyph “money” or “wealth” or “abundance”; if you wish for health, draw the hieroglyph “health”, “prosperity”, etc. and so on. Then apply your favorite essential oil to your talisman (no need to rub it over the entire surface, 1-2 drops of oil are enough). Close your eyes again, bring the gourd to your forehead and ask it to fulfill your wish, then place your good luck talisman in the chosen place. After fulfilling your wish, the talisman must be thanked from the bottom of your heart, cleaned in any way, left to “rest” and can be repeated, i.e. make a new wish. IMPORTANT: if you decide to dispose of a pumpkin, you must do it correctly: bury it in the ground or throw it into running water (a river, for example). Be sure to create yourself a pumpkin talisman and get happiness, health, success in business, love and wealth, in short, everything you want!
