The phoenix is said to be made up of the beak of a rooster, the face of a swallow, the forehead of a fowl, the neck of a snake, the breast of a goose, the back of a tortoise, the hindquarters of a stag and the tail of a fish.[1]
The Origin of the Phoenix
The image of the phoenix have appeared in China for over 7,000 years, often in jade and originally on good-luck totems. It is a totem of eastern tribes in ancient China. Current theories suggest that it is likely based in part - for example the snake-like neck - on folk memory of the Asian Ostrich which was common in prehistoric China but became extinct several thousand years ago. That this bird was well-known to the early modern humans in Asia, noted for its peculiarity, and hunted for food, is attested by numerous archaeological finds, such as pottery decorated with painted ostriches, and bones by early campsites.
During the Han Dynasty some 2,200 years ago, the phoenix was used as a symbol depicting the direction south. It was also used to symbolize the Empress in a pairing with a dragon where the dragon represents the Emperor.
The phoenix represented power sent from the heavens to the Empress. If a phoenix was used to decorate a house it symbolized that loyalty and honesty were in the people that lived there. Or alternatively, phoenix only stays when the ruler is without darkness and corruption.
The Phoenix and Feng Shui
The Phoenix is believed to bring incredible turnaround good fortune to those who had previously suffered from bad luck. When placed on its own, it is of strong yang energy. When accompanied by a dragon, the phoenix takes on female yin energy.
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