The Four Heavenly Animals - .75"

The Four Heavenly Animals - Black Turtle, Green Dragon, White Tiger and Red Bird are protectors for your home.

This set contains all 0.75" bead figurines including: 1 Blue Goldstone Sea Turtle, 1 Green Aventurine Classic Dragon, 1 Opalite White Tiger, and 1 Red Jasper Bird.

What do the 4 Heavenly Animals represent?

In Asia there are four popular creatures of legend seen in constellations in the sky. These constellations are referred to as “The Four Heavenly Animals.” The constellation legend originated in China, but eventually their story spread to other Asian countries and proceeded to become very popular. They are cited in many Korean and Chinese myths, and also often appear in many different kinds of modern Japanese media.

The Turtle represents the alliance between Heaven and Earth, longevity, and protection. The constellation from the North is the Black Tortoise. Its name in Chinese is Zhi Ming, but it is also popularly known as Genbu in Japan. The Black Tortoise represents the element of water and the season of winter. It symbolizes the house.

The Dragon is the Yang force, authority, and prosperity. The constellation in the east is the Dragon. Its name is Meng Zhang, and it is also commonly referred to as Seiryu in Japan. The season it is related to is spring and its element is wood.

The Tiger is the Yin force, communication, patience, and maternal protection. The constellation in the west is the White Tiger. Its name is Jian Bing, and it is known as Byakko in Japanese. It corresponds to the season of autumn and its element is metal.

The Red Bird binds Yin and Yang forces, male and female, providing happiness to the couple and equilibrium of these forces. It carries in itself the five virtues of the man and leads the immortals to heaven. The constellation in the south is Ling Guang, the Vermillion Bird. In Japan it is known as Suzaku. This heavenly animal is represented as a red bird or sometimes, more specifically, a Phoenix. Either symbolization is accurate. Its corresponds to the season of summer and its element is fire.

For the Feng Shui practitioner, these 4 animals are evoking the structures of landscape, the shapes of mountains surrounding the house, called 'embracing structures'. It is said that by arranging the figurines of these four animals in your house, they play the ideal role of these formations of the landscape and protect the home from winds that bring the bad Qi and/or take away the good Qi. It is definitely a protective function.

Although associated to the North and to water, the black Turtle is not necessarily at the North of the house. It should be present to the back, in the shape of a protective mountain. The Red Bird represents a small hill or a mound, in front of the house, still enabling a clear view from the entrance door. With the black Turtle at the back and Red Bird at the front, the green Dragon is at the left, ideally higher and extending further than the white Tiger, at the right.

The 4 Heavenly Animals are the 4 Guardians of the home. By placing each of them accordingly into your house, you are sure to fill it with good energy!