Feng Shui Flower Symbolism: Lotus, Orchid, and Peony
Photo by Jaroslava Petrášová on Unsplash
Flowers are often used in feng shui to boost the qi of a space. They are a source of fresh, uplifting energy, and bringing fresh flowers into your home is a great way to unstick anything that is feeling stuck. Flowers also invite more joy, and they invite us to contemplate the beauty in impermanence since they are so fleeting.
There are also certain types of flowers that have specific feng shui meanings. A few notable flowers that we often work with in feng shui are the lotus, the orchid, and the peony. Read on to learn more about the feng shui meaning of each of these flowers, and our suggestions for how to bring these symbols into your home.
The Lotus
The lotus is an iconic symbol across many cultures, and especially Asian cultures. If you’re involved in any wellness or mindfulness practices, you have likely come across the image of a lotus: it’s a large flower that grows in the water, and its petals are pink or white, sometimes with a hint of red.
The lotus is associated with enlightenment because it can grow in very murky, muddy water. This symbolizes being able to rise above challenges, and realizing that the mud, or the aspects of life that are not so pleasant or beautiful, is what makes us better. The lotus is a reminder of the beauty and perfection within you, even during difficult times.
Lotus flowers are also connected to compassion because of their association with Quan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion. They are symbolic of romantic partnership as well and can represent a peaceful union. The lotus also has a connection to abundance, because it offers us so many gifts: all parts of the plant are used, for ornamental, nutritional, and medicinal purposes.
How to Use Lotus in Your Home: To invite more peace and balance into your life, try bringing the image of a lotus into your bedroom. If you’d like to bring these qualities to your partnership in particular, you can look for a piece of artwork with two lotus flowers to represent you and your partner.
The Orchid
Orchids have exquisite, long-lasting blooms that appear almost perfect. They come in many different varieties and colors, and are known for being difficult to care for.
In feng shui, we connect the orchid to a graceful, charming partner, and orchids are often used with the intention of inviting in a new partnership when someone is single. Often, people let go of their orchids after they’ve stopped blooming. While it may not be as satisfying in the moment to care for an orchid during this less beautiful stage, we can receive a really beautiful teaching when we make the decision to be patient. Just like the orchid, our relationship with a partner will not always be beautiful. It requires patience and kindness to stand by someone through all types of experiences.
Orchids also represent longevity because of their long-lasting blooms. They can be a beautiful gift to a friend when you want to celebrate a long-lasting friendship. You can also bring an orchid into your home to invite long-lasting, healthy qi (life force energy).
How to Use Orchid in Your Home: If you’d like to invite a kind, noble partner into your life, place a pink or purple orchid on your nightstand with this intention. You can also place a pink, purple, or yellow orchid near your front door to uplift the qi in this area and set a positive tone for your whole home.
The Peony
Peonies are beautiful, many-petaled flowers that come in shades of pink, white, red, and yellow. The peony is known as the King of Flowers in China, and it is a symbol of spring, romance, beauty, and prosperity.
In Asian culture, peonies represent the energy of spring. Spring is related to the wood element, which has to do with growth and new beginnings. Peonies are also connected to romance and passion, which isn’t surprising given their full, lavish appearance.
Peonies can also represent abundance and prosperity. A mature peony plant can produce a bounty of blooms each year, and each individual blossom has many layers of petals, giving these flowers an especially extravagant look.
How to Use Peony in Your Home: To invite more prosperity into your life, you can place a bouquet of fresh peonies near your front door. The front door is called the “mouth of qi” in feng shui because this is the primary way that energy and opportunities enter your home. Instead of a bouquet of peonies, you can also find artwork that includes images of peonies.