Q&A: Lucky Bamboo
Today we are going to answer a question about lucky bamboo. A member of our Facebook group has 36 lucky bamboo plants, and is wondering what to do about one that has turned yellow.
First, let’s talk about lucky bamboo and its relationship to feng shui. As a feng shui application, bamboo can represent nobility,uprightness, and growth.The stalks are also hollow in the center, so they represent openness and having an open heart. Bamboo is also a very strong plant and can bounce back, and is used a lot in eco-friendly construction.
Now, let’s get to the question. If you’re using the lucky bamboo as a feng shui adjustment, it’s great that there are 36 plants. 36 is a multiple of nine, and nine is the most auspicious number in BTB feng shui. While you may be concerned about one of the plants turning yellow, this can actually be a positive thing. When you’ve used something for a feng shui application and it breaks, or in this case the bamboo becomes unhealthy and turns yellow, it signals that the object has been serving its purpose and it is time to let it go. In this case, you can simply remove one of the stalks and replace it, or just work with the remaining 35. We would recommend disposing of the stalk thoughtfully rather than casually throwing it out, because symbolically you don’t want to just toss out living things that have been useful to you.
Also, sometimes things just happen and there is no magical feng shui reason for the plant turning yellow. This is what we would call a mundane reason that requires a mundane fix. For example, if one of your pipes is broken, you should call a plumber before you start worrying about feng shui!
Similarly,in this case, your plant might just need some TLC. It might be as simple as the plants getting too much sunlight; lucky bamboo does better in indirect light. It could also be that these plants have outgrown their pot and the roots are starting to fight for space.
This little, yellow bamboo stalk is a good reminder. There are many ways to look at a given situation, and we must not forget that in feng shui the mundane is incredibly important. It is best to start with a mundane solution before you begin to explore all the magical, powerful transcendental possibilities.