When we purchased our current building almost seven years ago, one of our friends gave us bamboo, explaining that it’s to attract good luck.

Those of you who know me well know that my thumbs are anything but green, so this bamboo is lucky indeed—lucky to still be alive!

In terms of feng shui—the Chinese art of placement—it’s said that five elements must be present in order for bamboo to be lucky:

Earth—rocks or pebbles the bamboo grows in

Water—the bamboo grows with

Wood—represented by the bamboo itself

Fire—a red ribbon/cord tied to the container

Metal—glass belongs to the feng shui metal element

Our bamboo only meets three of the five criteria, but it’s going gangbusters! Maybe it’s because, from the ceiling above it, there’s a crystal hanging from a red cord.

The number of stalks is significant to the type of luck:

2—Love and Marriage

3—Happiness

5—Health

8—Wealth and Abundance

9—Good Fortune

For the greatest amount of luck, it’s said that you should receive bamboo as a gift, rather than purchase it for yourself.

I define luck as the intuitive means of success on all levels. My friend Terrill Welch of CreativePotager says that luck is where preparedness meets opportunity.

How do you define luck?

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