Q: Dear Master Lu, when we give gifts during festive seasons or special occasions, what should we be aware of?
A:
- Shoes should not be given as gifts. In Chinese, “shoes” sounds similar to “deviant”, and therefore the sound is deemed to be inauspicious. In addition, you should be aware of the following points of attention regarding shoes:
- Avoid wearing shoes that have previously been worn by others.
- Avoid wearing white, red or yellow shoes.
- Avoid wearing high heels if you wish to conceive. When wearing high heels, your feet are not connected to the ground, making you not “well-grounded”, thus you are likely to be physically unwell.
- The shoe cabinet should always be closed and be kept clean and tidy. Otherwise, it may affect the energy field in the home.
- If your shoes are placed pointing inwards, then the negative energy will go inwards; if your shoes are pointing outwards, then the negative energy will go outwards.
- It is best to place the doormat outside. As you enter the door, you can step on the doormat a few times to leave the negative energy outside your home.
- Seeing shoes in the dream is generally not a good sign. It usually predicts misfortune or trouble. You should then include the Xiao Zai Ji Xiang Shen Zhou in your daily recitation. It could also be related to interpersonal conflicts. In this case, you should recite the Mantra to Untie Karmic Knots, and continue to recite Little Houses for your karmic creditors.
- Clocks should not be given as gifts. In Chinese, “giving a clock” sounds similar to “bidding the final farewell to a deceased person in a funeral”.
- Clocks represent the boundary of the Yin world and the Yang world. As one hour passes, the bells ring and this hour is gone forever, never to return. It is equivalent to the reduction of one’s lifespan. For a similar reason, the celebration of birthdays is not encouraged.
- It is best to avoid having a clock hung on the wall or a large clock that is visible upon entering the main door. It is also not recommended to have a hanging clock in the bedroom. If you must have a hanging clock in your home, you should place it in the kitchen.
- Seeing a clock in the dream is generally not a good sign, as it means that time is running out. You should increase the number of recitations for your daily recitation and Little Houses. In addition, you should make vows and perform life liberations.
- Items such as scissors, knives, etc. that are used for cutting or breaking things apart should also not be given as gifts.
- If you dream about someone giving you scissors or knives, it means that you may experience break-ups in your relationships.
- It is also not recommended to give nail clippers.
- For red packets, it is best to have round numbers, for example, $10, $20, $30, etc.