One reason for introducing the principles of Feng Shui into the home is to bring luck to all who live there, so knowing how to get that luck is an important part of the process. It is also a lot of fun, and can make for some interesting decor that is sure to become conversation pieces when friends and family visit.

Many animals are considered lucky in Chinese culture, so consider them helpers around the house, bringing luck and financial success. Once you know where the major kuas areas related to money, love, career and suchlike are located in your home, you can add lucky animals to bring success and wealth.

1) Dragons bring good fortune and power, unless you were born under the sign of the Dog, which is the opposite of Dragon. Also bringing power and luck are Fu Dogs, which usually come in pairs and these should go on either side of a doorway, so they offer protection, too.

2) The whimsical Three-Legged Toad brings wealth and they are usually shown sitting next to stacks of gold coins so place one in a Wealth gua to bring money. If you are hoping to bring more happiness into your home, decorate with Bats. Two bats bring double happiness, so double up!

3) Cranes attract wisdom and long life, while Fish are extra lucky and they attract money and all sorts of success, and represent perseverance (after all, they swim upstream!)

4) For the best luck and prosperity, decorate with an elephant, especially one with its trunk raised. The elephant represents intelligence, strength and kindness. For that extra luck, get a statue that holds an ear of corn, which represents abundance.

5) One fine ritual for attracting luck to the home is to use a Dilbu bell to call Buddha and the other deities. The bell is balanced to harmonically create certain tones that call the outer world, usually done by rubbing it with a wooden stick. A Dorje is a representation of a lightning bolt which should be held in the right hand, symbolizing the masculine yang power, while the bell is held in the left hand, to represent the feminine power of profound wisdom. When both are used in a ceremony along with ritual prayer, they form a force of purity.

6) Many Chinese people swear by special wish boxes made of porcelain, clay or some other earth-based material. Place a wish, written on a piece of paper, inside the box, which has a mirror on the inside of the lid. Make a prayer or do a ritual to amplify the power of your wish, and then seal the box. Many wish boxes have Lucky Cats painted on the lid, shown with their paws raised to accept the good luck.

7) Another special luck ritual is done with three Chinese coins, the type with holes in the center. The coins are tied together with a red ribbon. The color red is a very lucky color. To attract good fortune and money, luck, place the three Chinese coins in a red envelope and carry with you in your pocket or handbag. If you are hoping for luck in business, tape the envelope under your desk or computer, or attach it to your cash register. This ritual brings money luck, and you should see results in no time!

The New Year is a time of transition, and many people find that it isa good time to use a luck ritual for the year ahead. Almost every culture has luck rituals for the New Year, in fact, including the Chinese.

Feng shui rituals include cleaning the home thoroughly to remove all dust and debris from the old year and getting them out of the home. Get rid of all the dust bunnies in corners and bits of debris under the couch. Old debts should be paid off whenever possible, to start the new year with a clean slate.

The beginning of any new year is also a great time to bring new objects into the home, such as appliances, linens, furniture, curtains and even clothes. You should do everything in your power to start the new year with a home that is free of old energy. But on New Year Day, do not sweep your floor as this would mean sweeping your new luck away! In many homes, brooms are hidden on the first day of the year, and no one should be allowed to sweep the floor!

Some other new year luck rituals are to bring mandarin oranges to friends and family when you visit (and you should receive oranges from them in return). Some families even have a New Year Eve reunion dinner so that the entire family can see out the old year together and, on Chinese New Year, the famous automotive fastener manufacturers lion dance ritual is performed to bless homes and businesses with powerful energy. If you are opening a new business, it is always a good idea to bring in a lion dancing troupe on an auspicious day to kick start your new business!