These are the Wedding Ducks used at a traditional Korean Wedding Ceremony. One represents the Bride (on the right) and the other the Groom.
When a daughter is preparing to marry, her family will seek to find the perfect man to carve a pair of Wedding Ducks for the couple. The man chosen must be a pure and honorable man, as well as a good friend to others; this is because the man selected to carve the wedding ducks shares his Spirit, his Character and his Fortunes with the young couple. These characteristics enter not only the symbol ~ the Marriage Ducks ~ but also the spirit and future of the couple's marriage.
The wood carver may not accept money for his work, and the wise carver will not carve more than one pair of ducks in his lifetime so as to conserve his good fortune. This may explain the crudeness of some of the carvings as it is the character, not that carving ability, of the man that counts.
While carving he prays that true happiness, luck and good fortune will bring peace, prosperity and many children (just as the duck has many eggs) to the bride and groom.
After the Wedding, the Ducks are carried to the new home of the couple and displayed in a place of honor. The position of the Ducks tells of the couple's marital state. Nose to nose means the relationship is good, tail to tail means they are quarreling.
I love the philosophy behind this tradition and I understand it in terms of Feng Shui. Whenever you have someone working on your home or your environment you must consider that their character and their energy leave an impression on the work they do. You do not want to live in a home built by a crooked contractor or a drunken painter. They will leave an energetic impression on everything they touch and it will affect your fortune and well-being.
That said, I am considering bulldozing my house and starting over.
... as long as you never stop." ~ Anonymous
When a daughter is preparing to marry, her family will seek to find the perfect man to carve a pair of Wedding Ducks for the couple. The man chosen must be a pure and honorable man, as well as a good friend to others; this is because the man selected to carve the wedding ducks shares his Spirit, his Character and his Fortunes with the young couple. These characteristics enter not only the symbol ~ the Marriage Ducks ~ but also the spirit and future of the couple's marriage.
The wood carver may not accept money for his work, and the wise carver will not carve more than one pair of ducks in his lifetime so as to conserve his good fortune. This may explain the crudeness of some of the carvings as it is the character, not that carving ability, of the man that counts.
While carving he prays that true happiness, luck and good fortune will bring peace, prosperity and many children (just as the duck has many eggs) to the bride and groom.
After the Wedding, the Ducks are carried to the new home of the couple and displayed in a place of honor. The position of the Ducks tells of the couple's marital state. Nose to nose means the relationship is good, tail to tail means they are quarreling.
I love the philosophy behind this tradition and I understand it in terms of Feng Shui. Whenever you have someone working on your home or your environment you must consider that their character and their energy leave an impression on the work they do. You do not want to live in a home built by a crooked contractor or a drunken painter. They will leave an energetic impression on everything they touch and it will affect your fortune and well-being.
That said, I am considering bulldozing my house and starting over.
Chinese Wisdom:
"It does not matter how slowly you go forward ... as long as you never stop." ~ Anonymous
Mary Chamberlain, LAc.
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