~manila, you're not that ugly

lions & feng shui

Last month, was with my mom and dad in a wooden furniture shop along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road when I came across these beautiful lions. Immediate thought was “I must have them!”

Was so smitten, being such a Narnia fan, that I kept them close to my heart (literally) til we were back in Manila. My family laughed at me, but expectedly indulged my cuckoo moment. That same night I announced to friends that “Now I have fierce Aslans reminding me to roarrrrr and guard against complacency or being too relaxed… see those fangs?? OH ROAR INDEED!”

Imagine my horror when three weeks after, sitting at home on a lazy Saturday afternoon, my dad suddenly read out loud a feng shui tip from the Bulletin about lions in the house as bad luck. They were supposedly tomb guardians in ancient tradition and keeping them inside the house was like inviting death and illness into your home.

Of course I was skeptical about the lions being the cause of my recent chest/breathing complaints, which well, started right about that time I displayed them in their fang-y glory in my room…

But couldn’t let it go, so I looked up “lions, feng shui, Christ, symbol” online:

The Feng Shui Store says these temple lions, also called Fu Dogs, “are an extremely powerful protection for your home or business; you will find most homes or business in Asia complemented by a pair either inside or outside. Out of all the cures and enhancers in Feng Shui, Fu Dogs in our opinion are the most essential.”

Medieval bestiary details lion beliefs, myths throughout history. Interesting: lion cubs were thought to be “dead” when born, moved only after 2 months and “resurrected” by the roar of their daddy.

ChristStory Bestiary cites lion references in pre-Christian cultures, and in the Bible, both to Jesus (“lion of Judah”; watchful–lions sleep with eyes open; fierce–the lion’s roar is like the word of God, it’s not supposed to make us complacent; ) and to Satan (predatory, savage, proud). More on lions in the Bible here.

CONCLUSION: We believe what we believe. My lions now guard our front door.