Wu Lou is one of the most prominent feng shui tools used to fight bad energy. It is also known as Calabash gourd, which actually originated from a fruit.

The Wu Lou in ancient times was used by people as a charm for longevity and also to avoid bad luck. Many kings in ancient times used to carry Wu Lou along with them to help cure ailments.

The shape of the Wu Lou plays an important role as it is a representation of heaven and earth. The top half of the gourd symbolises heaven and the lower half is earth. The use of the gourd by humans indicates the harmony between earth, heaven and humanity. Wu Lou has the ability to absorb negative energy and also keep away evil spirits.

Wu Lou is available in many forms such as metal, crystal and glass. The ones made from metal or crystal are considered to be significant for the surroundings. To utilise it to the fullest, it is important to tie a red thread or a ribbon around it. Some of the gourds are even available in golden colour along with special coins attached to them. This combination helps in absorbing luck associated with wealth.

Displaying Wu Lou in any part of the house can result in good health of the family members, as it absorbs negative energy from the surroundings.

You can hang the Wu Lou gourd made up of metal around the corners of the bed to keep diseases away.

You can also display a Wu Lou in the kitchen to ensure that the food prepared there is healthy. You can also give Wu Lou to the old people as it represents long life and good health. Displaying this gourd on your work desk will keep negative energy away from your workplace and bring in good profits. People can even hang a Wu Lou in their cars to keep the internal surroundings refreshing and also helps you to drive safely.

If you don’t find any suitable place to display a Wu Lou, and then place it around the area where you spend maximum time. It will absorb the bad energy from that area to bring good fortune.

(Manisha Koushik is a tarot card reader, numerologist and Vastu-Feng Shui consultant. She can be contacted at www.askmanisha.com)