That lucky cricket from Mulan isn't as fictional as you thought. According to feng shui, crickets are good luck and are said to bring wealth and fortune. But how are crickets good luck? From representing good omens when crickets burst through your home to bringing on better harvests, we're breaking down the unique spiritual meanings behind everyone's favorite little bug.
Why Are Crickets Good Luck in Chinese Culture?
You can trace the lucky cricket belief all the way back to 500 BCE when the insect's song was first noticed and quickly revered by people in the Zhou Dynasty. In Chinese culture, there's always been an appreciation for singing insects, and the cricket — with its friction-based song — superseded all others in popularity. Over time, the cricket grew into a symbol of prosperity, wealth, and abundance, as their presence was believed to be an important factor in catalyzing auspicious events.
In ancient China, farmers awaited the first cricket chirps in the spring, as they were the signal that it was time to plant the fields. Because of this connection, crickets and their songs became tied to prosperity and bountiful harvests, Seeing as farming was an essential part of historic Chinese life, it's no wonder that this practical phenomenon would transcend into myth. You can find loads of old songs and poems written about these lucky insects.
Crickets' role in making bountiful harvests connected to the broader idea of propserity, leading them to also symbolize a large and happy family.
What Does Having Crickets in the House Mean?
If a cricket wanders into your home, you're in luck! These insects activate positive feng shui energy when they come in. Once inside, crickets work on bringing good luck into your life. However, not every space in your home is auspicious for the cricket. The basement and attic — which represent the past (going down/back) and the future (going up/forward) — aren't lucky spaces for a cricket. Rather, your current living space (the present) is where the cricket is most welcome.
The Spiritual & Prophetic Meaning of Having Crickets in Your House
Finding a cricket in your home is often considered prophetic. Symbolically, this cricket is paying you an unexpected visit to either grant a wish or bestow you with good fortune. Be sure to get a good look at your guests because only black crickets have a prophetic spiritual meaning. They symbolize knowledge and are believed to indicate that you need to dig deeper to find the answer to a problem in your life.
Related: 15 Feng Shui Clock Placement Tips for Balance & Prosperity
How to Use Lucky Cricket Symbols
You don't have to leave your doors open in hopes that a cricket will hop on in and bestow some luck on you and your family. Instead, you can invite good fortune by placing symbolic cricket figures and/or artwork in the proper places around your home.
Cricket symbolism is focused on abundance in all areas of life, so artwork that depicts crickets in pairs or groups is particularly apt at activating good feng shui luck.
The Proper Feng Shui Placements for Your Lucky Crickets
Having cricket figurines or artwork is all well and good, but you won't activate any positive feng shui energy or good luck if you don't place them correctly.
According to feng shui principles, there are a few different cricket placements that will invite good luck.
- The Fireplace: Set a gold cricket figurine on the hearth or fireplace mantel.
- The Kitchen: Place cricket figurines/artwork anywhere in the kitchen as it's considered an auspicious placement.
- The Wealth sector: Use the bagua map to locate your wealth sector, and place cricket symbols there to attract greater wealth and abundance.
- The Love sector: Place cricket symbols in your home's love sector, or the love corner of your primary bedroom, to attract luck in the love department.
Is Killing a Cricket Bad Luck?
Now that you know how beneficial crickets can be, you may be wondering if it's bad to kill one. It's considered very bad luck to kill a cricket. However, removing a cricket from your home isn't considered bad luck, so long as you don't harm the cricket in the process.
Should you find a dead cricket in your house, remove it immediately. Live crickets in your house bring good luck, while dead crickets are harbingers of bad luck.
Nothing Brings Good Luck Like a Cricket
The humble cricket is an enduring part of both Chinese culture and feng shui principles. You can take advantage of this charming insect's unique symbolism to attract wealth, prosperity, and abundance into your life. Have a spot of bad luck? Beat it back with powerful cricket energy.
