What is Pi Xiu or Pi Yao?

My fascination and passion for Chinese culture has driven me to practice Feng Shui. Some of my relatives and friends have been practicing it already when I was a child but since I was brought up from a very religious family, I did not think about it until lately.  There are a lot of Chinese living in our place, Chinese Feng Shui stores everywhere, and they have shared their culture with us and I don’t see anything wrong practicing Feng Shui at all even as a Christian. Feng Shui is not a religion, and I really believe it’s neutral. Anyone can practice it regardless of their religion.

I am a strong believer of the fact that knowledge is only enhanced when shared; and thus I am all set to pass on whatever I have learned to people who want to make their journey through the beautiful Oriental culture.

Pixiu (also called Tianlu or Bixie) is one of the five auspicious animals of traditional Chinese culture (the other four are the dragon, phoenix, turtle and kylin). The Chinese people call it “fortune beast.” It is a mythical lion-looking beast in Chinese mythology, embodied with a dragon head, horse body and qilin’s feet, similar to a lion. Besides that, it has beard under its chin and wings at both sides with flying abilities. The Pixiu is both ferocious and powerful so it works as a security guard of Heaven, resisting demons and ghosts. Just like the dragon and the kylin, the Pixiu brings happiness good luck for people and has an exorcizing function. What is different from the kylin is that the Pixiu is a ferocious animal and has strong will in protecting its master. That is the very reason why many Chinese people wear jade Pixius.

Pi Xiu is a Chinese mythical hybrid creature, and considered a powerful protector of practitioners of Feng Shui. It resembles a strong, winged lion. Pixiu is an earth and sea variation, particularly an influential and auspicious creature for wealth. It is said to have a voracious appetite towards only gold, silver and jewels. Therefore, traditionally to the Chinese, Pixiu have always been regarded as auspicious creatures that possessed mystical powers capable of drawing wealth from all directions. Because of this, according to Chinese zodiac, it is especially helpful for those who are going through a bad year.

There are two different types of Pixiu, a male and a female. The physical difference is seen by their antlers. The one with two antlers is the female of the species and is called a Bìxié  and the one with one antler is the male of the species and is called a “Tiān lù“.

  • Bìxié “to ward off evil spirits” – The female of the species; wards off evil. It is also believed that Bìxié has the ability of assisting anyone who is suffering from bad Feng Shui that is due to having offended the Grand Duke Jupiter (also called Tai sui.
  • Tiān lù t’ien-lu – The male of the species; in charge of wealth. Tiān lù is said to go out into the world in search of gold and other forms of wealth and, bringing it home to its Master, the Bìxié is then said to hold onto it, guarding it within the home of the Master. Displaying Tiān lù at home or in the office is said to prevent wealth from flowing away.

Pixiu crave the smell of gold and silver and like to bring their masters money in their mouth. Statues of this creature are often used to attract wealth in feng shui.

Today, Pixiu are also a popular design on jade pendants. It was also featured as a design on the sword of Fa Mulan’s character in the 1998 Disney animated feature Mulan

The Pixiu has 26 figures and 49 incarnations. As Chinese mythology says, the Pixiu is the Dragon King’s ninth son. Gold, silver, jewels and all other treasures are the Pixiu’s staple food. That gives the Pixiu a noble temperament which helped it win the love of the Jade Emperor and the Dragon King. One day, maybe because it had eaten too much, it relieves its bowels in the Jade Emperor’s palace. The angry Emperor beat it and removed its anus. When news spread among the Chinese people, they regarded the Pixiu as an auspicious animal that can help in making fortunes.

Feng shui experts say that the Pixiu can protect homes, exorcize devils and raise fortune and power for the master. There is a saying that goes: “touch a Pixiu once and you will get a good luck, twice and you will get money and treasure, and on the third time you will get power and position.”

Usually there are three materials used in Pixiu sculpting: copper, wood and jade. Copper is a relatively cheap metal and looks like gold after polishing. Wood was used traditionally in sculpturing Pixiu figures on the joist of a big house to keep out bad luck. In recent years, various kinds of jade have been used in Pixiu sculpturing.

No matter from what material the Pixiu is made, it has almost the same power in raising fortunes. But traditionally, according to Fengshui experts, copper Pixius placed in the eight directions have the strongest power. One peculiarity of the Pixiu is that if the master has violated the law, it won’t work for him anymore.

In Chinese mythology, the Dragon King has nine children: Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Pulao, Suanni, Bixi, Bi’an, Fuxi and Pixiu. Dragons are believed to have supernatural power in changing weather and ruling the oceans and that is very naturally that its sons are all powerful. In Chiese people’s minds, dragons are a symbol of power and dignity, and that is also one reason why the Chinese call themselves “descendants of the dragon.”
In general, in Chinese mythology, dragons are considered to have various superpowers. From changing the weather to controlling the oceans.

In Feng shui, Pixiu (aka “Pi Yao” in some modern cultural translations) is the heavenly variation of a particularly powerful and auspicious creature of good fortune. They are said to have the power to assist anyone suffering from bad Feng shui due to having offended the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui).
According to the Chinese astrology, if a person’s zodiac sign happens to clash with Tai Sui (太岁, the Grand Duke Jupiter or Grand Commander of the Year) in a particular year, it will bring misfortunes and bad luck.

There are some taboos in positioning Pixius indoors (Pixiu dos and don’ts)
1. Pixiu (aka “Pi Yao” in some modern cultural translations) – must be placed facing out of the house, but don’t put its head towards the front door, because the front door is the precinct of another god. Besides facing the area outside your main door, it is also good to position it to face the space outside your windows.

2. Avoid placing it near or facing directly towards mirror, because the light reflection from the mirrors will make the Pixiu feel nervous and stress the Pixiu out, and it signifies chasing it away. You don’t want a stressed dragon working on your wealth

3. It must not be placed in the bedroom, especially facing the bed. This mythical beast is believed to pounce forward aggressively to grab the wealth energy back to where it is positioned. If you have one facing the bed will affect the sleeping quality with nightmares and cause disturbance. Don’t put it against your bed, because that is believed to do harm to yourself.

4. Do not place your pixiu facing the toilet because it is a place of filth and foul smell.

5. Ideally, Pixiu should not be placed on the floor, and they should never be placed above eye level, and do not position it to the position that is higher than your head, because it symbolises that it will bully his master.

6. For displaying towards openings or entrance, a pair of Pixiu (Pi Yao) is needed. Tiān lù (male Pixiu with one antler) and Bìxié (female Pixiu with two antlers) are utilized for attracting and keeping wealth; you may place them in the desired wealth area, such as an attractive wealth area or an accumulative wealth area.

7. Do not stuff cash notes into the mouth of your Pixiu because it is a form of disrespect and also it is not attracted to paper. It only loves real gold and silver. One cannot touch the mouth of Pixiu because the touching of their mouths would ruin the wealth. Do not touch the eyes and mouth of this celestial beast unnecessary because it uses them to seek for wealth.

8. Displaying Pixiu (Pi Yao) at the affected area of the house or office can avoid misfortune and disasters.

9. Do not place Pixiu facing directly on any person like a confronting position.

10. Make sure your Pixiu is facing the direction of Tai Sui (Grand Commander of the Year, who supposed to take care of people’s wealth and is most potent of all the other gods). Tai Sui and its direction changes each year. In 2020 Tai Sui is flying north. 

Beside the figurine type you always saw, you can also wear pixiu as an amulet in the form of jewellery accessories. The same rules apply, take it off when you are sleeping or bathing.

Not many feng shui enthusiasts are familiar with the use of Pi Yao, or Pi Xiu. This does not make the Pi Yao less powerful, though. In fact, the Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) is the only feng shui cure used in the flying stars school of feng shui to protect against a specific type of negative energy, called the Grand Duke (Tai Sui).

If you are following the annual feng shui updates, you can check the best area to position the Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) for protective feng shui energy this year. Not only is Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) the most powerful protective feng shui cure for the Grand Duke (a flying stars school term), it is also a good feng shui cure to attract wealth. To a feng shui beginner, a Pi Xiu can look similar to a Fu Dog, as well as to a Chi Lin. Just like the Chi Lin, the Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) can be used either alone or in pairs. The pi yao is understood to be a favorite pet of the tai sui. So putting it in the location of the tai sui helps to alleviate the relentless wrath of the heavenly general.

As with most traditional Chinese feng shui cures, the roots of the Pi Xiu (Pi Yao) symbol lie deep in Chinese mythology. With the fierce look of a winged lion, the mythical Pi Xiu can ward off evil spirits and protect anyone from harm.

The Pi Yao is considered to be loyal, obedient and faithful to his master, which makes him a very popular personal protector in traditional feng shui. This is the reason why you can find so many amulets with Pi Yao (Pi Xiu), be it bracelets, keychains or other accessories.

Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) has a voracious appetite that seems to have no end; this makes him a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. The display of a Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) statue in business is considered a good luck feng shui cure to attract a never-ending flow of money.

How does Pixiu play a role in Feng Shui Application?

1. Appeases the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui) The first use of Pi Yao in the classical feng shui applications is as a protective cure for the negative energy of the Grand Duke (Tai Sui). The right positioning of the Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) is in the bagua direction opposite the area affected by the Grand Duke presence. For example, in 2020 the Tai Sui energy was in the North area, so the Pi Yao was placed in the South bagua area facing North.

2. It is believed that once you possess a Pixiu, it will help you to attract and accumulate wealth and that is the reason why it is the most popular Feng Shui enhancer. As a good luck and abundance cure, Pi Yao is widely displayed in offices, as well as homes. For this purpose, it is best to display a pair of Pi Yao (Pi Xiu). You can display them in your money area, your lucky direction for wealth, or simply in a prominent area of your living room. Do not place the Pi Yao symbol in the bathroom or in the kitchen.

3. Pixiu also have the power to protect the master from calamity and dangers. Wearing Pixiu as a piece of jewelry like ring, bracelet, or necklace can ward off evil forces.  Pixiu can sense trouble and assist the wearer in warding off misfortune and evil spirits. Pixiu is popularly believed to be the protector or its master.

4. Guard Home and Ward off Evil Spirits
Displaying a consecrated Pi Xiu at home can ward off evil spirits and improve the family fortune. If placed in home, it help to subdue any evil and serve as a protecting guardian to safeguard the house and occupants.

5. Acquire and Preserve Wealth
In ancient China, many casinos and windfall venues would display Pi Xiu to ward off evil spirits and gather wealth. In modern times, more and more businessmen choose to put a Pi Xiu in company or at home to gather wealth in view of the intense market competition. It is said that wearing a Pi Xiu can bring you good fortune when gambling. It is also known that it has the ability of attracting both primary income luck and windfall luck.

6. Improve Fortune
According to the ancient Chinese sages, fate is predestined but fortune can be changed. In ancient China, people believed that “Touch Pixiu once good luck comes, twice money rolls in and 3 times promotion all the way up.”. Therefore, Pi Xiu is also a symbol of people’s good wishes.

7. Drive Away the Undesired Romance
Another magical effect of Pi Xiu is that it can drive away the undesired romance and prevent the master from unnecessary harassment or family dispute once displayed on the desk. Wearing Pixiu can also bring good luck to a romantic relationship. It is able to drive away from the undesired romance avoiding failed love. 

8. A Metal Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) is also used as a potent feng shui cure for two other negative energies as per flying star feng shui school – the annual stars #2 and #5. A Metal Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) statue works best for this specific feng shui application. Find out the current location of the annual star #2 and star #5 and see if a Pi Yao can work for you there.

Pi Yao is also sometimes displayed in a new home, or in a home that has newly undergone renovations; it is also used as a good luck charm with lottery tickets. A popular use of Pi Yao (Pi Xiu) is as a personal amulet, such as a bracelet or a keychain, because it allows you to always have your loyal personal protector nearby!

Before and when wearing Pixiu, remember to touch it frequently and let it know you are the master. Pixiu will obey in every way and assist you as long as you take good care of it. Touching is also a way to connect with it and build your authority as the owner. 

Do not wear it briefly. The truth be told it’s better to wear it longer for the first time. Pixiu understands how you’re feeling, and if you wear it occasionally, it will be estranged and less effective in money drawing.

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