The dragon tortoise is the only celestial creature that is a combination of two out of the four celestial animals.
And so, it expectantly combines the powers and symbolism of both the dragon and the tortoise.
It’s form is made up of the head of a dragon on the body of a tortoise.
Some argue that it’s a turtle’s body and should be called a dragon turtle instead. But if you observe it’s legs, you will notice that they are not flaps which would distinctively categorize it as a turtle.
However, calling it a turtle or tortoise is besides the point. As long as we are referring to the same thing, there no brownie points given to the correct answer.
While there are various symbolic meanings tied to the dragon, the aspect that this creature inherited the most from the dragon is success.
From the tortoise side, it represents mostly longevity and protection.
Together, it transcends the ultimate symbol of continued stable success for generations to come, protected from adversity.
Variations of the dragon tortoise
There are many variations of this creature when it comes to display items and paintings.
The most basic is one in which it stands alone on all fours.
This would represent the above explanations without any variances.
They can also come standing on gold coins or gold ingots.
This means that it has secured wealth and protecting it for the owner. After all, the tortoise is a regarded as a pillar of support in feng shui.
It also resides at the back sitting of a house in land form feng shui, signifying support.
Then there are those that come with an ancient Chinese gold coin held in it’s mouth, much alike the 3 legged frog.
This is in relation to the creature bringing money to the home owner.
There are also statues of them created with baby tortoises standing on the back of their shells.
This represents descendants luck, which not only mean more children, but also the success they would enjoy in life.
Dragon tortoise material
Because this is such a popular item in feng shui merchandising, it comes in many materials and forms that consumers can choose from.
They are often found crafted with resin, brass, or carved out of gemstones.
They are also often depicted in paintings, design art on porcelain kitchenware, carved onto wood furniture, even as flower pots.
I have even witnessed for myself statues of them standing a few feet tall displayed on front yards, beside front doors, and in the midst of water features.
Because of it’s relation to water, metal is the best material to buy it in. Metal gives birth to water.
As these creatures can often be insecure about it’s shell, giving it a metal armor would give it more confidence in spending time bringing resident wealth luck instead of fearing mishaps.
Dragon tortoise placement
As tortoises and turtle are amphibious, they tend to like places with water.
This makes the north sector of a property the best location to place it. Water represents wealth as well, which is what the dragon tortoise will be helping your luck with.
While it was mentioned that having them in metal material would be a good choice, putting in in sectors of the house with the metal element might not be ideal.
This is because of the old saying 乌龟怕铁锤 meaning tortoises are afraid of metal hammers.
So if you really need to place it in the west or northwest, ensure that it has a metal armor to protect itself from the metal hammer. The west after all, is the area associated with descendants luck… which is suitable for a tortoise with an offspring on it’s back.
Yes. It needs to fend for itself even though it has special powers.
Otherwise, the east would also be a good location after north.
Some feng shui practitioners argue that dragon tortoises can help attract romance luck when placed in the sector where the flower of romance is.
Miniature figurines of dragon tortoises are often sold by retailers. These can be used as paperweights in the office or at home. Just remember not to leave them on the bad sectors of a table.
Some people even have them as keychains to the house or car.
Finally, remember one of the biggest rules in feng shui 101.
That is when it comes to celestial creatures and beings, never confront them directly.
They are best placed in position beside or behind to act as a supporting figure.
If you are the leader of a team walking into a negotiation room, your team would be walking beside or behind you. The only people facing you directly would be your opponents.
