While mandarin ducks take all the plaudits when it comes to birds and relationship luck, the goose is no slouch either in the symbolism of marital bliss.
The celebrity status of the ducks is probably due a lot to it’s more striking colors.
However, while mandarin ducks lean more towards bringing couples together, a pair of geese is more skewed towards keeping couples together.
The goose (鹅) is an animal that mates for life. And they are so attached to their partners that it is said that they don’t even fly without the company of the other.
Geese in culture
In traditional Chinese wedding gift exchanges in the past, the groom’s family would send a gander, while the bride’s family reciprocates by sending the gift of a goose back.
This is symbolic of the families’ wish for a happy and faithful marriage.
Ancient calendars also often mention the goose as a metaphor of seasonal changes as they migrate at if following a strict time schedule.
No going on a wild goose chase here.
When depicted in artwork on house ware or paintings, the goose is almost always depicted in pairs. This is because they are meant to convey the happiness of a married couple.
Conversely, a standalone goose can represent loneliness. This can both be a harbinger of separation in marriage, or couples living far away from each other.
The single goose can also be meant to convey the arrival of a messenger who brings good news. Or a symbol of longevity.
When a pair of geese is depicted with a man behind them, it is almost certainly a reference to the infamous Chinese calligraphy artist Wang Xizhi (王羲之) who was well-known to love geese.
Feng shui placement of geese
The default area of placement for a pair of geese, whether in paintings or figurines, is the southwest sector of the house.
This is where the Kun trigram resides which governs the relationship energy in a house.
They can also be placed in the yen nian (YN) sector of a house according to 8 mansions feng shui.
For example, it you live in a Tui house sitting west, then the YN sector is found on the northeast.
This is where you can hang a painting of the geese in flight.
Since the geese is supposed to call on harmony and longevity of marriages, it can also be placed where a favorable residing mountain star is located.
This is because this sitting star can greatly impact the dynamics of relationships in a household.
Finally, it’s worth noting again that the goose should always be displayed in pairs consisting of one male and one female.