The bagua mirror is among the most well known and commonly used of all the Feng Shui protection spells, remedies, or magical cures for improper placements of houses. Buildings placed near graveyards, bridges, railroads, or overpasses, or those located at a T-junction or with a large tree blocking the entrance are said to be at a disadvantage from poison arrows or Shar Qi that damage those inside the dwelling or place of business.

To protect against and counteract bad luck caused by arrows of Shar, Feng Shui practitioners invoke the eight trigrams or bagua of the Early Heaven. The use of these mirrors is said to date back to the 10th century, but the bagua itself is far older than that, for it consists of the same eight Trigrams found in the I Ching or Chinese Book of Changes used in divination, which is said to have originated more than 200 years B.C!

The Famed Symbols in Tibetan Jewelry

The eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, translated from the Sanskrit 'Ashtamangala', are very popular in Tibet and are used for Tibetan jewelry. It is said that Buddha didn't like to be worshiped as a person and therefore he was reluctant to accept images of himself. Because of this, he was often depicted by the eight-spoked wheel and the Bodhi Tree.

Other signs were used in representing him also, like Buddha's Footprints, an Empty Throne, a Begging Bowl and a Lion. The eight auspicious symbols are however the following: the Umbrella or parasol, the Golden Fish, the Treasure Vase, the Lotus, the Conch, the Endless Knot, the Victory Banner and the Dharma-Wheel.

Tibetan jewelry representing all Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and Buddha are the most popular sold in Tibet and imported to South East Asian countries.

The History of Tibetan Jewelry

Tibet has no political ties with China ever since the decline of the Yuan Dynasty mid-14th century, but nevertheless monks and lamas freely frequented the mainland of China. This enhanced trade between the two countries and added greatly to the monasteries' wealth, at the same time providing a channel through which cultural and artistic influences enriched Tibetan life. Thus began the trade of Tibetan jewelry, among other goods such as fabrics, robes and décor paraphernalia such as ritual vessels, incense burners and porcelain.

The Tibetan love of exuberant decoration resulted in everyday items being produced with wonderful embellishments. Nearly every item used by Tibetans was fashioned in this highly decorative way. Tibetan artisans are skilful people, and they have long produced large quantities of ornate and intricate silver and gold jewelry, often set with coral, turquoise and other precious stones.

Some jewelry pieces share ritual or religious sentiments, whereas others are simply decorative in nature, and nothing more.