Turtles are regarded among the most auspicious animal symbols in Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra. They represent good health, longevity and good fortune. Thus, many people keep turtle figurines at home. The tortoise or turtle in home is an auspicious symbol in many cultures. In Hindu mythology, the tortoise is the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu the Kurma Avatar. The tortoise is a feng shui talisman of safeguard and immunity against evil forces. Crystals are an auspicious element and can be incorporated into the Feng Shui system to balance the flow of energy. An excellent idea to attract positive energy in the house is to keep a crystal tortoise in the recommended direction.
To help you understand the benefits and right placement of tortoise figurines at home, here is a guide, for you to make the most of this Feng Shui element.
There are various interesting ways you can use this auspicious animal symbol to attract positivity in your house. Feng Shui lays down specific guidelines for the perfect orientation of turtle figurines. Click to read about 11 ways for Feng Shui turtle placement in your house.
Click to read about placement tips for frog figurines at home
Feng Shui Tortoise: Quick facts
| Best direction to keep tortoise | North, East and West |
| Best location to keep tortoise | House entrance, living room, bedroom, temple, locker, fish tank or waterfall, backyard, office or shop |
| Places to avoid keeping a tortoise | Bathroom and kitchen |
| Types of tortoise | Wooden, metal, glass, crystal, copper, to name a few |
| Significance of keeping Feng Shui tortoise | Positivity, longevity, wealth, stability, career growth, success for students |
What is a Feng Shui crystal tortoise?
A Feng Shui crystal turtle is one of the heavenly creatures, including the green dragon, red phoenix and white tiger. It is an auspicious symbol that is believed to bring stability and support while promoting positive energies. It should be placed in the southwest or northwest side of the house.
A crystal turtle facing northward denotes employment and new career opportunities. On the other hand, a turtle facing southward signifies prosperity and abundance.
Here are some of the benefits of placing a crystal tortoise at home:
- Attracts wealth, prosperity and financial abundance
- Ensures Academic success for students and enhanced concentration
- Brings emotional support and reduction of anxiety levels
- Increases the flow of positive energies
- Serves as a decorative element in the house
Where to place a crystal tortoise?
- House entrance: One should keep a crystal turtle at the house entrance. This helps protect the house from negative energies.
- Living room: Keeping a crystal turtle in the main living room helps prevent conflicts among family members.
- Bedroom: Placing a crystal turtle near the bed helps cure sleep problems, according to Feng Shui. It promotes calmness and brings peace of mind.
- Temple: As per Vastu, one should keep a crystal turtle wrapped in a yellow-coloured cloth, which is said to be auspicious and attracts positivity.
- Locker: Keeping a crystal turtle in a locked safe is known to attract good fortune, wealth and prosperity.
- Near an artificial waterfall or fish tank: This helps magnify the power of the tortoise and is considered lucky. Keeping the tortoise in water doubles its effect.
- Backyard: This crystal tortoise or mound-shaped turtle placement at the backyard stabilises the home’s positive energy.
- Office: The crystal tortoise can be placed in an office space in the north direction. It should be positioned facing the office door or main entrance. This will bring opportunities and abundance at work. Besides, turtle figurines help create a harmonious environment, serving as a protective force against negative energies and
- Shop or business establishments: One can keep crystal tortoises in commercial spaces such as shops to invite its numerous benefits. Make sure to place the tortoise figurine facing north or southeast. While facing the figurine towards the north direction will invite new opportunities, facing it to the southeast will ensure prosperity.
Places to avoid
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
Place the tortoise in your ‘Tien Yi’ direction, as it can help you in fighting illness. To determine your Tien Yi direction, you need to know your Kua number which can be calculated by adding the digits of your year of birth, till you get a single digit. Now, females should add four to this number while males should subtract 11 from this number, to get the Kua number.
Pairing for stability in relationships
- If you want stability in relationships, do not place a single tortoise – keep them in a pair.
- You can also keep a ‘family’ of tortoises, like a small and big tortoise together, in the south-west direction.
Type of Feng Shui tortoise, direction and significance
| Types of Tortoise | Direction for placement | Significance |
| Wooden tortoise | East or southeast | Removes negative energies and brings positivity to the lives of your family members |
| Metal tortoise | North or northwest | Attracts good fortune into the lives of children, sharpen their minds and boost their concentration |
| Glass or crystal tortoise | Southwest or northwest
East or north (crystal tortoise) |
Promote good luck, wealth and prosperity |
| Stone tortoise | West | Denotes stability |
| Clay tortoise | Northeast, centre or southwest | Reduces the fluctuations in life and brings peace, harmony, longevity and money |
| Crystal tortoise | Northwest or southwest | Attracts wealth and abundance |
| Copper tortoise | Southeast | Promotes sound sleep, invites wealth, success and power |
| Green dragon | East | Improves dedication and concentration |
| Black tortoise | North | Helps in career growth or business development |
| Red phoenix | South | Good for fame and popularity |
| Tortoise with coins | North | Attracts money and improves health and family life |
| Female tortoise | North or East | Prevent disputes within the family |
| Three tired or triple tortoises | North | Promotes good luck, love and bonding in the family |
| Dragon turtle | East | Brings energies of the dragon, eliminates negative energies |
| Blue tortoise | North | Bring calm vibes in the house |
| Purple tortoise | North | Symbolises respect, trust and faith |
| Yellow tortoise | North or northeast | auspicious colour with spiritual vibes |
| Red tortoise | North | Brings fame and recognition |
| Rhinestone tortoise | North | Resolves financial crisis |
Also read our article on tips for Vastu for business
Where to keep tortoise at home for wish-fulfilment?
According to Feng Shui, tortoise can be used for wish-fulfilment, as well. However, for this, you need to buy a tortoise made of metal that can be opened. Write down a wish on a yellow paper and keep this inside the tortoise and close it. Place this tortoise on a red cloth and keep it in a place where you can see it every day. Once your wish is fulfilled, remove the paper from the metal tortoise.
Where to keep tortoise at home for career growth?
- Place a metal figurine or painting of a black tortoise in the living room or the workplace. The tortoise figurine should have a Chinese coin in its mouth, as it represents growth in income.
- To ensure career growth, position the statue of turtle in home in a way that it faces the main door.
- Place the black tortoise in the north, near water features such as fountains or fish tanks, for career growth.
See also: Tips for placing 7 horse painting as per Vastu
Where to keep tortoise at home for protection?
The best Feng Shui placement of the tortoise, is in the back of the house. In an office environment, you can place a small tortoise behind your seating place. Outdoors, you can place a tortoise in the back of your garden. If you have a stone tortoise positioned close to a west-facing front door, it will bring protection to the main door. If you choose this application of Feng Shui, be sure that the turtle is facing towards the main door.
Where to keep tortoise to promote health?
For combating illness and promoting health, statue of turtle in home should be placed facing the best direction, for the inhabitants of the home. This is calculated by looking into one’s Kua number (a system of numerology based on your birth year and gender), the birth Feng Shui element, as well as the current Feng Shui energies for the year.
Where to keep tortoise at home for academic success?
According to Vastu experts, keeping a tortoise figurine at home can boost concentration in children. One should place the tortoise figurine in the north direction of the study room or children’s bedroom for academic success. In case you do not place a suitable place in the north, you can keep the tortoise figurine in the northwest corner of your room, which also helps sharpen the brain.
Where to keep tortoise in office?
It is considered to place a Feng Shui tortoise in the any office space or place of business as it brings good luck, fortune and professional success. For career growth, place a black tortoise in the office. In case of a shop or any business space, go for a silver tortoise as it is known to bring growth in trade.
Best day to place a tortoise
According to Vastu experts, weekdays such as Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, are considered to be the best days to place tortoise figurines in the house. You can also consult the local priest or choose the auspicious time according to the Panchang (Hindu Calendar).
Feng Shui tortoise benefits
- Attracts positive energy: Tortoise figurines attract positive energy. It is believed that keeping it in your bedroom can help fight insomnia.
- Symbol of longevity: The long life cycle of the tortoise symbolises immortality. So, turtles are believed to promote longevity.
- Attracts wealth: Tortoises also attract wealth, prosperity, peace, good fortune and strength.
- Doubles effect when kept in water: Keeping tortoise in water doubles its effect.
- Firmness and stability: A tortoise brings firmness to your personal and professional life.
- Protects from negative energy: Place the tortoise at the entrance, to safeguard your home from negative energy. A mound-shaped turtle kept in the backyard, is considered essential for safety and security.
- Promotes career growth: Keeping the tortoise in the north, is good for your career
- Helps establish harmony: Female turtle figurines represent children and family, which helps eliminate disputes within the family.
- Brings success for students: Keeping tortoise in a suitable direction at home can be beneficial for students as it improves concentration levels. Placing metal turtles in north direction enhances their concentration while keeping them in the northwest direction helps sharpen their minds.
- Slow and steady progress: Tortoises are known for their slow movement. However, as shown in popular tales, the slow movement of tortoise signifies gradual growth and success over time.
- Nurturing quality: The tortoise is known to be a nurturer owing to its exceptional ability to care for its eggs until they hatch.
Disadvantages of incorrect placement of Feng Shui tortoise
- Increases the flow of negative energies: Placing the Feng Shui turtle in the wrong direction can lead to stagnation and obstacles in various aspects of life.
- Health problems: Incorrect placement of tortoise figurines can affect the flow of positive energies, disrupt peace and result in health issues.
- Financial issues: Incorrect placement of tortoise figurines can impact finances, blocking flow of wealth and financial growth.
- Problems in relationships: There can be misunderstandings, disputes or lack of harmony on personal and professional fronts if tortoise figurines are not placed in the recommended directions, especially in bedrooms.
- Obstacles in career: Placing the Feng Shui turtle in the wrong direction can obstruct career growth, personal development and financial success.
- Symbolic meaning and connection with stress: According to Feng Shui, over-emphasising the symbolic meaning of turtle can cause unnecessary stress.
- Blend with décor: A turtle statue, if not carefully chosen, may clash with the interior décor if it does not blend with the overall aesthetic of the house. This could create an unpleasant atmosphere.
- Safety issues: Maintaining large tortoise figurines, especially those made of heavy materials, can pose safety issues.
Enhance home décor with good luck tortoise
- One can opt for decorative items at home based on the tortoise theme to balance the ‘chi ‘or positive energy, bring good health, and also promote bonding in relationships.
- In a balcony or garden keep a decorative tortoise planter for good luck.
- One also gets miniature tortoise pots in various colours which are ideal for indoor plants.
- Enhance the beauty of the room with a centre table that has a tortoise as a pedestal.
- Turtle designed wallpaper, wall art or turtle-shaped cushion especially in the North direction increases positive energy.
- Turtle shaped metal Diya stands have been traditionally used in puja rooms to attract good fortune.
- Keep a decorative tortoise water fountain at home to attract prosperity.
Significance of Tortoise in different cultures
The tortoise is universally considered an auspicious animal symbol known for its wisdom, knowledge and endurance.
- Hinduism: According to Hindu Mythology, Lord Vishnu took the form of a turtle or Kurma Avataar to support the Mount Mandara during the Samudra Manthan or ocean churning.
- Jainism: According to the Jain culture, the tortoise is considered a symbol of stability and endurance.
- Japanese and Chinese culture: In Japanse culture, the mythical turtle known as minogame represents longevity, wisdom and happiness. The turtle is considered a sacred animal symbol in the Chinese culture.
- Greek civilization: The tortoise was regarded as a sacred creature in Greece and a symbol of Hermes, the messenger, a peace-promoting deity.
- Native American culture: The turtles was considered by believed by Native Americans as a carrier of the whole universe in their cradles.
- Symbolism in Ancient astrology: In ancient Mesopotamia, the tortoise was an animal symbol of the zodiac sign Karka or Cancer.
Feng Shui turtle in different colours and its significance
Feng Shui tortoise figurines are available in multiple colours, where each colour has its significance and benefits when placed in a specific direction. Some of the auspicious Feng Shui turtle colours are:
- Green turtle: A Green Feng Shui turtle is considered lucky when placed in children’s room. It helps boost focus and concentration among children, while serving as a protective shield against negative energies.
- White turtle: White is an auspicious colour known for purity and peace. One can place a white Feng Shui turtle in the southeast direction to create a spiritual environment.
- Black turtle: A Black Feng Shui turtle can be placed in the north direction, the place representing career growth. It will ensure success in business.
Where to keep tortoise based on house Vastu direction?
| House facing direction | Type of tortoise | Significance |
| North | Black and Blue, Metal tortoise | Career growth |
| East | Wooden tortoise | Good health |
| South | Red or copper coloured tortoise | Fame |
| West | Crystal tortoise or three-tiered tortoise | Boosts family relationships |
Is it good to keep a live tortoise at home?
According to Vastu experts, keeping a live tortoise at home is highly auspicious. They denote abundance and attract wealth and prosperity in the house. A live tortoise should be kept in the north or north-east part of the house. A live tortoise at home can be kept in a large tank with a few aquatic plants, basking wood, sand and adequate water. Choose the tank size that it is comfortable the tortoise.
What happens if tortoise dies in home?
According to Feng Shui, when a tortoise dies, it does not bring any bad luck. Tortoises only bring good luck and blessings. However, in some cultures, tortoise death is said to be bad luck or a symbol of evil. Moreover, when a tortoise dies, it should be removed from the house.
Housing.com News Viewpoint
A turtle or tortoise is an auspicious animal symbol in Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui. It is available in different materials with their unique benefits. Make sure to refer to the vastu guidelines for the placement for maximum benefits. Depending on the purpose, you can choose the direction or location. For example, a crystal turtle figurine can serve as a protective symbol and kept near the house entrance to ward off negative energies. To understand this better, make sure to get adequate information about the various directions as discussed in Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra. You can consult an expert to get more details on the placement of Feng Shui crystal tortoise.
FAQs
Which direction should the tortoise face?
Tortoise figurines should always be placed facing the east direction.
Is it lucky to keep a tortoise at home?
Yes, depictions of tortoises are considered lucky.
Is turtle good for Feng Shui?
Yes, turtles are good, as per Feng Shui.
What is the symbolic meaning of a turtle?
Turtles symbolise longevity, wisdom,wealth, perseverance, retreat, tranquillity, hope, the Earth and change.
What is the difference between a turtle and tortoise?
Turtles can be aquatic, semi-aquatic, or mostly terrestrial. Tortoises live on land and are herbivores. The word tortoise or turtle are often used interchangeably. It is one of the sacred symbols in Feng Shui.
Can one keep artwork with tortoises at home?
One can place tortoise artwork, such as paintings or photos at home, to attract positive energy, wisdom, protection and longevity for the inhabitants.
Is it lucky to keep a tortoise in the office?
Keeping a silver turtle in the shop or office is auspicious when starting a new business and to enhance luck.
Can one keep a tortoise in the garden?
Yes, it signifies good luck and also aids in protection from bad energy.
What are the benefits of keeping Jade tortoise at home?
In Feng Shui, jade is considered auspicious and brings good fortune. Jade tortoise improves health and harmony among the family members and also gives protection from negative energy.
Can turtle figurine be used as a Vastu remedy?
Yes, a tortoise figurine when placed in the correct direction can reduce the architectural defects of the house. Brass tortoise works as an aid to Vastu correction as it has the power to balance and harmonize the environment. Vastu Dosh tortoise should be placed in the Vastu fault area as per suggestions from an expert.
Is gifting a tortoise figurine good?
Tortoises symbolise good luck and longevity, as per Vastu. Thus, you can consider gifting a glass or crystal tortoise to someone to wish them good luck in their endeavours. Keeping tortoise figurines at home also helps remove negative energies from the house.
Where should you keep a brass tortoise at home?
As per Vastu experts, you can keep a brass tortoise figurine in the north or northwest corner of the house. This will attract positive vibes and invite good fortune for the family members. This is especially beneficial for children and improves their concentration levels.
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