A 'Prosperity Bowl' Is the Feng Shui Good Luck Ritual to Get to Know Before Lunar New Year — Here's Where You Should Place One

With Lunar New Year approaching, many homes are preparing for the festivities by decorating for the celebratory occasion. And one of the most popular items put on display at this time is a prosperity bowl.

Typically featured as a bowl with auspicious symbols and thoughtful items, it's known to be a harbinger of good luck for the New Year. However, as per the principles of Feng Shui, to truly tap into the energy of a prosperity bowl, proper placement is key.

I spoke to some professional Feng Shui practitioners who have revealed the best places to locate your prosperity bowl ahead of the celebrations. Here's what they said.

Where Do You Place a Prosperity Bowl?

Maxine McKenzie, Feng Shui practitioner and co-founder of Yinteriors, tells me that it's important to place your prosperity bowl somewhere in an area you actually spend time in. "These things work best when they're part of everyday life," she says.

"From a Feng Shui perspective, you can consider the prosperity area, which is the back left of the home as you look in from the front door. This area relates to wealth and long-term abundance."

She also recommend splacing it in the career area, which tends to be located by the front center of the home. She tells me it's associated with work, direction, and income flow. "A home office is an especially good option," she suggests.

"The center of the home is also a good place to position your prosperity bowl. A well-kept, uncluttered central spot can work very well as it relates to balance and overall vitality, allowing intentions to flow out into all areas of life."

You can also use a Feng Shui map to clearly outline the auspicious zones in your home. And if you're looking for a directionally specific recommendation, Feng Shui expert Zoë Vita James tells me that a supportive placement is in the North-West area of the home. "This sector can help activate the year’s Earth-to-Metal flow," she notes. "It is associated with prosperity, structure, and grounded growth."

Maxine McKenzie

Max McKenzie is a double-qualified Feng Shui practitioner and member of the International Feng Shui Guild. With a 30-year career in brand and marketing, a large part of which was spent with the Royal Institute of British Architects, Max understands how people interact with their environment and how good design can influence behaviour and improve lives. She is also the co-founder of London-based interiors consultancy Yinteriors, dedicated to creating balanced and harmonious residential and commercial spaces. By integrating Feng Shui, color psychology, and design psychology, Yinteriors helps clients optimise their environments to support health, wealth, career, relationships, and overall well-being. The company's name, Yinteriors, is a celebration of the divine feminine (yin) energy, reflecting their philosophy of balancing yin and yang for effortless flow and beauty.

Zoë Vita James

Zoë Vita James is a people-centred Feng Shui consultant specialising in authentic Classical Feng Shui for ambitious women. What distinguishes her work is the rare combination of mathematical precision and deep empathy — applying the exacting methods of Classical Feng Shui alongside intuition and emotional intelligence to create guidance that is both technically rigorous and profoundly human. Her work supports clients to align their spaces with their values, ambitions, and life direction, creating clarity, momentum, and ease. Zoë is the co-founder and co-host of the podcast Feng Shui: The Real Thing and is committed to advancing a clear, authentic understanding of Classical Feng Shui in the West.

Where Should You Avoid Placing Your Prosperity Bowl?

According to Zoë, it's best to avoid placing the bowl in cluttered or hidden areas. "I'd also avoid putting your prosperity bowl in spaces with draining energy, such as bathrooms or directly on the floor," she adds.

Maxine tells me that another Feng Shui mistake involves locating your prosperity bowl near external doors or windows, where energy is moving rather than settling.

"I also recommend avoiding hallways, landings, or busy transitional spaces, where chi flows through rather than gathers," she says. "And in rooms that are rarely used, as this energy responds to attention and activity."

What Do You Put in a Prosperity Bowl?

To put together a prosperity bowl, Maxine says to start by carefully choosing the bowl itself. "Use a vessel you love or one with personal meaning," she says. "Metal bowls are particularly supportive, as metal helps conduct and contain chi. Gold tones are traditionally associated with wealth and value, while silver, white, and soft greys also represent the metal element in a more understated way."

Then she recommends layering with rice, which is a traditional symbol of abundance and nourishment. "You can use it as a base for the other items. And adding a small sprinkle of salt is good for protection and purification," she says.

"You can also include a candle representing light, clarity, and activation. Red is traditional for decorating on Lunar New Year, but green (growth and renewal) or white (clarity and intention) work well too."

Then, Max recommends including coins for money symbolism and metal energy. "If you want to be very literal, you can also add a folded note or two. And don't forget to introduce Feng Shui crystals, such as citrine, green aventurine, pyrite, carnelian, or clear quartz. Since crystals are widely used in contemporary practice as intention amplifiers," she says.

"Cinnamon sticks, traditionally associated with warmth, luck, and prosperity, are also a great addition. Plus, a few drops of essential oils on a cotton pad rather than directly onto the rice. Patchouli for grounding wealth, bergamot for uplifting optimism, and orange for joy and expansion all work well."

No prosperity bowl is complete without written intentions. "You can note yours on red paper, setting out your prosperity goals," she adds. "The aim is to create something layered, meaningful, and visually pleasing."

FAQs

How to Use Your Prosperity Bowl?

Maxine says that it's important to refresh your bowl regularly throughout the two week Lunar New Year period. She finds that you can add a few grains of rice or take a moment to revisit your intentions to re-activate it.

"You don't have to keep the bowl in place permanently (I get asked this alot!). When you’re ready to dismantle it, give thanks, discard perishable items responsibly, and keep any items you want to reuse," she advises.

"Above all, it's important to enjoy the process and love what you've created. A prosperity bowl should feel intentional and meaningful to you."

To intentionally tap into the prosperous energy, I recommend taking a look at our guide to the Feng Shui rules for the year of the fire horse. It'll make your home feel completely in tune with the energy of 2026.