Month: February 2021

12 Animal Fortunes for the Metal Tiger Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Metal Tiger 庚寅 Month
February 3rd 23:00-March 5th 16:54

Here are the Animal Fortunes for the month of the Metal Tiger. To get the most out of the fortunes you’ll want to know all four of your pillars which are based on your birth date and time.

If you don’t know them just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life.

Year Pillar
Has to do with your physical body and what you do with it, ancestors, family traits. In terms of luck the year pillar is said to take the first “hit” of any event, good or bad.

Month Pillar
Relates to career, work environment, training, age mates and peers, siblings, exes and your modus operandi

Day Pillar
Yourself and true partner; your immediate environment and home life.

Hour Pillar
Your innermost self, your children, future, hopes and dreams.

The Fortunes

寅 Tiger
Years: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Month: February roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Defining moments. Challenge seems to come from every direction and your natural flexibility may have reached a limit, not that you’d ever admit it. Water is your bridge: your deepest feelings and the communication of them.
Hint: You may resent them more than others do, but those scars are a badge of recovery.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Month: March roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Like Tiger, you may feel like you’re getting a lot of No, but in your case it’s actually more like Yes but… Your closer is present now so don’t take no for an answer. There’s no deal unless you make the first move.
Hint: If you need help with anything, including health, be persistent in your pursuit.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
I can see you’ve got A LOT of work to do. It looks like your awareness of your agency is increasing too. For best results, make sure the influence of your work is in line with what you intended.
Hint: That’s what your competitors are doing.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Before deciding you’ve got the right information, look into the alliances of your sources. A graceful exit could prevent a dramatic “accident”.
Hint: You know how to ghost when you need to.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
You know those really good ideas you have at this time each year? What would happen if this year you took one of them seriously and actually made it happen?
Hint: Start now. Set a deadline for October.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Watch for predators and competitors who may be looking to cash in on the troubles of others. Some of them may be friends of your friends. Careful of leaders who claim they are just like you.
Hint: See the best in everyone, then close your eyes and acknowledge what you already know.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Measure twice, cut once. Monkeys could be accident prone this month. You might attract some opposition as well. If you’re going to use humor to defuse an already tense situation – don’t.
Hint: Could be unexpected money for Monkeys with strong metal in their BaZi.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
A Rooster in a Metal Tiger month? Either a sharp seduction or a grievous offense. Leave it to the Rooster to make it both. And to keep it secret too.
Hint: If it is secret, that might change next month.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
You’re a lucky dog. This month brings in the harvest regarding risks you’ve taken with dismantling outdated ideas and practices. Take inventory of the positive changes you’ve been making, maybe even show off a little.
Hint: How you are received will show you which way to go next.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2018, 2030
Month: November roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Make this month all about pushing aspirations and growth. Embrace your process rather than your resignation and obstacles dissolve. Be here now to get there sooner.
Hint: Process over progress. Sounds contradictory doesn’t it.

子 Rat
Years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Month: December roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
Feeling “robbed” or litigious might pull you out of the recovery zone where you’d like to stay for now. Maybe ask yourself if it’s necessary. Or is it because it’s the done thing?
Hint: Recovery seems more important.

丑 Ox
Years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Month: January roughly. If you’re near the beginning or end ask.
The guard changes but you’re still there. The Tiger will tend to want to take charge of things this month. If you want help, you’ll have to put up with some bossiness. Could be worth it.
Hint: You are meant to teach compassion. Yes you are.

12 Animal Fortunes for 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

How To Use The Animal Fortunes

If you already know your Four Pillars click on the animal name or your birth year in the table below to go straight to your Zodiac Animal nature and forecast. If you don’t know your four pillars please ask me. You’ll want to read the fortune for all four of your pillars. The position of each pillar will tell you how the fortune relates to your life.

Year Pillar

Has to do with your physical body and what you do with it, ancestors, family traits. In terms of luck the year pillar is said to take the first “hit” of any event, good or bad.

Month Pillar

Relates to career, work environment, training, age mates and peers, siblings, exes and your modus operandi.

Day Pillar
Yourself and your partner; relationship.

Hour Pillar
The innermost you, your children, future, dreams.

These forecasts don’t take into account the dynamic interaction of the Four Pillars that make up your particular natal chart, your elemental flow or favorable elements. Do you want to learn more about how to use your BaZi for timing and other purposes? Visit my new Services page if you’re ready for a reading.

All of the 2021 Zodiac Animal natures were written by my teacher Richard Ashworth. I have my studies with Richard to thank, in part, for how busy I am now. The other part of that thank you goes to all of you who allow me to work for you, read my writing, and follow the #SeriousDailies.

Each Zodiac Animal nature is followed by the 2021 Animal Fortune written by me – Stephanie Stewart.

If you’d like to read even more about the Year of the Metal Ox, my annual forecast for 2021 has two parts:
Part 1 : Through the Looking Glass
 Part 2: A Clash Among Friends

Are you setting up your house for the Year of the Metal Ox? You may also want to read about Your Good Directions in 2021 and 2021 Feng Shui Basics.

Happy New Year!

2021 Animal Fortunes

Rat 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996
Ox 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997
Tiger 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998
Rabbit 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999
Dragon 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000
Snake 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001
Horse 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002
Sheep 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003
Monkey 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004
Rooster 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005
Dog 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006
Pig 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995

The Pig in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Pig?

Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007.
Month*: November
Hour: 09:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Pig?

The weakness and the strength of the Pig (who is predominantly yin Water and therefore often reluctant to communicate) is that they think they know what is good for them. And they are right often enough to make advice close to impossible. By extension this means you Pigs may believe you know what is right for everybody else.

Technically the Pig is a cocktail of Water, Wood and Earth. This makes for extraordinary versatility. But this combined with the Pig’s weakness at emotional disclosure can mean that they lack a support system just when they most need one. Consider Fire Pig Hillary Clinton and her rogue email account; the story goes that she simply could not master her Blackberry and could not bring herself to seek appropriate help. That’s a Pig.

Versatile and wilful, gifted at whatever they do, the Pig is the sign of the inventor. Edison was a Pig and Elon Musk, as is Wikileaker Julian Assange. Perfectly- balanced Pigs can literally do almost anything but they don’t much like reflective advice from others and they are liable to hate uncertainty. Remember Fire Pig Elton John in “Rocket Man”? And Elon Musk’s social media tiffs?

Vagueness is uncomfortable for the Pig: Edison was of course an obsessive patenter, Hillary determined to get Wall Street onside while retaining her liberal credentials. And Assange, confident that he knew better than anyone else what the world needed to know – and maybe he was right. Brexit and the Trumpreich might have fallen differently but for some of these guys. This does not mean they were mistaken but the truth can be a moveable feast.

A balanced Pig (perhaps March birth around mid-afternoon) is a great audience and typically gets the listening/talking ratio just right. An unbalanced one can shoot off at the mouth and give (or take) away the farm before she knows it. Does any of this sound like – to pluck a name from nowhere – Earth Pig Simon Cowell?

More likely, you are prone to withdrawing into silence. Sometimes the Pig sulks but more commonly withdraws out of pure disinterest and can be perfectly cheerful when challenged on the withdrawal.

The Pig child needs just the right mixture of carrot and stick. Too much disincentive and he is suppressed or resentful. Too much carrot and he can be smug. The balanced Pig is the most sensitive of the animals; the unbalanced one has undergone an empathy bypass. As the parent of a Pig, just remember you are instrumental in this process. Your Piglet does not need to become a boor.

The Pig harbours the Wood of creativity so they can be as adept with the written as the spoken word and indeed the yang Earth of deep concentration. Many Pigs prefer to study in noisy rooms and many are effortless A-students as tutors of second and third year postgraduates of 2020 may notice. Bear in mind though that there is a near-epidemic of depression and anxiety among millennials and that Water is the associated element. Don’t ever take a 1995 or 2007 Pig’s good cheer for granted or their call for help as crying wolf.

The Stevie Smith poem “Not waving but drowning” is about a Pig. They look so competent. And they are. Until they’re not. If you care for a Pig beware of their apparent endless confidence. There are crucial gaps.

The Pig does not tend to like the Snake; one way or another they immobilise each other; there are mutual issues of trust, truth and sincerity. And the Monkey, the Snake’s intimate, can be a source of annoyance also. The Pig’s most natural team is with the Rabbit and the Sheep. This alliance is quintessentially domestic; together these three can make anywhere home. A perfect family might be Pig father, Rabbit mother and Sheep first-born. Once home, the Rabbit entertains while the Sheep ensures compatibility and the Pig performs the tasks that are beyond the scope or interest of her partners.

Traditionally the Pig also enjoys the company of the Tiger as Elton John’s husband Water Tiger David Furnish can attest. You might think they’d be more cautious but they know that the Tiger is uninterested in conquering anyone he considers easy meat. Of course he’s missing something here but the Pig’s fearless approach often disarms the Tiger before they realise. And by the bye, Pig’s literary ambition often burgeons in a Tiger year and flourishes in a Rabbit one.

Although she may herself be more adventurous, the Pig also understands the loyal and consistent Dog. She respects the fact that every home needs its guardian. These two will tend to develop a camaraderie with its own distinctive banter but it will probably never be a meeting of souls as each is technically the other’s gip sat or force of obstruction. The Pig respects the Dog’s diligence and the Dog knows the Pig will compensate for his weakness.

The Pig also operates well as factotum for a group consisting of the Snake (whose company she can’t otherwise stand for long) the Monkey (see above) and the Tiger. For these she is, interestingly, the peacemaker and setter of standards. Without the Pig this grouping whose common interest is travel and mobility, can’t get off the ground. Taron Egerton interestingly who impersonated Elton so effectively in Rocket Man, is a 1989 Snake.

One final note: the Pig suffers what is called the self curse. That is to say that she has limited patience with other Pigs. And as Rocket Man illustrates, a huge capacity for self-loathing. The Chinese character for a house is one Pig under a roof. Just the one. Approach them gently and listen.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Pig in 2021

Just trying to keep the Water clear aren’t you? The Ox will challenge you on that. Communication is the solution. Pun intended but I still mean it.

Hold on. 2022 is coming. You’ve been in the rough part of the growth pattern. It’s been long and I know you might be wondering whether all of the work you’ve been doing is going to pay off. I know you’re sick of hearing that this is just some kind of awkward age. I doubt it will be news to you that every age is awkward.

All this trouble trying to catch right up with me
I keep moving, knowing some day that I will be
Standing, facing, all mirrors are erasing
All Mirrors released by Angel Olsen in 2019 (Earth Pig Year)

The promise of 2019 feels like a false start looking back. Then there was 2020. Need I say more? If you are feeling hopeless about what you see as a lack of progress in your life, feel it. I’m still telling you to keep the faith. Keep holding on because the goals you’ve been working toward are coming to fruition in 2022. 2023 looks pretty great too.

In 2021, stick with the project you want to be doing in 2022. I’m sure you’ve got several to choose from. Choose the one you love because you’re going to be doing a lot of it.

You may be wanting to move, move house, or travel but unless that’s part of your mission the desire probably doesn’t go that deep. Don’t get drawn away from your purpose by superficial whims and distractions. You’ve still got another year before the unveiling of whatever it is that you’re working on. When the Water Tiger comes your audience will be ready for you and you will definitely be traveling.

This is a time to build up resources. That means people who support you, knowledge, safe and consistent housing and food, and health are important. Build up your stamina and strength. 2022 you will thank 2021 you later.

If Pig is your Day Pillar, be careful of smooth operating friends that may need some revisions to their code of ethics. Now’s the time to consider whether you want them to be included when you glow up. Funny to say but, they will be harder to get rid of once you are feeling successful.

In both February and November, you’ll probably be feeling an intense need for space. In November it may benefit you to go on a retreat to indulge that if you can. Do what you need to do, but be careful of excluding the people who love and support you. Call them, and call upon them, as needed.

Let people in when things are difficult so that you can easily share those good times that are coming. You think you will bring them down by revealing what is hard for you, but if that’s true it’s because they love you and they are sad, not disappointed in you.

In the first half of the year, look to finishing up any kind of formal training you are doing. You’ll want to have things completed by the end of July. Consider the second half of the year your graduation. That will be a good time to make sure your self care foundations and domestic infrastructures are solid. Take on practical routines that will make it easier to fly non-stop in 2022. I see you smiling and nodding, but there is a way to do this that won’t cramp your style. You’ll figure it out. You’re certainly not going to lose any options over it.

February Learning and training. You might feel fierce about making space for that.
March  Learn and work from home. Taking care of/supporting parents and their health.
May What is usually familiar baffles. You’ll figure it out in July.
July  Use this month for finishing and completing.
October  See the possible losses of November and avert them. You’ve been here before.
November Could be some losses but don’t give up now when you’re almost at the finish line. Resolve anything left over from 2019.

Pigs to Watch
1947 Fire Pigs: Hilary Clinton, Elton John, Stephen King
1959 Earth Pigs: Mike Pence, Kevin Spacey
1971 Metal Pigs: Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott, Mary J Blige
1983 Water Pigs: Edward Snowden, Kim Jong Un, Rapsody
1995 Wood Pig: Megan Thee Stallion, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner

©Stephanie J Stewart 2021

The Dog in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Dog?

Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006.
Month*: October
Hour: 19.00-21.00
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Dog?

The Dog is yang earth and a byword for faith and consistency. Terriers and Rotweilers are as fierce as they are loyal. In mediaeval heraldry and Renaissance painting, the greyhound symbolises constancy. The downside of this is that like Donald Trump and two of his three predecessors (ie not Obama – naturally), they can take some moving on. And the primary force in the world in 2021 is the eclipse of the post-war era which opened in the Fire Dog year of their birth 1946, and the search for a new beginning in which humanity has some chance of survival. Only rejection of the dogma of perpetual growth which continues to ravage the planet offers an escape.

A Dog can be expected to revere tradition and have a strong family background. If a Dog commits to something they can generally be relied upon to see it to completion – for better or worse. The difference between male and female Dogs can be that the female gets the message quicker. Interesting to note that Kate Middleton and Prince William are twin Water Dogs of 1982; a very solid match because as a yang earth sign, the Dog is pretty immovable, an ideal best friend or protector. These two are, whatever appears to occur to the contrary, first and foremost good friends.

The Dog’s thinking may not always be flexible but when he gets an idea, he really gets it; that’s yang Earth for you. His natural grouping is with the hunters, the Horse and Tiger where the apportionment of tasks is obvious: the Horse provides pace and the Tiger ferocity while the Dog watches the rear. If more people studied Chinese metaphysics, more workplaces would zing: in business the Horse will tend to be the sales person, the Tiger the closer or credit controller and the Dog the provider of after-sales service or er…HR department.

The Dog excels at service because he never gives up. He will return your phone calls and keep that appointment. He’s the friend who sends a card every birthday and the spouse who remembers every anniversary. He’s the charmer as well as the Tweeter at dawn.

The Dog perhaps surprisingly, also mixes well with the gentle diplomatic Rabbit. The Rabbit schmoozes while the Dog ensures that her openness is not abused. The Dog makes a wonderful bodyguard and middle manager. A Dog employer will generally have achieved that position by sheer hard work and will demand the same from all around.

The Dog doesn’t like the Dragon because he’s such a smarty pants. Also the Dog hates success without effort and he sees the Dragon create with such apparent ease. Consider Trump’s man-crush on Dragon Vladimir Putin in this light. The Snake too; she’d resent the Horse as well, except that the balanced Dog is scrupulously loyal to her own team. And just as an aside, it’s a principle of yin and yang that opposites co-exist. So some Dogs will express these qualities in the omission rather than the observance. This may make sense of both George W Bush and Donald Trump.

An unbalanced Dog is a bit of a shop steward. He knows his rights and the way things should be – often the way they always have been. An unbalanced Dog (such as one with an October or mid-evening birth) is rigid. Those recent US Presidents in a downward progress of de-evolution bottoming out at Donald Trump, have been champions of stuck, male, white, wealthy privilege. Make no mistake: it may not be clear very soon but the Fire Dog, the post-War dispensation, is over. The smart Fire Dog has already become mentor and confessor. That’s a pursuit at which he can often excel. The shallow Dog of course may never see this.

The Dog will often have a strong spiritual agenda and if he has a blind spot it may be
the inability to tell the difference between religion and spirituality or spirituality and
therapy. Because this means he sticks to his guns, the Dog is suited both to new age
therapy and religious persecution. He will not be thrown off by the opinions of others
once he has committed to a line of action. The unbalanced Dog can be thick skinned
in matters of belief; this Dog would be ideally suited to being a Grand Inquisitor. The
problem is that their motto ought to be “Do as you would be done by,” and he thinks
it already is. Resentment is a trap that is so easy to fall into.

The Dog can work well with other Dogs and even with the Pig. With the Pig he shares a love of home and team and they are so different they don’t crowd each other. Sometimes the Dog and Pig can be telepathically close; this is because they are adjacent signs in the calendar linked by the yang Earth that is a feature of both. Sometimes this Earth is expressed by banter or earthy humour, sometimes by complimentary delusions; consider Trump and Earth Pig born-again misogynist Mike Pence. They can have a lot of fun together while getting the job done. Or not. Beware though: the yang Earth and the yin Water have to mix just right or it can all end in tears.

But the most powerful and most demanding role the Dog can play is in a creative team including the irritating Dragon, the autocratic Ox and the soft Sheep. If the Dog acts as conscience and bookkeeper, the Ox will relax, the Sheep toughen up and the Dragon acknowledge someone else for a change. If you are a Dog recruiting for non-executive directors take note. What is great about the Dog is that if he finds advice that works he will adopt it as if it were religion. Bless. As for the unbalanced Fire Dog
– it’s pretty much over.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Dog in 2021

It’s possible that there are things you might never understand. This year is a good opportunity for you to accept and embrace an alternate reality.

I’m always chasing rainbows
First recorded by Judy Garland (1922 Water Dog)

There will be money, good food, partying and abundance for the Dog, but somehow still not as much action as you’d like. This sounds like an odd thing to say next, but life is going to be much quieter in 2021.

You can continue to push, but your work may be lonely even though you’re still a rock star in certain circles. You should know that this luck you’ve had with big risks is coming to an end. You’ve got one more year to decide how you want to land when that ends. Rebrand now and market it every day through your actions.

The 1946 Fire Dog might feel bitterness about something to do with money.

For the 1958 Earth Dogs, the most relevant month of the year is October when whatever you left unfinished in 2018 is going to be live. Plan for a redo. This time you can make things right.

If you’re a 1970 Metal Dog, maybe you are striving to accept a redistribution of authority in leadership positions.

1982 Water Dogs will feel their authority and success rising.

1994 Wood Dogs may be best at changing their shape in 2021. This year will leave a mark so make that mean what you want it to mean.

For all Dogs, 2022 is going to set a new cycle in motion. Figure out where you will be the most relevant now. The location of the Dog pillar in your BaZi will give further nuance.

2021 is the perfect year for Dogs to come to an understanding of what their work is worth, and what is theirs that is worth defending. Keep asking yourself about these ideas throughout the year. What is worth my most excellent guardianship? Pay attention to immediate and emotional responses most.

When you’re feeling unsure of your commitment in relationship, you’re going to want to know that your partner is feeling the same way. You dislike emotional discussions in general and you may already feel worn out from defending your mother to your partner, or your partner to your mother, or both. This is why you may feel cultivating your talent and work is currently more compelling and satisfying than any relationships. You’re feeling conflicted about your introversion. Maybe this is calling your attention to a disconnect between who you run with and who/what you were meant to run with.

This Metal Ox year will ask you to consider that you might be doing what you think people should want you to do, rather than what they actually want you to do. That might be why they don’t encourage you the way you expected.

As with Sheep and Ox, you’ll want to know your natal chart and your 10 year luck pillar. Which Vaults are in play? The Earth Penalty is considered to be present when Ox, Sheep, and Dog show up together. Some masters see this as possible illness or accident. To really know whether that is likely would require looking at all Four Pillars. I like to look at the Life House too. The point is: don’t jump to conclusions on this.

When the fourth Earth Vault is present, this could mean the start of a big undertaking. Therefore, in 2021 it could be that all you need is a Dragon. Believe in magic. Your general distrust of it is probably holding you back.

January Get moving. Make it regular. If you’re tired in the morning you may want to ask your doctor about a sleep study
February A windfall kicks off the year, an older sibling or ancestor comes back into your life.
March Relationships and promiscuity. Short term romance. Commitment is lacking.
April Solutions appear in the midst of disappointment. Stay aware of that.
July Who’s the bully?
Dog Like 2018 you get your way. Has that changed? Your way I mean.

Dogs to Watch
1946 Fire Dogs: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Donald Trump, Dolly Parton
1958 Earth Dogs: Michael Flynn, Rick Santorum, Mark Cuban
1970 Metal Dogs: Melania Trump, Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, Hunter Biden
1982 Water Dogs: Pete Buttigieg, Lily Rabe, Elisabeth Moss

©Stephanie Stewart 2021

The Rooster in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Rooster?

Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005.
Month*: September
Hour: 17.00-19.00
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Rooster?

The Rooster is yin Metal, the night bird, glamorous and with an eye for detail. She appreciates an argument and likes to win but has little patience for causes that drag on. She will appreciate jewellery, fine art and good living and create wealth easily; she can spend it as easily too. Conversely of course a wide-awake Rooster like Aung San Suu Kyi can reject such distractions in order to serve a cause that has indeed dragged on for decades. And like Aung San Suu Kyi can suddenly and mysteriously change their mind. This is yin and yang. The Rooster’s moral compass is often a learned thing.

The rule this illustrates is that a typical Rooster is suited to work such as that of an advocate which involves short decisive arguments. Her brief passion is the perfect support for a client. She can defend with enormous commitment and then move on to the next one. That commitment is 100% but it is short lived. If she is in a job that involves holding her peace she may fret and become ill.

Osama bin Laden may be a good example of a typical 1957 fire Rooster: just the one big splash to his name. A car must be fast, a partner challenging and life full of twists and turns. The Rooster is likely to be quick witted rather than profound and attention span is short.

Her allies the Snake and the Ox are sometimes impatient with her because she can digress so widely and so easily but she brings to the Metal alliance the pure competitiveness that the Ox might otherwise misuse and the Snake misunderstand. She is pure Metal – that is determined to get it right at all costs – and they are not. They will not win many cases or many contracts without her and they would do well to pay and respect her appropriately despite the fact that she needs longer holidays and more money. Conversely if she fails to respect a support system that dots t’s and attends to punctuation so as to empower the intuitive flashes that the Rooster can exploit but seldom generates, she will not prosper. Respect is so often their life lesson.

Your most dangerous pitfalls however are sex drugs and rock’n’roll. You probably like to party and your personality may be addictive. You are likely to prefer dusk to dawn and also to the small hours.

The Rooster enjoys a powerful alliance with the Dragon in which they may hold the whip hand. This may be unique in the Dragon’s experience. They can bend the Dragon out of shape just as the Ox can bend the Rat. This is not always entirely healthy, such sway must be employed responsibly otherwise both can be damaged. With that proviso this is one of the strongest alliances in the Chinese zodiac.

The Rooster predictably is one of the charismatic Flowers of Romance. Success and glamorous partners come easily to her. Often a Rooster can punch above her weight in this regard. Cinderella was a Rooster and Yoko Ono. This effortlessness can make for complaisancy and bitterness is common among middle-aged Roosters. Growing old is hard for the Rooster who can so easily become Snow White’s stepmother. Who is the fairest of us all? Consider these aspects in the contrasting lives of Mick Jagger and Che Guevara both of whom were born – in different years – on the day of the Rooster. “You’re so vain you probably think this song’s about you.” (Carly Simon 1945 Wood Rooster was clearly concerned with the vanity she found within herself as well as others)

With the Monkey this wily, numerate bird can form a commercial alliance. A business co-run by these two will be irresistible but may not open on time. It may not close promptly either and may also suffer the cash flow problems that come from poor financial prioritisation. A marriage would risk the same types of problem: great parties, early divorce.

The cautious domesticated Rabbit is the nemesis of the Rooster. The Rooster likes bling and the Rabbit can see no life in a stone. Any relationship would generally be full of obstruction and passive aggression as well as disappointment and a failure to keep agreements. The insistent wood of the Tiger is almost as maddening although his fierceness would at least engage the Rooster’s attention. The loyal, consistent Dog usually bores her rigid though she may in extremis fall upon him for support.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Rooster in 2021

You’re in a safe position so let the endings come. If 2021 is a year of endings, then it’s a year of beginnings too. And how could it not be a pretty good year for the Rooster? Your luck this year comes from having your ancestors on your side, just because you’re you.

Courtesy of the Metal Ox, elementally speaking you’ve got root and roof. Sounds pretty secure, right? This is a strong position in a BaZi, but in 2021 it might expose your Self Clash. A mistake made out of vanity or envy is likely to become public knowledge and not in a way you’ll enjoy. Among other things, this calls to mind aesthetic/cosmetic procedures, some elective surgeries and the like. Maybe it’s time to learn some new beauty secrets. Here’s one: it shines out from the inside.

Let the leaves start falling, darling what care I?
When you grow sweeter as the years go by
Written by Johnny Mercer (1909 Earth Rooster)

1981 Metal Roosters or people who have that pillar anywhere in their BaZi, I’m mostly talking to you here. You and the Ox have very different attitudes about beauty and aging. Maybe the two of you will balance each other out about that.

The Rooster’s relationship with the Ox and Snake is called the Metal Triple Combination. With Snake being possibly the luckiest and Ox the most powerful, the Rooster is in a good position to get great intel and empowerment. That empowerment comes in what you do with the information. Work toward completion.

If you were born in 1993, or there’s a Water Rooster anywhere in your Ba Zi, that’s the sign of the year subduer in 2021. Your job is to take the facts from the Snake and use them to stop evil things from happening.

There’s more than one indication that Roosters will be in touch with the otherworldly in 2021. In fact, I’ve already heard from a couple of Roosters who have described the experience of excessive yin forces in their home. In one case there had been events that some would call poltergeist activity.

In both cases, what immediately came to mind was to balance the yin with the yang. It sounds like a small thing but even so, it gets good, quick results. Clean up, move some things around, make some small changes. Get some noise or movement happening in the right areas. Plants and light can help too. The efforts it will take to accomplish these things will tend to balance your yin nature too.

Stay warm and dry. Layer up if you’re cold. Get a little sun. Movement helps. Make sure your bed is positioned as best as it can be. If you don’t have an air purifier and you live an area where there could be smoky air, now’s the time to get one. Keep up with the dusting. Stop smoking.

In 2021, relationship is a central issue for the Rooster, especially in December. 2020 may have drained your partnership which will tend to exacerbate the problem. In September or March, Roosters may be considering a physical affair. Demonstrate the loyalty you want to experience. As a Rooster, you might think that doing something unforgivable is a sure way to end things. That might be true, but what if it isn’t? Then what?

With your role in the Metal Frame in 2021, the uneasy and sometimes antagonistic relationship you have with the Rabbit is stirred up. Roosters will want to be careful of getting into conflict with their sons, specifically the oldest son, over ideas and ideals in the spring. Think through to possible outcomes before speaking or you may get blocked into a standoff by your own words.

January  Turning to a higher power for forgiveness? Make amends with the living too.
March Schadenfreude or jealousy? Or neither?
April The more support you get, the more competitive you feel
May Who’s got the information that empowers and how will you use it?
September  This is a second chance if you haven’t made use of what you learned in May
December Time for an ending; this might be the true ending of 2020 for you. That’s not a typo.

Roosters to Watch
1969 Earth Roosters: Jennifer Lopez, Jay Z, Gwen Stefani
1981 Metal Roosters: Beyoncé, Meghan Markle, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner
1993 Water Roosters: Jodie Comer

©Stephanie J Stewart 2021

The Monkey in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Monkey?

Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004.
Month*: August
Hour: 15.00-17.00
Day: You’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Monkey?

The image of the Three Wise Monkeys, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Speak No Evil is a reasonable summary of the qualities of the yang Metal Monkey, a particularly quirky primate. This is typically someone who shrinks from deep involvement. In elemental terms, this often amounts to too much yang Metal. What is meant by yang Metal essentially is precision and hence competition. Often the Monkey is so competitive he dare not enter the race.

As well as competitive, the Monkey is typically charming, loveable, dextrous, logical and quick witted and exact. The balanced Monkey uses these qualities constructively and in the service of his fellow man. The unbalanced Monkey (with say an August birthday in the late afternoon) does not clean up behind himself. He is in short a monkey.

The Monkey is often the most acquisitive as well as the gentlest beast but he is above all, competitive. In the extreme this means warfare. In its milder forms it is the ruthless competition that involves the belief that another’s gain is our loss. This is a (painful) mistake. It’s what leads to steroid abuse in athletics and ballet dancing in the Premiership penalty box. A Water Monkey like Spurs’ Son Heung-Min may learn this lesson early; it’s what makes him focus on goals rather than adulation. Pretty much all Monkeys subscribe to this delusion or learn not to through hard experience.

As you’d expect, the Monkey’s pitfall is frivolity. If he can’t win he takes the Mickey. Their natural allies however are the more ponderous Rat and Dragon. This is a pretty heavy-duty grouping, perhaps the most powerful in the Chinese Zodiac. Dominant Rats and egotistical Dragons are not, as a rule a bundle of laughs; the Monkey however often is. And together these three get stuff done; so many big revolutions including those of ideas involve this team. A large number of years of revolution (1776, 1848, 1944, 1956, 1968 & many more) are Monkey years.

The influence of this trio spreads everywhere: Sigmund Freud perhaps the most influential thinker of the 20th Century, Michele Obama one of the most influential women in the world, Dragons. Even Jesus if you take AD32 as his birth year.* And somewhere in there if we delve deeply enough, we find unsung Monkeys and Rats making it happen. The Rat plots, the Monkey gets out there and competes. Probably
St Paul, the man who sold Christianity to the world was a Monkey.
* That’s up for debate of course but presumably he was a Capricorn anyway.

Monkey for sure is Karen Armstrong author of a History of God, founder of the Charter for Compassion and arguably the most important thinker of the 21st Century. This is a Monkey who has learned to speak no evil while seeing much. If you want to understand forgiveness, the heart of all healing, read Armstrong.

The Monkey also tends to understand the mechanical: engines and systems; he is the grease Monkey. He often also understand maths, science and argument and so is suited very often to a career in engineering or the law, also accountancy. Unbalanced, he neglects all of the above. The Monkey month of August spans Leo and Virgo and to see him as a hybrid of Virgo control and Leo passion is not far from the truth.

When the Tiger and the Snake meet the Monkey there is trouble. The Monkey both co-operates with and fights the Snake. The presence of the Tiger pushes this competition over the edge. Keep these three apart. The Monkey must take care to mind her p’s and q’s every February (the month of the Tiger) and every May (the month of the Snake).

So that’s the Monkey:  argumentative practical, mischievous and so competitive he can withdraw altogether. But you knew that already didn’t you?
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Monkey in 2021

If people are coming to you because of your amazing creativity this year, get more organized about your business so they will remember that about you too. The Monkey has a pretty decent year to look forward to in 2021. Get moving and use up all that endurance you’re going to have.

Competitors in 2021 are those who have improved upon your example. Their ideas may be more innovative this year. No matter. Focus on the basics of your craft. Stick with those first principles. That’s when you do your best work. Don’t worry if it feels like your ideas are taking too long to develop. They will be lasting. You will be adding to them and refining them for years to come.

For the whole of the year there may be a nagging feeling about the wrongs you want to right; those that are near and far. Despite your efforts, this may not be happening as quickly as you’d like. There are many ideas and things being said that you feel could use some reshaping. Focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want. Too much oppositional thinking could lead to actual physical illness, or accident.

Some Monkeys could be having a hard time feeling included in family groups, work groups, and even with partners and children. Who is/was looking out for you when you needed them? Who should have been full of care but wasn’t? Before you go too far with that, are you sure this is a live issue? Think it through. It could be echoes of past experiences are coming up again now. You may even be tempted to act out in some juvenile way. In the game of chicken, who is the winner if no one yields?

With Dragon Virtue, this year you have the power to improve upon your reputation. With Fire so weak in the last couple of years, it may have been diminished. June will be the best month to make a push on rehabilitating it. The Horse looks like they will be hanging around you this year, so take advantage of their spotlight when you can.

Time has come today
Young hearts can go their way
Can’t put it off another day
Recorded by The Chambers Brothers in 1966 (Fire Horse Year)

As I’ve mentioned in some of my other Animal Fortunes, if there’s ever been a time to rebrand, it’s 2021. The sooner the better. If you’ve blundered, make it known that you’re not okay with that. Set things right. The energy you put towards that will go far this year. You can help others to rebrand too by way of your creativity. It would be quite difficult to stop you when you team up with the Snake, even if in May that’s a bit risky. Be clear about the scope of your collaboration or you’ll end up creating more work for yourself. Direct your luck rather than just letting it wash over you.

Monkeys have the Scholar Star in 2021. Adult Monkeys are due for some new/further training or study. Younger Monkeys who are still in school may experience more academic success than usual. There may be some Monkeys graduating with honors in 2021. There are other factors in a BaZi that will give a more specific forecast, but with so much water in play I expect this will be pretty accurate. Being a Monkey, you’ll probably like to use what you learn, along with your creativity, in your business. Know that it can be applied to whatever you like.

Monkeys will have a deep longing to travel which will probably peak in August and October. In fact, you may have already been considering travel or you have made tentative plans. Wouldn’t that be great if you can go? It seems possible, but I’d still recommend you get a refundable ticket. In August you are due to travel for educational purposes. Take care with driving.

February, March Make money. Have a care for where it’s coming from.
April Abundant creativity
May Old/new friends and exes arrive. Be discerning.
August Choices you made in May give nuance to this month’s work. Kind of random though.
October Take time off to visit a warmer climate.

Monkeys to Watch
1968 Earth Monkeys: Will Smith, Terry Crews, Susan Wojcicki
1980 Metal Monkeys: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jacinda Ardern
1992 Water Monkeys: Cardi B, Nick Jonas, Odell Beckham Jr.

©Stephanie Stewart 2021

The Sheep in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Sheep?

Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003.
Month*: July
Hour: 13.00-15.00
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Sheep?

Idealistic, yin Earth, not the top getter-onner with others, the balanced Sheep has well-meant judgements about everybody which can sometimes keep her stuck in first gear. For the unbalanced Sheep (July birthday and/or mid-afternoon birth) ambition and foolishness are pretty much the same thing. For the balanced one, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Noel Gallagher, however, leveraging affability for fame and fortune is second nature. See below for what the most unbalanced Sheep do with this gift for
belonging.

The balanced Sheep, as well as being an expert judge of people, knows exactly what matters and is not easily diverted from it. The arrangement for instance that Wood Sheep Bruce Willis, his ex Demi Moore and her ex (and Bruce’s fishing buddy) Ashton Kutcher came to, whereby they stayed friends and the children avoided becoming conflicted is not usual, either in Hollywood or the world at large but it is typical Sheep behaviour. They can all change partners as often as a Jane Austen cotillion but Bruce gets to see his kids.

Conversely, the value of caution and conservatism is often clear in Sheep relationships. The most obvious of these is with the extrovert spontaneous Horse whose sidekick the Sheep often ends up being. With the Sheep beside him, the Horse’s fun may be a little less riotous but he will also stay out of serious trouble. The young Horse and Sheep of 1978 and 1979 for instance, are often a tag team who go out drinking and clubbing together. The Sheep may stand back in amazement at the daring of the Horse but is there both to pick up the pieces and to take advantage when these risks bear fruit. The Horse dances on tables, the Sheep ensures a soft landing.

This illustrates a psychological truth about the Sheep: the risk-taking they shy away from is exactly what attracts them most. Many a desirable partner has on the rebound from a Horse, found a life-long proposition in the Sheep. Read Marianne Faithfull’s revealing autobiography if you want to see how this applied to the Rolling Stones.

Placed as the Sheep is before the Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac, they also understand trickiness. There is generally a certain wariness between these two as a team: they are unorthodox but magical.

The Sheep also forms a natural affiliation with the Pig and the Rabbit; a very domestic alliance. The Chinese ideograph for home is a Pig under a roof and the average Rabbit would happily stay home 24/7 if allowed to. The Rabbit is the diplomat and mixer while the inherently versatile Pig takes up the slack of whatever jobs there are to perform. The Sheep’s part is to make things secure. She will have ensured for instance that there are no sworn enemies on the guest list. Sheep is an ideal social secretary as well as a resolver of conflict. Psycho-therapy is among appropriate career paths. And of course this gift is one that can be abused.

The Sheep is passionate, representing the yin or feminine side of sexuality but whether male or female, the Sheep is more seducer than chatter up. 1967 Sheep Michael Gove’s appeal is surely a subtle one but he clearly fits several of the Sheep patterns.

Perhaps most interestingly, the Sheep can form a formidable team with the Dog, the Dragon and the Ox. Individually each of these three is somewhat intimidating to her but when this group gathers, her value becomes obvious. She can draw flexibility from the Dog, humility from the Dragon and cheerful co-operation from the autocratic Ox. Above all he ensures peace among them. Even if all they do is make the coffee, the Sheep is a comforter of the insecure. She understands that most barkers never bite and that aggression is simply inverted fear. George was the Sheep aspect of the Beatles, Lennon and Starr the Dragons. The Ox? George Martin. Perhaps the charge that Paul was a natural solo is accurate.

A final word: the dark side of the Sheep is to leverage gregariousness for power. Brazilian “strongman” Jair Bolsonaro and cynical media mogul Rupert Murdoch don’t fit the pattern of the easygoing Sheep at all. But the Sheep loves the herd to be on their side. They have to belong; sometimes even when that involves falsity and betrayal. Donald Trump was born on a Sheep day, making his deepest quality the need for approval. This is not only the Sheep’s nature but often their weakness. In this sense they are not so much “strongmen” but weaklings because their only strength is in the endorsement of the herd. Populism is so much easier than conviction.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Sheep in 2021

If you’re worried about being sheepwrecked, remember it’s only a temporary sojourn on the island. If you want companionship, you might be best served by someone who doesn’t need you. Don’t look to pick up someone else’s pieces this year. You’ve got your own work to do close to home.

Having watched your friend the Horse go through 2020’s clash, hopefully you have realized that when you’re the Sui Po or Year Breaker, you have a choice about how that’s going to manifest.

A clash is a stimulus, a wakeup call, a message from the universe that, if you want to keep up, there is something that requires a change. A clash is for learning. It’s not necessarily bad, but certainly uncomfortable.

Remember that you have four pillars, each of which is clashed every 12 years, every 12 months, every 12 days, every 12 hours. There are clash minutes too. All of this is just by way of reminder that you’ve handled a clash many times. The clash that makes us sit up and take notice is the one that lasts the longest. A clash year means you have more time to think and experiment with solutions too. You have time to break or change a pattern. The clash is usually pointing out which one needs attention. Look to the other pillars in your BaZi to see what other cards you’ve got in your hand. Leverage those.

Losing beauty, at least at times it knew me.
All Mirrors recorded in 2019 by Angel Olsen (1987 Fire Rabbit)

In an Ox year, the Sheep’s clash has to do with “the place when you go there, they have to take you in”. You may be wondering where that is in 2021. A Sheep’s worst fear might be rejection. You can see how these ideas go together. The Sheep’s bottom line is, it doesn’t matter so much how we feel, or what we believe, it matters who is present to take shelter together. This year, competing personal values and ethics may get in the way of that.

Important communication to accomplish? Do it in March. Both February and March support your technical side, so all the better if you’re creating a presence online.

If you were born in a Sheep year, and you live with your parents, that could change in 2021. Even if you don’t live with them, you may want to move house. Either way, your parents are going to need your support. Take care with who you think is rejecting whom, it’s usually mutual.

In January and October, the Sheep will be involved in the Earth Penalty. This is also called the clash among friends. Accordingly, it could reinforce stubbornness and increase righteousness. Anger may flare up quickly. If your chart is already Earth heavy, take care with health. Check in with your doctor if something feels off. Luckily, there are Feng Shui adjustments you can make in your home to facilitate a smoother year. Get in touch if you’d like help with that.

January  Earth stress. Blockage.
March  Settle housing situation
April Solutions you hadn’t thought of before show up
July  Have you figured out how supporting the wrong group harms you?
October  Who’s the bully?
November Friends move away and you are left behind. Make a different plan in March if you don’t want that.

Sheep to Watch
In 2021, well known 1967 Fire Sheep Kellyanne Conway is looking at both a clash year and the most significant year of her career. Look for her to “change sides” if she can. I would guess her hour is Snake so this will be a political move, but I doubt she will be able to be as close to power as she was before. Not in 2021. This is supported by the other signs in her BaZi that say she is changing to the side of women, whatever that means. As for 1955 Wood Sheep Lindsey Graham? Highly unlikely to change allegiance.

In one of those BaZi “coincidences” or things you can’t make up, Kellyanne’s Wood Monkey Day pillar is her daughter Claudia’s year pillar which is associated with ancestors. Claudia’s Earth Snake day pillar is a match for Kellyanne’s hour which would represent her children) if I’m right. When I see this kind of pattern, it makes me think these two souls have known each other before…Monkeys and Snakes. What could go wrong? I guess we’ll find out when the Tiger arrives in 2022.

©Stephanie J Stewart 2021

The Horse in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Horse?

Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002.
Month*: June
Hour: 11 am – 13.00
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Horse?

The Horse is yang Fire: the charmer, the extrovert, the seducer of the Zodiac, the Horse is rarely caught out despite his high-risk strategy. He has an ego of course but is better able to laugh at himself than for instance the Dragon. Like the Dragon, the Pig and the Rooster though, he can not generally work with his own kind. The typical Horse is not a deep thinker and his ego can lead him to suppose that no one else is either. Brexit mastermind David Cameron, born in the Fire Horse, may be a good example.

There tends to be a belief in shortage at work in the Horse. She thinks he must be the first to the trough if they are to eat. In romance the Horse like the Rooster, can be what Leonard Cohen called “a thin gypsy thief”. This means his weakness can be a failure to respect boundaries and property. Of all the animals, the Horse and Rooster are typically the marriage breakers and the home wreckers. This is not inevitable of course. If we know this about ourselves we can make wiser choices. Just because today is a good day to die, it is not necessarily a good day to kill.

Predictably the Horse is often not great at commitment. The yin and yang of this by the way is that a self-aware Horse is the most constant partner there is; an endangered species by the way.

Success matters a great deal to the Horse. He is not generally subtle. It is the winning not the taking part that tends to concern him.

The ever-fiery Horse is not keen on Water and especially her diametric opposite the Rat. He experiences this element whether expressed as a Rat year, excessive communication or actual Water as a dampener of enthusiasm. Water slows him down but does not halt him.

Interestingly the Horse’s charisma is best expressed either in a team with the other Plum Flowers, Rat, Rabbit and Rooster or in a pair with the Sheep. You will often find Sheep and Horse out and about together, the Horse radiating charm and the Sheep reflecting it. This actually is a good partnership; the Sheep is in awe of the sheer daring of the Horse and the reckless Horse may often need grounding, safety and a short term loan. Horse places the drinks order for his audience and the Sheep pays the tab.

In the Beatles Paul McCartney was the pr man but the corresponding long-suffering Sheep was George not John or Ringo, both wilful Metal Dragons. Now there’s a key; perhaps we can all let Linda and Yoko off the hook now!

The Horse’s home team all of whom have fire in common, is with the Tiger and the Dog. These are the hunters of the Zodiac: the Tiger kills, the Horse chases, the Dog guards. This support system is the most likely to bring the Horse rewards. On his own he is prone to burn brightly and extinguish early. He’ll have a good time though.

The Horse finds the Ox hard work also. There is metal hidden in the Ox which the Horse can turn to his advantage but the Ox’s preferences are often humdrum to him.

The Horse has visual, imaginative and intellectual gifts but is unlikely to value them enough to put them to good use. So many of the words we use about the virtue of work illustrate the unwillingness of the Horse to stick at things: harness, yoke, saddle, blinker etc. Again the yin and yang is that a Horse once-committed, never quits – think Boxer in Animal Farm.

A Horse who works with a Snake may achieve greatness because the Snake understands the Horse just as she understands the Dragon; the Snake is smart enough not to compete. In many ways the Snake is the perfect partner but it is more likely the Snake will recognise this than the Horse.

The Snake suffers in the short term and the Horse in the long. Racing, partying, playing, the danger is burn out. The challenge for Horses far and wide is to defer gratification long enough that there remains a future.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Horse in 2021

If you’re reading this that means you made it through the year of the Metal Rat. Phew! Horses who are emboldened by that might think they can foresee anything now. Nobody can do that.

I know you’re feeling exhausted and yet, the Metal Ox is fertile with creativity and new beginnings for you. If only the pace wasn’t so slow.

Horses are ready ahead of time, as usual, to start new projects and take on new assignments in 2021, but the road ahead is not clear until summer comes. You know there’s no time that’s absolutely perfect for anything but some are better than others. Do you want more independence? Spontaneity? I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy time but in 2021 you’ve got something like a passport. To use it, slow down and proceed with caution. Have a plan.

Horses are wanting to go out on their own. You’re ready to step onto the stage but the audience has not yet arrived. What do performers do in this time? Warm up. Limber up. Keep yourself ready to go on. Line up the preparations with your budget. Most of what you will be doing is in 2021 will be DIY. Make your own infrastructures to support what you do. There are audiences that care and audiences that don’t care. Which ones are you going to cultivate?

I cried for you. Now it’s your turn to cry over me.
Recorded in 1936 (Fire Rat year) by Gene Austin

In relationship you’re tired of feeling like you always come in second place. Are you feeling like your partner is holding you back in some way? Is there truly freedom in being alone with your audience as you envision? The Sheep is already likely to be rejected this year or at least made to feel that way. Will you be part of that? It may be time to leave some things behind, but you don’t have to embarrass yourself. Or maybe you do. Is that the sacrifice you think you have to make to pay for wanting to be free?

If you look at the Cycle of 12 in years, being in the Ox year means it’s the last third of winter. Three years of Water is bound to wear a Horse out. The earth of the Ox will become more fertile when you apply your Fire to it, so muster what you have. Be selective in who you work and partner with. Look for more than desire. It could be a hard landing if you commit to the wrong boss or partner, and a blow for your reputation.

Whatever uphill battle you’ve been fighting in 2020 (health related?) you’ve likely already gone beyond the worst of it. You’re recovering but don’t push it. Keep adding new healthy routines.

Horses generally don’t want to invite being depended upon. Don’t forget you’re not the only one who feels that way. In 2021 family and relationship bonds may feel weak. If you think that’s the case, get up to date with the people that matter to you. You can make the bonds strong again if you’re brave enough. You can make whatever choice you like.

February Decisions you made in 2010 resurface; it’s not the first time but it may be the last. This month will be a precursor to 2022
March A burst of optimism could lead to over spending. Money may begin to go out more than it comes in.
June Don’t overdo, especially when it comes to food, drink, partying, working, exercising. If you adopted healthier habits in 2020, add more. Don’t be greedy. Leave something for the next person. Get head out of clouds.
July There’s someone to help you clean up the mess you might have made in June. Are you aware that they need your help more than you need theirs?
October This may be the most helpful month of 2021 for you. Get enough warmth and light and you find more clarity of vision in your work. Keep the faith.
December  If you experienced ill health in 2020 you may find it flaring up again temporarily. Seek Fire.

Horses to Watch
1966 Fire Horses: Christine Blasey Ford, David Cameron
1954 Wood Horses: Oprah Winfrey, Tina Knowles
1942 Water Horses: Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell
1990 Metal Horses: Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Watson

©Stephanie Stewart 2021

The Snake in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Snake?

Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001.
Month*: May
Hour: 09:00 am – 11.00am
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Snake?
The Snake is yin Fire and sits between the Horse and the Dragon, possibly the most powerful pair of animals in the Zodiac and certainly among the most difficult stools to fall among. So a typical weakness of the Snake is indecision. Next to that is lack of commitment and finally a propensity for sudden and uncharacteristic dishonesty. The Snake is the prisoner who breaks at the threat of torture; a reasonable decision if you know you’re going to give in anyway btw.

There are perhaps old souls and younger souls. The younger Snake often has a vivid imagination and an inconsistent relationship with the truth; the older Snake may treat Truth as sacred. And Snakes being of Candle Flame Fire, can be easily discouraged. Sometimes they should be actually. Some Snakes stick long term with an inappropriate choice so as to put off making any choice at all.

The most written about Snakes in 2021 are apt to include Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. Xi, born in 1953, the year of the Snake in the Grass and appointed at a time when the internal tensions in China – between efficiency and self-expression, between industrial wealth and rural poverty and between cohesion and corruption – had never been so stark. Never question his sincerity – he means what he says – but he is likely, like his near-twin Tony Blair, to believe that the more he is opposed by those whose beliefs conflict with his own, the more right he must be. For both of these, dictatorship – that is tianming the Mandate of Heaven – is the preferable regime because the Snake can so often not tell the difference between their viewpoint and the absolute. This is perhaps the mark of the young soul.

Older souls may include 2020 Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Born a Metal Snake in 1941, his bluntness is typical of the mature or balanced Snake. A spade for him is not a manually-operated digging instrument but a spade.

Typically, squeezed between the two, the choice for the Snake is between opposites: the extroversion of the Horse and the subtlety of the Dragon, instinct and logic, process and end product, long and short term, relationship and freedom, employment or entrepreneurship. In the face of this dilemma, a balanced Snake will often develop sufficient charm to get through without having to make the hard decisions.

Typically the Snake of either gender is not the decision maker in relationship. When they marry a Pig this is doubly so; the power of the Pig’s uncertain yin Water may precisely match the delicate yin Fire of the Snake, often making for stand-offs and provisional decisions. Those the Snake has not made may include the one to be committed to the relationship. The partner of the Snake (best choice probably Ox or Rooster though Monkey lady and Snake man works well) would be well-advised to drag at least this minimum communication from the Snake early on. Interestingly Snakes can despite all this be among of the best makers and keepers of relationship of all 60 Animals. But they sure can make it hard for themselves.

One of the advantages of being between the autocratic Dragon and the unruly Horse is that the Snake has her ego in check. Many would consider her wise because what she has to say is well-considered and she never says too much. The Snake can be a brilliant collaborator, especially with the Ox and the Rooster who are in a sense similar to her neighbours: the Rooster is blatant (much like the irrepressible Horse) and the Ox determined (like the heads-down Dragon) while the Snake anchors them to each other. There may be moments of doubt when the Snake’s loyalty wavers. At such times, the Snake asks searching questions which should have been settled long ago and then usually re-commits. The high minded Brutus was probably a Snake. Not Judas though. To know this, grants the Snake both power and integrity. Snakes who know this about themselves earn undying trust.

The Snake can also work with the Dragon in what is called the House of Magic#. Only she can subordinate her ego to the extent that the Dragon demands while also keeping up. An ideal Snake vocation is high-level p.a. Usually (and wisely) the Snake opts to be No 2 rather than Big Chief.

The Snake often has the intellectual and visual gifts of Fire. She makes a good critic as her judgement is sound and she is not out to destroy egos. She will generally have natural and effortless style too.

On the other hand the Snake has a love-hate relationship with the Monkey. Both have hands-on and logical ability and both attract occasional tussles but where the Monkey welcomes an opportunity for mischief, the Snake treats dispute as a regrettable evil. When a Tiger appears in such a form as a Tiger-born person or a Tiger month (February), this misunderstanding can turn nasty. In a Dog year like 2018 it’s plain sailing, in an Ox Year such as 2021 – when the Monkey is for the second consecutive year, favoured – more complex. If there are Monkeys in your friend group, seek them out and try to find common ground. They may save you when the chips are down.

The Snake is opposed to the Pig and as both are members of the informal group sometimes called the Four Terminals#, they can impede each other’s movement. Snakes may develop mobility issues in a Pig year and vice versa.

The Snake prefers a short menu and yes/no questions. In a Rat year their yin Fire may be baffled by the width of choice represented by yang Water. It’s possible that the Snake’s dreams will come true only for her to sprint in the opposite direction. Deep communication often has to be wrenched from the Snake and in the Water years of Rat and Pig there is little support for the tight-lipped. In the Ox year that follows, expect just enough Water but not too much. This makes scope for the restricted level of communication the Snake prefers.

Final health note: Snakes have a complex relationship with Fire. They are not usually sun-worshippers but often their skin needs just a little regular sun and without it they may fall prey to easily avoided ailments such as vitamin D deficiency. Caution!
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

# These terms are the brain children of the man who first introduced me to the Chinese Zodiac, Derek Walters, still the only Western authority respected to any degree in Asia. I sometimes tell my students that of the many thousands of books written on Chinese Astrology in the West, 99% are either nonsense or derived from Derek’s The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology. Or both.

The Snake in 2021

You’re tempted by what is shiny, but don’t take the prize if it’s not for investigative reporting. Surrender to a higher power to reap the biggest reward, or just act like there is one watching. Your own truth telling power runs deep, but it’s also volatile and prone to turn in unexpected ways when you don’t respect it.

In 2021 Snakes may have a deep running feeling of impatience, even anger, thinking about what you could be doing if things were “normal”. It may have you questioning what you would be willing to sacrifice to push goals along. You are already quite fortunate. Why push it?

In the year of the Metal Ox, it’s not really that surprising that the Snake would be so lucky. First off, you are a member of the Metal Triad Snake-Rooster-Ox. You’ve already got a relationship with the people who will call the shots in 2021. They will look to you for information. Be honest. Not wanting to be the bearer of bad news is no excuse for spinning. Just tell the truth.

The Snake is often the sign of a politician and you were meant to persuade. You can get away with a lot, however, sticking to facts will better serve your future plans and endeavors. 2022 is a Tiger, let us not forget.

If Snake is your month of birth, you can expect to feel more optimism than is your wont. That will be emphasized in March. Enjoy!

If you’ve got a Water Snake pillar in your BaZi you may find you have the capacity to keep tabs on what is meant to go unseen and you’ve the means to put a stop to any sort of harmful nonsense. The Rooster could use your reassurance about this. We all could to be honest.

Fire is not strong in 2021, so you’re going to need to rely on the breaks you have and the ones you can create. You have the advantage in February and August when it comes to the Fire Penalty, this year it seems to bring more opportunities for you. This may sound contradictory, but in May you will need to take extra care with fire: candles, incense, fireplace, campfire, smoking…This applies to Snake children too. Keep an eye on them.

You’re naturally attracted to your resource, Wood, but this year it’s weak too, meaning the kind of classes you want to take may not be available. There will be few opportunities for training or other education except in August. It’s your hard work that will certainly get the recognition it deserves this year. Focus on that.

Direct your work towards your purpose consciously or you may find you don’t have enough to do. What is it you’re working on that you feel you never have enough time to pursue? This is probably the year to put as much focus as you can on that. Your actions are going to have a set and long-term outcome. May will be a good month to set things in motion, mostly by watching and observing. You’ll want to know what might get in your way.

Other than January, May, September and November it could be a pretty quiet year. If you are wishing for something, anything to happen, be specific instead. Know what you are asking for and how it might happen.

I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1929 Earth Snake)

If you’re ready to rebrand, that’s what May and June are for. Do it sooner if you can. If you’ve been in error, own it and apologize. Change your position publicly. You can count on people recognizing and accepting your changes this year. Follow through by way of your future actions. Don’t blow your chance for amnesty by making false confessions.

Your friend/ex the Monkey could use your assistance in August. One of you may be looking for a place to belong, the other for advice. This is familiar ground for you. Keep an eye out for the Rooster who may need a nudge in the right direction in September. Support the culture that supports you.

January Complete anything lingering from 2020 now.
March Sunny prospects. Go for it.
May, June Rebrand
September Last chance for rebranding.
November Could be issues with housing.

Snakes to Watch
1977 Fire Snakes: Fiona Apple, Zak Bagans
1965 Wood Snake: JK Rowling, Brett Kavanaugh, Bob Ferguson
1941 Metal Snake: Bernie Sanders

©Stephanie J Stewart 2021

The Dragon in 2021 ~ Metal Ox Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Dragon?

Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000.
Month*: April
Hour: 07.00 am – 09.00
Day: you’ll need a Chinese Calendar or an expert for this.

* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Dragon?

The Dragon is yang earth, the most egotistical of the branches as well as perhaps the most powerful. Putting aside conventional rules of animal compatibility, many of us are either fascinated by the Dragon or suspicious. Or both. Shameless mischief-maker Vladimir Putin and Trump tribute act Boris Johnson are Dragons. So however is Marianne Williamson, whose Presidential bid may be over but whose influence will only grow. It was she who wrote Nelson Mandela’s mantra:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.”

These are powerful people. The Dragon is not however always issued with a moral compass.

The Dragon is just as charming and affable as (s)he feels like being at any given time, but like the Pig, the Horse and the Rooster, they suffer the self clash which makes them unsuited to working with their peers. Dragons often live alone and enjoy their own company. Sometimes they claim to even when they don’t. Often what he experiences as joy is a subtle experience that others find puzzling. The Horse for instance who likes to dance on tables, may consider the Dragon a high maintenance prima donna. Even the his ally the Monkey, contrasts his own goonish delights with the impassive Dragon and can make no sense of it.

And yet the Dragon delivers. Sometimes awkward and gauche, the Dragon can appear incompetent and yet still win. Steadfast Dogs whose workings lead to a logical answer detest this about the Dragon and may sabotage him. Put simply the Dog thinks the Dragon goes on a bit. The Ox and the Sheep share something of this attitude but are more passive about it. If you are a Dragon, know this: you are likely to induce jealousy. However gracious you are, they know the level of your self-esteem.

The Chinese ideogram for thunder is a Dragon under a raincloud. And all over the world rainclouds speak of plenty; drenched is good if you’re looking for growth. The Dragon month is April, the time of sudden change. Dragon times are the tense moments before a storm breaks.

The Dragon does not naturally co-operate or easily share confidences. He will however grudgingly work with those he considers his inferiors as long as they are very clear about the pecking order. This is the central weakness of the unbalanced Dragon. King Lear was a Dragon, probably Sersei in Game of Thrones too where Othello (and Jamie Lanister) may have been a Tiger and Hamlet probably a Snake.

The Dragon’s traditional partners are the hands-on Monkey and the plotting Rat although these three may not mix socially. They need a task to cooperate upon, otherwise they find it hard to connect. Socially the Dragon will seek out the Rooster and the Horse both of whom can act as pr or spokesperson. Alone or teamed-up, the Dragon is just as creative as he wants to be. He can magic up wealth and as rapidly squander it. Neither Horse nor Rooster are much help to them in this regard although a benevolent Rat and a diligent Monkey can be.

The Dragon and the Snake form the House of Magic#. The Dragon is the Sorceror, the Snake his apprentice. So Merlin was a Dragon and his story illustrates the other central weakness of the Dragon: that he can be beguiled by the glamour of the Rooster. This coupling takes the Dragon off track. In a Rooster year the Dragon may forget all his carefully laid plans and go off-piste. In a Pig year they may have to re-think much of their approach to life to ready for the boom times of the Rat year that
follows.

Note to Employers: A Dragon employee is the best there is if the task suits him. It
had better suit him because he will do precisely what he feels like either way.

Final Note: As I said the typical Dragon has to seek his own moral bearings. Which
means that unbalanced Dragons are the worst: take predators Philip Green, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey
Weinstein. Who’d have thought these three shared ba zi charts?!? Or that they could justify the unjustifiable for so long? Of course as these guys show, the Dragon has the luck of the Devil*.
Richard Ashworth © 2021
www.imperialfengshui.info

* While it lasts; the special star fiu gong is often an indicator.
# These terms are the brain children of the man who first introduced me to the Chinese Zodiac Derek Walters, still the only Western authority respected to any degree in Asia. I sometimes tell my students that of the many thousands of books written on Chinese Astrology in the West, 99% are either nonsense or derived from Derek’s The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology. Or both.

The Dragon in 2021

If you think you already know the answer to the question, why are you asking? If you think you are the answer to the question, this year you’re right.

Dragons probably won’t have as much action as they’d like in 2021, however, that may be what keeps them safe. Dragons often put that kind of consideration far down on the list. Regarding risk, in 2021 there’s someone willing to go farther than you are with it, especially when it comes to crossing boundaries. I recommend you stay in your lane. You can still help people from there.

It’s hard to settle for things not being as glamorous as you like. 2021 may be too sludgy for you. Don’t waste time on regrets about what is. The mundane is intrusive and probably inevitable in 2021. It’s not your favorite music but if you want to make the most of the year, you’ll follow the rhythm.

You’ve got a vital energy and you’re ready to bring everything you’ve learned to the table. Make use of all those credits and credentials but don’t worry about being acknowledged. If your bruised ego makes you want to take your marbles and go home, you could have a break up coming. Maybe in April.

Don’t you remember? I was always your clown.
Why try to change me now?
Written by Cy Coleman, recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1952 (Water Dragon Year)

In the 12 Earthly Branches there are four that are called the Vaults. These are Ox, Dragon, Sheep, and Dog. If you’re reading this because you have a Dragon in your four pillars, you’ve already got one vault. Find out what other vaults are in your natal chart or in your Big Fate (a 10 year luck cycle). If Ox is the only one missing, 2021 is meant to be the start of something big. This could mean a big challenge is coming. I recommend you embrace it. Take it on. Tend to business. The risk lies not in what will be asked of you, but in your declining.

Expect to be in higher demand in January, July and October. This feels like a call to fall into formation. Take up your assigned position. Being regimented is unnatural for you, but you might be talked into it if it brings the kind of sweets your ego craves. Don’t do that. Don’t do it for accolades. Do it because of the changes you want to see. We all have to pull together now. Decentralize whatever you can to facilitate that. If you’re an entrepreneurial type this is the time to strike out on your own with your business or become part of someone else’s startup.

Curb spending; save up or invest in things that will appreciate in value. Fortify yourself. Focus on nutrition and health.

If your Dragon is in the day pillar, what are you going to do with that nagging dissatisfaction with your current relationship? If you think “my wife/husband doesn’t know me”, ask yourself whether you know them. If the Dragon is in your year, you might think it’s okay to keep a physical or emotional relationship a secret because “it didn’t mean anything”. You know better and you also know any potential outcome can be changed if you listen and pay attention. You are good at those things when you want to be. When you don’t, it’s because you don’t want to be too easily available. Please.

It’s not a contest, but your partner may be more harmed by a break up than you are. Whatever you feel about them now, I don’t think that’s what you would want. So do what you need to do either way with kindness and empathy. You’ll be glad you did.

January Do good deeds. If you’re overshadowing a colleague, move out of the spotlight a little.
April A big win is being handed to you. Don’t get in your own way.
July Help a sister out
August Making repairs and reparations. That includes the ones you do for yourself.
September Attracted to your work and the shiny stuff it brings more than anything else.
October Stay in your lane unless you’re blocking bullies. Take care in competition.

Dragons to Watch
1940 Metal Dragon: Nancy Pelosi
1952 Water Dragons: Marianne Williamson, Vladimir Putin
1964 Wood Dragons: Kamala Harris, Jeff Bezos, Jim Jordan, Jack Ma, Boris Johnson

©Stephanie J Stewart 2021

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