Author: Stephanie Stewart

Hexagram 57 : Compliance

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Hexagram 57 is called Xun. Xun is most often translated as Wind but right now I like the translation by Liu Ming: Compliance.

The trigrams on the top and bottom of Hexagram 57 are the same. Xun represents the oldest daughter, the one who is designated to take on motherly duties. One of my teachers said they remember what the Xun trigram looks like because they associate it with hips – a woman’s hips.
(also note there are two tiny snakes on the top of the ideograph 巽 – remind you of anyone?)

Compliance

Compliance has been the theme of the year, hasn’t it? In the USA, the compliance of our elected officials has been a lever for people doing power and money grabs. Our human inclination towards compliance in general as a less troublesome route might be a problem too. So here we are, in a Water Horse month with the matching Hexagram being called Compliance. I should also say, another translation is Submission.

When the Yi Jing is contradicting your expectation, this means you may have made it outside of your usual sources of information and use of logic. Usually this is a positive thing. I was expecting resistance to be the thing to cultivate but…

Hexagram 57 starts by recommending compliance or submission instead of resistance, that is, going with the advice of diviners, maybe consulting many sources. In place of the concept of diviners, you could name this energy as higher authorities in any field. When you see the phrase “advantageous to see the Great Man”, it’s time to get some advice from someone with special powers or knowledge.

You might ask the Universe for guidance, or if you are a religious person you could follow your own traditions. The first thing to do is consult the sources you trust for advice. It’s important to remember though, there is such a thing as too much information, and most decisions are pretty simple if you know what you want.

The name of Hexagram 57 might also be translated as Proceeding Humbly, meaning we accept help and advice from others; we take care of and guide ourselves as much as we can. In some ways, we are all playing an infinite game of telephone with the Universe. The message we receive is shaped by unconscious desires and fears. Relationships will help you to know which one is influencing you at any given time.

Hexagram 57
Gua Ci
SUN: Small sacrificial offerings.
Advantageous to have a place to go to. Advantageous to see the Great Man.

Line 1
Advantage for a military man to arrive at the divination.

Line 2
The wind present under the bed.
Use annualists, wizards, and numbers like them. Good fortune. No error.

Line 3
The incessant wind, regrets.

Line 4
Regrets vanish.
In the field, captured in hunting, three kinds of game.

Line 5
The divination, good fortune. Regrets vanish.
Without doubt advantageous, without a beginning there is an end. Before the change, three days; after the change, three days.
Good fortune.

Line 6
The wind present under the bed.
Lost his valuables and axe. The divination: misfortune.

(from the Yi Jing translated by Wu Jing-Nuan ISBN 0-9673272-0-2)

Before you go further, take a moment to appreciate the uncanny relevance of Xun to our current situation. I know you can think of multiple correlations easily.

By the Lines

For interpreting Xun right now, I think the line to focus on is line 3. Too much compliance has led us here. Instead of committing to their own values, people have spread their force too thin by trying to follow too many “higher powers”.

“We can’t ignore the [Tyrant’s] desires.” JD Vance March 28 2025

This is such a telling phrase regarding relationships in general. When someone has been abused over a period of time, this might be what we hear them say about their abuser. This is the kind of outcome to expect. Unfortunately, total compliance quickly turns into enabling. When people stay in an abusive relationship, this is what can happen. When people cover up for abusers, this is what happens. There are some interesting parallels here in the case of Sean Combs.

Why is it so hard for people to leave an abusive relationship? I still don’t know, but I promise you the devil you know is not better than the devil you don’t. At least, don’t accept that false logic anymore.

Line 3 has a special relationship with line 4, which says that this month we have opportunities to take actions that lead to success. Or to be more accurate, the idea is that successes come from nonaction, which I usually take to mean as being open and aware of what you want and what kind of events that attitude can lead to.

When I have been able to take that approach, unexpected things that I wanted were brought to life. I think the key was not pushing for it, but just recognizing timing, preparing for the possibility you see, and doing a few nudges of communication with others. As always though, the Tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao. lol

At line 5, there’s a suggestion that during a span of 7 days during this month we could see some doubling up of good fortune. That would center somewhat around the summer solstice. Let it be so!

I also think a lot of portents we see this month tell us about September 2025.

Opposite Gua

The Opposite Gua is sometimes called Shadow Gua or Complementary Gua. If you’ve been subscribing to my Monthly guide (see the Monthly Guide for Wood Pig Month – November 2024 for example), you may recall that the Opposite Gua matches pillars that are opposite each other on the compass.

In a Water Horse Month, it will be helpful to remember that the Water Rat is opposite on the compass. The Water Rat is associated with Hexagram 51, Thunder over Thunder. Every line is different than Hexagram 57.

When you cast the coins and get Hexagram 51, a big shakeup is coming; a tension release. When it’s the Opposite Gua, you’ve got some suggested context to work with.

In relationship to the Water Horse month, Hexagram 51 Zhen (Thunder or Shock) 震 is the Opposite Gua.

We have a Water Rat day on June 12th, right after the Full Moon on the west coast of the US.*

What can be learned from the Opposite Gua?

When every line of the Hexagram is changing, of course we can expect big changes! How does Compliance turn to Thunder? How does Submission turn to Shock?

In addition to this broad interpretation, the Opposite Gua can provide clues about what is counter indicated, given the situation you’re in, or it might offer a “shadow” side of the situation. The shadow side could be related to hidden motivations, distractions, wrong ideas, delusions or fantasies. The Opposite Gua reveals how you might play yourself.

*Most of the text in this post went out in my Monthly Guide, sent to subscribers on June 3rd. On June 10th Greta Thunberg was “deported”. On June 12th Senator Alex Padilla of California was arrested, on June 13th Israel began bombing Iran. Early on June 14th there were political assassinations and attempted assassinations in Minnesota, later that same day the saddest birthday parade ever was outshined by civil protests across the US.

Thank you for reading! To be notified of future posts or receive them in your inbox, please subscribe to my Substack.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Water Horse Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Water Horse 壬午 Month
June 5th 17:56-July 7th 04:05

Here are the Animal Fortunes for the month of the Water Horse. To get the most out of the fortunes you’ll want to know all four of your pillars which are based on your birth year, month, day and time.

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how your natal chart works, or what to expect in 2025, you can book a reading here.

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

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
All eyes on you: will you maintain your position or are you looking for the exits? Commit to one and you’ll come unstuck.
Hint: Bring your emotions to the revolution to mitigate your self clash. It’s safe.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Having found their direction in the revolution, the Sheep is making way for short term and long term plans at the same time.
Hint: Maybe harvest isn’t as far away as you thought.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Monkeys ask to be tested again. Wasn’t last month enough? I know you will pass, but how does this serve the revolution?
Hint: I’m guessing you have a route mapped out. [People] just don’t understand.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Water and Fire at the same time could feel just right. You’re in a place to make requests to the Universe on behalf of yourself, and the revolution of course!
Hint: Set your high bar Rooster.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Dog settles in to new domestic (and other) situations. Think about what this next phase will ask of you. It might seem like nothing is changing…but you know, change is constant.
Hint: Are you protecting the right boundaries in the revolution?

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
Dust yourself off Pig. However you feel, there are people who see you as prominent and a source of strength this month. If you’re feeling vengeful, channel that as creativity on behalf of the revolution.
Hint: Seek intimacy with relationships – family or otherwise. You commit too.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Water doesn’t run out, it relocates. This is why the Rat might ignore important lessons about caring and caretaking. Hovering isn’t helpful for the revolution. You know this. Encourage freedom.
Hint: What if the thing you are afraid of doesn’t destroy you?

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
If you’re an Ox who is still feeling too soggy for the revolution, this month will help. There’s someone who is here to help you dry and warm.
Hint: Don’t hurt people for telling you their truth. It doesn’t have to be yours, but it will be helpful in some way.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
The Tiger’s expansion bursts into a bright flame in this year of revolution. Your ideas are also your power now. Act on them from wherever you are.
Hint: Roam if you want to!

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
It could be that close relationships aren’t feeling solid this month, but there are other gifts for you right now in the revolution. Create.
Hint: Be curious. Spread information: what you know and what you think. Be clear about the difference.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
It’s a month of ups and downs for the Dragon. Keep subbing in for some of the mundane tasks of the revolution. Maybe you’re creating a new narrative.
Hint: Keeping communication flowing will dissipate relationship tension.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
Normally this would be the time for the Snake to have a little break, but this is a revolution year and it belongs to you. If you want progress, hibernate for a few days, then get back to business. Repeat.
Hint: August could be great for that break.

Thank you for reading! To be notified of future posts or receive them in your inbox, please subscribe to my Substack.

The Opposite of Forgetting

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Is there such a thing as ultimate truth? Is truth an end in itself? These are things you might think about when it’s a Snake month in a Snake year.

The ancient Greek concept of ἀλήθεια (aletheia) implies that truth, meaning reality, is the antonym of forgetting; truth is a state of being unhidden or unforgotten. Martin Heidegger, a philosopher, took this concept further to describe ἀλήθεια as a process of revelation: reality is the process of revealing truth. It happens through actions, not words alone. Whoa.

As for me, I think that the truth keeps changing, that is, I haven’t found any truths that apply to every situation, except that caring matters. How about you?

If you have a Snake in your Ba Zi, this might be a good time to revisit the 2025 Animal Fortune for the sign of Snake.

It’s a Metal Snake month in a Wood Snake year. I’ve got my mind on the 巳 and the 巳 on my mind. I am thinking about Snake matters, mostly about Truth and the role of Truth as something that can heal if it’s given in the proper dosage. There’s an overdose of truth happening in the world right now. It feels poisonous – but could it literally be a homeopathic remedy? I don’t mean to be callous, however, I see what is happening now as a normal process in the cycles of time and space. Don’t take that to mean that I prefer it. Do take it to mean I will try to learn from it.

All of the things we were worried about happening…now we know in detail how they are happening, and yet not everyone agrees about what is true, or does with the truth what you would expect. Life has always been like this but until it’s the leopard eating our own face, most of us seem incapable of believing in evil even when we see it or live with it on a daily basis. We don’t expect evil for the most part.

I say evil, because it feels evil in the way that evil doesn’t particularly care about or favor anyone. Evil is an equal opportunity experience and some of us are luckier than others.

You could say the same thing about the Tao too though. I don’t think the Tao cares about or particularly favors anyone either. Caring (or hating) is human business and some of us are luckier than others.

Teaching and Truth

I once asked one of my teachers if the Tidal Guas were tied to the lunar month, as opposed to the solar month. It seemed pretty obvious to me that just by being called a Tidal Gua, it would be tied to the Moon, not the Sun. My teacher said that I was incorrect but mostly I think they were just tired of me. I wasn’t completely buying that I was wrong, but I decided not to push back.

In addition, I doubted myself and what logic dictated was true; a pattern to which I am prone. I can’t even count how many times I have held myself back from freedom by doing this. The worst instance of this happened in late 2019/early 2020. I’m not blaming anyone. I have gotten better realizing no one can limit me, but at my worst, I don’t require anyone to hold me back because I do it best.

Now I am a teacher and I understand how it’s not always easy to be graceful when people don’t appreciate how much time and effort you’ve put into your preparation for their exasperation. I think of a student’s exasperation and frustration (which I have also experienced) as part of the learning process. There is a magical point in any process where you can surrender to failure and not give up. If you do that once, you are more likely to do it again. You are more likely to continue in your studies or other efforts.

In my life, when I’m not paying attention to how much truth I’m dealing out or my attitude about it, I’m usually about to be the recipient of some misdirected anger. I feel that I don’t ask for that (who does?), however, I must have a role in this repeating pattern. It’s probably that my appearance of certainty is triggering for some because they want to fight and I am not ready to fight.

I don’t feel like I need to prove the truth and I can see how that would be perceived as arrogant. Coming off as arrogant is also a fundamental mistake and theme of my life. I don’t think it’s arrogant to assume that once people know the truth they will change what they are doing, however, I will admit that is usually not what happens. It’s baffling.

I annoy people by pointing out things that I think are obvious, not realizing that it’s not obvious to them. Some people call my habit of doing this rebellious. I don’t disagree, but I think that’s how the truth feels – like a revolution. I have learned to be better at recognizing what is not obvious to others, even though it’s still baffling to me that it’s not.

As I said, I have lots to learn too. I am too quick with the truth – too quick for anyone’s comfort and often too quick in the sense of time. There have been times I wanted to use truth as a weapon, sometimes to defend or explain myself. I have done all of these things.

If you tell people the truth too soon, they might want to hurt or suppress you. At the very least they want to ignore you. If you have this experience as a child, I encourage you to explore your idea that the truth is problematic. Is it problematic for you or do others perceive you that way due to their discomfort? There were many lessons I learned about truth telling as a child that upon reexamination, did not have anything to do with truth. I’m still unlearning. It’s a process.

Denial is the most common way we shield ourselves, so stay open if you want relationships. When we can’t acknowledge the truth, it’s hard to have relationships that last. Without truth there are problems that cannot be solved. Common truths lay the foundation for trust and intimacy.

Metal Snake Month Hexagrams

 

Hexagram 1
Hexagram 14

If you agree that the Tidal Gua is related to the lunar month and the Moon, then Hexagram 1, being the Tidal Gua, matches with the lunar month Metal Snake. Hexagram 14 matches with the solar month of Metal Snake.

Would you agree that Hexagram 1 is giving us a yin perspective? If the Month Pillar Hexagrams are related to the solar month and the Sun, would you agree that they give a yang perspective?

Obviously, you don’t have to agree to any of this but if you do, it certainly makes for an interesting divination this month. Yin could be matters that are hard to look at or control; underlying causes perhaps, while the yang would be a response to that? Yin: patriarchy has gone overboard. Yang: the nature of wealth is to recirculate.

Thank you for reading! To be notified of future posts or receive them in your inbox, please subscribe to my Substack.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Metal Snake Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Metal Snake 辛巳 Month
May 5th 13:57-June 5th 17:56

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how your natal chart works, or what to expect in 2025, you can book a reading here.

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

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
It’s time for Snakes to commit. This is how you will break through. Be decisive and firm for lasting results. This month brings one of the peak moments of the revolution. In terms of the year, you’re a Nobleman and THE boss.
Hint: Instead of reacting in ways that you usually would, go against the flow.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
That familiar urge to burn things down has arrived again. Or maybe it never goes away? If you’re into that kind of work, the demand is growing in this revolution.
Hint: It’s hard for Fire not to be influenced about where it goes. Be careful out there.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
The Sheep’s plate is full with family to support and their dreams of how revolution will heal the divisions they abhor. This month’s energy supports defining your visions. Live your truth.
Hint: Everything is in place for your plan.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Push back Monkey, that is, if someone is pushing you. It might be hard to tell friend from foe. Cultivate your agency in the revolution. Now is your chance.
Hint: Start with words, documents and such.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Everyone sees your tracks are everywhere in this revolution. If you have past deeds or words you’d like to reject now is the time. Come clean and I bet you can move on without much negative change.
Hint: Let the light make you sparkle.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Stop waiting Dog. If you want to go and you can go, then go! I know you’re probably restless, and maybe it’s getting too hot for comfort where you are? Pay attention to that this year.
Hint: Make a habit of staying cool in the revolution.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
If it’s a month of stuckness for the Pig in the revolution, you might want to be like King Wen and learn from whatever you can observe from where you are.
Hint: You’ll probably have lots of ideas that come from this time to fuel your creativity.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Rats may be feeling a little nervous without really being sure if it’s because they are scared of the revolution or want to oversee it. It’s a little late for that now, but no worries.
Hint: No one strategy works every time.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
I encourage the Ox to recognize their own success and toot their own horns in this revolution. While it’s true that you might never be “finished”, take a moment to recognize how far you’ve come.
Hint: Try on perceiving your accomplishments as others do.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
Tigers are in a position to “punish” those in power, the timing is here. In the revolution we take it case by case. No blanket solutions.
Hint: Take up space and you might start a conflagration. Be sure you’re in the right place when it happens.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
In a sense, Rabbits are empowered to be the PR or marketing people of the revolution this month. This might involve some kind of investigative journalism or just spreading the word as you usually do.
Hint: This is a work from home job for the most part, if you want it to be.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
Take a break if you can Dragon. Last month was too much cognitive dissonance even for you. If you’re landing in a new place, give yourself some time to explore.
Hint: Don’t expect your best work this month. I expect it’s still good enough!

Thank you for reading! To be notified of future posts or receive them in your inbox, please subscribe to my Substack.

Serious Feng Shui Snake Year Makeover

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

What do you think of my Snakeover? I know you’re probably tired of hearing about the Snake shedding its skin in this Year of the Snake, however, that’s exactly what I’ve been working on.

Since you’re here, maybe you’ve noticed some new things on the site? If you haven’t, go take a look at my Services, Study or Shop pages. You see what I mean?

My site was created (or born) in 2019 which was an Earth Pig year. In 2025, a Wood Snake year, it makes sense that I would renovate it. It’s a clash for my site right? 巳 Snake vs 亥 Pig.

There were lots of things that needed to be fixed or changed anyway which is often what you discover with clash. The experience of clash can be like not noticing the breakdowns accumulating and then all of a sudden, things reach the inflection point and it’s all in your face. It’s not funny, but if you can laugh it will probably help.

Some of the problems with my site were security issues that would slow it down. Every day there were brute force attacks on the site. Things that had always worked were beginning to break down. This is all clash type of energy.

Other than needing to pay more attention to boundaries (another theme of the year), I realized that Serious Feng Shui was looking and feeling dated. I had also outgrown it in a sense. When the site was made six years ago, I wasn’t offering as many services and classes and the Shop didn’t exist yet.

You can book any of my classes now on my site. I was already teaching them, but didn’t have an easy way for people to book. It took a lot of back and forth, which is something I just don’t have time for these days.

I’m still a one woman show, that’s fine for now. My new infrastructure is going to extend my capacity for what I want to be doing, which is working with all of you.

PS: If you want to subscribe to new posts, subscribe to the Serious Dailies, get notified about New or Group offerings you can do that through my Substack.

PPS: Tessa Elwood of A Little Site Magic did the heavy lifting for this makeover and she is literally magic. I highly recommend her work.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Metal Dragon Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Metal Dragon 庚辰 Month
April 4th 20:48-May 5th 13:57

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how your natal chart works, or what to expect in 2025, you can book a reading here.

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

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
In the revolution we need leaders like you, particularly if you have learned to avoid savior complexes or other grandiose thinking that can sabotage someone as powerful as you.
Hint: Before you go to outer space, check in with your inner space. Not all injuries are inevitable.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
The Snake may be experiencing yet more dissonance about what is true and what they are willing to portray or accept as true. That’s not going to end any time soon. For the revolution, sort this out for yourself, again and again.
Hint: Remove the self-doubt Snake. This is your way. Flood the zone with light.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
The ups and downs the Horse may experience this month might distract them from their mission in the revolution. It’s your choice Horse. Run towards, rather than away to increase net gain.
Hint: Take care not to wear yourself out.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
There are matters to be negotiated in this revolution, and the Sheep may have more bargaining chips than they thought. If there’s a bully in your life, the month favors changing that.
Hint: Don’t let yourself be pitted against others. Secrets will exacerbate.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Monkeys find their footing. Enjoy a smoother ride now that some of the year’s potholes have been filled. Bring back your smart and scathing humor on behalf of the revolution.
Hint: Take heart!

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
It’s time for the Rooster to be completing those last minute tasks prior to taking charge of this revolution. It’s not a sprint, but love will help you to stay focused for this marathon.
Hint: One thing at a time. That’s all you have to do.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
This month the Dog finds themselves thinking about 2024 and life before the revolution. If difficult memories come out, that means now is when you can change their form.
Hint: If there’s rubble, there could be something important for you to find underneath it.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
At this point in the revolution, Pigs are being asked to march to a different beat, to a different drummer. If you can do that and keep your integrity…yes, you can!
Hint: Be curious about new rhythms.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Rats go everywhere and anywhere in the revolution without much trouble. This isn’t new. The Rat’s prize is the revolution, however, it might not feel that way yet.
Hint: Say whatever you want in a way that encourages people to hear your message. Be civil.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
The Ox wants justice for all in the revolution so they will aim to tolerate what this Metal Dragon brings. There’s some wealth in here for you to keep you going.
Hint: Cross class boundaries.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
Now Tigers are coming back out openly on behalf of the revolution. Your aggressive agency is present, you can take prizes now at the end of the Wood season.
Hint: Pick your battles. What is the priority?

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Rabbits can find a new leader or boss now in this revolution. Be sure their trouble is good. An offer of money might be hard to turn down. Maybe you don’t have to.
Hint: Take some time to be sure you understand who you are working with. Make an assessment.

Roots, Stems, and Branches of Ba Zi

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Explore the Roots, Stems and Branches of Ba Zi

When: Sunday April 13th 9-10 am GMT-7
Where: On Zoom
Tuition: $29.00
Prerequisite: none

I’m offering a new class in April for anyone who wants to learn more about Ba Zi or Chinese Astrology. You don’t need any prior knowledge or training.

This is the first class in the Intro Series.

TOPICS

  • What is Ba Zi?
  • Identifying 10 Heavenly Stems & 12 Earthly Branches
  • Basic symbolism/meanings of Stems and Branches
  • Cycle of 60 and Patterns

REGISTER to receive a Zoom link and class materials on Friday April 11th.

Monthly Meetups

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Monthly Meetups are free for subscribers to the Monthly Guide and each guide will be the jumping off point for discussion that month. This is meant to be an exchange, not a lecture. I encourage your questions and comments.

If you’re not a subscriber but you would like to attend, please join us! The price of admission is $27.00 to purchase a copy of the Guide for the month.

Purchase the Guide and Admission to the Meetup

Along with the Zoom link, the Guide will show up in your email prior to the meetup.

Elon Reeve Musk Ba Zi

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Elon Reeve Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa. He is a 甲 yang Wood day master which means his money element is Earth and Earth is definitely strong in South Africa. Elon was born into money. Earth is his money, wife/girlfriend/baby mama and success element. Elon’s Ba Zi has a lot of interesting features which makes it a good chart for research.

The Elon Musk who seemed to be a goofy inventor, visionary and entrepreneur with a dream of going to Mars has changed. Prior to 2018 he moved from project to project without really accomplishing long term goals he claimed, but he was still a rock star in certain circles.

Elon’s external presentation is just that – external. His power element is unhealthy, and he isn’t as smart as people think he is, yet he is able to have all these helpful (to him) relationships. This has become a concern for all of us. Elon Musk has transformed.

Let’s Go For a (Death) Drive

If you’ve read earlier work from me, you will have seen me write about how sometimes a Ba Zi will inspire a phrase or name for the situation. The phrase that comes to mind for Elon Musk is “Death Drive”. He is willing to sacrifice himself, so he is willing to sacrifice you too. It’s one of his addictions. This sacrifice is on behalf of some cause that only he knows about and only he can save us from – money. You might want to think about this for a second.

Elon’s probably salivating over this new asteroid that will potentially crash into earth in 2032, imagining space lasers he can get people to invest in. He thinks that you should be able to survive whatever he thinks he can survive. He wants to rescue you and he wants you to accept it. Like JD Vance, he wants you to show some appreciation. Elon’s purpose here has to do with sacrificing himself for our well being, at least that’s how he sees it.

Prior to 2018, Elon’s death drive didn’t stand out as much as it does now. In 2018 Elon was transformed, and in his Ba Zi this is quite literal. His self element has transformed. Elon’s day stem is 甲 yang Wood and in 2018 it transformed into Earth. Elon’s self has turned into his money element. The flow of his current ten year luck means the favorable elements are Fire and Earth. He is following money, success, and partners who will bear his male children*. It seems he selects for biological male children using IVF as a way to secure his future.

When the self element transforms in a Ba Zi, we can expect the person to undergo some dramatic changes of personality and circumstance. There are special energetic conditions required for it to take place. If the transformation comes through timing, as it does for Elon, we know this special time he is in cannot last.

Ba Zi of Elon Musk
b. June 28 1971 at 07:30 am
Life House
Yang
Wood
甲
午
Horse
Hour
Yang
Earth
戊
辰
Dragon
Day
Yang
Wood
甲
申
Monkey
Month
Yang
Wood
甲
午
Horse
Year
Yin
Metal
辛
亥
Pig
Big Fate
Yin
Earth
己
丑
Ox

The Root of All Evil

Part of what makes this a special time for him is that Elon’s Noblemen signs are also Earth, and he is currently in the luck of 己丑 Earth Ox – a whole pillar of Earth that he can combine with. This is some serious good luck, obviously, as his other Nobleman is 未 Sheep and the Sheep is Earth but it might ruin his ability to surrender to the flow of money.

About that – in the long run, it may be that the male friends Elon wants so badly are the ones who reap the most reward from his actions. When this timing ends, things will be very different for Elon. He is not as protected as his friends are from the legal consequences of his actions.

Right now, Elon’s self has transformed to Earth. This will end in 2028.

What happened in 2018 that seemed to show the first signs of the transformation? That was the beginning of Elon’s current 10 year luck of Earth Ox. This is when Elon negotiated a $56 billion pay package as the CEO of Tesla and became the richest person in the world. Tesla shareholders voted in favor of this compensation not once but twice.

In June of 2018, Richard Tornetta, a Tesla shareholder, filed a lawsuit against Elon over his compensation. He accused Elon of wanting the compensation package to “fund his personal ambition to colonize Mars”.

In January 2024, Elon was found to have improperly controlled the board of Tesla to get what he wanted having used false and misleading statements and the $56 billion compensation package was rescinded.

In March 2025 Elon appealed the judgement, again trying to get the money. In 2025, Elon is having money problems in the months of 寅 Tiger and 卯 Rabbit, worrying about loans being called in as his Tesla stock falls. The worst elements for him right now are probably 金 Metal and 木 Wood. The 辛巳 Metal Snake month that covers most of May 2025 should be interesting…

Once you know Elon’s money element is Earth, you will notice that there is lots of money in Elon’s hour pillar. We can also see that he feels comfortable taking risks with it, in the same sense that he feels comfortable being careless with his children.

The Hour pillar also speaks to his affairs with the wives of friends. For a cisgender male, the money element is the same as the wife or success element. There are lots of women in Elon’s current luck, and in his life, but only two wives. This lines up with the Hidden Stems of his Ba Zi. I very much doubt he will ever marry again.

What else can be said about the Earth Dragon in the hour then? His children make him feel successful, more so than any relationship. He sees the children as a prize or booty. He sees women as interchangeable; there’s always another mother coming along. His spouse palace confirms this.

Lessons Not Learned

For a man, the power element relates to their children. Sons are most important to Elon, much more important than daughters. He wants to show them off to indicate he is a good guy, a rule following guy, so we see them in the year stem. The Metal is too weak so no one believes this.

The daughters are best hidden away (see the 申 Monkey in the spouse palace) because they remind him of the important rules he is breaking. He wants to control them but he can’t. He feels attacked by them in a personal way. We might say, this is also why he doesn’t want a wife who would influence him.

Elon is most in love with his work and his creations but this doesn’t mean he takes care of them. This may be a lesson he learned when his parents divorced, right around the time Elon began his first Da Yun or Big Fate of 癸巳 Water Snake in 1978.

During that ten year period, around age 10, he was asked to make a decision about whether he would live with his mother or his father. He chose Dad. This turned out to be a mistake, but a child should never be asked to make this kind of choice. During this time he was also sent to veldskool, deprived of food and brutally beaten. The Snake, who is now the boss of the year, clashes his emotional and physical health (亥 Pig), and compromises his aggressive agency (申 Monkey). His first big life lesson was like that too. Ouch.

Elon experienced a lot of physical abuse and beatings in his youth. Other than the multiple surgeries he has had to fix his face, nose and neck, the physical consequences of having been beaten, as well as injured in a sumo wrestling match don’t seem to change his death drive in the slightest.

In 2013, a 癸巳 Water Snake year, he attempted to perform a judo throw on a 350 lb sumo wrestler. This happened at his 42nd birthday celebration. In January of 2025 Elon had another surgery to try to alleviate the pain in his neck resulting from this error in judgement. In fact it seems he may have had five surgeries to deal with his self inflicted injury. When the 巳 Snake is present, Elon gets hurt. This could be changed by his choices.

Elon’s day pillar tells us he has to make a lot of decisions in life and his year pillar explains that many of them have been reactive mistakes, based on emotion. Maybe that is why he thinks empathy is so problematic. I don’t usually think of mistakes as a problem, but I don’t see any significant learning happening for him. He survives things, there have been no real consequences for his bad behavior so far, at least not in his mind, or not as it relates to the law. I think consequences help us to learn.

Elon does things purposely and with his three self clash signs of 亥 Pig, 午 Horse and 辰 Dragon, I think people do get annoyed with him. I don’t think that justifies the way he was treated as a child, however, I think it should be acknowledged that some people make themselves a focus of conflict through their behavior and lack of learning. Could it be that Elon enjoys being the focus of conflict? Some people do.

Maybe it’s really Elon’s friends or parents that are the problem, or at least that might be how he would explain it. He craves deep connections with men and he would probably be a different guy if he could ever enjoy that, but he seems to pick the wrong people to be friends with, and then he gives too much. He gets used and discarded, this seems to be a pattern that was set in the time he was growing up. People think he is useful for a time, but then he becomes too annoying and gets kicked to the curb.

Other points of interest:

  • Elon experiences what Lily Chung calls the Bouncing Star so we see him having big ups and downs and literally jumping in the air.
  • The Growth Palace of his current Fate highlights the malign vitality of his actions, which some people try to explain away as his “nerdiness”. It’s a Peter Pan type of energy and it’s not cute.
  • Elon, like Trump, has a Heavenly Pardon Pillar in his month pillar. It’s the same one Trump has.
    Trump carries Elon’s nobleman sign, Elon carries Trump’s.
  • Elon and Trump’s day stems combine.
  • Trump’s day stem is yin Earth, in fact his whole day pillar is Earth. That’s Elon’s money.
  • Elon’s Ming Gua is 2, yin Earth. This is the number in the center of the Lo Shu this year
  • Elon will probably try to continue to follow earth even after 2028.

I don’t think things are going to go so well for Elon this year. Next year may be a different story. This means we have a window of opportunity now to get him out of the government. We may not have the right timing to see him face significant consequences of his actions for some time, if at all.

Of course some of this is up to all of us and that’s the rest of the story.

*Learn those 十神 shi shen y’all! (AKA shifting palace or 10 Gods)

Earth Rabbit : Revisiting the Concept of Refuge

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The pillar of Earth Rabbit often indicates a person who stays at home, either by choice or otherwise. As I mentioned before, the last time we experienced the Earth Rabbit month was March 2020.

In real life, the Earth Rabbit sometimes shows up as an elder, as a person who has limited movement, or a person who simply feels at their best at home. As was the case in March 2020, maybe those who are able to stay home are the luckiest because it means that you have one. There is quite a lot of power in having a safe place. I still remember the rush of getting the keys to the first home my husband and I purchased together. I felt like having a home put some boundaries on the intrusions of my past.

The 己 yin Earth in the Heavenly Stem of the month represents the aggressive power of the year. This is in contrast to the measured use of power that yang Earth would represent this year. The element that can control Earth is Wood and that’s what the Rabbit brings. The Rabbit can counter the Earth.

The element of the Rabbit is 乙 yin Wood. Rabbit occupies, is resilient, hard to contain and hard to get rid of once roots get established under the surface. I associate Rabbit with mothers and children, protests, sit ins, boycotts, unions, civil rights movements, people fighting for peace and autonomy.

Rabbits are attentive to health sometimes overly so. Rabbits are prone to getting caught up in purity culture (cults) around bodies, food, vaccines, and freedom.

Practical Applications for the Month

You probably already know it’s the 酉 Rooster who is clashed this month, nonetheless the Rooster is in a powerful position this year. Pay attention to the details Rooster and you will be just fine. You might benefit from holding your tongue, aside from expressing love and sharing important or helpful information. Let most of the things that are annoying in the moment fade away into the nothing that they come from.

For all, if you are working on becoming more widely known or inviting resources into your life, this is the best month of the year to take action. By resources I mean do you want a job? An introduction? Some attention? This is the type of energy available this month. The Rabbit is always good for some networking, but this year it can help you attract quite a bit of light.

If you want to tap into that energy, you’re going to have to come out of your hidey hole. People can’t give you those accolades and money if they don’t know about you. No need for alarm – I’m not suggesting you be anyone other than yourself silly. Make some calls, set up meetings.

If you have a Monkey or a Rat in your Ba Zi then you are a Nobleman this month. Rats: start with what is going right and help people build on that. Monkey: Recognize your leadership; cultivate compassion.

If you have Rabbit or Snake in your Ba Zi, you are a Nobleman for the year. Water stem people (壬 and 癸) have two Nobleman present all month: Snake and Rabbit. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your talents!

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