Dragon Month : All Will Be Revealed

In April, after the rain the air is like a living thing. It smells of aspiration and dirt – everything is possible. The colors are brighter, the view of Mt. Rainier is so clear you can almost touch it. There’s a psychedelic quality to April. It reminds me of that Beatles song Because, which was released in 1969 – an Earth Rooster year.

In the Chinese calendar the Dragon marks the end of the wood season of spring. It’s the part of spring that is the most magical and changeable. The weather changes throughout a single day; today’s bright flowers will be spent tomorrow. There’s a poignancy in knowing it won’t last – except in the choices you make this month.

If you are looking to make a change then April is the month to do it, especially during this Rooster year. With the Dragon present you will find the things you thought were holding you back (including bullies) are really just the shadows on a wall – a perception that does not have to be your reality.

In April there is hidden knowledge under the surface. If you try to look directly at it it will slip away. Take a more subtle approach and see what you catch out of the tail of your eye. Don’t try so hard. It’s all there if you are open to it.

A Dragon manages impressive achievements and solves problems of all sorts without apparent effort or preparation. You probably know people who are like this or it may even be you!

Born in a Dragon Year: 1940,1952,1964,1976,1988,2000,2012
Born in a Dragon Month: April 4th-May 4th*
Born on a Dragon Day: *
Born in the Dragon hour: 7-9am**

*You need an almanac to get this right – or ask me.
**The location of your birth is needed to get this right – just ask.

Ox and Sheep : Clash of the Feminine

Ox and Sheep are two of the four earthly branches that are called vaults. Each one marks the end of a season. The Ox marks the end of winter which is the water season. The Sheep marks the end of the fire season which is summer. These facts alone reveal how different they are and yet they are similar in that they are both yin as opposed to the yang of Dragon and Dog – the other two vaults.

Ox and Sheep are both feminine or yin, but compared to each other the Ox is yin and the Sheep is yang. The interplay of yin and yang is always evident, sometimes even obvious, in any situation you can describe. All that exists for us exists in relation to something else. As much as we might sometimes like to think that we are separate, the lesson there is that we only exist in relationships.

Ox and Sheep both share the feminine qualities of being sensitive and maybe even psychic. They both have to do with fertility but not in the same way. Ox symbolizes a woman’s stages of pre fertility or post fertility. The life producing quality is still there but is distant and inaccessible. At the end of a cold and sometimes dark January (the Ox month) the wood season of spring begins. Above ground, Ox is a time of waiting for enough warmth to arrive to stimulate growth. Underground, it is the time that roots are growing and the life is stirring in the soil. The fertility and potential are there, it’s just not as obvious as it is during the fruitful Sheep month of July.

There’s a connection between the Ox and the Greek goddess Demeter. Although Demeter provides the grain and sustenance of life, she is not compliant and seems to disappear at will. She’s not afraid to go to the underworld if she has to in order to solve a problem. This is the part of women that many men fear. Demeter is a mother who sometimes appears in a form that is remote and intimidating because of the impersonal nature of her nurturing. Like Demeter, the Ox has rules that will be followed and that applies to everyone who wants to eat. In terms of time there are Ox years (like 2009), the Ox month which is January*, Ox days** and the Ox hour comes every day from 1-3 am***. That might be the time of the night that you wake up haunted by repetitive thoughts.

In contrast to the Ox, the Sheep is more like the archetype of Kore or Persephone who is a fertile young woman. Remember, the Sheep month of July which is about warmth and picnics comes right before the Monkey month of August which is about metal and reaping. The Sheep is ripe and a bit naive, more easily lured into relationships and groups than the Ox with her rules. To men the Sheep might be the younger, accepting, accommodating and non-threatening woman. In terms of time there are Sheep years (like 2015), the Sheep month which is July*, Sheep days**, and the Sheep hour comes every day from 1-3 pm***. In many cultures this is known as the siesta time; time to take a break and nap or do some wool-gathering. Afternoon delight.

The Sheep and Ox clash because they are so much alike. Being more about rules, the Ox has to do with religion or religious attitudes while the Sheep has more to do with spirituality and enlightenment. The clash has to do with conflicting beliefs and competition.

Although all women enfold the qualities of both Ox and Sheep, these clashes of belief are what we often see among women. The very things that should bring us together are also the things that divide us. It’s often a question about “Who is doing it right?”

Women divide along lines of age, whether or not abortion is acceptable, working outside of the home vs. not working outside of the home, having children or not, how to raise them, who has money or doesn’t, whose children/husband is the best/worst, who looks the best/worst, and who is the happiest/unhappiest. Still, women are known for being more cooperative and nurturing with each other than men are and I think that is generally true. It’s the same old dance of yin and yang.

*Chinese months don’t follow the same dates as the Gregorian calendar, starting and ending slightly later.
**You’ll need to use a 10,000 year calendar or a calculator to figure out the stem and branch of a day.
***When Daylight Savings Time is in effect you have to adjust the time to get the hour correct.

Dragons and Roosters and Tigers Oh My

I’ve been paying more attention to the people in the news lately (who hasn’t?) and I’ve noticed a trend amongst those who are making trouble for the Trump machine. Some of the people who really stand out have either a Dragon branch or a Tiger branch. Their actions now are related to the Metal of 2016 (Fire Monkey) and 2017 (Fire Rooster).

Metal is an element that can be fierce and competitive – not afraid to fight or call out injustice. Metal is strong in the charts of people who are openly fighting back right now.

The Dragon is diverted from his usual subterranean ways by the Rooster (2017) and will be forced speak out. People with a Dragon branch may go against their usual affiliations even at the risk of being ostracized by colleagues or losing their jobs.

The Tiger in 2017 is in conflict with the Rooster. Expect people with a Tiger branch to remind us to respect the hierarchy, represented in this case by the power of the Constitution. They will patiently wait until it’s time to be ferocious and then they will pounce. They will be especially prominent in February.

If you want to align yourself with people who will be effective in the resistance, look for the Dragons and Tigers for now. You can look for people with Tiger and Dragon qualities or you can look for people born in certain years.

DRAGONS: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
TIGERS: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

The Dragon or Tiger branch can be present in any of the four pillars that make up your birth chart, not just the year.

Who has a Dragon Branch?

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
December 7 1952
Year: Water Dragon

United States Attorney General Sally Yates
August 20, 1960
Day: Metal Dragon

National Parks Service*
August 25, 1916
Year: Fire Dragon

Representative John Lewis (D-GA)**
Feb 21st 1940
Year: Metal Dragon
Month: Earth Tiger

Senior Federal Judge William C. Canby, Jr.
May 22, 1931
Month: Water Dragon

Who has the Tiger Branch?

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
November 23rd 1950
Year: Metal Tiger

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson
February 23, 1965
Month: Earth Tiger

Senior Federal Judge Richard Clifton
November 13, 1950
Year: Metal Tiger

Where there are Tigers you will find Horses

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
June 22, 1949
Month: Metal Horse

Metal Element

Washington State Solicitor General Noah Purcell
I was not able to find any birth information for him but my guess is that he was probably born in 1980 – a Metal Monkey year.

*You can read the ba zi of an institution by its “birthday”
**John Lewis has both Tiger and Dragon

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton was born October 26, 1947 in Chicago, IL. Her birth time is unknown but I believe there is enough evidence available to support that she was born around 8am.*

Here is her natal chart:

Hillary Clinton Natal Chart

Hillary Clinton is a yang earth person. Does she have what it takes to be the next President of the United States? Here’s the Five Element breakdown.

Earth element

She’s got a solid base of supporters.

Yang earth (Wu)

Hillary is a Wu (yang earth) person Everywhere you see a Wu in the chart you see her supporters, the majority of which are always women. I say women because they have the same polarity as Hilary, meaning they are both yang earth.

There is even more Wu hidden in the Chen (Dragon) of the hour branch. Many of the causes she is known for supporting and furthering have to do with women and women’s concerns, i.e. children. In a Gallup poll taken in March of this year, 56% of women gave her a good rating while only 44% of men rated her favorably. If there is anything that can give her an edge in this campaign it is her women supporters.

Yin earth (Ji)

Look for Ji in her natal chart and you’ll find there isn’t any. Ji would be male friends or supporters. If she could get more men on her side it would be hard to keep her from becoming the next president, but in Hillary’s case Ji earth is not favorable. Ji is present in 2015 (Yi Wei), because hidden inside of Wei there is Ji. She has had to face a lot of attacks on her reputation from her mostly male peers in 2015.

The lack of Ji also predicts that Hillary is not good at the art of persuasion. She is also not good at social media.

Metal element

Hillary has some creativity to combine with her analytical skills and can bring innovative programs in fairly quickly. Her creativity is a bit heavy handed in its execution. Remember her role in what everyone now calls Obamacare?

Yang metal (Geng)

Hillary is good at the long game and will make sure Ts are crossed and Is are dotted. You might not realize it, but she is working on perfecting her next project right now.

Yin metal (Xin)

Xin is not present in the natal chart so Hillary has a hard time appealing to younger voters. She is not good at chit chat and the sound bite type of entertainment that entertains people. Instead, she seems too rigid, didactic and boring – or she says something stupid like claiming she is “flat broke”. People think she lacks a sense of humor. People want her to be more “real” by which I think they mean spontaneous. She isn’t good at that.

Lately she is trying to be more entertaining but it just comes off as awkward because she is not used to using that element. She should keep working on it or find a way to use her yin wood element (Yi) more effectively on behalf of young people.

Water element

She’s smart and she’s got plenty of money. She seems cold hearted at times, but that is because the water is hidden.

Yang water (Ren)

Hillary has more money and feelings than you think. Don’t be fooled because she is not a conspicuous consumer, doesn’t seem interested in showing off her wealth, and doesn’t like to talk about her money or show her emotions.

Yin water (gui)

Because the water is in the hour branch she’s not going to run out of money. It may go away but it will keep on coming back.

Wood element

Hillary has the guts to make tough decisions without flinching but she also has the self control to keep her actions within the laws and constitution. Hillary’s comfort with smart power is due to the nature of the wood element in her chart. She can come down hard but she also has a compassionate side. There is a dual nature to her power and she is usually good at using it.

Hillary has both Jia (yang wood) and Yi (yin wood) in her natal chart. Right from the start this tells you she’s patient and she’s in it for the long haul. The longer she can stay in the game the more powerful she will become. Next year will bring an even greater growth of her power, but if she doesn’t get elected next year don’t count her out.

Hillary has even more going for her than that. Her day pillar Wu Yin (Earth Tiger) is one of the best pillars for political power and leadership.

Yang wood (Jia)

Hilary has a proven track record of getting things done and making tough decisions without flinching – see her recent book Hard Choices. This is a great example of how the yang wood of the Tiger and the yang earth in the day stem are interacting. The elemental relationship is about power, control and winning. She has been called “hawkish” meaning she is ready to go to war when she sees fit. A woman with this type of energy in America is sometimes labelled as a “bitch” or at the least as “not very nice”. She doesn’t seem to do nice. In Hilary’s case, her yang wood is not gentle but is inclined to be kind or compassionate – sort of a benign dictator. Again, look to the causes she supports for evidence.

How does she handle the email scandal? She feels no need to apologize or explain. There is no evidence at this time that she has gained some advantage by keeping her email private but her attitude about it is unsettling. It may be getting too late to apologize or admit error.

Yin wood (Yi)

Yin wood is hidden in the Dragon hour branch. Hillary needs it to have a fighting chance at being president because it balances the qualities of the yang wood. Without the yin wood she might operating too far outside of the laws to stand up to the kind of public scrutiny a political candidate will have to endure. The Yi will keep her out of trouble.

How does she handle the email scandal? She reminds you that she never went outside the law or policy. Each time she is asked about it she says “it was allowed” to reassure you that she can play by the rules.

Fire element

She is good at analysis and has the experience and knowledge to be a competent and successful president. Of all five elements, the one Hillary has the most of is Fire or resource. In fact, there is fire in all four pillars.

Yang fire (Bing)

Hillary can see a few steps ahead in the game that is her career. She can identify key patterns and points that allow her to put forth innovative legislation.

Yin fire (Ding)

Hillary knows her facts, stays up to date on her information, and can win an argument by using these strengths.

Timing and The Peach Blossom Factor

Here’s the main thing that I think is working against Hillary’s run for the nomination: timing.

The branch that we call “peach blossom” for Hillary’s chart is Mao or Rabbit branch. There is no rabbit in the natal chart. Peach blossom is the type of energy that makes you attractive and draws people to you. A woman without peach blossom in the highest position of power may be too much for a male dominated culture to accept. If she had it she would have more male supporters and possibly more young people. It would be very difficult for anyone to beat her.

The only way for her to enjoy the peach blossom effect of the rabbit branch is through timing. From 1992-2002 her 10 year luck pillar was Yi Mao – for this 10 year period the Rabbit was present. If you look at photos of her from this time she is at her most attractive and looks happier than you ever see her again. She could really use that kind of luck now.

*Clinton, Hilary Rodham (Scroll down for Source Notes at Astro.com)

Joseph Biden

Here is the natal chart of Joseph Biden. He was born November 20, 1942 at 8:30 am in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Joe Biden is a yin fire person or day master. He has the qualities of a natural leader.

Joe Biden Birth Chart

I decided to do this post mainly as a contrast to the natal chart of Donald Trump. While The Donald has no water in his natal chart, Joe has quite a bit. Everywhere you see a Ren or a Gui that is water. Be sure to look at the hidden elements too.

A person with that much water in the natal chart is naturally more inclined to be intelligent and sensitive. In the case of Joe Biden, many people would say that he is too emotional which is seen as a weakness. Interestingly, for a yin fire person like Joseph Biden water also represents his power.

It is difficult to resist Joe Biden’s sincerity and talent for speaking, but there is often awkwardness in his every day words and actions. He has both polarities of output: yin earth (Ji) in the day branch and yang earth (Wu) in the hour branch. The real life manifestation of this can be seen in the contrast between his frequent gaffes (Wu) and his ability to get people to join his cause (Ji). The energetic relationship between Ding and Wu is called “hurting officer”, meaning that his speech, actions or emotions may damage his reputation.

It’s almost like there are two Joe Bidens. On the one hand, his emotional intelligence and power (water) combined with the Ox in his day branch make him a moving and charismatic speaker. Unfortunately, at times the Dragon in the hour branch kicks in and he comes across as goofy and creepy because of his touchy feely side.

Resource and the Bazi of Donald Trump

In this year of the Sheep, whatever you want to say about Donald Trump, you can say he is involved in the Bullying Punishment which intertwines with what he thinks of as his sexuality.

He’s a bully and an expert in DARVO – Deny, Accuse, Reverse Victim (with) Offender. It’s the year of #metoo and yet, Donald is still consequence free. I doubt he will face imprisonment or other punishments in his lifetime.

Many people have written about the natal chart of Donald Trump. Since they all have more knowledge and have spent more time studying than I have there is no need for me to do a lengthy analysis. I’ll just get to the point. There’s not a drop of Water in his chart.

The element of Water is associated with wisdom, intelligence, emotion, fear, flexibility, calmness, receptiveness. With a chart devoid of Water, does that mean he is emotionless and stupid? No.

But it does mean that he doesn’t have a great capacity for wisdom, empathy and compassion. He just doesn’t seem able to go there. You may have noticed how shallow his attacks on the other candidates are in the recent debate. Donald doesn’t deal much with the actual issues, he throws out provocative remarks about the others. He doesn’t have any real information to offer but continues to promise that it’s coming. Even so, his chart works quite well without the Water and many people consider him a great success.

What Donald Trump does have in his chart is lots of Fire, which in his case represents resource. This Fire element represents what he has been given through the help of his ancestors/parents as well as his education and upbringing or lack thereof.

Donald Trump thinks that if you move quickly you can escape consequences. He isn’t necessarily wrong, that is, this is his experience.

Life House
Yang
Wood
Horse
Hour
Yin
Earth
Snake
Day
Yin
Earth
Sheep
Month
Yang
Wood
Horse
Year
Yang
Fire
Dog
Big Fate
Yin
Metal
Ox

Curious about your own natal chart? Do you have water? Resource?

Determining Resource in Your Natal Chart

The element in the day stem is called the self element or the day master. You use it to guide your understanding of all the other elements in the chart and vice versa. Here are the elements that represent resource for each day master:

Wood person ( Jia, Yi) = Water
Fire person ( Bing, Ding) = Wood
Earth person ( Wu, Ji) = Fire
Metal person ( Geng, Xin) = Earth
Water person ( Ren, Gui) = metal

If you don’t already know your Four Pillars, I can tell you. You’ll need to provide your birth date, including the hour if possible and the location where you were born.

Election Year 2016 – Year of the Fire Monkey

With the advent of the Fire Monkey year Donald Trump will have more access to the Water element due to a Monkey-Snake combination in his chart. Some people have said this will be lucky for him but I’m not convinced. It will definitely create a situation that he will have to work to control. Even if it was good for the chart, the Water energy is so unfamiliar to him that I don’t think he would know what to do if he was elected.

Cesar Millan

This is the Four Pillars Chart of Cesar Millan. He was born August 27, 1969 in Culiacán, Mexico. The birth hour is unknown.

Dog in the Day Branch : Is What You See What You Get?

Natal Chart of Cesar Milan Born August 27, 1969
Cesar Milan Born August 27, 1969

Cesar is a Jia (yang wood) person with a Xu or Dog day branch. The Dog branch is associated with the earth element. It contains the hidden elements of metal and fire. For Cesar earth represents money and his wife or girlfriend.

The location of Dog in the chart is the day branch or spouse palace. If you want to know what sort of environment a person lives in or what their spouse is like this is one place to look. What if the element that represents the person’s spouse is not in the spouse palace? Look elsewhwere.

Speaking of Dog I am talking about energy – not actual dogs. Still, I find it fascinating that he has spent most of his life around dogs and continues to do so. He even lives with them. Cesar himself says he is good with dog relationships but not as good at human relationships. A coincidence?

The Dog Whisperer : Indirect Resource

The month stem in Cesar’s chart is Ren (yang water), the resource and producer of the wood element. It is his main support in the chart. This type of water is called indirect resource and is the source of his intuition and his calm, patient presence. It gives him the ability to “read” the dogs by identifying patterns of behavior. Then he acts in accordance with what each dog needs, instinctively providing it in a way that changes the dog’s life for the better.

Timing and Combinations

2010 was a Metal Tiger (Geng Yin) year and it was a tough year for Cesar. As you will see, whenever Geng (yang metal) comes into the chart it triggers a combination that makes his life difficult. In this case, Daddy, Cesar’s wife and his money were combined out of the chart. His wife took the sons with her. In an interview Cesar says he lost his pack.

Cesar’s star dog Daddy died from cancer on February 19, 2010 (Tiger month in Tiger year). This was a huge loss to him. Cesar often remarked that his dog Daddy, a pit bull terrier was his main supporter and that he couldn’t have had the success that he did without him. He saw Daddy as a source of wisdom – a role model or mentor.

Every 10 years, the metal in the stem creates a metal combination in the branches. This is not good for a wood person like Cesar because when metal goes against wood there can be a lot of damage. Jia (yang wood) represents the head in five elements. When the metal attacks the wood in this chart, that can mean an attack on the head. A person may have mental illness, depression or even actually get hit in the head.

In March 2010 Cesar’s wife filed for divorce. The divorce led to his separation from his two sons Andre (born 1995) and Calvin (born in 2000?). He attempted suicide. Cesar started a new relationship with Jahira Dar in August of the same year. The flow of qi in his chart is pretty smooth so he was able to recover fairly quickly.

Whenever Geng comes into the chart he finds himself alone and starting over. He came to the US from Mexico in 1990 (Geng Wu or Metal Horse) and lived under bridges because he didn’t know anyone and didn’t know any English. I wonder what happened in 2000 (Geng Chen or Metal Dragon).

What’s Coming Next?

In 2016 Cesar will leave behind his 10 year luck pillar of Wu Chen (Earth Dragon). He is about enter a new luck pillar of Ding Mao (Fire Rabbit). With that being the case, another tough combination is coming that takes the water out of the chart and turns it into to a metal vs. wood situation. This will be intensified in 2017, the year of Ding You (Fire Rooster).

I wish him the best of luck.

Sources

*Rescuing Cesar Millan Men’s Journal February 2013

Wikipedia

Cesar Millan : The Dog Whisperer Elle Magazine January 2010

January 2015 : Fire Ox Month in the Garden

winter-forest-sky-1024x576

Walking in Seward Park you can smell the burgeoning fertility of the earth. The ground is wet and springy silencing your steps so you can hear the bossy blue jay in the distance. The fog makes sounds carry strangely so that it’s not clear where they are coming from or how far away they are. The fog has been thick enough that other walkers, the sound of their steps muffled and misdirected, seem to appear suddenly out of the mist.

All of this reminds me that we are at the energetic low of the year. This is the time when we are most open to and influenced by yin energy. The hours and days are haunted by memories, roads taken and not taken, those who have gone before us, and a sense of something just slightly out of range of your five senses.* The effect of this energy will be stronger for those who have Ox in their chart, especially if it’s in the day pillar.

morning-crows-2-1024x349

January carries with it the yin earth energy of the Ox branch. The location of the Ox branch on the compass is northeast. The Ox branch is also known as the Ghost Gate and some would avoid living in a house that faces northeast by reasoning it is more likely to be haunted. January or Ox month is the most yin time of the year; the interval right before the tide turns from ebb to flow so to speak.

For purposes of feng shui and Chinese astrology, the first month of the new year of the Wood Sheep arrives at the beginning of the Earth Tiger month which begins on February 4th. If you know how to keep track, you will realize this means we have already passed through the month of the Fire Rat (December 7th 2014-January 4th 2015) and are coming up on the end of the Fire Ox month (January 5-February 3). The elements in the month stem run in a productive cycle, so earth naturally comes after fire.

Some feng shui people say that the fire in these last two months of the Wood Horse year has extended the fiery energy of 2014. Others mark the shift in energy somewhere back in December. Some mark the year change by the Lunar New Year which is on February 19th in 2015. I think all three must be taken into account. If there’s nothing else I’ve learned from studying Chinese metaphysics it is that although we can identify patterns in time, time itself is a slippery concept. Think of analyzing new patterns found within familiar patterns if that helps. There are really big time cycles such as evolution, and then there are small ones such as minutes and seconds.

In the Garden

sarcococca-1024x541

It’s somewhere around 60° F in Seattle as I write this. It’s been a dream winter for gardeners where the blooms never seem to end. The air is fragrant with the tiny flowers of daphne and sarcococca, robins are feasting on a bumper crop of juniper berries, hummingbirds are right outside my window and bees are buzzing around the rosemary. The always reliable Helleborus orientalis “Mardi Gras” double is loaded with buds.

helleborus-orientalis-mardi-gras-double-1024x704

helleborus-orientalis-mardi-gras-double-3-1024x788

Daphne odora “Zuiko Nishiki” will be next to scent the air now that the Daphne bholua is peaking.

daphne zuiko nishiki

I’m wondering now if my Camellia sasanqua “Yuletide” could really keep blooming well into February, even though it started blooming somewhere back in November.

camellia-sasanqua-yuletide-2

camellia-sasanqua-yuleide

All of the flowering quinces are getting an early start this year with Chaenomeles x Hollandia in the lead as usual.

chaenomeles-x-hollandia-1024x576

January 2015 in Seattle has been foggy, smelly, warm, icy, sunny, rainy and windy. We’re getting a full range of seasons in one month it seems. Time is slippery.

*Although it is not exactly what I’m describing, a similar phenomenon is described in the works of Stephen King. See “thinny“.

2015 Year of the Wood Sheep Forecast Roundup

wood sheepThe Year of the Wood Sheep or Yi Wei, also known as the year of the Blue Wood Sheep, Green Wood Sheep or Serious Sheep*, will begin on February 4th, 2015.

If you want to go straight to the forecasts please scroll down. If you’d like to read my 2015 feng shui forecast for gardeners click here.

Say goodbye to the soon departing Wood Horse. It pays to be careful when you’re near the rear end of a horse, but now that we are past the last showy clash of the Horse year and the Rat month it feels like we are clear of the hooves. Time to say hello to the Wood Sheep. What’s going to happen?

Even though it’s a bit long, this video might give some background on what’s about to go down.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAQVpEmla-w[/youtube]

The video illustrates the relationship of the Chinese Zodiac animals Horse and Sheep. The glamorously headstrong horses gallop around looking looking important and fast while the sheep simply follow their lead or stare at them from the safety of their herd. Just as there is no I in team there is no I in Sheep. The sheep will do what the horse wants but is wise not to get too close to the horses. The horses don’t like it. You should just sit back and admire them.

One of the common disagreements about the coming year is whether to call 2015 the year of the Sheep or the year of the Goat. I’m going with the Sheep moniker because I really hope this will be a year of people looking to protect and take care of each other. Sheep power comes through their relationship to each other – they group together and follow. They lose power when they are not together. You’ve probably heard the expression “culled from the herd”. This innate stick-together quality of sheep is explained by the Selfish herd theory. This is what selfish herd behavior looks like. The blue dot is a predator, the red dots are the sheep.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf2kiRWIkNA[/youtube]

In contrast to the behavior of sheep, goats seem to gather together for the purpose of creating chaos – they are aggressive and destructive. My interpretation of the goat vs. sheep debate is that you can’t really have the yin (sheep) without the yang (goat). I think we will see both types of groups this year; those who join forces to make peace and progress, and those who band together to make war and destruction. If there’s any year to team up it’s got to be 2015. Be sure to know exactly what you’re signing up for before you commit.

But enough of my musings. You’re here to read the forecasts from the experts. I may add other forecasts as they come out so you may want to check back later.

I wish you the best of luck in 2015!

Raymond Lo

Raymond Lo is a Hong Kong based Feng Shui Master, teacher, author and public speaker. In this year’s forecast he writes about world events and economies, popular culture, five element interactions and health issues.

Edgar Lok Tin Yung

Edgar Lok Tin Yung is from Melbourne. He writes three different forecasts and explains about the timing of the new year’s arrival.

Richard Ashworth

Richard Ashworth is a well known Feng Shui Master in the UK. I say this selfishly but he hasn’t been writing as much as he used to, darn it. He is still one of the most prolific, curious and compassionate writers out there when it comes to BaZi. He might make you cry. He might make you laugh. Here are his predictions for 2015, followed by his animal by animal forecasts.

Bernice Low, aka BaZi Queen

You’ll want to read Bernice Low’s entire blog if you are a student of BaZi. If you decide you want to ask her a question it better be clear and specific. She doesn’t have time to try to figure out what you want to know. I can respect that.

Paul Ng

Master Paul Ng is based in Canada. He writes about Feng Shui, business and economies, politics, weather and health for 2015. The link below will take you to the animal by animal video predictions on YouTube or to his feng shui predictions.

Susan Levitt

Susan Levitt is based in San Francisco and studies Tarot, Astrology and Feng Shui. She is able to write from both western and eastern perspectives.

Ken Lai (when you get to the site, click on lecturer profile on the left for a bio)

Ken Lai is a Hong Kong born teacher of Chinese metaphysics. He lives in Minneapolis and writes two blogs, as well as offering in-person or correspondence classes.

Laurent Langlais

Laurent Langlais is a French Feng Shui master practicing in London UK, Paris and Los Angeles.

Sarah McAllister

Sarah McAllister is another UK based Feng Shui master. She is also an urban planner and an author. She writes general forecasts as well as forecasts for each zodiac animal.

Lynda Cook

Lynda Cook, a student of Joey Yap, is practicing feng shui in the UK. She also blogs about feng shui and bazi.

Lunghu

You’ll notice there is no link above for the mysterious Lunghu. All I know is that he writes a blog called Waking the Dragon. Sometimes he writes about feng shui.

*From Derek Walters The Chinese Astrology Bible, 2008, p.246-247

Feng Shui for Gardeners 2015 : Year of the Wood Sheep

The Year of the Wood Sheep or Yi Wei, also known as the year of the Blue Wood Sheep, Green Wood Sheep or Serious Sheep*, will begin on February 4th, 2015. If you have a Horse in your chart this will probably come as a welcome relief. It should be easier to let go of things that don’t really matter.

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General Qualities of the Yin Wood Sheep

  • Creative
  • Artistic
  • Good team mate
  • Gentle
  • Generous with family and friends
  • Worries too much about their children
  • Hard work = good luck = more money
  • Wants to make sure everything is provided for and then some
  • Career and business are important
  • Appreciates the good life and a nice home

The Sheep is one of four earth branches in the zodiac and clashes with Ox. If you have Ox in your chart you should get ready to roll with the changes. There will be more than usual. The relationship of the Sheep and Ox is one of bullying. One may either become the bully or encounter overly dominating people. Maybe that is why some parents avoid having a child in a sheep year. They feel that their children will be taken advantage of too easily. This is a misconception based on a generalization.

For children born between February 4, 2015 and February 3, 2016 the year animal (or year pillar) will be Wood Sheep. From the time that they are born until around age 18 the energy of the Wood Sheep will be a guiding force in their charts. After that it will always be relevant as to their inner self, but the month pillar and other elements may have more influence. You are not just your year animal.

Another way to look at the year animal is as a representative of a generation. As infants we have the most in common with our peers that we will ever have in our lives. We have the same basic needs, we learn to walk and talk, then we all go to school together and grow up together. We listen to the music of the time and go through the world events of that time. Around age 18 we become more separate and distinct from our peers but until then our lives have the most experiences in common that we will ever have.

Bottom line: Does your year animal matter? Yes! Does it influence your life? Yes! Does it define you? NO!

Wood Sheep in the Garden

It’s going to be another tough year for the wood element. It could be a great year for your garden if you are able to water frequently.

You may remember in my forecast for 2014 I mentioned that I expected to be watering more than usual. I expect 2015 to be similar in the sense that we will have a warmer and longer than usual summer here in the Pacific Northwest. If you missed out on planting tomatoes in 2014 you have another chance for a bumper crop in 2015. People were still harvesting their ripe tomatoes in October here in Seattle.

It’s going to be dry, maybe not as dry as last year but if you are willing to provide the water you can expect another year of prolific blooms and even re-blooms. My flowering quince was blooming for a third time when the first frost hit in November. After I thought their season had ended, my gardenias bloomed again in October. Blooms will come earlier and stay later. In general you can expect an extended growing season. Just add water and watch it go.

Now on to the usual stuff…

Year God, Year Breaker, Three Killings (Tai Sui, Sui Po and San Sha)

For 2015 the Wood Sheep in the SW is the Year God. The year god determines the energy that will dominate the year. Sitting opposite from the Wood Sheep in the Zodiac is the Ox (year breaker) in the NE. The Three Killings or San Sha will be in the west this year.

Guidelines to Follow Starting on February 4, 2015

  • Do not dig, renovate or otherwise disturb the southwest, northeast or west of the house or lot.
  • Do not face southwest. Avoid sitting with your back to the northeast or west. Facing west is okay.
  • If your head points southwest or northeast when you sleep consider moving the bed.

*From Derek Walters The Chinese Astrology Bible, 2008, p.246-247