Today is Thursday August 1st, 2013 which is a Ji Hai or Yin Earth Pig day in the Chinese Almanac. Given that this is the year of the snake one would expect obstacles to travel. Coincidentally(?) I was taking my car in for maintenance that morning when the alternator died leaving my car stranded in the right hand turn lane of a big intersection in the south east area of Seattle. The wheels would not turn at all and it required a special towing set up to move it to the shop.
Later that morning I took my daughter shopping using my husband’s car and (coincidentally?) ended up stuck in traffic while traveling south east-ish. The cause of the back up was a collision between two semi trucks.
Today is July 24, 2013 which is a Xin Mao (Yin Metal Rabbit) day in the Chinese Almanac. Coincidentally(?) a crew of men with chain saws, loppers and pruners showed up in my neighbor’s yard (which borders mine) to take down a good amount of height from the English Laurel hedge which is in the east location for my house.
Yesterday was July 23, 2013 which was a Geng Yin (Yang Metal Tiger) day in the Chinese Almanac. Coincidentally(?) my son injured his right hip. The metal in the stem and the wood in branch activated the Tiger and Rooster that are side by side in his chart. They are located in the hour and day pillars which would indicate the right side of the body. Metal versus wood can sometimes indicate an injury to bones or extremities.
There are some interesting historical correlations between kitchen design, feminism, women in the work force and the divorce rate in the United States The decline of the so called “nuclear family” and “home cooking” follow the same timeline as the rising popularity of the open concept kitchen which came into fashion in the 1970s. As more women entered the work force and there were more latchkey kids either due to working moms, divorce or both, Americans came to depend more on processed foods. At that time (and now?) preparing a box of mac and cheese was accepted as cooking and the goal for many women was to “get out of the kitchen” and get paid. Nothing wrong with that.
In terms of Feng Shui, getting rid of the walls and merging the kitchen with other living areas was a way (consciously? unconsciously?) of changing the yin/yang balance within the home and empowering women to work outside the home. As in every revolution there were good and bad results.
In 1969 California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the nation’s first no fault divorce bill making it possible to obtain a divorce without citing any faults committed by either party. Over the next 15 years almost every other state followed suit. From 1960-1980 the divorce rate in America doubled. Less than 20% of marriages made in 1950 ended in divorce compared with 50% of marriages made in 1970. “Swinging” or open marriage was brought into American popular culture in the 1970s, Which came first? The open concept kitchen, open marriage, rising rate of divorce or our dependence and possible overuse of processed foods? It seems like they all appeared around the same time.
Compared to the yang (or public) rooms of a house, kitchens were traditionally considered a yin (private) area which was associated with the matriarch of the house. Kitchens were usually located at the back of the house in a room that could be closed off from the rest of the house. There are some very practical (as well as metaphysical) considerations behind this arrangement that mostly have to do with fire. The ability to use fire to cook is deeply intertwined with the idea of community, safety and social support; an opportunity to go beyond mere survival. In terms of human evolution the kitchen is the home of the cooking fire, without which we would not have developed into the big brained primates that we are. Gathering around the fire or hearth is ingrained in our DNA.
Fire is a source of wealth for us but it is also a danger to us. Keeping the fire in the back area of the house keeps it away from drafts and if the fire gets out of control the results will be less damaging than a fire in a kitchen in the center of the house. Before we had effective ventilation hoods the door that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house was the best way to keep cooking smoke from entering the other living spaces. The kitchen located at the back of the house also kept women out of sight in a private environment. You’ve got to keep your wealth (i.e. food and women) away from those who would take it from you.
The type of cooking being performed indoors by women (therefore yin) traditionally went unseen except by family members*. Women were seen as workers, nurturers, cooks and home makers. With the advent of the open concept kitchen the yin nature of the kitchen was lost to the idea of multiple cooks, entertaining and parties but the reality was less and less frequent home cooking. The intimate family relationship became open to more than just the immediate nuclear family members.
Even when we do cook we use actual fire much less than any other time in history. By 1997 90% of Americans had a microwave in their kitchen. We have continued to find more ways (such as the induction cooktop or “burnerless” stoves) to prepare food and “cook” without any fire at all. This is what I see as the root of the problem. We need someone tending the fire at home to hold the family community together. And by the way I am not in any way suggesting that women should be the only home cooks all the time or that the nuclear family is somehow ideal. I think this remedy is fit for a 2013 kind of family.
Fire, food and cooking are sources of wealth. All kinds of wealth. I have heard some of my Feng Shui teachers say about the open concept kitchen “Oh – you will eat out more often”. This is a gentle way of saying the family won’t be eating meals together at home. I’ve seen it come true time after time.
One more thing: Let’s not forget that the energy of the cook adds its own flavor into the end result. Food made by a decent cook who loves you tastes better than food made by someone who doesn’t know you, regardless of their skill level. What are the dishes that everyone remembers? Whatever Grandma, Mom, Uncle Jim or Aunt Margaret used to make.
What to do?
Everyone in the family should learn to cook, even if it’s just two or three dishes. Of course it will probably usually be the case that one person enjoys it more or has more time to cook, but it’s up to the whole family to keep the home fires burning.
Those two or three dishes should be cooked from scratch. It’s okay if one of them is scrambled eggs. Every time you buy fresh ingredients you are casting a vote for keeping them available for everyone.
Cook on a gas range. Having actual fire in the kitchen is a great energetic boost to your wealth and health.
If you are house hunting and cooking is important to you, look for a house with the kitchen in the back, out of view from the more public spaces such as living room, dining room or family room. You might find it helps with your romantic relationship as well.
If you already have an open concept kitchen there may be a way to create a better yin/yang balance without the high cost of remodeling by hiring a Feng Shui consultant . The people in the house and what they do is more important than the walls.
Set your intention and organize your week to include shopping for ingredients and cooking them in your kitchen. Get in there and rattle around. Lure your family in to see what smells so good. Even if you only have time to make a few meals ahead on a Sunday or throw some of those ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning you will see changes in the energy of your home.
*I find it interesting that fire (yang) was controlled and used indoors by women (yin) In Five Elements theory wood and fire are the most yang elements and water and earth are the most yin. You can put out a fire with water or earth. In modern kitchens having the stove (yang) across from the water tap (yin) can cause serious arguing between males and females of the house. The pot filler or pasta arm used for filling pots while they are on the stove creates a similar situation.
N.B. Among the boundaries broken and yin/yang out of balance: Open concept schools also emerged in the 1970s.
I’ve rounded up some of the more detailed forecasts for the year of the water snake 2013 and listed them by author. They are listed in no particular order. Some are forecasts based on your year animal or year pillar, others are forecasts of world events. These forecasts will also give you an idea of how different people use different timing systems to determine the new year. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.
If you don’t know what your year animal is click here and enter your birthday including birth time if possible.
The picture below illustrates the proper feng shui according to the Land Form School. Many people consider Land Form the most powerful feng shui method. Note that the house mimics the position of a person sitting in an armchair with an ottoman in front of it. This configuration is sometimes known as the “comfortable armchair” and just like your favorite armchair it will make you feel protected, safe and relaxed.
Land Form School “Comfortable Armchair”
The positions of the Tortoise, Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix are all assessed from the perspective of the person in the house. If you want to know which side is which, go and stand in the front doorway of your house* and look outward. The tiger side is on your right and the dragon side is on your left. Ideally, the land on the tiger side should be slightly lower than the land on the dragon side. If that’s not the case for you it may be possible for you to change this via landscaping or feng shui adjustments.
But for now we’re going to ignore considerations of the compass, five elements, colors, climate, exposure, etc and focus solely on which plants are appropriate for the dragon side based on yin/yang.
The dragon side is meant to be protective and active (yang) while the tiger side is meant to be receptive and quiet (yin).
Plants with big leaves belong on the dragon side of the garden.
Fatsia japonica leaf. Image from Wikipedia.Petasites Japonicus var. GiganteusAcanthus Mollis leaf. Photo from Wikipedia.Gunnera manicata. Photo from Wikipedia.Paulownia tomentosa¹. Photo from Wikipedia.
Trees add protection and the trunks have that upwards, woody energy that is yang. Bamboo carries that same energy. You can use landscaping and trees to make the dragon side “higher” than the tiger side of the lot, which is considered proper when using the Land Form method of feng shui.
Choose trees carefully and don’t plant them too close to the house. Before planting, think about how big the tree will be in 30 years. To my mind, evergreen trees are the best choice for the dragon side.
Eucryphia x Nymansay in bloom with bee visitorBark of the Arbutus “Marina”Arbutus unedo or Strawberry bush
Woody evergreen shrubs are also a good choice to support the dragon side of the garden.
Umbellularia Californica (Oregon Myrtle)Myrica californica (indestructible in the PNW and a good substitute for bamboo)Rhododendron. Photo from Wikipedia.Pittosporum tobira variegata or Japanese Mock Orange
Thorny or dense plants for protection, are appropriate for the dragon side. Keep them planted and pruned well away from where people will be walking or sitting.
Chaenomeles Superba “Hollandia” or Flowering QuinceBerberis darwinii. Also know as barberry.Mahonia aquifolium “Oregon Grape”. Image from Wikipedia.Poncirus trifoliata or Flying Dragon. A literal choice? Image from Wikipedia.
Some people might say you should not have any thorny plants in your garden or that flowering shrubs and trees belong on the tiger or yin side but I disagree. I think you just have to find the right place.
I’ll do another post about what you might want to plant on the tiger side later.
*Just FYI: This is a very simplified explanation. Your front door may or may not correspond to the facing of your house. If it does not, this information may not apply. It depends…
¹ Regarding Paulownia tomentosa: I’m pretty sure Judy Thomas has one of those in her garden. I believe she cuts it down each year so it doesn’t overgrow the space.
We’re coming up on the end of the year of the Yang Water Dragon or Ren Chen. How was it for you? I think it lived up to the predictions of sudden changes and reversals. One step forward, two steps back. A year of hard work just to stay in place, rather than moving ahead.
In terms of the garden I’d say Ren Chen was a good year. I didn’t lose any plants last winter and don’t expect to this year. As I write the Daphne bholua, hellebore and Yuletide camellia are in bloom.
Daphne Bholua in Bloom 2013Helleborus x Balliardiae “Cinnamon Snow”Camellia Sasanqua “Yuletide”
The little gardenia hedge is sheltered enough by it’s location and the more mature plantings this year so no winter damage so far. If I feed it it will probably go like gangbusters this year. The only thing that really stands out about the year in the garden was the very, very dry fall and how much watering was needed even into October.
But now it’s time to start thinking about the coming new year of the Yin Water Snake. In the Chinese Zodiac the sign of the snake is associated with the truth and truth telling and therefore also its opposite: lying.
Snake in the Grass
In general you’ll want to be aware that the year of the Yin Water Snake is also called “Snake in the Grass”. Etymologically speaking, the word “snake” describes something that creeps or crawls. The idea is that it’s easy for the snake to go unnoticed until it’s too late. The phrase “snake in the grass” also carries a sense of betrayal and so we sometimes apply it to backstabbers and traitors.
That may give you a hint to proceed with circumspection this year. There may be hidden dangers ahead or you may find that circumstances are not what they seem to be. Be careful of those who are not telling the truth. Don’t be afraid of those who are and are branded as rebels.
In terms of practical matters here’s the least that you need to know if you have projects to do after February 3rd, 2013:
Tai Sui
The Tai Sui or Grand Duke is located SSE (compass degrees 142.5-157.5) in the year of the Snake. If your house faces SSE it is clashing the Tai Sui. You need to avoid activating that direction by minimizing movement. No construction or digging in this area.
Sui Po
The Sui Po sits opposite the Grand Duke so this year it is the Pig and is located at NNW (compass degrees 322.5-337.5). No digging, renovation or construction in this area. If you spend time facing NNW this will be helpful because it puts the Tai Sui behind you.
San Sha
For the year of the Water Snake the San Sha are located in the east from ENE or Tiger mountain to Dragon mountain in the ESE. This covers the compass degrees from 52.5-127.5. Keep the areas quiet; no digging, construction or drilling should be done. Avoid having your back to those directions.
Flying Stars
This year the Flying Stars chart is the same as the Post Heaven Bagua. Here is the Flying Stars chart for 2013:
Post Heaven Bagua or Lo Shu
Every house (and every lot) will have the 5 Yellow Disaster star in the center this year. This means you’ll want to try to minimize use, noise and traffic in that area if possible. If the center of your house is an area that is used often, such as a stairway, bathroom or kitchen hopefully you have already hired a feng shui consultant. If you haven’t, this would be a good time to do that.
For most residential lots the house is covering the center of the lot but if this is not the case for you then you must not dig holes, install a fountain, build a playhouse, or install a swingset in the center. Don’t set up the above ground pool in the center. You get the idea.
Four Pillars or BaZi
Another way to look at the new year is to consider Four Pillars.The first day of the new astrological year is thought to set the tone for the year and is used to make predictions for the year.This is the BaZi Chart for the first day of the Water Snake year:
Four Pillars Chart for Water Snake Year
Richard Ashworth predicted that Obama would win the recent election based on his birth chart and the relationship to the chart for 2013. Obama was first elected in 2008 which was the year of the Yang Earth Rat or Wu Zi. The first hour of the Water Snake year is Wu Zi or Earth Rat. Since he won in 2008 the energy of the first moments of 2013 predicted another win and he could be expected to be our president in 2013. The first day of the water snake year is Yin Metal Ox – a match with Barack Obama’s birth year.
Barack Obama’s Four Pillars Chart
One of the aspects of Chinese Astrology that I find most interesting is the concept of energy/time cycles. For example one might see an Earth Tiger day as the “preview” or “historical perspective” for an Earth Tiger year. I like to keep up with the daily energy by tracking the almanac and taking note of what the day was like for me. If you study Four Pillars this is a helpful way to figure out what your favorable elements are.
I wanted to know what the Water Snake year was going to be like for me so I took note of the day’s feelings and events on November 28th, 2012. That day it was easy to do some clear thinking and writing so I worked on a BaZi chart that had been sent out as homework by a teacher of mine. I got the best feedback that I had ever received from that teacher. I have high hopes for 2013, but just knowing that I can make some real progress with my studies isn’t enough. I have to actually take action. I don’t think 2013 will be my luckiest year but I’ll make the best of what is offered. That way when my luck is really good I will be ready to fly.
Thank you for reading my simple summary. If you want to read detailed predictions for 2013 then check with an expert like Richard Ashworth or Bernice Low (aka BaZi Queen).
Whether or not this is a lucky year for you, keep working hard, doing good deeds and focus on personal growth. Free will and choice are just as important (and sometimes stronger) than any other factors that influence your llfe.
Sometimes I feel like a bit of a ghoul in the pursuit of knowledge when it comes to feng shui and ba zi. Whenever I hear about someone’s misfortune, which people tend to discuss more than their good luck, I immediately start thinking of questions: When did that happen? How did the person die? In what part of the house did the fire start?
One time I heard of an acquaintance’s house burning down and had to restrain my self on more than one occasion from going to take a compass reading and trying to find out more about the events of that day. I ended up settling for looking at the land form on Google earth and doing a drive by. Sort of creepy, right?
The great thing about studying feng shui and ba zi is that you can analyze absolutely anything so you can study all the time. When you need more fodder for study it is not that difficult to get accurate and detailed information about natural disasters like an earthquake or a storm, or “public” things such as information about the latest celebrity death or political candidates birth charts. The question in my mind is always “why?” Why at that moment on that day in that year did such and such happen? Timing is an important component in both feng shui and ba zi.
In this year of the Water Dragon (Ren Chen) many feng shui masters and consultants predicted we would see natural disasters related to flooding and earthquakes due to the yang water over yang earth nature of the Water Dragon year pillar. Yang water would be associated with flooding while yang earth is often associated with earthquakes. There are predictions that on December 21st of this year there may be a big earthquake due to the elements that will be present. History does show that there are earthquakes of large magnitude in Dragon years.
But this is supposed to be about Hurricane Sandy. What started me on this post was reading Cliff Mass’ blog: Hurricane Sandy’s Transformation.
What stands out:
In relation to the North American continent, Sandy started in the SE. This is the Dragon direction. The storm will get even more destructive as it moves toward the Dog direction or NW. The Dog is sitting opposite the Dragon. They clash.
This is the Dog or Xu month in the Dragon or Chen year, so it’s a month of clash energy where water and fire are released.
Sandy starts as a tropical storm (warm) but becomes stronger when it switches from a storm with a warm core to a storm with a cold core. Is anyone else thinking of yin/yang right now? In ba zi or feng shui terms, the yin yang relationship intensifies the effect and makes the expression more powerful.
Look at the pictures in the Cliff Mass post, especially the ones that show the temperature change – remind you of anything?
Don’t forget about the Hunter’s Moon (October 2012 Full Moon). It’s a major player in the storm that is hitting the east coast tonight.
You don’t have to be a gardener, farmer or feng shui consultant to know that the earth in Seattle is dry right now. It’s drier than than I have ever seen it before.
This is the first year I have considered the usefulness of an irrigation system. Rather than relying on regular watering my garden depends on mostly native plants placed properly. Californians that can take care of themselves and look good while they do it are welcome too. What I mean by “placed properly” is that every garden has micro climates. For example maybe you have a sheltered area, an open area, sunny, shady, dry, wet…If you plant things in the micro climate they want it will be much less work to maintain them. This is also how feng shui works.
Even if your garden was planned with feng shui and drought tolerance in mind, water will have to be added at some point in the season. If you have new plantings, transplants or seedlings they are going to need regular watering during their first year at least.
As long as your soil drainage is good and you keep the soil at a fairly consistent level of moisture, water will sink right in. The moist areas of earth tend to stay at a cooler temperature. If you are planting, transplanting or starting seedlings this is the type of earth you need. In feng shui and ba zi this cooler and moister earth is called Ji or yin earth. The wettest, coldest soil arrives when the thaw of winter begins.
The warmest, driest earth is present as summer turns into fall. Dry earth feels warmer than wet earth. Annuals or any newly sprouted/planted things tend to shrivel up and die when the earth gets too dry but the perennials, shrubs, and trees can tolerate it. This year, however, it’s been so dry that even many of the mature trees in my neighborhood were drooping and dropped their leaves early, obviously due to a lack of water.
When the earth is dry it tends to get more compacted here in Seattle and is testy about accepting water again. Until you’ve softened it up with a few days of sprinkling, the water tends to puddle on the surface and take awhile to sink in. In feng shui and ba zi this warmer and drier earth is called Wu or yang earth.
Today marks the first day of the Xu month or the month of the Dog in the Chinese Calendar. The main qi of the dog is Wu or dry earth but not typically this dry. We are so there.
It wasn’t gardening, that’s for sure. I’ve got the weeds and mess to prove it. This was the first year that my young garden was able to survive with very little attention. Some things even thrived. My little forest is growing up. I’ll give some of the credit to this temperate year of the Water Dragon which has now turned very dry. About the only thing I’ve done regularly in my garden is water and I didn’t even start that until late August.
This summer I spent every spare moment (and some borrowed and stolen ones too) studying the art and science of ba zi or Four Pillars of Destiny. Ba zi is an ancient Chinese method of predicting one’s overall life path and personality traits based on the birth data. The 4 pillars consist of the birth hour, day, month and year.
The birth chart analysis is based on observations of over a thousand years of data, theories from the I Ching (Book of Changes), and 5 Elements theory. It is said that when you take your first breath you inhale your destiny, which is based on the elemental phases present at the time. Ba zi is often called Chinese Astrology but it can be better explained as a statistical and logical analysis of the data, used in conjunction with certain algorithms. There are software programs written to decode ba zi charts but none will ever be able to compete with a human brain when it comes to recognizing the subtleties of human nature.
Having your chart analyzed is a great way to get to know yourself better and make choices that will improve your life. It can also be uncomfortable as no one likes to think about the aspects of themselves they perceive as unattractive or undesirable. Every quality about us has both helpful and unhelpful characteristics depending on how we wield it. Ba zi is not about judgement. It’s simply meant to help us understand why we do what we do, why certain relationships in our lives are the way they are, and what our hidden talents may be. The goal is to provide a solid foundation of understanding so you can make the best choices for yourself.
For example, each person has favorable and unfavorable elements in their chart. These elements will also come into play through timing. Most of us end up choosing a career that corresponds to the dominant (not necessarily favorable) element in the chart. That doesn’t mean that you’re in the wrong career. It just means that you might be happier in a career that corresponds to your favorable element or you could take a fun new direction in your current career. As the BaZi Queen says (I’m paraphrasing): The point of the analysis is to find out what your special gifts are and set them free.
If you made it this far and you’d like to see what elements are in your chart click here and enter your birth data, including time of birth. If you were born when daylight savings time was in effect subtract one hour from your birth time.
Well – that’s enough of the technical stuff for now. I’ll be writing more about feng shui and ba zi in the weeks and months to come. If you’d like to know more about how I ended up in Seattle studying Chinese Metaphysics click here.
