12 Animal Fortunes for 2019

Posted on February 3, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

How To Use The Animal Fortunes

If you already know your Four Pillars click on the animal name or your birth year in the table below to go straight to your animal character and forecast. You’ll want to read the fortune for all four of your pillars. The position of each pillar will tell you how it relates to your life.

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

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

Day Pillar
Yourself and your partner; relationship.

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

If you don’t know your four pillars please ask me. These forecasts are somewhat superficial as they don’t take into account the dynamic interaction of the Four Pillars that make up your particular chart. If you are interested in a personalized forecast contact me at seriousfengshui@gmail.com. Include the YEAR, MONTH, DAY, HOUR and location of your birth in your message please.

All of the 2019 animal characters were written by my teacher Richard Ashworth. If you’re looking for a Feng Shui master who is also a great teacher I can’t recommend him enough. Richard’s courses are the real thing.

Each animal character is followed by the 2019 Animal Fortune written by me – Stephanie Stewart. If you would like to read my forecast for 2019 (the year itself) click here. Enjoy!

2019 Animal Fortunes

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

The Dog in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on February 2, 2019December 17, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Dog?

Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006.
Month*: October
Hour: 19.00-21.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Dog?

The Dog is yang earth and a byword for faith and consistency. Terriers and Rotweilers are both fierce as well as loyal. In mediaeval heraldry and Renaissance painting, the greyhound symbolises constancy. The downside of this is that like Donald Trump and two of his three predecessors (ie not Obama – naturally) all 1946 Fire Dogs, they take some moving on.

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

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

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

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

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

An unbalanced Dog is a bit of a shop steward. He knows his rights and the way things should be – often the way they always have been. An unbalanced Dog (such as one with an October or mid-evening birth) is rigid. Those recent US Presidents in a downward progress of de-evolution bottoming out at Donald Trump, have been champions of stuck, male, white, wealthy privilege. Make no mistake: it may not be clear very soon but the Fire Dog is over. The smart Fire Dog has already become mentor and confessor, at which pursuits he excels, as is appropriate.

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

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

But the most powerful and most demanding role the Dog can play is in a creative team including the irritating Dragon, the autocratic Ox and the soft Sheep. If the Dog acts as conscience and bookkeeper, the Ox will relax, the Sheep toughen up and the Dragon acknowledge someone else for a change. If you are a Dog recruiting for non-executive directors take note. What is great about the Dog is that if he finds advice that works he will adopt it as if it were religion. Bless.

My Seattle based Student Stephanie Stewart’s forecast for the Dog in 2019 follows, do look her up: https://seriousfengshui.info/

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Dog in 2019

Every Dog has his day and you’ve had a whole year. 2018 was the doggiest dog ever.

The Dog’s reputation has been tarnished by the behavior of 1946 Fire Dog Donald Trump, 1958 Earth Dogs Betsy DeVos and Michael Flynn, and 1970 Metal Dogs Melania Trump, Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the 1982 Water Dog, so she is the communicator for the pack.

Barron Trump was born in a Fire Dog year. Take that not as judgment about him, but as an elegant metaphor demonstrating why some masters say a BaZi is like DNA. I have even used BaZi for genealogical research in my practice.

For all of 2018 Dogs have been in the spotlight, swamped with competition that they deemed irrelevant, except – how’s your stomach been this year? Gut issues?

I wish I could say that’s over now, but in 2019 you’ll have to carry on a few more months even though you’re no longer in charge. January and July and April will be the most demanding months of the year.

In February your associate the Tiger is helpful, even if the Pig distracts him. In March, your best friend the Rabbit is hitching her wagon to the Pig’s star too. It may be lonely, but take advantage of these months where you get a short surge of energy.

An in-your-face challenge will bring new insights about the meaning of protection and boundaries in April. It’s time to find some new pack members. You value loyalty; maybe too much. When everyone around you is in the same state of mind, It’s difficult to make the changes you want.

In May, the support you thought was solid has turned out to be unreliable or blocked. This might be the theme of the Pig year for you. Redefine yourself to stay relevant. You’ve got until 2022 to prepare for your next iteration. Use the time well.

Sometime mid-year you’ll find the possibility of a new romance or some unexpected financial gains. Your best support will come in June, however, there’s a danger that you’ll be explosive then, too.

If the Dog depends too much on control, which is just an idea, in the second half of the year she’ll experience greater losses. This might be a lesson about the heaviness of your hand and how you have relied on that to get what you wanted.

Seek the Rabbit to take you in and help you get patched up. If it’s your style, and the wood element is helpful for you, carry or wear a Tiger or a Rabbit amulet. Get in touch if you’re curious about that.

We’re at the end of a predatory era. You might want to consider that your strengths have turned into your weaknesses, and vice versa. The value comes in acknowledging it. You’re not a victim, but you could use your ideas about guarding and safety to help others out of that box. Time to go back to herding and protecting. Gather up the lost, pull people out of danger, carry supplies, bring a message.

The Rooster in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on February 1, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Rooster?

Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005.
Month*: September
Hour: 17.00-19.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Rooster?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rooster predictably is one of the charismatic Flowers of Romance. Success and glamorous partners come easily to her. Often a Rooster can punch above her weight in this regard. Cinderella was a Rooster and Yoko Ono. This effortlessness can make for complaisancy, and bitterness is more common among middle-aged Roosters than any other animal. Growing old is hard for the Rooster who is often compared to Snow White’s stepmother. Who is the fairest of us all? Consider these aspects in the contrasting lives of Mick Jagger and Che Guevara both of whom were born – in different years – on the day of the Wood Rooster.

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

The cautious domesticated Rabbit is the nemesis of the Rooster. The Rooster likes bling and the Rabbit can see no life in a stone. Any relationship would generally be full of obstruction and passive aggression. The insistent wood of the Tiger is almost as maddening although his fierceness would at least engage the Rooster’s attention. The loyal, consistent Dog bores her rigid.

My Seattle based Student Stephanie Stewart’s forecast for the Rooster in 2019 follows, do look her up: https://seriousfengshui.info/

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Rooster in 2019

The Rooster’s conflict with the Rabbit flared up again in 2018. There were problems at home. Support arrived, briefly, from a distance.

Roosters have been struggling just to maintain status quo. They’re having a hard time accepting the changes required to maintain their usual quality of life. In a Dog year, the elemental nature of your pure Metal self was in direct opposition with year’s Fire nature. That kind of stress gets in your head.

The Rooster doesn’t like being cast in a supporting role but in 2018 there was no avoiding it. You may have talked yourself into thinking you couldn’t handle it. Other people perceive the Rooster as fragile. If she relies on that to excuse herself from difficult situations she’ll never find out how strong she really is. It’s only physical risk you need to avoid in 2019.

2019 brings a more peaceful year, but the Rabbit remains strong. You’re still uncertain as to the loyalty of those you’ve supported the most. Is it that you don’t trust yourself? In March, July and November remember that question. It’s not time for your comeback yet 1957 Fire Rooster Matt Lauer.

During May, June and July, regarding any legal matters, keep up with the details. Don’t be distracted by someone in an expensive suit telling you everything is taken care of. Given the facts you can decide for yourself. A Rooster is capable of finding the error in complex calculations when she applies herself. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a 1933 Water Rooster, has proved that over and over again.

Romance is draining this year, both for you and your friends Dragon, Snake and Ox. You will find yourself in some kind of triangle – relationship or otherwise, probably in May. There are players in the game that you didn’t know about; could be family members.

You are always surprised when people open up to you so here’s your early warning: it’s going to be one of those years. Be especially available in January, April, and May for friends who need to talk. Model the good faith that you seek.

Keep an eye on the Monkey, your partner in the House of Business. Their normally adept calculations may be off this year. They may require a nudge regarding health issues. You’ve likely been taking care of the Monkey since the middle of 2018. Keep it up.

December 2018-late March 2019 is simply an extension of the Dog year, especially in terms of your health and what you do to support it. April, when you receive help from a powerful friend, is your smoothest month of the year.

In May, guard against crying wolf. Assess, then determine who needs help – or doesn’t. Either way, help is always there. Sometimes it just takes longer to arrive.

For the last half of the year, especially in September, your cutting words harm you most. Be careful not to compromise that loyalty you crave.

Further education may be available in 2019 for some Roosters, but only if there’s enough water present. Want to know what the heck I mean by that? Book a BaZi.

The Monkey in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 28, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Monkey?

Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004.
Month*: August
Hour: 15.00-17.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Monkey?

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

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

The Monkey is often the most acquisitive as well as the gentlest beast but he is above all, competitive. In the extreme this means warfare. In its milder forms it is the ruthless competition that involves the belief that another’s gain is our loss. This is a (painful) mistake. It’s what leads to steroid abuse in athletics and ballet dancing in the Premier League penalty box. The Metal Monkey may learn this lesson early; it’s what makes him gentle; all Monkeys subscribe to this delusion to a greater or lesser extent.

Just as you’d expect, the pitfall of the Monkey is frivolity. If he can’t win he takes the Mickey. The Monkey’s natural allies are the Rat and the Dragon. This is a pretty heavy-duty grouping, perhaps the most powerful in the Chinese Zodiac. Naturally dominant Rats and egotistical Dragons are not, as a rule a bundle of laughs; the Monkey however often is. And together these three get stuff done; most of the big revolutions of ideas involve this team.

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

* That’s up for debate of course but presumably he was a Capricorn anyway.

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

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

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

So that’s the Monkey: argumentative practical, mischievous and so competitive he can withdraw altogether. But you knew that already didn’t you?

My Seattle based Student Stephanie Stewart’s forecast for the Monkey in 2019 follows, do look her up: https://seriousfengshui.info/

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Monkey in 2019

2018 was a tough year for the Monkey. Your plans were derailed by illness and accident, probably beginning in May. R.I.P 1956 Fire Monkey Anthony Bourdain.

It was a year filled with endings. The Dog doesn’t do much for the Monkey even though they are seasonal companions. The Dog is jealous that the Monkey is hard on the Rabbit, yet has the potential to steal her away.

2019 could be draining; a final wringing out following the events of the last three years. Being Snake’s secret bestie you find yourself drawn into conflict on behalf of a partner, colleague or friend. Your love/hate relationship with the Snake means at the very least you’ll be caught up in the fall out. You really dislike being drawn in this way. Not only does it distract you from your work, it’s exhausting. The solution to your problem is the Pig. She is uniquely suited to be your negotiator.

The first quarter of the year is the time to learn something new. Try meditation. Get a check up and focus on wellness early. That’s the way to mitigate the hit your health may take due to accident or illness in the last half of the year. Take time off in September and/or November.

In April you’ll get a small break from the Dragon, but the already watery nature of the year continues to drain you. Adjust expectations. This too shall pass.

In May, someone close to you makes mistakes that have consequences for you. This is not the year for relying on the judgement of friends to keep you safe. The competition you face in 2019 is anything but straightforward. Seek independence.

The Monkey has important things to say this year but needs to take care with how he expresses himself. Your usual jokes are likely to provoke rather than amuse.

In a Pig year the tendency of things to turn to Wood brings out a Monkey’s juvenile urge to fight instead of talking things out. In discussion you may feel yourself wanting to needle. Small disagreements quickly escalate to big conflicts. In February, March, April and November that type of behavior could blow up out of proportion and get the attention of law enforcement or the court system.

Speaking of justice, in February, 1944 Wood Monkey Robert Mueller should be releasing his final report regarding Russian interference during the 2016 election. People are concerned that either the report won’t be made public, or that Mueller will be reticent under questioning. He’s a Water day stem person with the Sheep in his month and the Rabbit in his day. In a Pig year we will hear more from Robert than his typical “yes”, “no”, and “maybe” answers.

All in all, no need to worry. With Fortune Virtue on your side basic needs for food and income will be easily met. Donate to a cause that is meaningful to you. Find new places to spend your time – even within your own house. Your usual spot in the southwest is not helpful in 2019. Get in touch if you want to know more about that.

The Sheep in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 24, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Sheep?

Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003.
Month*: July
Hour: 13.00-15.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Sheep?

Idealistic, yin earth, not the top getter-onner, the Sheep has well-meant judgements about everybody which can sometimes keep her stuck in first gear. For the unbalanced Sheep (July birthday and/or mid-afternoon birth) ambition and foolishness are pretty much the same thing. On the other side of the fence the grass is not greener; it’s actually brown both sides. The balanced Sheep though, as well as being an expert judge of people, knows exactly what matters and is not easily diverted from it. The arrangement for instance that Sheep Bruce Willis, his ex Demi Moore and her ex (and Bruce’s fishing buddy) Ashton Kutcher came to, whereby they stayed friends and the children avoided becoming conflicted is not usual, either in Hollywood or the world at large but it is typical Sheep behaviour.

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

This of course illustrates a psychological truth about the Sheep: the risk-taking they shy away from is exactly what attracts them most. Many a desirable partner has on the rebound from a Horse, found a life-long proposition in the Sheep.

Placed as the Sheep is between the Horse and the Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac, they also understand the trickiness of the Monkey. There is generally a certain wariness between them but this unorthodox team is capable of magic.

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

The Sheep is passionate, representing the yin or feminine side of sexuality but whether male or female, the Sheep is more seducer than chatter up.

Perhaps most interestingly, the Sheep forms a team with the Dog, the Dragon and the Ox. Individually each of these three is somewhat intimidating to her but when this group gathers, her value becomes obvious. She can draw flexibility from the Dog, humility from the Dragon and cheerful co-operation from the autocratic Ox. Above all he ensures peace among them. Even if all they do is make the coffee, the Sheep is a comforter of the insecure. She understands that most barkers never bite and that aggression is simply inverted fear.

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Sheep in 2019

For the Sheep, 2018 was the breakup year; losing friendships, changing jobs, moving house or literally breaking up. Sheep who went with the flow took control by choosing what the changes would be, still October made you consider that your efforts were in vain. You know all the clash was meant to remove the obstacles that were holding you back, right?

In 2018 you had a hard time finding your people. A Sheep’s worst nightmare is being culled from the herd. Kurt Cobain, a 1967 Fire Sheep, lost his way when his relationship with Courtney Love separated him from his friends. Interestingly, Courtney’s got a Sheep in the day branch, right where Kurt would be.

In 2019 you’re safe again and back in the swim of things. It’s time to form new alliances and renew old ones with eyes having been opened wide by the Dog. The Sheep’s ability to maintain innocence is a gift, but she uses it it as a way of checking out. Sometimes facing the ugly truth is required for the Sheep’s personal growth.

2019 is your year for healing, even physical rehabilitation. Form new groups. Along with the Rabbit, you coined the term “grassroots movement”. Like 1955 Wood Sheep Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, you lead by mobilizing groups of people; helping them to unite their small efforts for a bigger cause.

Someone who is more comfortable working alone more than you are will probably take credit for your efforts. Pay no mind to that. People see what you’re doing.

You are the most inclusive of the Chinese Zodiac animals. A Sheep I know and love has said many times: There’s always room for another pal. I think that was the original intention of organized religion but it got lost along the way. Political and financial concerns generated policies that exclude people based on race, gender or sexual preference. Your spirit, in union with the Pig, can rectify this. The Sheep can organize and unite different groups, bringing spirituality to bear in healing our planet. In 2019 you are the Tin Yute. The world needs you to reclaim the power of the people.

In the first quarter of the year, expect to be over employed. After all that time on the bench, now everybody wants you. This is what you’ve been waiting for.

Welcome new neighbors; organize shelter and provision. Provide hospitality for newcomers and friends. March and July strengthen you by bringing teammates who share your mission. In April, someone in a position of power gives you a leg up because of your efforts.

Your most comfortable months will be May-July. The Metal and Water energies of fall and winter make it easy for your work to bring in the money.

Update your belief system because your clash animal, the Ox, is coming into power. The causes you think are merely personal are the ones you’ll need to back in a more public, political way if you really want change. Look for what you have in common with others. The door is open now.

The Horse in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 22, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Horse?

Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002.
Month*: June
Hour: 11 am – 13.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Horse?

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

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

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

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

The ever-fiery Horse is not keen on water. He experiences this element whether
expressed as a Rat year or as excessive communication as a dampener of
enthusiasm. Water slows him down but does not halt him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Horse in 2019

The kind of attention the Horse likes went to the Dog in 2018. It wasn’t the year you hoped for. Funny how people think good luck means no problems at all. The Dog year opened your eyes to the fact that being in the spotlight can be scary. Horses are burned out.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a 1966 Fire Horse, was roped into her own public shaming by her relationship with the Dog in the Triple Fire Combination. With the Horse’s closest friend being the Sheep, it’s inevitable that the bullying punishment affects you. Maybe it’s the Horse’s self clash. The root cause of your embarrassment is usually an unintended consequence of showing off.

Pursuing your impulses as you usually do is not your best choice for 2019. There’s nothing to be done except slow down. You could be accident prone in a Pig year.

You accomplished many of your goals in 2018. Lucky! After October though, things came to an abrupt halt. An unwelcome surprise, as always.

Horses promised things in June or July, then found they had been overestimating their capacities. It became increasingly obvious that you couldn’t deliver in full. A Horse thinks of speed as her strength; it’s unreliable in 2019. You may even experience some physical mobility issues depending on the makeup of your BaZi. That alone might be the reason to have a reading.

The Horse’s brand of spreading enlightenment is not welcomed by the Pig. You’re going to get attention from people examining your conduct. Your optimism may seem false or forced except in February, March. and July. If you’re trying to get something started, do it then. Accomplish any important tasks by July at the latest.

In the Gan Zhi cycle, the cycle of the 60 pillars, we have entered a phase where Fire is lacking. The Horse is almost pure Fire. Until around 2022 she’s going to have to be content with chopping wood to keep her own fire stoked. Seek independence. Keep track of your good ideas. Prime time is coming but not for awhile.

Focus on preparation rather than spontaneity. Improve your health. Seek education and training. Write. Learn consistency. Cultivate patience. Share.

From May onward you’ll be mostly swimming upstream. Don’t let it get to you. You are always ahead of your time which makes you worry that you will be working in obscurity forever. You won’t. Remember that in June when you’re tempted to jump the gun again.

Your best month is July when your secret friend the Sheep brings friends around to play. Horses with Water day stems get helpful attention from bosses and make good money that month. If you want to buy real estate in 2019 that could be the time.

When depression strikes in December a trip to a warmer climate will help.

You have the power to solve problems and remove obstacles in 2019; both for yourself and for others. Being a leader isn’t easy. Shine a light on your own behavior. Face and speak your own truth.

The Snake in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 21, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Snake?

Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001.
Month*: May
Hour: 09:00 am – 11.00am
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Snake?

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

Snakes being of Candle Flame fire, can be easily discouraged and sometimes they
should be. A Snake may stick long term with an inappropriate choice so as to put off
making any choice at all.

The most written about Snake in 2012 was probably Xi Jinping, born in 1953, the
year of the Snake in the Grass and elected at a time when the internal tensions in
China – between efficiency and self-expression, between industrial wealth and rural
poverty and between cohesion and corruption – had never been so stark. Never
question his sincerity – he means what he says – but he is likely, like his near-twin
Tony Blair, to believe that the more he is opposed by those whose beliefs conflict
with his own, the more right he must be. For both of these dictatorship – that is to
say the Mandate of Heaven – is the preferable regime because the Snake can so
often not tell the difference between their view point and the absolute.

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

Typically in a relationship, the Snake of either gender is not the decision maker. The
decisions she has not made may include the one to be committed to the relationship.
The partner of the Snake (best choice probably Ox or Rooster though Monkey lady
and Snake man works well) would be well-advised to drag at least this minimum
communication from the Snake early on. Interestingly the 1953 Snake on the Grass
is one of the best makers and keepers of relationship of all 60 pillars. Go figure.

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

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

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

The Snake has a love-hate relationship with the Monkey. Both have hands-on and
logical ability and both attract occasional tussles but where the Monkey welcomes
opportunity for mischief, the Snake treats dispute as a regrettable evil. When a Tiger
appears in the form such as a Tiger-born person or a Tiger month (February), this
misunderstanding can turn nasty. In a Rabbit year it’s plain sailing, in a Pig Year like
2019 more complex.

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

The Snake prefers a short menu and yes/no questions. In a Rat year he may be
overwhelmed; there is just too much choice, The Snake’s dreams may come true
only for her to run in the opposite direction. Communication often has to be
wrenched from the Snake and in the water years of Rat and Pig there is little support
for the tight-lipped. In a typical Ox year there is just enough water but not too much.
This makes scope for just the restricted level of communication the Snake prefers.

Snakes have a complex relationship with Fire. They are not usually sun-worshippers
but often their skin needs just a little regular sun and without it they may fall prey to
easily avoided ailments such as vitamin D deficiency. Caution!

Richard Ashworth©
www.imperialfengshui.info
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Snake in 2019

Snakes, being an elemental mixture of Fire, Metal and Earth were quite successful in 2018. The Dog doesn’t particularly favor them, but embodies the same elemental mixture in different proportions and polarities. When chaos comes you’re both good at seeing the opportunities it provides, but the Snake is so much more flexible.

In 2019 you’re the Sui Po; the Year Breaker. The Pig is your clash animal. Much of the year’s energy will be directed at you. There is a disproportionate amount of attention to your actions. Stay ahead of trouble by being transparent.

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is a 1989 Earth Snake. She’ll be a target of criticism and accusation, deservedly so or not. Alexandra is young and her Fire element is very strong. It won’t be an easy year, but a big clash like this will make her, not break her.

2018 was good to Alexandra as it was to Brett Kavanaugh, 1965 Wood Snake. In a different month or year we might have seen him finally cave in to the truth. Not that Kavanaugh would admit to lying, but perhaps he would have recused himself and quietly slithered away. He could have created a very different legacy. Obviously that wasn’t what he wanted. Snakes who have lied can expect to have that exposed this year. In 2019, Kavanaugh’s career will continue to be plagued by his past dishonesties. Brett’s Fire is not strong. He’s going to have some mobility issues; upward mobility.

Travel is your thing, and this year Snakes will have a lot of it, especially in the context of business. Could be frustrating. If you are able to plan ahead, avoid February, May, August and November. Travel during these months could cost you extra in terms of both money and time. Consider travel insurance. Beware of special third party deals on travel packages and tickets. If it sounds too good to be true it certainly is.

Push yourself in the first quarter of the year when there’s the least blockage. In January an associate in a position of power, the Ox, wants to help you. Don’t miss the opportunity to get their counsel. Between your planning skills and the persistence of the Ox, you can easily mitigate, or even capitalize on, your clash with the Pig. If you need to come clean about anything, confess to the Ox early on.

Snakes will be tempted to give overly optimistic sales pitches in February, March, May and June. Don’t overplay your hand. Stay vigilant regarding your reputation.

Rapid changes come in August when the water element is strong for the rest of the year. Compliance with law and regulations, especially in financial matters is a must. Snakes are a focus of power and authority – either a comeuppance or a promotion. You’ll find out in November. A Snake is not one to overlook a detail – in 2019 check twice.

Some diviners say that a clash year is automatically a wash, but the four stems and branches of your BaZi and your 10 year luck cycle tell the real tale. Do you know yours?

The Dragon in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 17, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Dragon?

Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000.
Month*: April
Hour: 07.00 am – 09.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Dragon?

The Dragon is yang earth, the most egotistical of the branches as well as being generally considered the most powerful. Putting aside conventional rules of animal compatibility, everyone is either fascinated by the Dragon or suspicious. Many are both.

Though charming and affable, like the Pig, the Horse and the Rooster, the Dragon suffers the self clash which makes him unsuited to working with his equals. Dragons often live alone and enjoy their own company. Sometimes they claim to even when they don’t. Often what he experiences as joy is a subtle experience that others find puzzling. The Horse for instance who likes to dance on tables, sometimes thinks the Dragon is a high maintenance prima donna. Even the Dragon’s ally the Monkey, contrasts his own goonish delights with the impassive Dragon and can make no sense of it.

And yet the Dragon delivers. Sometimes awkward and gauche, the Dragon can appear incompetent and yet still win. The steadfast Dog whose workings always lead to a logical answer detests this about the Dragon and may sabotage him. Put simply the Dog thinks the Dragon goes on a bit. The Ox and the Sheep share something of this attitude but are more passive about it.

The Chinese ideogram for thunder is a Dragon under a raincloud. Remember that all over the world rainclouds speak of plenty. Drenched is good if you’re looking for growth. The Dragon month is April, the time of sudden change. The character of the Dragon is like the awkward times before a storm breaks.

The Dragon does not naturally co-operate or easily share confidences. He will however grudgingly work with those he considers his inferiors as long as they are very clear about the pecking order. This is the central weakness of the unbalanced Dragon. King Lear was a Dragon where Othello may have been a Tiger and Hamlet probably a Snake. Up herself? Possibly.

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

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

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

Note to Dragons: Unbalanced Dragons fall perhaps into two categories: one is typified by shameless mischief-maker 1952 Water Dragon Vladimir Putin, the other by would-be statesman Boris Johnson (1964 Wood Dragon). Both of you – check your facts! It may be in order to justify the unjustifiable, but make sure you’re on solid ground.

The Dragon in 2019

As one Dragon I know very well puts it “They don’t realize I’m always working in the background”. By nature, Dragons are always working, consciously or unconsciously. Dragons magically give the illusion that making the earth move is effortless. Sometimes it is. People will take advantage of that if you let them, using your magic for their own ends. That path leads to darkness. Morgan Le Fay was a Dragon who was co-opted.

Nancy Pelosi was born in a Metal Dragon year (1940) on an Earth Dragon Day. She was meant to blaze a trail to power for women. Nancy’s most recent feat was disarming Trump by playing the Mom card; followed by being elected Speaker of the House for the second time. Doing something brilliant and totally unexpected at age 78 is such a Dragon move. This is the result of years of honing her craft and her timing. She is always working behind the scenes.

In 2018 Dragons have been overworked. You’ve been fending off the clumsy attacks of unbalanced Dogs, as well as coming to the rescue of the bullied: Sheep, Ox and even Pig.

You may be exhausted as we shift into 2019. It’ll be a relief to know it’s only a temporary situation when you find that your rhythms and usual knack for timing are off. Like your biggest rival, the Dog, you are waiting in the wings until 2022. Dragons have plenty of time to practice directing attention where it is needed, rather than consistently inward to their work.

The first quarter of 2019 may feel like a less meaningful version of the same thankless job you were doing last year, but Earth piles up. Keep disempowering bullies for long-term rewards. Towards the end of March you’re done with that.

Your usual self clash comes in April, making you unaware about what is going on in the world outside your head. Your power is taken for eccentricity when you think you are smarter than anyone else in the room. That’s so 2012. Catch up. Pay attention. There is something or someone wanting to erode your power behind your back.

The Snake, your partner in the House of Enchantment, is clashed in May. The Snake is the Little Dragon, or as I like to say, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. To avoid the fallout of the Snake’s clash with the Pig, be truthful. There’s trouble in paradise this year. You can defuse it by talking with your partner about relationship issues. The truth will come out one way or another. Trying to be covert about your discontent and seeking intimacy elsewhere only leads to heartbreak.

Don’t go overboard with honesty though. Be careful who you share your secrets with, especially if you sleep in a bedroom located in the west of your house.

The year doesn’t really take off for you until August when you can expect either money challenge, or the opposite, for the rest of 2019. The outcome of this prediction relies on the makeup of your BaZi in which the dynamics of all 4 pillars are analyzed, as opposed to one branch. I can tell you more about that.

The Rabbit in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 16, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Rabbit?

Years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999.
Month*: March
Hour: 05.00 am – 07.00
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Rabbit?

The Rabbit is yin Wood, essentially gentle and domestic. Her time is early morning; the legend has it that she and the Rooster swapped places which is why the cock crows in the Chinese Zodiac not at dawn but at dusk. The Rabbit rules the Spring therefore – think of March Hares and Easter Bunnies – and the Rooster the autumn.

The Rabbit is subtle, in keeping with her yin nature. She provides service readily and is often suited to catering and caring. But her preparedness to roll up her sleeves makes her the unexpected queen of networking. If you want to be introduced to the person in charge, ask a Rabbit.

Although giving the impression of a reluctance to be in the spotlight Rabbits are often performers but equally often are more at home behind the scenes. Writer-composer (of the musical “Matilda”) Tim Minchin fits this bill. Devoted Dad David Beckham perhaps also and strangely introvert Prime Minister Gordon Brown. All clearly pretty good at making connections.

The Rabbit can wait her turn; vigilance and patience are typical. Her natural allies are the Pig and the Sheep. This is a house-proud team and the Rabbit is a team player. Her unexpected friend is the Dog who values her ability to charm without threat.

The Rabbit also belongs to the gathering known as the Flowers of Love (or Plumflowers) along with the Horse, the Rooster and Rat. She may often find herself clearing up behind these three extroverts and quite often the cuddle-bunny will obtain a life partner from the leavings of her more obviously glamorous colleagues.

The Rabbit tends to be conservative with a small “c”. Early rising is typical but this tendency to the yang of early alertness may be demonstrated by the yin of sleeping in. Lazybones or insomniac, sleeping is an issue. This is yin and yang.

Because of the unflattering connotations of the local word for Rabbit, in Vietnam this branch is called the Cat. Intuitively this does not sit right. The ideogram so clearly has ears. Yin Wood relates to the late Spring, leaves and flowers and grass, none of which are feline attributes.

In some ways the Rabbit epitomises yin. Yang Wood may be characterised as an upwards movement like the growth of a tree. Yin Wood is more of an outward expansion like the spread of grass. What these two expressions of wood have in common is irresistibility. But they are very different types of irresistibility. To counter yang Wood we need yang Metal: an axe will cut down the biggest tree. But you could attack a lawn with that same axe and not remove all the grass in a lifetime. This is the power of yin Wood.

Wood is both stubborn and flexible. Yin Wood (as characterised by Soen, the wind of the South East) is thorough as well as organised: “gentle and thorough but ultimately adamant” as the Book of Changes has it.

Hexagram 53 of the Book of Changes, “Gradual Progress” describes this: the tree grows against all the odds either because it throws itself absolutely upon the mercy of the tao or because it has a detailed plan that it follows meticulously. Or both.

The Dragon is said to lose money when the Rabbit arrives. This may be because the Dragon is distracted by his neighbour who is so apparently different in nature. This is not a great pairing but the fact is that the Rabbit sitting between the Tiger and the Dragon, shares qualities with both.

Partnership with the Tiger is sometimes formalised as the House of Diplomacy. The Rabbit offers carrot while the Tiger wields a stick. This arrangement exemplifies the truism that more is achieved with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.

Wood represents bone, spine and hair as well as eyes: the light is Fire but the receiving organ is Wood. The Rabbit is often not strong in these regards unlike the Tiger. This is yin and yang.

Finally it’s worth appreciating that the wooden table you’re probably seated by is wood but not Wood. Wood is always growing which is obviously enough not true of anything else; not animals, people, cutting edges or stones. Usable Wood in feng shui terms, is alive. Dead Wood is often considered to be Earth, motionless and ashen.

The Rabbit in 2019

The Rabbit’s profile has been elevated for the last couple of years. 1987 Fire Rabbits especially have been under extreme pressure. 2018 was so much better than 2017, but still stressful. You’d prefer not to, but you’ve put yourself out there anyhow.

For a Rabbit, a Dog year brings public success. Colin Kaepernick, a 1987 Fire Rabbit, was an outcast in the NFL in the Rooster year of 2017 due to his nonviolent protest of violence. In September 2018 Nike took a risk and Kaepernick was signed on as a spokesperson in recognition of his firm stance. But even now, most teams think of him as a public relations problem not worth taking on. They can’t rely on his loyalty to a brand to override his principles. Kaepernick has accepted his new leadership role with the kind of grace you can expect from a Rabbit. No need to make a big fuss. The Wood energy of the Rabbit is both gentle and inexorable. Kaepernick will have an offer to play quarterback again, probably in July.

In domesticity or at work, the Rabbit is often displaced by the controlling Pig who is happy to provide for you but would rather not work in tandem. That’s less of an issue in 2019. Reclaim your rights and responsibilities in February when the Pig is distracted by the Tiger. Stand firm and earn the Pig’s trust. Your ability to do that is kind of a big deal.

The Pig year demands taking care of family and other domestic matters. It’s time to resolve lasting grudges or quarrels with family, especially parents and other ancestors. Your associates, including older and younger relatives will be seeking your assistance. Help them to form or reinforce a support system. The Rabbit’s loyalty has been in question since 2017. Set things straight with talk and trust. You might think the title is beyond your pay grade, but this year the Rabbit is the Year Subduer. So settle things.

To that end, in 2019 Rabbits can employ the unusual authority they had in the Dog year to good effect. You can be bossy until the end of March. Come off the bench early if you want to work for a new company or group in July. Don’t wait – by November your window will have closed.

Your most productive months this year will be February, March, May, June and July. Set goals and timelines accordingly. In July is the Sheep will help you draw a big crowd. Organizing big events, attending family reunions, or joining groups makes for leaps and bounds.

After July the Metal element, along with the overwhelming amount of hidden Water may be tough on your health. Worry may bring sleep issues – too much or too little. Take some time off in August and/or September if you can.

Anxiety may peak in December because you’ve disregarded important information that could set you at ease. This will have something to do with how you were raised. Ask a trusted elder or other family member for help. Advice or assistance Rabbits have ignored may come back to haunt in 2020 too.

The Tiger in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year

Posted on January 15, 2019September 20, 2019 by Stephanie Stewart

Who is a Tiger?

Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010.
Month*: February
Hour: 03.00-05.00am
Day: Ask Us

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

What is a Tiger?

Because the yang wood Tiger is composed of three different elements, he is an especially versatile predator. There is nothing wrong with being a predator except that it can imply a very rigid view of the world. Tigers often don’t play well with others, not because their egos are in the way (unlike the Dragon, the Pig, the Rooster or the Horse) but because for them, work and play are very distinct activities. They can up to a point frolic with other Tigers but broadly every alliance is focused on an outcome. It’s no coincidence that 1974 Tiger Victoria Beckham is the Spice Girl who’s not looking back; she’s moved on.

The Tiger never forgets. For the unbalanced Tiger no slight, insult or rejection can be allowed to go unredressed.. He may wait a lifetime but he will get his revenge. On the other hand the balanced Tiger will always repay a debt and go out of his way to acknowledge assistance.

The typical qualities of yang wood are sharp eyes, a strong will and swift movement. The Tiger stalks his prey silently and pounces when he is ready. He can wait days as long as he is not hungry. A needy Tiger is very dangerous. Never scorn the Tiger.

The Tiger will often have a fresh view of things which makes him the eyes of the team he makes up with the Horse and the Dog. The Horse is front of house, the Dog the keeper of records and the Tiger the hit man.

In terms of human relations the Tiger may be the most yang of the animals; that is swift, sharp and unsubtle. The earth he inherits from his predecessor in the Zodiac the Ox, is turned miraculously from yin to yang when he receives it. The unbalanced Tiger knows no mercy and expects none. And in this he has altered the dogma he receives from the Ox – do as you would be done by – into a personal code. This alteration can amount to perversion and make for serious misunderstandings; the unconscious Tiger probably knows himself less than any other animal. His ruthlessness which he can wear as a badge of honour, is often simply a failure to open up to interdependence with others. Of all insults “dependent” is the worst for the Tiger. He will not depend. This makes relationship an act of will. With a true act of will, the Tiger forms the most enduring relationships. If it is not truly a choice but a resigned agreement to bend himself out of shape, all around him will distort also. Sometimes the truly unconscious Tiger thinks this reflects a merciless world in which he has been clever in getting his revenge in first. This logic doesn’t work and the smarter Tiger knows this.

But even the smartest Tiger is not in the clear because the corollary of foregoing revenge appears to be falling on her sword. This is a mistake too. Most of us prefer not to live by the law of the jungle but then most of us are not as well-equipped for it.

Metal is generally considered to represent logical thought, authority and competition. The Tiger is elementally the opposite of Metal; the wooden Tiger likes to think of himself as logical but instinctive or even automatic is a better description. Generally he can only make use of Metal early on in life or at the inception of a process. After that he can deceive himself that he knows what to do and that he is beyond advice. The really unbalanced Tiger (yang Wood day stem for instance born in February) considers himself bold and resolute but truly is hanging onto past (mother) stuff that ought to have been completed. The admission of this would affront his pride and he is unlikely to do it.

Richard Bandler, the Godfather of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, used to say that the person with the most flexible behaviour has control. The Tiger is the yangest woodenest of the animals. He is so flexible that he can be completely immovable. This can be his role in the alliance with the Monkey, Pig and Snake sometimes called The Four Terminals: the Monkey sells the traveller a ticket, the Pig may offer to accompany him and the Snake can enchant with tales of exotic locations but the Tiger is liable to snarl and send the traveller on his way. Without the Pig in the ba zi this combination can like the Four Earths, be a seriously unhelpful combination, implying restricted movement.

A tender father and an implacable father-in-law, a good leader but an erratic motivator, at his worst, the keynote of the Tiger is an uneasy combination between a long memory and a short fuse. At his best he is the sort of leader you would gladly die for. At worst she’ll do the job for you.
Richard Ashworth© 2019
Study with Richard Ashworth

The Tiger in 2019

The Tiger’s job in 2018 was to be cruel to be kind. The Dog required repeated course corrections and you were there to assist. A Tiger likes to be known for killing it and that kind of good luck interferes with getting things done. Metal Tigers John Kelly and James Mattis got so bored they had to leave their elite positions in the Trump administration.

Like Jordan Peterson, 1962 Water Tiger, you are a covert, spontaneous provocateur. Not being clear about your position one way or the other amuses you and lands you on the winning side most of the time. You’re at your best when you’re using those qualities in your vocation. Tigers inspire trust as easily as they do fear when they want to. It’s your choice.

Most people think their own Chinese Zodiac animal year will be lucky, however, there are disadvantages to being at the top of the pecking order. In a Pig year the Tiger is in the sweet spot. You get the empowerment without the Pig’s self clash. The Pig will rubber stamp the your agenda. In a year that favors the success of the humble, probably the only mistake a Tiger can make is being too arrogant.

The Pig, the Tiger’s secret friend and year boss, leaves his true self behind, aspiring to be your partner. You suspect the Pig is not on your level, yet you are irresistibly attracted to cast your pearls anyway. Tiger and Pig have been down this road to heartbreak before. Being honest with yourself about what you really want from the relationship will rewrite the ending.

When conflicts arise in February, May and August, the Pig’s generosity and honesty come to your rescue. The Pig is your mediator. If you are house hunting choose a Pig as your agent to avoid third party interference in your transactions.

Tigers have a special opportunity to take on a new business or start up. It that’s your goal, get permits, rent office, etc before the end of March. Do the work you’ve been talking about for years. Be up and running as soon as possible for best advantage. Tigers will put out lots of product in June and reap the rewards in July. The timing is close to perfect.

In February, March and April and May Tigers are intently focused on success. Do you know what you mean by that in the context of relationship? If not, you’ll compromise yourself in trying to prop up an untenable romance again. Lesson of the year: Giving and receiving love doesn’t require that.

Be ready to defend or assist a best friend or partner in May when accusations fly. How are you complicit? Or not?

With so much going on Tigers benefit from some time off in August to explore new ideas and focus on health. Visit with parents and other ancestors.

2019 will be gone in a flash. For the Tiger a typical Pig year ends in November – breaking up with or bailing out someone close to you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.