Category: 2024

The Fire Tiger Month of 2024

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Fire Tiger Month ~ February 2024

The Fire Tiger, also sometimes called the Fiery Furnace, has arrived to begin the solar year of the Wood Dragon. The Tiger marks the beginning of spring which is the season of Wood. With Wood and Fire together this way, you can expect some insomnia, excitement, mania for the next two months. It may be difficult to find relaxation.

This may have a disproportionate effect on 乙 yin Wood stem people and 丙 yang Fire stem people regarding relationships and tempers flaring. That is what’s likely if you are already prone to such things. If you’re not, you’ll probably experience it indirectly – through your interactions with others.

Next month we have the Fire Rabbit, whose nickname is also Fiery Furnace. All of this Fire is technically out of season but strong. Maybe that will be reflected in the weather. The Fire is going to speed up time, almost as if the Dragon wants us to jump straight to April which is the Dragon month. There have been many moments lately where I would like to fast forward but – I’m feeling pressed for time too.

So to start the year we have Wood, Fire and Earth in play, along with unseasonal Fire. If you know your elemental cycles, the Wood would like to break up the earth or control it while the Fire is strengthened by the Wood. Fire creates Earth. This self-sustaining power struggle creates tension between movement and stillness. Both seem problematic. It feels like everything is changing and nothing has changed.

Practical Applications for the Month

If you want to slow down, seek Water. That means actively restoring yourself. Talking about your emotions/health/mental health is one solution and probably one of the most effective ones. It’s not that the talking will solve everything – it’s that the talking allows the possibility of change. Talking is output. Writing is output. What you do is output. Output gets things moving. It gets rid of excess if you have any. Output can also reduce anxiety. That might sound too simple, but most truths do.

If you are a 辛 yin Metal day stem person, the Tiger is a nobleman sign for you relating to money. Whether this means you get money or spend money depends mostly on your natal chart, but also on timing. If you want to understand this in more depth, you might book an hour with me to talk about it, either in the context of your Ba Zi or in the context of study.

If you are a 壬 yang Water day stem person, the Tiger is your Academic Star. The yang fire in the month Stem this month clashes you. This might be a benefit! If you want to know whether that’s true for you, you know where I am.

癸 Yin Water Day stem people may find they get a “delivery of money”. This will be related to or a result of their work.

In a Wood Dragon year, if you have a Tiger in your Ba Zi this is a month where you might benefit financially (and otherwise) from travel. It could be a little lonely but maybe you’re looking for some space? As you know safe travel requires taking precautions for your health. This is also a month where you might be around people who are ill.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Fire Tiger Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Fire Tiger 丙寅 Month
February 4th 16:37-March 5th 10:21

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fortunes

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
There’s benefit from travel for the Tiger this month. Maybe you’d like to be lonely for a moment? Take precautions when it comes to your health.
Hint: Burn bright anyway.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Big brother is here. Or is it big mother? Hopefully they are here to help you clear the clutter that you can see and the clutter you can’t see.
Hint: Let the month come in like a wrecking ball.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
This is where the pattern is set for most of the year. Given the experiences you want to have, consider what actions would support that. Do them. You might think it doesn’t make sense.
Hint: Work on flexibility.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
Snakes know what to do with the increasing light. Issue challenges. Challenge yourself. Prepare to come out of hiding. Let fairness be your guide.
Hint: Recognition is coming.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
The Ox is gone. No more excuses. Get to work on those projects. You can get to the future by seeing it but having a plan would help.
Hint: If you feel like you’re losing the race, then that’s how you feel.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Watch for those “supportive” Tigers who are slipping into the protected areas. They might be the ones that smile too much.
Hint: This probably isn’t the month to make long term agreements.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
A clash is a clash and this month is a hearty one. What’s auspicious? All kinds of renovation and change. Getting health care is too.
Hint: The best way to get through a clash is to embrace change.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
A little fire to make you sparkle. This is how the Rooster combats danger. No worries.
Hint: Receive and reflect the warmth.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Feeling fired up? That’s great! That’s part of the stimulation that Dogs will be feeling for the next two months. Stay hydrated.
Hint: If your body feels too hot, you might also ask yourself if you’re being too stubborn.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
The Pig’s behavior in November of the Water Rabbit year (2023) shapes the month. If you’ve been treading on the Tiger’s tail with impunity, you are about to find out.
Hint: If kindness was your way, you benefit. This is about relationships.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
This month Rats are the strategists behind the executors. The Rats have the advice you’re looking for and good prospects for money.
Hint: Opportunities are there if you can be ready at a moment’s notice.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
Hopefully there will be fewer problems with technology this month. Is it time to replace or repair a phone or computer? If you want to be more free, let your routines change. Nothing lasts forever.
Hint: Buying refurbished rather than new may be more satisfying for you.

The Wood Ox Month of 2024

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Wood Ox Month ~ January 2024

According to the solar calendar, the Ox marks the last of the 12 Zodiac animals. I read the Ox as the second-ish month of the new year of the Wood Dragon because the marker of the New Year I consider most important (in general) is the winter solstice. The qi in January seems very weak to me and in need of nurturing, like a baby or a talent. It needs faith and care. If you’ve made it past the winter solstice it’s not the time to give up, I do know that.

This year I spent the winter solstice and the Cold Moon in Arizona in a place called Cochise Stronghold. It is said that from the Stronghold three watchmen could see and control a 500 mile range against invaders. This is because the Stronghold is what is called a Sky Island – an elevated environment in the desert that houses different animals than the lower desert. There is natural water there but not as much as there used to be. The Stronghold is a special place. I sleep better there and can remember my vivid and constant dreams more. My body feels good in the Stronghold. It’s hard to leave. Maybe there is something to this Feng Shui stuff after all.

We drove down to Arizona from Seattle in a storm, literally driving every day in the rain. On the Water Rat day of the 20th, there was so much rain that visibility was quite limited for much of the time. It was stressful and a little scary. When we got to the Stronghold the rain followed, and that night of the winter solstice (December 22nd 2023) there was a huge storm and a thunderclap that shook the straw bale casita we were in, briefly creating a power outage.

The Universe was speaking: WAKE UP! So we did. Everything was fine.

And with that, I fell back to dreaming.  In the morning I thought to myself, that was just like Hexagram 51.

It felt like a profound moment of change and that is what I think you can expect from Hexagram 51. If you cast it, what you can know for sure is that things are about to change, or maybe it’s that they already have and you’re just now recognizing the extent.

That’s what the year of the Wood Dragon is going to be all about. What has already changed and what is rapidly changing.

Read on for the Gua Ci and line 1 of Hexagram 51

Hexagram 51 Zhen: Thunder, Shaking

震

This ideograph can also be used for earthquake.

Gua ci

Zhen: A sacrificial offering. With thunder comes

Fright and terror, laughter, speech and the sounds of laughing.

Thunder terrifies for a hundred li (50 km)

But no loss of spoon (nor of) sacrificial liquor

 

Line 1 (because it happened in the 子 Rat hour)

With the thunder comes fright and terror; afterwards, laughter

Speech and sounds of laughing. Good fortune.

 

The Hexagram itself consists of Thunder over Thunder, Eldest Son over Eldest Son. It corresponds to the sign of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, the last month of spring and the hours between 7-9am. The symbol of the Dragon is 辰 which is derived from its ancient form depicting a woman with her hands over her belly; pregnant and protective. This would symbolize the potential of the Dragon year and the sudden reversals it will bring. Shock and relief.

Practical Applications for the Month

In this Wood Ox month, some kind of breakup may be about to happen, or maybe it’s just that you’re perceiving the threat of something that will happen one year from now. In a Ba Zi the Ox and Dragon have this kind of relationship. If you have one of these pillars in your natal chart, you might note what part of your life will be affected. If you don’t, this pattern of energy will affect you anyhow but maybe not as deeply.

Interruptions of routines may make you question your calling. This is one theme of the year.

If you are a 甲 yang Wood, 戊 yang Earth or 庚 yang Metal day or year stem person, you have a Nobleman available to you this month. The Ox is one of your Noblemen.

If you have the 丑 Ox in your Ba Zi, in 2024 you have a special role to play in helping others. That is to say, you are a Nobleman. There are lots of ways to interpret this, obviously. I like to think that helping others is never a bad idea until proven otherwise.

You might help people you don’t know by doing your job well but you might make a special effort to help on a more personal level. I believe the accumulation of good deeds does help us in times of need. It definitely doesn’t hurt.

If you were born in the month of the 亥 Pig, take advantage of your good luck in getting things accomplished more smoothly than usual. If you’ve been feeling down, I expect you’ll get some relief this month. If you have a Pig in your Ba Zi I think this year is going to surprise you, in a good way.

Those with a 庚 yang Metal day stem will have thoughts and maybe second thoughts about commitment and whether potential partners are willing to conform to their standards regarding friendships and fair play. Those with a 乙 yin Wood stem may need to consider whether the changes demanded are worth it. They probably are. You’re both right.

Maybe it’s a month of topping from the bottom? If you want attention, being quiet might help. If you want to pay attention, the same applies.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Wood Ox Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Wood Ox 乙丑 Month
January 6th 05:11-February 4th 16:37

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fortunes

丑 Ox
Years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Month: January roughly.
There will be more opportunities for the Ox due to vacancies. This may not be welcome or wanted. I like to call it “pioneer time”.
Hint: Have a backup plan you might invoke in April.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Month: February roughly.
Take care lest you become entangled with whatever you are trying to control.
Hint: Consider the yin/yang of your actions. What is needed? What is wanted?

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Month: March roughly.
Early signs of opportunities and successes that will be available when it’s warmer. Start the process.
Hint: Do the prep now.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
A taste of dissonance that I want you to remember in April. Nobody wants to be humiliated.
Hint: That’s not the same as being humbled.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
Snakes have deadlines, lots of work to do and the place and time to do it. There are more rewards for this in 2024 than there have been for some time.
Hint: Feels like familiar territory. All you need do is stay warm.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
Winter is almost over and this year I’m going to recommend you don’t wait for Tiger month to get moving. What you can’t do now, you can plan. Then you can “forget” until it’s time to do the thing.
Hint: I hope you are making notes of your good ideas.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Sheep may feel let down or left out this month. What you need to know is this is likely due to values – yours and theirs.
Hint: There’s something protective for you in that, isn’t there?

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Monkeys have questions about partnerships, commitments, competitors, and those who fill a maternal role in their life. A concern about being nurtured properly?
Hint: It’s okay to redefine that as often as you like.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Is this the beginning of the Rooster getting what they want in 2024? I think it might be!
Hint: Start sharing your influence and advantages now.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
It’s time to see how you’ve made your life more smooth by sorting the petty people from those who are small but mighty. See how much you are held up by the Earth, just like everyone else.
Hint: Look for a lesson to learn about size and whether it matters.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2018, 2030
Month: November roughly.
Unexpected moments of articulacy may be just what’s needed this month for the Pig to encounter and enter the open door. If you need to pounce, try a Tiger day.
Hint: You’ll know when the moment is right. Believe yourself.

子 Rat
Years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Month: December roughly.
Rats are looking at a quieter month. Most actions may need to be done from a distance. Cherish those who will act on your behalf.
Hint: Make relationships last.

Wood Dragon 甲辰 2024 Feng Shui Basics

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

If you’re setting up your life to work with the energy of the Year of the Wood Dragon, here are some things you may want to think about regarding the shift in your own home. You can use this information to set up, but keep in mind that while it’s accurate and helpful, by nature it’s generic. If your purpose is to go beyond the basics, the application of Feng Shui must be tailored to you and your home.

There will be areas that you will want to keep quiet in the Wood Dragon year. Since it begins in February, January is almost always a great time to do a deep clean of the house and avoid negative effects. If you’ve already missed that window, you can still make changes. It will help if you use good timing.

This next part is a bit complicated so skip down to the guidelines if that’s how you scroll.

Tai Sui, Sui Po and San Sha

The Year of the Wood Dragon opens on February 4th at 16:37. The Tai Sui or Year Boss is in the SE where the Dragon is located because the Dragon is the boss.

We’ve been in a Wood phase since 2022, meaning the Tai Sui has moved from NE to E and now to the SE. The Tiger, Rabbit and Dragon branches (or months, or years) are associated with Wood and the season of spring. In a cycle of 12 years, we are in the final stage of spring.

If you’re not already familiar with the concept of the Tai Sui you can think of it as the ruling energy of the year. In some years people born under the same Animal branch as the year are considered to be offending the Tai Sui. The Dragon, which is one of the four self clash signs, is one of them. It’s good to be a Dragon in a Dragon year but not as good as it is to be a Rooster.

Directly opposite the Dragon in the NW is the Dog. That means in 2024 the Dog is called the Sui Po or “year breaker”. The Dog is considered to be in opposition to the Dragon. Their relationship is a clash.

Energetically the Dragon sends force towards, pressures or stimulates the Dog. The clash between Dog and Dragon is a clash of two yang Earths. To put it in the broadest terms, it involves land, borders, boundaries and disputes about such matters. Differences of opinion are magnified.

If you’re feeling worried about the clash because there’s a Dragon or Dog in your BaZi, booking a BaZi reading can provides practical and applicable solutions. I can help you to navigate safely, mitigate and sometimes take advantage of a clash.

The San Sha or Three killings in 2024 covers the entire area between Snake (SE3) and Sheep (SW1). The Horse, centering at 180 degrees in the south, is in a difficult position on the compass. The energy of the San Sha this year is Water element (north) vs Fire element (south).

Lest you get lost in the technical stuff, it’s important to remember that Feng Shui is all about relationships. Stick to first principles. If you want to know how the energy moves around, it’s elemental and elementary.

The annual calculations are expressions of the relationships of elements. They point out the Tai Sui, Sui Po, and San Sha: the relationships that may need more of your attention in any given year. You can think of them as roles we may be called to play.

Guidelines for 2024

  • Don’t face SE, meaning the Dragon who is centered at 120 degrees. You can spend time in the SE location of your house but don’t face that direction. If your head points SE when you are in bed, you’ll want to consider changing that. Having your back to the SE is fine.
  • Avoid Horse (S2) and the areas directly adjacent. The scope of the San Sha covers Snake-Sheep. Don’t have your back to the San Sha. The 7 Star is also in the S indicating potential illness.
  • You may be able to tap into the energy of the Wu Huang or 5 Yellow which is in the W this year by using Feng Shui methods or by being there. Now that we are in Period 9, in 2024 Star 5 is paired with Flying Star 2 which is becoming more timely. Avoid construction or other noisy activations in the W.

Consult a professional if you want to activate or make major changes to either SE, SW, S or W locations.

  • If your house faces SE or NW I recommend you have a Feng Shui survey of your home and mitigate any potential issues, especially if a door is located in the W or S.

These locations and directions can be fine tuned further by applying Ba Zhai (8 House or 8 Mansions). In Period 9 I think East Group people may have an advantage over West group when it comes to helpful orientations.

Flying Stars

Flying Stars is a system used to identify energy pockets within a building, city, country…The base energy for each area is indicated by the traditional Lo Shu where Star 5 is in the center:

SE S SW
4 9 2
E 3 5 7 W
8 1 6
NE N NW

In addition to these base stars which are static, each house has it’s own collection of Flying Stars, which some would say is similar to a natal chart. The best results come when you’ve understood and dealt with these static and underlying energies first.

Once you’ve done that, there are the annual stars which move each year to play with. There are also monthly Flying Stars and daily Flying Stars which you may be familiar with if you read my daily forecasts.

Each star corresponds to a trigram from the Later Heaven Bagua and so each one also has an elemental nature. Some stars naturally pair up. Some stars play well together and some don’t. Some are helpful and some not so much. I won’t try to explain it more here.

In 2024, we have the 3 Star in the center, setting the tone of the year. The map below will tell you the locations of the annual Flying Stars within your home for the Wood Dragon year. They will interact with the monthly Flying Stars in a guest/host relationship. This interaction of the annual and monthly stars is used for Feng Shui, forecasting and more.

Annual Flying Stars for Wood Dragon 2024

SE S SW
2 7 9
E 1 3 5 W
6 8 4
NE N NW

As a general practice, we want to avoid the annual Wu Huang or 5 yellow, however, this year could be different as I mentioned above.

When to Act

Moving things around the house, changing rooms, and placing Feng Shui cures and enhancements is best done between 冬至 Dong Zhi or winter solstice, and 立春 Li Chun which is usually around February 4th or 5th. The exact dates vary slightly depending on the year.

You can maximize the results of your changes and adjustments by using date selection. If you want help with that, I invite you to subscribe to my monthly newsletter or, contact me to find a date that’s specific to you and your house.

If you’re familiar with applying Feng Shui you can use the information in this article to set up your house. You’ll also need to know your Ming Gua to make the most of the energy of 2024. Just compare your good directions with the “rules”. And of course I’m available if you want to enhance or mitigate rather than simply avoid.

Wood Dragon 甲辰 2024 Your Good Directions

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Ming Gua, East and West Life Groups

The Ming Gua is a number that is calculated using gender and birthday in order to employ the Feng Shui method called 8 House, 8 Mansions or Ba Zhai. Each number corresponds to a trigram and an element in the Later Heaven Bagua. The Ming Gua is also known as the Natal Trigram, Destiny Number or Life Star number.

Do you know your Ming Gua? Send me your birthday and gender and I can tell you. Once you know your number you will be able to use your best directions for setting up your home and/or choosing a home that fits you.

The Guas fall into two categories in this system: East Life Group and West Life Group. If you already know your number, you can use the chart below to figure out which group you belong to.

East Life Group Numbers West Life Group Numbers
1 2
3 6
4 7
9 8

Your Ming Gua indicates the Life Group and the good directions for you. Each person has four, and they support in different ways, but all are considered beneficial. Use them to set up your desk, bed, computer, tv and other furnishings. If you’re remodeling your kitchen or moving house, you can use Ba Zhai to set up your stove as well. This requires a higher level of expertise.

Good Directions for East Group Good Directions for West Group
E W
N NW
S SW
SE NE

N.B. When you are lying in bed you are facing the direction your head is pointing. Think of your body as the compass needle.

What I haven’t addressed here is that there are also four house orientations that are appropriate for each Life Group. Do you know if your house supports your Ming Gua? Email me if you’re curious about your house.

And one more thing – you’re going to need to know if any of your four good directions are not so good in 2024. You may want to rule some out temporarily. I’ll be explaining that in my next post.

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