Category: BaZi

Through the Fire to the Limit

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

For my recreational reading, I often choose biographies of women. Having recently read An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison, I’ve been thinking about the Fire element and people with Fire imbalances.

Kay’s BaZi is impressive due to the sheer amount of actual and potential Fire present, and because she made it through the Fire. It’s an extreme case. Kay is an example of how an overload of a particular element can bring both heightened talents and overwhelming challenges. She’s a 74 year old successful psychologist who is living with bipolar disorder. With great talent comes great instability? Sometimes. Maybe the lesson here is to realize how your big challenge gives you a special insight into the solution. Because it does. Trust what you come to know and never give up on yourself. Innovate on your own behalf.

If you want to learn more about Five Elements and how to read them, start by paying attention to the words and imagery people use. You’ll find that there are themes that run throughout their communication. Music is the place where this stands out to me the most. You can read more about that here.

As I was reading Kay’s book, I was reminded of another chart with heavy fire. That’s the BaZi of Kanye West. What immediately comes to mind for me is his sampling of Chaka Khan’s* “Through the Fire“ in his song “Through the Wire“. It seems very significant that he would choose that particular song to sample in what might be his most important song ever, career wise.

In Through the Wire, the wire Kanye is referring to is the one holding his shattered jaw together. A little over a year before his first album was released, Kanye had a car accident and almost lost his life. That was October 23, 2002, a Water Horse year. According to the story, he was on his way home from the studio after a long day and fell asleep at the wheel. Given that he survived, I think the hour of the accident was Pig.

I picture Kanye listening to Through the Fire on repeat during his recovery while he was putting together The College Dropout. He recorded Through the Wire while his jaw was still wired shut – literally speaking through the wire. The lyrics and samples are uncannily descriptive of his BaZi.

Kanye West
June 6 1977 in Dragon hour (my estimate)

Hour Day Month Year Current Fate
Water Fire Fire Fire Metal
壬 丙 丙 丁 辛
辰 申 午 巳 丑
Dragon Monkey Horse Snake Ox

 

The presence of the Horse creates a big potential risk for Kanye, especially when it comes to making decisions. When that Horse is clashed by Water, uh oh. That was 2020. The solution for Kanye is in the Ox. With the Ox present he has more support for helpful routines. It’s nice to see he’s got one in his current Big Fate. Hopefully this will bring more stability for him.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian married on May 24 2014. That was a Wood Horse year which makes me think Kanye may consider marrying again in June. Thinking of his children, I hope he would choose September if he’s going to do it.

With his super Fire heavy BaZi, Kanye seems to prefer women who can cool his chart down. Irina Shayk could do that. Although it looks like he initially approaches his love relationships with passion, a partnership with Irina looks similar to his marriage with Kim Kardashian. This would be a collaboration of equals, very much like a business deal or arranged marriage. Providing for the dynasty is important.

The main problem of the K & K marriage seemed to be public perceptions of one partner being more prominent or richer than the other, or one partner making the other look bad. Irina’s chart supports her partner’s fame and reputation more than her own, making her possibly more compatible with Kanye than Kim was. I guess we’ll find out.

*Born March 23, 1953 (Water Snake year)

Rooster Month: Stuck On the Yin Side?

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The lack of good water placement dates this month is indicative of the Rooster’s uneasy relationship with Water. I’d say it’s something like seduction vs. truth telling. I don’t necessarily see those concepts as opposites or mutually exclusive even though they often seem to play out that way in real life.

In a Rat year the Rooster month signals the possible timing of a breakup rather than the beginning of a long term proposition. This will be a choice, not an inevitability. The Water element of the Rat gives us emotional expression, communication and intimacy – or not. That’s up to you. The position of the branch(es) in your natal chart will tell you what to expect. Get in touch if you want to talk about yours.

The Rooster is called a Peach Blossom branch and naturally attracts the attention of the Monkey, Rat and Dragon, also known as the Triple Water Combination. The Rooster, being a branch of pure Metal, also produces or supports Water. A Rooster tends to pump up the Water element to overflowing if you get my meaning. Right now, this kind of attention could be draining for the Rooster. Rooster month is not the time to seek it.

This time around the Rooster month is a Wood Rooster. The Wood Rooster is sometimes called the Rooster crowing at noon. That’s too late right? Or is it way too early? Is it a false alarm or an emergency? It’s difficult to say. With so many warnings in play these days, you might be tempted by the potential bliss of ignoring all and hoping for the best. I get that, however, I think you’ll find it more helpful to think about what you under/over emphasized in September 2005. What deals did you make then? What would you do differently now?

If you’ve got a Rooster in your BaZi, the excess Water of 2020 could be a release, welcome or not, of what you’ve been needing to express. In some cases this same excess Water may instill a deep and cold fear in the Rooster; an insidious damp. Some Roosters will experience this on a physical level. There are names for this condition in traditional Chinese medicine that, unlike those of Western medicine, imply there is a way to heal. The cycle of the Five Elements is at the root of the difference here. There is no element that is bad or wrong but you’ve got to keep up with tweaking the levels. Like acupuncture and herbs, the practice of Feng Shui is a way to interact with an energetic system in a way that supports its self regulation; a return to health.

Water is moving, flexible and unstable, therefore it comes with pitfalls and risk, both literally and metaphorically. If you know your trigrams this is Kan, the middle son, the emotional one. In the Flying Stars system it’s Star 1 which occupies the center of every building along with Star 7 (yin Metal like the Rooster) until October 8th. If your anxiety is running high you’ll want to know it does have some relationship with timing.

When there is too much Water, the Rooster may employ spiritual bypass, or other addictions, as a coping mechanism. On the other end of the spectrum, the Rooster may decide to pick a fight. The Rooster is so yin that they often come across as yang; extreme fear manifesting as extreme aggression and other types of self harm.

Many a Rooster will have decided, in an attempt to hide their own imperfections, not to let people in. With a Snake present it will take longer to realize this because the Rooster will be secretive, or at least prone to omit. Trust doesn’t come easily when you’re afraid you will be displaced or discarded for your flaws. If this speaks to you my question is: do you understand you could be missing out on the experience of loving and being loved?

This month is a time to remember that perhaps you are being haunted by your own standards, not by those of others. What do you care about? What are your rules? Can you live up to them? Is it humanly possible? Can you see that there is no perfection without imperfection?

The Rooster’s exacting nature is one reason people think Roosters are cold hearted. They’re not. Yang fire is reborn in the Tiger, but yin Fire is reborn in the Rooster. It’s a candle flame that needs encouragement, so stoke it by recognizing and celebrating your successes no matter how small you think they are. They are enough. Let yourself be satisfied.

Given that we’re all prone to the Rooster’s self clash this month, it’s tempting to choose to dam up until we feel it’s safe to communicate, or open the flood gates when we’ve reached the breaking point. You’ve probably already learned that those methods isolate and exacerbate. I know that’s not what you want. And forget the idea that there is such a thing as one and done when it comes to communication. Handle the Water drop by drop instead. If you’re questioning whether you have any endurance left for that, the answer is yes.

“I used to hate myself but now I think I’m alright”
Small Poppies by Courtney Barnett (Fire Rabbit Year)

Water Horse, Willow Tree

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The coming Water Horse month starts Friday afternoon. That’s June 5th. The Full Moon arrives that day along with a penumbral lunar eclipse. June 6th suggests hoped for but unexpected good news. My calendar tells me this month is going to be better than the Snake month for sure. There are many more good days for everyone.

Having said that, I want to tell you now that June 21st, the summer solstice, is probably the most difficult day of the month. There’s a solar eclipse that day. It’s a Remove Day and it carries tendencies of self harm, of going along to get along and the damage inflicted.

If you’re following the Chinese calendar, it’s the day before the solstice sets the stage. That’s the 20th which is called a 4 Separating Day. Some masters think you can get rid of those who are harassing you on Separating days. On the west coast of the United States, the New Moon at 23:41 is close to the timing of the solar eclipse. Being a Wood Horse day, it’s also called a Year Breaker. In spite of these portents it’s still rated as a pretty good day. The day matches the Wood Horse pillar in Trump’s Ba Zi which is key as to how the chart functions.

One way to interpret these omens is that there are multiple big events about to go down quickly. This is scary but not necessarily negative. There’s a new start for women where there’s an ending for men. I’m curious to see what will happen. Clearly something or someone is trying to get out attention. Could this be our mandate of heaven? Can we finally shift the balance of power?

It’s a Fire Rat day as I write this. In Ba Zi the relationship of the Fire Rat and the Water Horse is called Fan Yin; a clash from top to bottom. I know we can all feel that. It’s hard to write these words without weeping because my yearning for the finish line is so strong.

This may be true for all Horses but I think for the Water Horse there’s often a risk around endings. That applies to the Water Horse month too. Can we make it a finish line for sheltering in place? Can we make it a finish line for the misuse of power? It’s the finish line where the Horse’s most embarrassing mistakes often happen; where you’ve already won the race but… A Horse problem could be that without crossing the finish line the race never ends. A Horse may cultivate that kind of indecision.

The Lap Yum for this month, which is a phrase that summarizes the Water Horse, is Willow Tree. Willow Tree implies tears which could be a result of either a helpful wake up call or a disappointment. I think these are the tears and sadness that sometimes accompany the most important insights about ourselves. Could be tears of anger or embarrassment too. You can make a choice about this. Make it into something you want.

A clash of Water and Fire is filled with brilliant and progressive ideas if the balance of power is right. When the ideas can be bridged by the Wood element, it becomes a self sustaining system for the Horse. That’s joy.

How can you be part of the revolution? Speak softly and carry a big stick. Let’s say the big stick is kindness; the kindness that is the very least that those of us who are white or privileged can give at this moment in time.

Kindness isn’t necessarily being nice. On the yin side kindness is actively making space for others to thrive. Perhaps the yang side goes so far as to shelter and defend that space. Kindness is knowing when you have enough and someone else doesn’t, and that you are not diminished by foregoing or deferring. The smallest kindness might be simply getting the hell out of the way: your own or another’s.

The challenges of the coming month are both knowing when to quit and knowing when to step on the accelerator. The Water Horse carries a lot of North vs South stuff as does the USA, and yes I’m thinking slavery is part of that. One possible meaning of the Water Horse pillar is “sitting on or controlling the money”. That applies too.

This Water Horse month says it’s time to face up to the embarrassing facts about racism and who sits on the money. If we want change we will need to choose it. That’s a movement. If you’re looking for a simple solution, you can use the Wood element as a bridge. Make space for all. Protect and shelter the space. That’s kindness.

Common Sensei: Timeliness of Elizabeth Warren

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Elizabeth Warren was born June 22, 1949. Her birth time is unknown but I have estimated it to be in the Horse hour. My estimate is based on her history.

Elizabeth Warren has a good chance of being chosen as the Democratic candidate for the 2020 Presidential election. What is it that makes her timely? There are so many indications. Even her name, Elizabeth, seems fitting for a woman ruler. Don’t you think so?

Let’s start with her Ming Gua. Elizabeth Warren is a 9 Gua person entering the 9 Fate; a person whose guardian element is Fire entering a Fire fate. At 70 years of age, in a sense, this is her time. It’s taken most of her life to arrive at the right moment. Now there’s something to think about when you’re feeling like your time will never come. Sometimes you just have to be patient. Like decades of patient.

I mention her age also to remind you of the Chinese Zodiac cycles and how they can influence elections. Elizabeth was born in an Ox year, just like Barack Obama who is 12 years younger. Barack was elected in a Rat year. Elizabeth is running in a Rat year. The Ox has a special relationship with the Rat called Secret Friends. It’s one of those friendships where one is in charge and the other is employed. This gives Elizabeth Warren a certain advantage next year. She can employ the power of the year.

Elizabeth’s good timing doesn’t end there though. The configuration of her Ba Zi reminds me of Trump – only because usually when he is attacked he gets more support. That’s the structure of his fate. Elizabeth Warren’s Ba Zi is unusual because it turns the Water that is her self element, the Water that clashes her Horses, into power. Clashes give her more authority. Why? Elementally speaking, Elizabeth Warren’s Ba Zi says she can and does transform to Fire.

Elizabeth Warren was born the day before the summer solstice when the Fire element is at its peak. The Stems and Branches in the chart create a self supporting Fire flow. This flow even supports her health. Elizabeth’s Fire is void, which sounds bad but it means her career takes off when Horse and Sheep appear. She’s got them “built in” to her natal chart. The Sheep is also her Yute Yeung which speaks to the good decisions she has made so far. Her mistakes will not be of the career ending type.

Almost every Stem and Branch in Elizabeth Warren’s chart refers to challenge, power and authority. She has lifelong experience and practice in that area. She evades bullies and she does not bully. She prefers the open conflict as opposed to covert resistance. In the culture of American politics where a lot goes on behind the scenes that may a problem for Elizabeth, however, I think that quality makes for a healthier leader for the people.

History Doesn’t Repeat Itself But It Rhymes

For further evidence of the favorable nature of Fire and Rat in Elizabeth Warren’s Ba Zi we can look to history.

In 1996 Elizabeth Warren changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. This was a crucial move in her career as it eventually led to a potential Presidential nomination. I don’t see that happening if she had stayed in the Republican party. 1996 was a Fire Rat year. December 2019 is a Fire Rat month. The Big Fate pillar where her political career began to take off was a Fire Rat 2004-2014.

In November 2008, an Earth Rat year, Elizabeth Warren was appointed chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Panel managing the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The monthly reports from this panel covered foreclosure, lending, real estate, AIG, bank stress tests, the effects of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), government guarantees, and the automotive industry. Only an Ox could accept a job no one else wanted and turn it into an asset for the future. Elizabeth Warren already has the experience to handle next year’s financial fallout. It’s the nature of the Earth Ox to be prepared for any outcome, favorable or not.

Elizabeth Warren’s current Big Fate pillar is Fire Ox (2014-2024). 1997, a Fire Ox year, was the beginning of her career in politics. January 2020 is a Fire Ox month. February 4th, the first day of the Tiger month and first day of spring in the Chinese calendar is a Fire Ox day. This is significant because the Iowa caucus is in February.

Xuan Kong Da Gua Date Selection

From a Date Selection perspective Elizabeth has some big advantages because her year, month and hour have a compatible relationship with the year. Elizabeth Warren has timing on her side for the primaries in February, March, June, July and September. It’s important to note that the family hexagram relationships for her Ba Zi are similar to those of Trump in 2016. This seems to indicate a kind of behind the scenes luck that is hard to quantify. I don’t think it has been studied enough to say more than that.

The 2020 Presidential election date, Tuesday November 3 2020, doesn’t favor any candidate for this method of date selection. The election will take place in Dog month rather than Pig which is significant because she would probably do better in a Pig month. November 2019 will be an important predictor.

The election date itself looks to be pretty fierce. Can you see the potential Dog fight? There are two Yang Metal that the Fire has to deal with. Power struggles. I predict that whoever the final candidates are, this will likely be another election where popular and electoral votes don’t agree.

This idea harks back to the Fire Ox pillar I mentioned before and The Compromise of 1877 which was an “unofficial” attempt to settle the heavily disputed Presidential election of 1876. Some historians say the Compromise marks the end of the post Civil War Reconstruction and the roots of modern white supremacy. Sounds about right. Meanwhile, back to the future…

At least the Yang Fire in the month stem of Election Day is Elizabeth’s Yute Duk which keeps her optimistic and sure footed. Whatever happens Elizabeth Warren will be okay.

And the Universe Says…

When the fall equinox hit Elizabeth Warren got a boost. As Water gets stronger she does better in her campaign. Her competitors are falling away it seems. Her poll numbers are going up. If you want to back Elizabeth as a candidate, don’t rely on her luck. As she has said over and over: it will take millions pushing from the outside and someone leading from the inside. Do your part by voting for your candidate of choice, whomever that is.

A Horse In The Running : Joe Biden

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The Horse respects rules only in the sense that rules are for others. This is slightly less true with Water and Metal Horses.

That’s why it will be interesting to see what transpires with Joe Biden this summer, especially in August. He’s a 1942 Water Horse born in the Metal Pig month. With those two branches in his BaZi chances are high he’s going to embarrass himself in June by over relying on what he thinks is his irresistible charm; foolishly overstepping boundaries again. You’d think he would have grown past that. His Wood Dragon hour says he probably hasn’t but he’s got some magic left in him, courtesy of the Moon.

With three out of a possible four self clash signs in his BaZi, at age 77 Biden knows he makes stupid mistakes. For this reason, he is probably more open to learning from them than most men his age. I think that is also what gives him his awkward sort of empathy.

Joe Biden has a Fire Ox day pillar. That could be really useful next year. Unfortunately it’s also a weak point because it reveals he is accustomed to and expects pampering. Joe is only just now starting to get an inkling of how privileged he has been. Under pressure regarding his behavior, in the past he has come off as a typical old white guy, highlighting his cluelessness.

In Biden’s BaZi you can see he has a lifelong pattern of being disappointed by loss, interruptions and delays. His timing is always off. It may not be obvious but Joe’s failures also have to do with a lack of preparation. He has not shown he is prepared to lead.

Joe says he’s listening and learning. Inside he’s frustrated though. Can’t you feel it? When it comes to disappointment maybe he’s had more than his fair share, if there is such a thing. He’s impatient and wants to get past this part of the campaign process as quickly as possible. Collateral damage is likely; the type of damage so great that it overshadows the desired outcome. A Horse’s victory is often the Pyrrhic sort. Joe should know that by now.

If timing is what has kept Joe from success, the Earth Sheep in his current Big Fate removes that barrier. Biden just started this 10 year luck cycle in late 2018, probably about the time Dr. Jill Biden agreed to help him out with another campaign. I don’t think Joe would have tried otherwise.

What could be more helpful for a Horse running for President than a Sheep? Horse and Sheep are best friends and the Sheep will keep the Horse from burning out. The Sheep is perfect for signing up supporters and will make apologies for the Horse’s occasional stumble.

If Biden really wants to revise his value system then the Sheep clashing his Ox will be helpful, however, Dr. Jill is going to be under pressure again from people who think she’s a gender traitor for supporting Joe. Is it impossible that Jill helps him because she loves him and chooses him? Her motives are attributed to either internalized misogyny or defending her privilege or both, but adult relationships are not that pure. Who’s to say it isn’t all of the above?

Joe should be aware that Jill’s views may be the ones that change. In August, she may be defending Joe again regarding his sexual politics. For her sake, I hope Jill already knows what that will be about. August is a Water Monkey month – predicting that Joe’s treatment of Anita Hill is still a live issue. Joe says he’s listening and he wants to learn but he still hasn’t made a proper apology to Anita. If you’re looking for signs and portents you can probably stop there.

Chris Cornell and Generation X

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

I didn’t really know Chris Cornell but I had seen him in Post Alley a couple of times and once at the restaurant where I worked. And of course I had seen him perform with Soundgarden. Arriving in Seattle in late 1989 I was a little late to the Grunge scene, or maybe just in time for the peak that was 1990. In any case at that time Seattle was a magical musical place filled with intellectually rebellious young people. None of us had much money. We used to joke that we were continually passing the same dollar bills around to each other as tips in various venues. There was a lot of love and couch surfing. Have you ever heard that song by Jimi Hendrix called “Little Wing”? For me that summed up the Seattle scene in 1990, Metal Horse year.

“Well, she’s walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that’s running round
Butterflies and Zebras
And moonbeams
And fairytales
That’s all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind”

“When I’m sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free
It’s alright, she said, it’s alright
Take anything you want from me
Anything, anything
Fly on, little wing”

It’s not really a surprise that Chris Cornell has that exact pillar, Metal Horse, in his chart, as well as the pillar that matches the year 1991 (Metal Sheep).

Chris Cornell
July 20, 1964 Snake Hour (est.)

Chris Cornell is a Yang Metal day stem person with strong Fire. His chart consists mostly of Metal and Fire, and the Fire in the chart stresses the Metal. Metal also represents the head, thus his struggles with mental health. Wood is “empty” in this Ba Zi which tells me Chris was probably unable to fully experience or believe his success.

I chose Snake as his hour because of the way Chris associates snakes with deception in his lyrics. The song “Black Hole Sun” comes to mind. The Snake wreaks havoc in the chart because depending on timing, it births either supportive Metal or destructive Fire. The Snake created a theme of cyclic alliance and betrayal in Chris Cornell’s life where he felt constantly pushed/pulled in two different directions. You might even call the Snake a trigger.

Chris’ chart could use some Water both as an outlet for the Metal and a balance to the Fire. The Fire Rooster year of 2017 magnified the Metal and Fire conflict. At that point, in his current fate of Fire Rat, even though there was some help from Water, Fire became overwhelming. Chris Cornell died in the Snake month.

On first impression, Chris Cornell was a dark and beautiful poet and musician with curly black hair, classical features, and piercing eyes. But then there were his lyrics, and maybe that’s why I first came to associate him with Orpheus beyond his looks. Orpheus was said to have such charm with his voice that he could even make the Gods weep and that was Chris, too. In looking at the course of his life you could say that he visited the underworld (depression/addiction) and returned, just like Orpheus. There was something doomed about him but that was no different than the rest of us Gen Xers. He just made it seem elegant through his words and his quietly mysterious off-stage presence.

The rest of us angst ridden former latch key kids looked at him (and Kurt Cobain) as the ultimate example of turning pain into art; rising above the past by expressing the sadness and anger in beautiful ways; overcoming the cliche of the broken childhood. Our motto: See us? Hear us? We’re messed up and angry but still here kicking ass. We don’t want you to notice we are secretly idealistic and peace loving because it hurts. If you listen to our music the soft underbelly will tell you exactly how to undo us but you won’t hear it through the screaming.

If it’s the case that we choose our parents and our life path before we are born then Gen X kids knew before we were born that our parents were probably not going to be around much. It wasn’t that they didn’t love us or care, but our parents were going to be busy doing the best they could to deal with their relationship/marriage/divorce, job, commune, religion, band, cult, addiction, you name it. The route for some of us was taking care of our own parents and siblings. For others it was all we could do to keep track of ourselves.

Even in elementary school many of us already had house keys and knew that if we lost them, we would not be able to get inside any time soon without breaking something. Many of us had braces but no one was taking us for haircuts. If we lost our lunch money we were not going to have lunch. Grunge came from the latch key kids who were used to doing it themselves if they wanted it done. We gathered up the leftovers: people, clothing, records, books, anything that was discarded. We even recycled music by sampling. This was our way of “owning” the past albeit in a somewhat mordant way. We learned to rely on ourselves and we were okay with that. Right. We were the most inept tightrope walkers ever, working without a net. Having no context for the experience of falling, we were convinced that we could bring ourselves up. We tried to take care of each other but we knew some of us weren’t going to make it. RIP my friend Ingrid Liiv.

We didn’t understand that many of the lessons we learned at that time might not be helpful. Everyday problems for latchkey kids were loneliness, boredom, fear, anger, premature sexual experience, depression, addictions, and anxiety laden burdens of sibling responsibility. We also learned about independence, problem solving, first aid, domestic skills, making money, saving money, and planning. We learned that if we just put in enough effort we could make something happen, no matter how graceless we were.

We knew there would be pain so as we got older we tried control it by being the ones hurting ourselves; making it into art, making it beautiful, reinventing ourselves. We were ready to show you our scars; that we were freaks. We learned to blur the lines between attraction and repugnance with our punk rock aesthetic. We embraced androgyny. If cleanliness was next to godliness we stayed pagan by not using deodorant and avoided bathing regularly. We excelled at making beautiful ugly and ugly beautiful; sporting electrical tape, safety pins, Doc Martens, duct tape, torn tights, black leather jackets, spikes, thermal underwear, and shaved heads. The Modern Primitive movement with its piercings and tattoos was a way for us to literally take control of our own pain by volunteering for it.

Maybe we knew that once we were born it might feel like a trap, but still thought we could make a success of it. If you believe that we choose our parents and life experience before we are born, then of course it could happen that some of us take on more than we ultimately feel we can handle.

I think if we could ask Chris Cornell what happened that’s what he might say. His words in his final phone call with his wife are quite revealing: I am just tired. Maybe he just needed a break and a hug. Maybe if he could have just waited another hour or another night he could have stayed here with us a little longer. In reading his chart I can see how the moments around midnight on May 17, 2017 would have been precarious. Three of the pillars in play in his chart are duplicated at that time. Almost all of the elements of the moment are against him. In effect, he probably felt like all of his problems had doubled somehow. That moment would have passed.

To continue with my original idea of Chris Cornell as Orpheus…did you know there was an ancient Orphic religion? I think its philosophy is reflected in Chris’ songs about the allure of death as an escape from the pain of this physical existence. You see, the central principle of Orphism is that the immortal soul is torturously imprisoned by the physical body and wants to escape. A short time after death, however, the soul is sent to a new body and the cycle starts over. That is not an ending. I don’t think Chris Cornell got that death was not the end. Our actions, our parents actions, and the actions of all of our ancestors resonate in each of us every day regardless of the concept of time. Do I think Chris Cornell meant to commit suicide? No. I think he was having a really bad moment, but then I like to think that at the last moment every suicide would like to take it back.

Harvey Weinstein : Release the Hounds

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Let’s take a look at the Ba Zi of Harvey Weinstein. He was born March 19, 1952 in Queens, NY. His birth time is unknown but I have estimated it to be the hour of the Horse.

As you read through this analysis please keep in mind that how all of this plays out is much more about choice than fate.

Mr. Weinstein is a very strong Yang Wood person born in a Water Dragon year with all of the male potency and thrusting type energy of the Wood element. You’ll see his Day Stem (self) marked in red on his chart. The Wood element here is so strong that early pruning, by which I mean the intervention of the Metal element in his youth, would have been a great benefit.

My question is: Since the Metal element often is represented by the Father, where was his? Harvey himself speaks as if he and his brother were raised solely by their mother when the fact is his father was still alive when Harvey was in his twenties. How does a mother treat children whose father is absent? What is there to be said about choosing a partner who will be an absent father?

In elemental terms, Metal is exhausted by Water. Maybe his father stayed away to avoid Harvey’s tumultuous emotions. Because there is an abundance of the Water element in Harvey’s chart that tells me he is intelligent, deeply emotional and has strong sexual desire. Don’t take this as an excuse for his bad behavior but the sheer amount of water would be difficult to control, just like a flood. Ironically, the Metal element which would promote constraint, can also increase the Water.

Harvey lacks self control or discipline until he reaches his 50s, which is probably when he started stalking, terrorizing and manipulating his victims. He is so far out of balance that this is how he would perceive the idea of self-discipline. Instead of keeping his hands, etc. to himself Mr. Weinstein tries to take control by keeping his assaults hidden from the public eye.

For most of his life he has had really good luck. From his year you can see he’s a risk taker. From his month you can tell he sees himself as a great romantic, however, this applies to his work environment as opposed to his marriage type relationships. For many years he probably thought his charming nature would always keep his victims from blowing the whistle on him. How could anyone really be mad at such a great guy

In his day pillar he has the “groping hands” ch’i called Loy Hong Yim Sat, but also Yute Duk – a type of lunar related, feminine energy which enables him to survive disasters. Go figure. I’d say this is related to his mother, but more on that later.

To top it all off, his day pillar also asserts that his sexual escapades will be made public – more so in a Rooster year. Still, his natal chart has the solution to his problems built in because of the presence of the Dragon. His punishment will probably not fit his crimes. It’s the timing of the Rooster and the Dog that brings in his current bad luck. It looks like the Dragon may save his bacon once again – this time from the Dog.

This is a chart where the Dragon plays a very important role, and the part of the Dragon is played by Harvey’s mother Miriam. You see, because of the month he was born in, the sign of the Dragon gives him a sort of magical protection from the problems he would have without it. His mother is the person whom he saw as keeping him out of trouble. He speaks of his anger management issues and going to therapists in a New York Magazine article (from 2003? 2004?) saying:

“Of course, they always ask me about my mother, Miriam. And the trick about Miriam is, my brother and I love her. She was widowed maybe 30, 40 years ago, so we grew up, you know, with Mom. She was incredibly supportive and tough on the both of us. She’s still, you know, the one person you, we have to toe the line with, you know”.

The relationship of the Rat and Rabbit in his chart makes me think that he came to disregard his mother’s teachings and influence and he thought he could keep it a secret from her. Miriam Weinstein died in November of 2016 by the way, before her son’s scandalous behavior came to light. I don’t see this as a coincidence. Her death meant that Harvey’s brakes were off and his reckoning was on the way.

In 2017 the Dragon in his year is compromised by the Rooster, bringing out the Metal element to correct Mr. Weinstein. The Rooster also creates a clash with the Rabbit in his month stimulating the women he molested to speak up. #metoo And – Harvey has been in a 10 year period of Rooster energy which heightened his nastiness and made it public.

The clash of Rabbit and Rooster has been present for everyone during 2017, bringing trust issues, questions of loyalty and sexual jealousy. This has come up as a theme in every Ba Zi I’ve read this year. As for 2018, it will be a Dog year, and when it comes to the Rabbit the Dog is on her side every time. I’m hoping that this will bring some justice for the women involved but not optimistic.

Finally, the role of the Dog in Harvey’s chart is to bring more Fire element which relates to fame. In his case the fame turns to infamy. Mr. Weinstein’s widespread abuse of women came to light in October of 2017 which is a Metal Dog month in a Rooster year. This was the beginning of his fall from grace. Most likely though, Harvey has been at it at least since 1970, a Metal Dog year. That may be the true beginning of the problem.

The energy of the Metal Dog is fierce, protective and will bite – something like good cop/bad cop. Which one will it be? Mr. Weinstein’s next luck pillar is also a Metal Dog and it will begin in 2019 so I’m guessing we won’t see him going to trial before then.

Maxine Waters Reclaims Time

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Summer 2017 in America

Many Feng Shui masters might not agree about this but the way I see it we are now in the 9th fate: the age of Fire. The super powers of women are becoming obvious to everyone whether they like it or not. Boys are getting angry that there are female only showings of Wonder Woman. Guys like James Damore and Steven Mnuchin are getting nervous and making a pre-emptive strike to block the oncoming rise of women by pouring on the rhetoric. We have seen these tactics of avoiding answering the question that was asked (Mnuchin), or defending a weak position by claiming the victim role (Damore), used against women in authority positions many times. Maxine Waters is not having that. Her super power is reclaiming time. Mnuchin was not able to derail her – instead he opened the eyes of the world to her mastery. Times are changing. The change is accelerating.

Maxine Waters was born in an Earth Tiger year. Earth and Wood together is about power and success, aka kun and choi in the language of Ba Zi.

I wrote a post earlier this year about how people with a Tiger branch in their Ba Zi are quite effective against the Trump administration. Rather than spending a lot of time blustering on social media or in other public arenas, these Tiger people are watching and waiting. They are also working behind the scenes to make sure that when they go in it’s for the kill. They will not forget who did what and who stepped out of their place in the pecking order. The Tiger branch clashes with the current month of Monkey so Tigers will be prominent in August, and then again in October because of the Tiger’s alliance with the Dog.

As the year has progressed I have come to describe our current political situation as a tension between Earth and Wood elements. In the dynamic cycle of the Five Elements, Earth is controlled by Wood. In Ba Zi terms this means Wood is Earth’s power, and Earth is Wood’s success. Under certain circumstances Earth and Wood can also combine to create more Earth. Earth and Wood combining is a characteristic of Trump’s birth chart. He seems to be able to render his opponents ineffective. I say this only happens when the opponent lacks subtlety due to a surfeit of aggression.

Earth vs. Wood

Let’s use Earth element to represent Trump since he has an Earth day stem, Earth day branch and was born in a Dog year. We’ll also have Earth represent the U.S. Government since the office of President and the government are virtually inseparable.

Birth Chart of Donald Trump
Born June 14, 1946 at 10:54 am

Qualities of Earth

  • Remote
  • Stubborn
  • Unmoving
  • Powerful
  • Heavy
  • Compiling
  • Massive

 
Trump’s particular type of Earth reminds me of a small planet becoming huge; adding to its own gravity by consuming everything in its orbit. HUGE!

Now Wood will represent people with a Tiger branch in their chart, such as Maxine Waters and the Tigers from my earlier post. For the Wood element I’m also including the citizens of the U.S.A. since we are the ones who give the power to our government.

You’ll also want to note Maxine also has strong metal in her chart so it’s in her nature to speak up fearlessly about her beliefs.

Birth Chart of Maxine Waters
Born August 15, 1938

Qualities of Wood

  • moving in every direction
  • constant movement
  • stubborn
  • flexible
  • persistent
  • ambitious
  • idealistic
  • wants space

 

From the words alone you can see how these Earth and Wood clash, but they also have a relationship that can be harmonious.

If you follow my logic, Trump is a problem that “we the people” have the power to fix. How to begin? Don’t get distracted by the daily drama. Stay attentive to all the important things you do in your own microcosm even if all that means is communicating kindness and love to those around you. It does make a difference in the macrocosm. Align with those who share some or even just one of your values – don’t worry if you don’t match up on every issue. Be ready to move and change. Success is in flexibility and cooperation.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders : If You Want a Friend in Washington Get a Dog

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

What would it be like for a woman growing up with Mike Huckabee as her father? And why would that compel her to stand and loyally defend the crass actions of her boss Donald Trump? To answer these questions one must consider both nature and nurture. This is just one of the ways to use Bazi.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was born on August 13, 1982.

The year pillar reveals the nature of parents, grandparents, ancestors, family attitudes, and traditions that are handed down. Compare it to the day pillar and you can have a quick read on the nature of a person’s parents and how he or she responds to that influence. This is where our decisions or reactions usually come from unless we consciously change ourselves.

Twitter/Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Dog 戌 vs. Dragon 辰 is a Clash

In the case of Sarah, the relationship of Dog in the year pillar and Dragon in the day pillar is key to understanding why she is willing to take on the task of defending Trump. There is a conflict between loyalty to authority and defending those who are bullied. There are boundary issues. Her problem lies in discerning who is the bully and who is being bullied.

Because Sarah has been bullied herself she perceives that type of energy as negative. Unfortunately, bullying and being bullied also has the comfort of familiarity and invokes a possibly troublesome loyalty she feels to her father Mike Huckabee.

Being bullied at the same time you are learning to love and be loved is a powerful but useless lesson many girls and young women have learned from their fathers. It’s difficult to believe in a love without manipulation and pain after that. Maybe a big part of the problem is that there is a certain thrill simply in having your father that focused on you. Imagine the outcome if his focus was on teaching you self care instead.

Dog the Father

Source: Getty/Mic

A man who can make remarks like this is a scared misogynist at best. At worst he is a bully who is interested in taking away women’s freedom. For Sarah he is the archetype of the father. As such he represents authority – even the highest authority which some would call God. Sarah’s loyalty to Trump is a reflection of her loyalty to her father. She will have a huge conflict going against Trump in any way and feels compelled to defend him even though it makes her look like an ass.

Some of the characteristics of the Dog correspond with Sarah’s father’s career:

  • Mike Huckabee ran in the Presidential Primaries in 2016 but didn’t really have anything new to say.
  • He is a Christian Minister who probably thinks he is protecting his flock but is too dogmatic to be an inclusive and charismatic leader.
  • He was the Governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007 which shows that he does have leadership qualities with the like minded, i.e. his pack/PAC.
  • Coincidentally(?), he was born in Hope, Arkansas, the same town as Bill Clinton. Also interesting is that Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and George W. Bush were all born in 1946 which was a Dog year. This would lead one to think that the phrase “You lie like a dog” means not only that you lie, but that you do it badly.

 

Sarah has some of the Dog characteristics too. In Sarah’s chart, the character representing her self is 戊 and the character representing her father is 戌. Even if you’ve never studied Feng Shui or Bazi you will probably notice how similar these characters are. Sarah and her father are similar too, but not exactly the same.

But don’t forget Sarah’s day branch is the Dragon. Have you noticed how much more reluctant and heavy* she seems with each new press conference? She knows that Trump’s behavior is out of line and yet she doggedly pursues her own success by continuing in her protective position. She attempts to portray Trump’s behavior as paternally oriented but you can see she is struggling. On the other hand it’s the Rooster year, this is her big chance and the money is good, so…

The Rooster Year 2017

Because there is a Dragon in the day branch of Sarah’s chart, in a Rooster year she may find herself attracted to the fame and power of her job as a spokeswoman and losing track of her own mojo.

Her current fate is Wood Dragon indicating that this is a time where she has new opportunities for both power and money. Her problems are “first world problems”. This kind of big success must distract from any unpleasantness she has to go through to achieve it, but she doesn’t see the crash and burn coming. Unfortunately, a second Dragon means she may be kidding herself about how much she is able to outsmart those around her. Thinking about her long term career (i.e. post-Trump) might be a better strategy.

*I don’t mean she gained weight.

James Comey in Hot Water

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

James Comey
Born December 14, 1960 (hour unknown)
is too much water? He gets fired from his position of FBI Director on May 9, 2017, ostensibly due to damage done to the credibility of the FBI on his watch.

You don’t need to use divination to know that Comey’s firing has much more to do with our current administration’s ties to Russia than it has to do with some other action on Comey’s part. The reason Comey was fired is that he was perceived as having too much power over information about events that happened last year. The element of water represents Comey’s power in his ba zi but the element of water in general is about communication. Communication will not be suppressed by his dismissal in 2017 because the central energy of this year is water.

But let’s look at his ba zi.

James Comey was fired on a Fire Monkey day. You may remember that 2016 was a Fire Monkey year so already you can see here that there is an implication that he was fired for things that happened last year. Obviously there are echoes of recent events – anyone remember what happened shortly before the election? The 2 months prior to the election were Fire Monkey (August) and Fire Rooster (September). The same sort of chi as 2016 and 2017 but on a different scale.

When the Monkey is in the chart along with the Dragon there is a triple water combination in his chart. In a sense in the Rooster year the Dragon is lurking all of the time but it looks like April 2017 (Dragon month) completes the water combination and it is just too much. The Monkey has to do with getting in trouble with spoken words and the Dragon has to do with sudden change. When they come together with the Rat, keeper (or revealer) of secrets Comey is fired.

Comey’s current Big Fate is Water Snake. We just entered the Snake month on May 5th. Look to the Snake for marking out liars, spin doctors and truth seekers. Always a theme for the Snake. And just so you know, I’m not creative enough to make this stuff up.

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