Category: BaZi

12 Animal Fortunes for the Fire Pig Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Fire Pig 丁亥 Month
November 7th 12:04 – December 7th 05:04

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how bazi works, take a class with me. If you want to know more about your own bazi, book a reading here. You can book a reading for 2026 now.

Pillars and Fortunes

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

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
Whatever is going on with you this month, please know that the revolution is assisted by you being cared for. Just ask and set the tone of generosity.
Hint: If you want change, don’t go without.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Rats are ready to flood the zone. They’re making pre-emptive and/or preparatory moves to spread information in the revolution. Debunk please!
Hint: Be the strategist you are.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
It’s a wave of personal success for you but it might feel out of control. Is anything pure anymore?! All these mixed emotions.
Hint: The revolution is not over yet, but in a few months you can be in a different role.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
The Tiger’s work on behalf of justice in the revolution will continue in 2026. Expect to be prominent. This month’s injustices will reveal which way to go.
Hint: I know you can see where to apply the destruction.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Let the Pig take the wheel why not! Maybe this month is best spent in creativity – a little sheltered and in familiar territory.
Hint: All the things you do that you call small support the revolution too.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
Best believe that Dragons are in the early stages of a new phase. Whatever you see them doing now is part of their next iteration.
Hint: Don’t forget the revolution is still happening. We still need you.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
Getting clashed back now. Whatever you’ve sown this year with your behavior, now you reap. If you did it right, you’ll come out of this more powerful than ever.
Hint: The revolution is for the common good, not for the rich to get richer.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
The question is: are you taking danger seriously enough? Or might you be taking it too seriously? This will be an important theme for you next year in the revolution – how to be consistent.
Hint: Get more widely known for your work now.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Are you starting to realize that everybody wants you? Sheep like to be included but not when they are being pulled in every direction. Someone is nearby to help. Will you accept?
Hint: The revolution is uncomfortable when there are so many demands for your assistance.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
If you’re a Monkey looking for work, I think you’ll find some prospects this month. You know, there are actually some jobs in the revolution that are fun.
Hint: Spread the word and find what you want. It’s also good timing to apply for benefits if needed. (crazy right?)

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Roosters are learning not to get into silly arguments, due to their participation in the revolution. Not everyone deserves an explanation or even a kick in the behind.
Hint: Keep your mind open, keep talking. Don’t waste your time.

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Winter begins and it’s time for Dogs to be at home, dreaming of a favorite treat: the satisfaction of defending the Land Back movement in the revolution next year.
Hint: Share your dreams.

I hope you enjoyed these monthly forecasts. For daily forecasts, follow the Serious Dailies.

Bazi of Zohran Mamdani

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Zohran Mamdani is currently running for Mayor of New York City. Right now, he is in the lead. The election will be held on Tuesday November 4th, when we will still be in the Fire Dog month. This is important to note because the Bullying Punishment is in play and Zohran has all three signs in his natal chart: 未 Sheep, 戌 Dog, 丑 Ox. Obviously this doesn’t sound good.

But what if…the element of the “punishment” is helpful for him? What if experiencing the Bullying Punishment is how you learn to take away its power? It looks like Zohran has some special expertise in that and by his actions he has already shown he is not the bully.

We talked about Zohran Mamdani’s bazi during the Monthly Meetup for the Water Sheep month (last July). Now that we’re close to the election I thought I’d take another look at his natal chart and the election date. The bazi of Election Day is near the end of this post.

I think this is just the beginning of a very important phase for Mr. Mamdani. When your Big Fate matches your Life House, it’s a chance to live in the qi of your purpose for ten years. This is a special time. When your Big Fate also includes your success element and your Nobleman that combines with you, you’re very lucky! He just began his current Fate in 2024.

Speaking of Nobleman, Curtis Sliwa, a 1954 Wood Horse, seems to be helping Zohran though that may not be his goal. You’ll notice that his year pillar matches Zohran’s Ten Year Luck. Maybe they should work together in some capacity after the election. These times call for moving with others who are going in the same direction that you want to go.

Bullying Punishment

In the years since 2015, I’ve noticed the prevalence of the Bullying Punishment in the context of so called world leaders and governments but it’s been going on much longer than that and it’s everywhere.

You can see the Bullying Punishment, sometimes called the Earth Punishment or Penalty, in someone’s natal chart, but also in the charts of countries, cults and corporations. You can see it on a map too. It’s a big subject to tackle but one day I may write about what I see with the Bullying Punishment in history and the present.

For now, let’s focus on the bazi of Zohran Mamdani who was born in Kampala Uganda. I mention that because I think people who weren’t born in the United States might be quicker to understand that community is safer than rugged individualism for everyone. It’s a generalization but there’s some truth in it and we could really use a sense of caring for the collective now. A Sheep will naturally bring that to their work.

Ba Zi of Zohran K. Mamdani
b. October 18th 1991 at 01:15 am
Life House
Yang
Wood
甲
午
Horse
Hour
Yin
Earth
己
丑
Ox
Day
Yin
Metal
辛
酉
Rooster
Month
Yang
Earth
戊
戌
Dog
Year
Yin
Metal
辛
未
Sheep
Big Fate
Yang
Wood
甲
午
Horse

To beat a bully, unfortunately it’s helpful to have some experience in being bullied. What you learn from dealing with bullies is your practice and that is how you might become good at neutralizing them. With 未 Sheep, 戌 Dog, 丑 Ox Zohran Mamdani has the three signs of the Bullying Punishment.

He has experienced it, his ancestors have experienced it, it’s built into his work/workplace. He thinks about it quite a bit and he’s smart. It seems to me there are three possibilities in the Bullying Punishment: be the bully, be the victim, or break the pattern. I think Zohran Mamdani might be a pattern breaker.

Breaking the pattern requires resisting the way the bullies pit us against each other. They try to manipulate our ideas about the morality and values of others so that we completely miss what we have in common, and what would be best for all of us. They portray and create shortages to turn us against each other. They try to subdue us with the shock and awe of their boundary incursions.

In these situations we may become suspicious of what/who we can trust. We might “trust” the bully blindly because the punishment (or potential punishment) for questioning the status quo feels overwhelming. We might hope the bully cares about us, or curry their favor hoping they will help us. This is the pattern that calls for breaking.

Phew! I won’t call that a digression, but let’s get back to the bazi of Zohran the pattern breaker.

When Your Supporters Have Been Bullied

With all that Earth, Zohran has a lot of supporters and he speaks for their benefit. Coming into this Horse Big Fate he has more fame (Fire) than usual. Obvious right? Fire is Zohran’s power/influence element. Other than the Earth and Fire, what else does he have going?

Did you notice the Metal Rooster in Zohran’s day pillar? This is also key to his success. The Rooster is directing the energy of 2025; the Rooster is running things which may not be the Rooster’s preferred situation.

Rooster Business

In any year though, the Rooster is going to find a way out of being bullied one way or another. It turns out best when they realize that they pack a punch. Though they may need to apologize for something they said later, in the moment they usually do exactly what is needed. This is the Rooster’s gift. It also gets the Rooster into troublesome or strange situations. Zohran’s love of music is a Rooster thing.

The sign of Rooster also relates to Zohran’s beautiful wife. In the Monthly Meetup discussion someone smart asked how Zohran’s wife felt about his career and we figured that with the Horse in his luck she likes who he is associating with more these days.

So what would be a concern about this bazi? It has a lot of resource and sometimes resource is the element that shows up when people are imprisoned or confined. More so I think when your resource is Earth. Too much resource can mean being stuck. On the other hand, if all else fails and you have resource, that could save you.

Note that these generalizations are non-transferable. Every bazi is different. And just to make it more confusing, if I were to recommend an amulet for Zohran to carry this year it would be the Dragon. More Earth.

New York City Mayoral Election

Before concluding, let’s take a look at the Election Day chart.

Ba Zi of New York Mayoral Election Day
b. Tuesday November 4th 2025
Hour
?
Day
Yin
Fire
丁
丑
Ox
Month
Yang
Fire
丙
戌
Dog
Year
Yin
Wood
乙
巳
Snake

Can Zohran Mamdani defeat Andrew Cuomo? Who does this day favor more?

The Election Day chart indicates a strong self supported by friends for Zohran, and power/influence. If the vote is tabulated without interference, I’m feeling optimistic for Zohran Mamdani, and grateful that people like him would take on the risk the job entails in this political climate. If he doesn’t win this one, I know we haven’t seen the last of him.

Andrew Cuomo

What about Andrew Cuomo? Does he have a chance to win?

Ba Zi of Andrew Cuomo
b. December 6th 1957
Hour
?
Day
Yang
Water
壬
子
Rat
Month
Yin
Metal
辛
亥
Pig
Year
Yin
Fire
丁
酉
Rooster

Andrew Cuomo was born in 1957, a Fire Rooster year. His day pillar is Water Rat, his month is Metal Pig. These times are challenging for a strong Water day master and the Fire Horse year looms.

Election day brings a lot of resource, and turns success to output (more work?) for Cuomo. It’s the Year of the Wood Snake, and Snake is a Nobleman for him but I think it sometimes marks endings too. Andrew Cuomo’s current Ten Year Luck cycle is also  Wood Snake. The Rooster in his year pillar combines with the Snake of the year and the Ox of the election day. Could it be enough to help him win? What we can say for sure is that the Nobleman brings a lesson and for him this might be a lesson about wealth and success. I hope it’s something he hasn’t learned before.

In life there’s always what you want and what you don’t want, but I try to see beyond that. It’s hard to be objective sometimes.

Side note: Why is the swearing in of Adelita Grijalva being delayed? In her bazi we can read it as the Bullying Punishment, which can also look like exclusion.

Bazi of D’Angelo

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

D’Angelo was a popular and talented R&B artist, producer and member of the Soulquarians who possessed (was possessed by?) a supernatural talent. He could feel what you feel, and make you feel some kind of way with his music. He was good at organizing independent artists; metaphorically herding cats!

When you hear his music, you know it’s him. His vibe comes through regardless of who he’s working with. D’Angelo was working from a place of emotion and spirituality. He was also a stickler for rhythm. I think his elegance with this sometimes goes unnoticed, kind of like Val Jeanty. D’Angelo’s magic connects in such a way that people felt like they were on intimate terms with him whether they knew him or not. That must have been such a strange experience for him to meet people who had certain expectations about what he might want to do with them.

The paradox of D’Angelo’s life is that he is a yin Water person, and yet, he can easily kindle. This brings a lot of success and other rewards but maybe it also means he would go through long periods without creating new music. His creativity could protect him from being transformed to Fire but it couldn’t prevent it completely.

Probably the most fascinating thing to me about his bazi is the huge amount of talent D’Angelo possessed and how fame interfered with his creativity. Unfortunately, this is a common experience of people with talent. Maybe if you can keep your fame smaller you’ll be healthier? Is it possible to keep a conflagration small (and alive) once it’s started? Is there privacy anymore?

D’Angelo recently passed at the age of 51 due to pancreatic cancer. He was in a specific timing of the Earth Punishment when he passed in October. His favorable elements are pretty clear I think. I’ve done some reverse engineering based on his death date to verify. D’Angelo’s current Fate of 辛未 Metal Sheep started in 2022, a 壬寅 Water Tiger year.

I have estimated his birth time to be in the Horse hour.

Ba Zi of D'Angelo
b. February 11 1974 午 hour | d. October 14 2025
Life House
Yin
Water
癸
酉
Rooster
Hour
Yang
Earth
戊
午
Horse
Day
Yin
Water
癸
未
Sheep
Month
Yang
Fire
丙
寅
Tiger
Year
Yang
Wood
甲
寅
Tiger
Big Fate
Yin
Metal
辛
未
Sheep

How Does It Feel?

What this bazi says to me is that consciously or unconsciously, D’Angelo was enlisted (signed up?) to deal with an ancestral situation. In some ways, it is his job to “hurt the officer”, to go against enforcement, rules and limits on how much space he should take up on behalf of pleasure. D’Angelo’s music was sexy and sexual, this was part of his brand that may have led some people to take him less seriously as an artist. We are easily distracted by the physical and probably rightly so.

Being a 癸 yin Water person, he had an element of spirituality that was heightened by the 未 Sheep in his day pillar. Water Sheep knows things even without you telling them. They have prophetic “dreams”. They have a storehouse of creativity that comes out when they are clashed – when they get shaken up by life. There is only one water element in the bazi and that’s him, suggesting a feeling of loneliness in life. For an artist, this could be their preference. They want to keep space for the creativity.

I think this bazi would like to follow or feed Wood, and that any element weakening wood could be problematic. Wood was always asking for D’Angelo’s attention, asking him to give more. He did not have the capacity for that. In the times when his self element turned to Fire, his creative flow to Wood was obstructed. There are times when Metal would be a favorable element, but not always. D’Angelo himself said he would have dry spells with his creativity and in his natal chart you can see how that works.

Looking at his ten year timings in his life, and other signs, there may have been something related to 1993 which was the beginning of his illness. I don’t see the physical disease process as being unrelated to genetics, epigenetics, trauma and environment. We are not separate from our bodies, at least while we are incarnated, our bodies are not separate from our spirit and emotional body.

Death Date of D’Angelo
October 14 2025 午 Horse Hour

Hour
Yang
Wood
甲
午
Horse
Day
Yang
Fire
丙
辰
Dragon
Month
Yang
Fire
丙
戌
Dog
Year
Yin
Wood
乙
巳
Snake

As seems to be the case for some artists, an excess of Fire (fame) can be bad for your health, regardless of your self element. Of course this isn’t true for all creative people.

I hope he is at peace now.

Announcing the Fire Horse 2026 Almanac!

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart
Back Cover and Front Cover

If you can’t read Chinese, but you work with Chinese metaphysics or medicine, the Fire Horse 2026 Almanac will help you bridge the gap and apply your knowledge in real time. It’s an English Language Chinese Almanac. I’m offering both a print and digital version this year.

Each year I compile the Almanac from various sources. The structure is based primarily on the lunisolar Hsia calendar, and the Tung Shing or Annual Chinese Almanac. I started publishing the Almanac because I use it! I had been making it by hand for myself for years. It’s the backbone of my practice and now I’m sharing it with you.

WRITE IN THIS BOOK. The Almanac is a reference tool, calendar, and learning journal. If you’re not familiar with Chinese Astrology, all of the information you need to navigate the Almanac is included before the calendar portion:

Part One

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches
Elements
The Chinese Calendar and Cycle of 60
Chinese hours, days, months, seasons, and years
Date Selection Tips
Noblemen
Flying Stars (Period 9, Annual, Monthly)
Trigrams and Elements
Annual Hexagram

Part Two

Part 2 consists of one year’s worth of Gregorian calendar overlaid with the basic Chinese Astrology framework used for forecasting and date selection:

Day Pillar Stem and Branch
Daily Hexagram
Daily XKDG numbers
Daily Flying Star
Day Officer
Lunar Mansion
Monthly Flying Stars
Month Pillar
Solar Fortnight
Lunar Cycle/Month
Eclipses
Seasons
San Fu Tian Treatment Dates
Special Days
Ratings for the general auspiciousness of each day

For those interested in taking my Date Selection classes, you’ll want to know the Almanac is the text for the class. It will also be the text for a new class I will teach in 2026 which is a free class for you if you purchase the Almanac. The class is called Daily Flying Star Calculation : Two Methods.

NOTE: The Fire Horse 2026 Almanac begins with the Rat month of December 2025 and ends with the Pig month of November 2026.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Fire Dog Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Fire Dog 丙戌 Month
October 8th 08:41 – November 7th 12:04

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how bazi works, take a class with me. If you want to know more about your own bazi, book a reading here. You can book a reading for 2026 now.

Pillars and Fortunes

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

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Your heart is showing. What will people see? What do you want them to see? Let it be you bestowing the warm soft landing you also want for yourself in this revolution.
Hint: What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
Unlikely coconspirators are here. Plan and execute a dethronement within the next two months. The revolution is both personal and political. There’s no difference.
Hint: As I’m sure you already know, violence is not the way.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Dare to push yourself when it comes to seeking the future you desire. Otherwise, what would be the point of the revolution? Water can be diminished but never eliminated.
Hint: You’ll know you’re in the flow when you make life grow.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
Find ways to align with others like you, even though they may not look like you or act like you. In the revolution, this the main way we defeat bullies.
Hint: Focus on your resourcefulness.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
The Tiger may find this month too obvious, easy, and therefore boring. If that’s you, maybe you would like to work for the revolution? Don’t let all that easy success go unappreciated.
Hint: Travel may not be as satisfying as usual – for now.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Let’s make a deal? With your Secret Friend who is the unlikely friend of a friend present, be ready to meet spontaneous opportunities. Communicate & network.
Hint: Working for the revolution might deplete, it can also enrich you.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
If you want to stay human in this revolution and you have a lot of power maybe it’s helpful to have an occasional setback that keeps you humble.
Hint: Those boundary signs you are seeing do apply to you too.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
Maybe you’re thinking you’ve had enough revolution now that it’s getting cold but it could be you’re too exposed to hibernate yet.
Hint: Even if you’re feeling uneasy, you’re probably safer than you think, as usual.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
You may feel more competitive this month, but maybe that’s just because suddenly there’s a mountain of success to be had.
Hint: Practice working as a team if you want to be part of the revolution.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
If a relationship is ending this month, how will that affect your ideas about the revolution? I suggest you and the Ox find your common ground when it comes to bullies and tyrants.
Hint: Put aside the small differences to make the resistance solid.

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
New doors are suddenly open for the Monkey. Try to look beyond the anxieties and stress of this year and see the resources the revolution offers you.
Hint: Consider sharing your process or decision with others who want to support you.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Finite projects are the most satisfying for a Rooster, but the revolution is a long term proposition. Take a break once in a while and you’ll enjoy life more.
Hint: Write things down, wrap things up.

Monthly Meetup – Fire Dog Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The 丙戌 Fire Dog Month opens on Wednesday October 8th. We’ll be meeting on Saturday October 11th from 9-10 am GMT-7 to talk about what the month holds for us. You can find more information or sign up here.

As usual, we will use my Monthly Guide as the jumping off point for discussion but we are not limited by that.

Some possible topics include Hexagram 52, elemental growth stages, the Fire Dog pillar, real estate, boundaries, doors, gates, thresholds, health tips, travel and timing. Questions are always welcome!

I hope you’ll join us. The Guide for the Fire Dog Month, along with the Zoom link for the meetup, will go out by email prior to the meetup. The Zoom link will be in your inbox on Friday October 10th.

If you have any questions please email me through my site.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Wood Rooster Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Wood Rooster 乙酉 Month
September 7th 16:52-October 8th 08:41

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how bazi works, take a class with me. If you want to know more about your own bazi, book a reading here. You can book a reading for 2026 now.

Pillars and Fortunes

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

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Don’t let your craving for peace outweigh the clear cut opening for a new way of being in this revolution. I encourage you to take that as a serious proposition this time. Lead.
Hint: Logic only offers things you already know

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
Feeling a little suspicious of your neighbors in the revolution? Some third-party energy could be wearing away the relationship. This can be solved through clear and amicable boundaries. Communication is your success.
Hint: Move your stuff.

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
You’ve made it to the point in the year of the Snake where it’s time to be open about what you want in this revolution, and do what is needed to make it happen. Make trades. Get paid.
Hint: Invite support.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
Relationships come back into balance for now – more so if you share your plans for the revolution. Talking will help.
Hint: You are not at a disadvantage. Act accordingly.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
Team energy and routine – these are things that the Ox can enjoy this month. Do what you like for a moment in this revolution.
Hint: So called obligations are more flexible than usual.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
This is the revolution. Decisions have been made. This month’s challenge is to be ready to respond quickly when you see the right moment to act, or to direct others.
Hint: Then, disappear until the next time.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Feeling exposed much in this revolution? Don’t make that literal. Stay in safe places to mitigate potential setbacks. Know what you know about where the trouble is.
Hint: Don’t go there.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
Pulled back into the body by the revolution, it may be more difficult to maintain your usual distance. There are things your body wants and things your body needs.
Hint: Pay attention to appearance too.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
The Snake experiences a peak of success in this first year of revolution; a milepost in a long term process. Indications of the final outcome are everywhere.
Hint: Gas up.

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
How’s life in the future? Pay attention to a shorter timeline. Surrender to the schedule proposed by the Universe and the revolution.
Hint: Rewards are available in the present.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Sheep: extend the hospitality of the revolution. Make it personal. Seek and support your people. Organize and facilitate food and housing.
Hint: What good deeds could you accomplish in a single day?

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Take a little time off from the revolution Monkey. That is, the hands-on part. Continue other ongoing work as you are able. Hopefully you were able to avoid injury last month.
Hint: You’ll start something new later.

Monthly Meetup – Wood Rooster Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The 乙酉 Wood Rooster Month opens on Sunday September 7th but we’ll be meeting just a bit early on Saturday September 6th from 9-10 am GMT-7. You can find more information or sign up here.

As usual, we will use my Monthly Guide as the jumping off point for discussion but we are not limited by that.

Some possible topics include Hexagram 33, the triple combination of Metal and what that could mean in your life, strategy, “seeing things”, robbery sha, self penalties, and the bazi of Debbie Harry who was born in a Wood Rooster year (1945).

I might talk a little about the relationship of Zi Wei Dou Shou astrology and Ba Zi too.

I hope you’ll join us. The Guide for the Wood Rooster Month, along with the Zoom link for the meetup, will go out by email on on Friday September 5th.

If you have any questions please email me through my site.

If you’d like to receive notifications about Monthly Meetups please subscribe to my Substack.

Wood Monkey Month : Decisions Press

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

What happens when Wood and Metal get together? This is what we could learn this month.

We might summarize the conflict of 木 Wood and 金 Metal as the interplay of elements. For the Wood, the Metal provides an unforgettable intrusive experience, literally leaving a scar. The Metal is offended by the space the Wood demands, as well as its expression (words or 火 Fire).

Metal finds the words of Wood offensive and wants to negate them. Wood finds the words of Metal (that is, 水 Water) make it want to take up more space. Both Wood and Metal are shorthand ways of describing process or movement. Wood expands, Metal contracts.

This conflict dynamic between Wood and Metal can be understood as an elemental cycle where the missing element is Earth. So maybe what is missing is loyalty, reliability, and stillness.

The Sheep is yin Earth technically, but it is the last month of the season of Fire. After Fire season, Metal season comes. The missing link is Earth again. The contrast between Sheep month and Monkey month feels like going down a step that is slightly disporportionate with the others in the staircase. It startles the nervous system.

There are four pillars that embody this Wood/Metal conflict energy: The Wood Monkey, Wood Rooster, Metal Tiger, and Metal Rabbit. If you read bazi, you know that wherever this pillar appears there is some inherent conflict in that part of the person’s life. Some people seem to “suffer” from the conflict while others will surprise you with creativity and transformations.

yang Wood yin Wood yang Metal yin Metal
甲 乙 庚 辛
申 酉 寅 卯
Monkey Rooster Tiger Rabbit

Each of these pillars has an energetic signature so to speak. For example, the Wood Monkey is a decision maker. In the year pillar, it might indicate a person who was charged to take care of a family at a young age. It’s overwhelming and this may reinforce the Monkey’s tendency not to reveal their plans due to feeling like when they do, they get thwarted by responsibility.

The Wood Rooster has a similar experience, but they might be more prone to negotiating a better outcome than the Monkey would. The Rooster will want to handle things in a more subtle way, maybe even seeking religion or other ways of anchoring their ethics to practical matters.

The Metal Tiger is maybe the harshest one, but if you’re Metal sitting on Wood, it might feel like you have to be that way to survive. With the Metal Tiger it controls from the top down. The Wood Monkey is trying to control what heaven has given, the Metal Tiger is trying to control things on earth. These are just a few ways to think about these pillars.

In reading bazi, I like to always remember what these symbols are trying to say. For example, yes you could interpret yang Wood as a tree, and yang Metal (Monkey) as an axe. Wood and Metal clash, but when we see these characters together the first thing you might notice is how similar they are.

甲申

When you see this pillar, you know right from the start that discernment is needed; this person is going to need to be discerning. This is a theme of their life, but in the lens of yin/yang they might be very careful, or they might be very careless!

The Wood Monkey pillar is often the sign of an important decision that is pressing and I think we are all feeling that in August 2025. This pillar can also indicate a person who has to make important decisions.

For example, Harry Truman, who was the 33rd US President, authorized the use of the atomic bomb in 1945. He was born in a Wood Monkey year. He made the authorization in a Wood Rooster year, close to the start of a Wood Monkey month. His year pillar and month pillar match Giuliani’s and maybe this is a testament about how one person having too much power can lead them into doing things that they might avoid otherwise; things that they might profoundly regret.

This is a challenging year for the Wood Monkey because it’s a Wood Snake year, and the Monkey and Snake have a unique kind of relationship. Elon Musk has a Wood Monkey day pillar. As such a public figure we know quite a bit about his antics so he’s a good case study.

You see, Monkeys tend to have problems with third party relationships in a Snake year, and that’s Elon for sure. The 申 Monkey may or may not know about the third party. A Monkey might be the third party, but this is true for 巳 Snake and 寅 Tiger too. The so called Fire Penalty only exists in the context of relationships. That means it can be influenced by our behavior.

Monkey and Snake are Secret Friends, and they also carry each other’s breakup sign. This is sometimes called a Destruction in a bazi. It’s complicated.

The last Wood Monkey year was 2004, so 21 year olds like Millie Bobbie Brown* are impacted by the Snake this year, as well as 81 year olds like Rudy Giuliani.

Ba Zi of Rudy Giuliani
b. May 28 1944 at 14:30
Life House
Yang
Earth
戊
辰
Dragon
Hour
Yin
Fire
丁
未
Sheep
Day
Yang
Water
壬
辰
Dragon
Month
Yin
Earth
己
巳
Snake
Year
Yang
Wood
甲
申
Monkey
Big Fate
Yin
Fire
丁
丑
Ox

In 2001, a Metal Snake year, Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of New York city and was thought to be a hero. That was his last year in office. The Snake is not kind to him as you can see if you look at his career history. Each time a Snake comes, he experiences endings.

His experience of the Snake is magnified by the Snake in his month pillar. Do you see how it combines from top to bottom with the year pillar? An interesting feature of this is that his output (Wood) can be transformed to his officer (Earth). Unless he is careful, his words and deeds can get him in trouble with authority. This might be more problematic for a Water day master than any other. I think when there are Earth signs in the stem or branch Rudy Giuliani gets some consequences and health issues too.

Mr. Giuliani kicked off the Year of the Wood Snake in the Tiger month with the Fire Penalty, which for him involves his money element.

He is a Water person, so his money and success element is Fire. In February 2025 he settled a lawsuit where I’m sure he lost a big chunk of change, but I’m thinking he didn’t lose as much as he could have even though he committed serious violations of ethics. Why? Probably because he is a strong Water guy.

His powerful day pillar of Water Dragon is the same as Putin’s year pillar, and it clashes top to bottom with Trump’s year pillar of Fire Dog. My take on Rudy is that when he fell in with the wrong “friends”, his career tanked. I don’t think Water is a helpful element for him. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024. I think you can see the potential for this in his bazi.

While bazi is often calculated using solar timings, you might decide to use the lunar calendar instead. From that perspective, Rudy Giuliani was born in an intercalary lunar month. I picked up on this because this summer I have been learning Zi Wei Dou Shu, which is calculated with lunar timings. I haven’t done enough research yet to tell if there might be something significant about being born in an intercalary month.

If you are interested in a Zi Wei Dou Shu reading, I will be offering it as a service soon. Watch for an announcement here on the blog, or receive a notification in your email by subscribing to my Substack.

I wish you (and Rudy) well in this month where decisions are pressing in. Let your relationships guide your actions. Where do you want to be this winter? Who else will be there?

*Born in a Tiger month, Millie Bobbie Brown is experiencing the Fire Penalty this year too. Based on her life, I suspect Fire is a favorable element for her.

12 Animal Fortunes for the Wood Monkey Month

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Wood Monkey 甲申 Month
August 7th 13:51-September 7th 16:52

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

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, just ask! Each of the four animals of your BaZi correlates with an aspect of your life. Start with that interpretation.

If you’d like to know more about how your natal chart works, or what to expect in 2025, you can book a reading here.

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

申 Monkey
Years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Month: August roughly.
Prepare yourself and welcome the truth. What I can tell you for sure is that it’s not going to be as bad as you imagine. I know how you think.
Hint: The revolution was always personal.

酉 Rooster
Years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Month: September roughly.
Take this month to shift stagnation in your environment. Make open space for the future to enter.
Hint: Clear out on behalf of the revolution. What do you have that others could use?

戌 Dog
Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Month: October roughly.
The Dog realizes the full extent of what this revolution has brought so far. There is so much work to do but it’s probably what you want.
Hint: Where do you want to be in October? How soon can you go?

亥 Pig
Years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Month: November roughly.
Maybe it’s really your revolution Pig. What if this month you’re supported to act – without getting too much attention? Blockages melt away.
Hint: Make plans and deals for winter months.

子 Rat
Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Month: December roughly.
The Wood Monkey puts the Rat into a state of creative flow for the month. As the strategist for this revolution, you might use that support to defuse conflict.
Hint: See both sides.

丑 Ox
Years: 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Month: January roughly.
The Ox may have a new boss, as well as a load of work to do. Plan for short, intense efforts. The “work” may relate to family too. Be in the moment.
Hint: In the revolution, everything will get done on time.

寅 Tiger
Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Month: February roughly.
If you’re used to being a predator, then you know what it’s like to be prey too. This healthy perspective supports the revolution. Let roles shift and changes happen.
Hint: Tigers are easy to spot this month. It may be you are exposed.

卯 Rabbit
Years: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Month: March roughly.
Some of the most changing years are coming up for the Rabbit. Maybe this month is a marker of where your role pivots in the revolution.
Hint: Seek equity in partnership and shape your future.

辰 Dragon
Years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Month: April roughly.
Dragons find engineers and other makers to bring their ideas further into the tangible world. You could easily recruit on behalf of the revolution.
Hint: It’s not beneath you.

巳 Snake
Years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Month: May roughly.
One of my first teachers said that the Snake, unlike other signs, reaps the consequences of their deeds during this lifetime. This month that could be particularly impactful.
Hint: The question of the revolution is: what are you learning and what will you do differently?

午 Horse
Years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Month: June roughly.
Feel the uneasiness – it’s not fear this time is it? The smoke is in the air in this revolution now and you know which way to go. Not everyone will follow you.
Hint: You can lead a Monkey to safety but you’re not in charge of making them think.

未 Sheep
Years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Month: July roughly.
Like the Ox, Sheep has a lot of work to do – from now until a possible reunion in November when you reap some of the rewards of this revolution.
Hint: You may benefit from a low profile for now.