Category: Divination

12 Animal Fortunes for 2026 ~ Fire Horse Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

How To Use The Animal Fortunes

Read the fortune for each one of your Four Pillars.

If you already know your Four Pillars click on the animal name in the table below to go straight to your forecast. If you don’t know your Year Animal, click on your birth year.

For those born in January or very early February, your birth year could be the previous year. Gregorian years don’t match up with Chinese years.

If you don’t know your Four Pillars, or you’re not sure about the cutoff date for your year please ask me.

Within the natal chart or bazi, the position of each pillar is related to a different 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 your partner; relationship.

Hour Pillar

The innermost you, your children, future, dreams.

Interpretation

The interpretation of elements in a Ba Zi rests on the day stem, therefore, these annual forecasts cannot take into account the dynamic interaction of your particular natal chart, your elemental flow or favorable elements. Do you want to learn more about how to use your BaZi for timing and other purposes? Visit my Services page if you’re ready for a reading.

恭喜发财
Happy New Year!

Fire Horse 2026 Animal Fortunes

Horse 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014
Sheep 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015
Monkey 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016
Rooster 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017
Dog 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018
Pig 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007
Rat 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008
Ox 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009
Tiger 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010
Rabbit 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011
Dragon 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012
Snake 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013

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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.

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Hexagram 52 艮 : Mountain

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

At the Threshold

Hexagram 52 correlates to the Fire Dog pillar. It’s also the Tidal Gua for the Lunar month of Pig which starts November 19th this year. The Pig month is where winter begins, and so it is a stopping point in a very real sense, one that we can experience in our bodies as well as through observation. In a sense we might interpret this Hexagram as covering the time from now until mid-December. We’re at a threshold.

In the sequence of Hexagrams in the I Ching, Gen or Stillness (52) follows Thunder (51). A general interpretation of Thunder might be that it presents an opportunity to see how you work through anxiety and fear, or you might interpret it as a time for action. We can interpret Hexagram 51 as where we are coming from/where we are now. Hexagram 52 is where we will be in the lunar month of Fire Dog.

That would make Still or Mountain the aftermath of Thunder, meaning now it’s time to take a breath, at least a moment of stillness will help you assess the situation because things have changed. We’ve made it past some sort of tension release and I hope you’re feeling it. Any time you’re unsure about when to take action or when to be still, the Universe is usually providing some helpful clues and the I Ching is just one way to access them.

A general interpretation of Hexagram 52 would be don’t leave your own place. Don’t leave your home area. It’s not the best time to travel, but some will need to travel and can plan accordingly. You may want to allow for or build some stillness into your journey. Plan for delay or moving slowly. Since this Hexagram is describing multiple types of stillness, it suggests knowing when to speak and when not to speak is important too. Safety comes from these moments of recognition. It’s like magic.

On the top and bottom of Hexagram 52 we see the Gen trigram, the Youngest Son. This Trigram is associated with a mountain, hands, prayer, meditation, withdrawal, or a religious or spiritual existence just to name a few things. These are things that ask us to be still.

Visually, this mountain on top of a mountain looks like double doors to me – a door on top of a door. Do you want to go low or go high? When speaking about the compass, the Dog is sometimes called Heaven’s Gate(!) and where would that be unless it was very high up? I’m just throwing these ideas out to see if they evoke anything for you – don’t take it too seriously. I work in metaphors most.

The element of Hexagram 52 is yang Earth as is befitting for a Mountain. The symbol is so clear about indicating a stop. If you’re traveling, when you come to the mountain, you go over, around or through. You could turn back, but in life is that really an option? We can’t go back to the actual past, even though some of us are still stuck there. What often works best is seeing what opportunities are available in the moment and following them.

In the case of Hexagram 52 maybe your situation seems insurmountable, there’s a mountain on top of the mountain. There are two doors to choose from but you have no idea which is the right one.

Maybe we all could use a moment to let the message come, before we know what action to do next. We might be less attached to or anxious about an outcome if we understand that the signs will point the way at the right time. Just stay open to them and trust yourself.

The text for Hexagram 52 is available here.

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Hexagram 33 遯 : Retreat

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

When I think of Hexagram 33, I often remember this quote from Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House which I think describes its energy very well :

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.”

There comes a point where retreat beckons, when retreat will preserve us and we can make efforts at a more auspicious time. When you realize you’re surrounded by creeps, maybe don’t linger?

Hexagram 33, called Dun or Retreat, is the hexagram that corresponds to the Wood Rooster solar month. Hexagram 33 is also the Tidal Gua for the lunar month of Sheep. This year, there was an intercalary lunar month, so some of my current interpretation will be shaped by events that happened between June 25th-August 22nd. Solar and lunar work together like yin/yang.

The text for Hexagram 33 is available here.

The hexagram consists of Gen the Youngest Son on the bottom. Gen is the Mountain. Qian the Father is on top. Qian is Heaven. We are talking about high places. This arrangement suggests a younger man is coming up, literally. In the future, he will be “on top”. He has a youthful qi that is dedicated to spiritual or religious matters. He is coming into power while an older man (on top) is phasing out. This has some interesting parallels to what might be happening in January and February of 2026. It’s not too much of a leap to interpret this as a reference to JD Vance.

Let’s look at Hexagram 33 and what it can tell us about the Wood Rooster month. From this perspective we could say the Rooster month (September) contains a peak of energy – energy that was born in May. This Rooster month sets up the Ox month (January) as a completion or finale. In a Snake year, it seems kind of inevitable that January 2026 marks an important ending.

The signs of Snake, Rooster and Ox are some of the most affected/empowered by this year and they will work together to make 金 Metal. Metal and Water seem to be the most unfavorable for Trump and we’re currently in Metal season, headed toward the Water season. Rat, whose month is most of December, is a yang nobleman (probably male) for Trump, but it doesn’t seem to bring good luck. Rat is his success element but he doesn’t seem able to experience it – he is never satisfied. JD Vance has a Wood Rat year but Trump doesn’t seem to appreciate him. Does he ever say thank you?

Timing

The first two lines of Hexagram 33 are broken and as Daoist scholar Alfred Huang says regarding interpretation:

“This is a situation where inferior persons were multiplying and increasing in power. It is time for the wise to retreat.”

Recent resignations at the CDC come to mind.

The broken lines one and two (on the bottom) could be where the most action is this month. In terms of time, that would cover approximately September 7-17. Expect the boastfulness of the Trump administration to expose more deceit and create chaos. They like to talk about their crimes openly.

This exposure or self exposure then spurs more withdrawals or resignations of personnel from government agencies from approximately September 18th- October 8th, leaving no one left to hide behind or blame.

I’m hopeful that some of the withdrawals we see will be due to people getting ready to exert their influence at a more auspicious time. The gist of Hexagram 33 right now might be that something (someone?) big is about to go down and there are people in high places who will retreat from being associated with it. Like rats (again) leaving a sinking ship. You could take a personal perspective on this too – is there anything/anyone you need to retreat from?

One image that comes to mind for me with Hexagram 33 is the way that the ocean retreats before the tidal wave comes. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You don’t have to believe in physics to experience it. Liu Ming calls Hexagram 33 “the story of a successful comeback”. This makes me so curious about who or what could be coming back, but that won’t happen until later.

Any gains that can be made this month are likely to be small, but don’t take that to mean they are not important. Sometimes gains consist of not losing. This is a description of where we are now: continue your work, don’t strive or strive for attention. By “your work”, I mean relationships as well as your career.

In the sequence of hexagrams, after Hexagram 33 comes Hexagram 34 which is called Great Strength or Great Invigorating. This is a natural response to retreating. Nothing lasts forever. Winter is coming and spring will follow.

As a Tidal Gua, Hexagram 34 corresponds to the lunar Rabbit month, which suggests that about halfway through March 2026 our government’s current structure is inverted. You can read the text for Hexagram 34 here.

Instead of continuing to portray himself as a young religious man, I think from now on we will see a different presentation of current Vice President JD Vance.

Zhen on the top of Hexagram 34 is the Eldest Son, the one who takes over for the Father the way a Vice President will take over for a President. He is the successor. Watch for JD Vance to make this his new message now to set up for later. The position of Zhen on the top is a reminder that JD Vance will also phase out. Nothing lasts forever.

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Hexagram 47 困 : Beset

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

What if the problem is, wherever you go, there you are? What do you do when wherever you go, you are there with the same concerns, the same problems, the same worries?

Hexagram 47 困 Kun corresponds to the Water Sheep pillar. Since we’re in a Water Sheep month, let’s consider it first in that context. The name can be translated in different ways, but for now it feels right to me to think of Kun as “Beset”.

On top of Hexagram 47 we have 兌 Dui, the youngest daughter. On the bottom is 坎 Kan, the middle son. Lake over Abyss. That’s a lot of Water. Earthquakes and flooding are likely this month, and/or you could say a feeling of instability and strong tides of emotion are rampant. “Alligator Alcatraz” seems related to this hexagram.

Sometimes we cast the coins because we feel at a loss as to how to proceed, or maybe you want to know what to expect so you can prepare. When you’re in that mind state, you likely have concerns that you are headed into a difficult situation.

The hexagram you cast may tell you different, but casting Hexagram 47 will confirm this: you are headed into a difficult situation, and your actions and choices have brought you here. Now you will have to decide what to do about it – or let the chips fall where they may. I usually recommend the former. In my experience, sometimes this hexagram comes up in the context of divorce or breakup, although that outcome is not guaranteed.

If you are going through a loss, or you think you are about to, surely there were prior indications that this outcome was merging with possibility. Maybe ask yourself if this was true, you know, for future reference.

If Hexagram 47 describes your situation, you would have already noticed you’re existing in or even generating the kind of energy that could lead to three years of punishment, isolation, and restriction. Will you be imprisoned? Probably not, but it might feel that way.

Remember that in this world of metaphysics, we’re working with metaphors that mirror our life, and we usually see their meanings through the lens of our preferences. When you remember this, you might realize you could still find a way out of your stuckness, within certain limits. You could step outside of preferences and find some new possibilities. Or you could choose to act based on your preferences and get what you want – or not. Will you take the chance?

If the energy of Kun relates to your current physical or mental state, ask for advice from a trusted source. Look for a spiritual solution such as meditation, prayer or divination. At some of the most scary times of my life, I’ve made some deals with the Universe myself about what I was committed to doing to shape or soften fate. I take that kind of ask very seriously so I don’t do it often. I think we know when the time is right to ask for that kind of assist.

“Kun refers to a deep pit dug on Zhou battlefields to imprison a wild and belligerent, defeated enemy officer. Kun means isolation, oppression and entanglement. For the captive, loss is made repeatedly worse by struggling against the odds.” Liu Ming

The ideograph for Kun 困 shows a tree (wood) trapped in a box. There’s nowhere to grow or go. Wood is meant to move and expand infinitely, but it cannot. Its elemental nature is neutralized.

Kun expresses the limits of every possible human action. Change is always going to come. Acceptance might bring a more positive outcome. Acceptance is not the same as giving up, and forgive me for using a very extreme example, but I think Kun does speak to possibly choosing death as a way of escape, including suicide. Feeling stuck can do that a body. When you let yourself feel the feels, you will pass through this moment into the next. What the next moment brings will be different than now. Kun is also sometimes translated as Distress or Exhaustion which are temporary states regardless of outcome. Don’t forget that.

If you’d like to read the text from the Book of Changes, there’s a PDF of Wu Jing Nuan’s translation available online. The text is the same as the print book. Go to page 191 of the PDF to read the text for Hexagram 47.

The energy of this month will pass, meanwhile I encourage everyone to connect however you can with loved ones, especially if you are feeling trapped, or you know they are feeling trapped. We can gather each other up.

What you have to say or offer now could make a crucial difference in someone else’s life whether you know it or not. Don’t wait for an emergency to show your care. Part of emergency preparation is connecting with people who are important to you when there is no emergency. This will bolster your courage and resolve for the time when the big changes come.

Coincidentally(?) we have two Heavenly Pardoning Days* this month, an unusual opportunity which suggests that asking for forgiveness or giving it might be all you need to do to set the changes in motion – to clear the stuckness. This is best done by invoking ancestors who we might respectfully ask for guidance or amnesty, or perhaps we might be forgiving them and recognizing their intentions. They want resolutions too. The solution might be as simple as that if you’re feeling the energy of Hexagram 47 in your life.

Unpopular opinion: the best solutions are not complicated. Adding complexity might be something like saying no. Adding complexity creates exclusion. When we can’t accept the simple, do we really want change? Or do we just want to move on without changing? Good luck with that. What can you say yes to? This is the way.

*The Heavenly Pardoning Days are Thursday July 24th and Thursday August 7th. If you like to keep track of these things, may I suggest my Monthly Guide?

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Hexagram 57 : Compliance

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Hexagram 57 is called Xun. Xun is most often translated as Wind but right now I like the translation by Liu Ming: Compliance.

The trigrams on the top and bottom of Hexagram 57 are the same. Xun represents the oldest daughter, the one who is designated to take on motherly duties. One of my teachers said they remember what the Xun trigram looks like because they associate it with hips – a woman’s hips.
(also note there are two tiny snakes on the top of the ideograph 巽 – remind you of anyone?)

Compliance

Compliance has been the theme of the year, hasn’t it? In the USA, the compliance of our elected officials has been a lever for people doing power and money grabs. Our human inclination towards compliance in general as a less troublesome route might be a problem too. So here we are, in a Water Horse month with the matching Hexagram being called Compliance. I should also say, another translation is Submission.

When the Yi Jing is contradicting your expectation, this means you may have made it outside of your usual sources of information and use of logic. Usually this is a positive thing. I was expecting resistance to be the thing to cultivate but…

Hexagram 57 starts by recommending compliance or submission instead of resistance, that is, going with the advice of diviners, maybe consulting many sources. In place of the concept of diviners, you could name this energy as higher authorities in any field. When you see the phrase “advantageous to see the Great Man”, it’s time to get some advice from someone with special powers or knowledge.

You might ask the Universe for guidance, or if you are a religious person you could follow your own traditions. The first thing to do is consult the sources you trust for advice. It’s important to remember though, there is such a thing as too much information, and most decisions are pretty simple if you know what you want.

The name of Hexagram 57 might also be translated as Proceeding Humbly, meaning we accept help and advice from others; we take care of and guide ourselves as much as we can. In some ways, we are all playing an infinite game of telephone with the Universe. The message we receive is shaped by unconscious desires and fears. Relationships will help you to know which one is influencing you at any given time.

Hexagram 57
Gua Ci
SUN: Small sacrificial offerings.
Advantageous to have a place to go to. Advantageous to see the Great Man.

Line 1
Advantage for a military man to arrive at the divination.

Line 2
The wind present under the bed.
Use annualists, wizards, and numbers like them. Good fortune. No error.

Line 3
The incessant wind, regrets.

Line 4
Regrets vanish.
In the field, captured in hunting, three kinds of game.

Line 5
The divination, good fortune. Regrets vanish.
Without doubt advantageous, without a beginning there is an end. Before the change, three days; after the change, three days.
Good fortune.

Line 6
The wind present under the bed.
Lost his valuables and axe. The divination: misfortune.

(from the Yi Jing translated by Wu Jing-Nuan ISBN 0-9673272-0-2)

Before you go further, take a moment to appreciate the uncanny relevance of Xun to our current situation. I know you can think of multiple correlations easily.

By the Lines

For interpreting Xun right now, I think the line to focus on is line 3. Too much compliance has led us here. Instead of committing to their own values, people have spread their force too thin by trying to follow too many “higher powers”.

“We can’t ignore the [Tyrant’s] desires.” JD Vance March 28 2025

This is such a telling phrase regarding relationships in general. When someone has been abused over a period of time, this might be what we hear them say about their abuser. This is the kind of outcome to expect. Unfortunately, total compliance quickly turns into enabling. When people stay in an abusive relationship, this is what can happen. When people cover up for abusers, this is what happens. There are some interesting parallels here in the case of Sean Combs.

Why is it so hard for people to leave an abusive relationship? I still don’t know, but I promise you the devil you know is not better than the devil you don’t. At least, don’t accept that false logic anymore.

Line 3 has a special relationship with line 4, which says that this month we have opportunities to take actions that lead to success. Or to be more accurate, the idea is that successes come from nonaction, which I usually take to mean as being open and aware of what you want and what kind of events that attitude can lead to.

When I have been able to take that approach, unexpected things that I wanted were brought to life. I think the key was not pushing for it, but just recognizing timing, preparing for the possibility you see, and doing a few nudges of communication with others. As always though, the Tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao. lol

At line 5, there’s a suggestion that during a span of 7 days this month we could see some doubling up of good fortune. That would center somewhat around the summer solstice. Let it be so!

I also think a lot of portents we see this month tell us about September 2025.

Opposite Gua

The Opposite Gua is sometimes called Shadow Gua or Complementary Gua. If you’ve been subscribing to my Monthly guide (see the Monthly Guide for Wood Pig Month – November 2024 for example), you may recall that the Opposite Gua matches pillars that are opposite each other on the compass.

In a Water Horse Month, it will be helpful to remember that the Water Rat is opposite on the compass. The Water Rat is associated with Hexagram 51, Thunder over Thunder. Every line is different than Hexagram 57.

When you cast the coins and get Hexagram 51, a big shakeup is coming; a tension release. When it’s the Opposite Gua, you’ve got some suggested context to work with.

In relationship to the Water Horse month, Hexagram 51 Zhen (Thunder or Shock) 震 is the Opposite Gua.

We have a Water Rat day on June 12th, right after the Full Moon on the west coast of the US.*

What can be learned from the Opposite Gua?

When every line of the Hexagram is changing, of course we can expect big changes! How does Compliance turn to Thunder? How does Submission turn to Shock?

In addition to this broad interpretation, the Opposite Gua can provide clues about what is counter indicated, given the situation you’re in, or it might offer a “shadow” side of the situation. The shadow side could be related to hidden motivations, distractions, wrong ideas, delusions or fantasies. The Opposite Gua reveals how you might play yourself.

*Most of the text in this post went out in my Monthly Guide, sent to subscribers on June 3rd. On June 10th Greta Thunberg was “deported”. On June 12th Senator Alex Padilla of California was arrested, on June 13th Israel began bombing Iran. Early on June 14th there were political assassinations and attempted assassinations in Minnesota, later that same day the saddest birthday parade ever was outshined by civil protests across the US.

Thank you for reading! To be notified of future posts or receive them in your inbox, please subscribe to my Substack.

Hexagram 55 Feng (Abundance or Peak)

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Knowing and Unknowing

When I was out for a walk a couple of weeks ago in the midafternoon, I was reminded of one of the themes of Feng by which I mean Hexagram 55, not the 風 Feng in Feng Shui 風水 – that’s a different one. Hexagram 55* talks about unusual visions that might be related to astronomy, spirituality or astrology, maybe all three.

The Sun was out, unclouded, and it was lovely. During the walk I could also see the Moon in the sky. One of my earliest teachers in this world of Chinese Metaphysics said that when you can see the Sun and Moon at the same time, you can cultivate or increase your psychic powers. It sounds irrational doesn’t it?

And yet, they certainly weren’t wrong. Just noticing things like the Sun and Moon being in the sky at the same time means you’re not looking at your phone. That alone will tend to make you notice other things and your mind will bubble away, distilling certain conclusions without you even really having to try.

If you want to be a diviner, make a habit of being open to these mostly obvious messages from the Universe and the conclusions that feel right, even though you don’t know exactly how you arrived there. Explore trusting your visions if this is how they happen. I don’t encourage you to explore any that you’re constructing out of worry; those never seem to go anywhere that is helpful.

I do readings and surveys all year, but I work with the most people at the turn of the year. Maybe that’s why in every Ox month, I find myself thinking about inputs, but this last Fire Ox month was…different. For one thing, I have been teaching, doing Feng Shui and Ba Zi readings for days. I’ve been working with multiple inputs, doing multiple outputs. Data in, divination out. Lots of preparation, thinking, writing, talking, dreaming.

The more you engage your powers of observation, the more psychic (if that’s the right word) you will become.

Over the years I’ve noticed that in the Ox month I often get things right even when my inputs are “wrong”. By inputs I mean data that goes with the job, such as compass degrees, dates, times or other calculations. Perception and senses are inputs too. The origin of some inputs is not readily identifiable and those are the important ones; the ones I’m most interested in. If information is coming through me, rather than from me, it’s probably closer to the truth, for lack of a better term.

I do care about the data and its interpretation, but mostly when you’re practicing Feng Shui, you can get it right without getting the exact compass degree right. There are multiple inputs or systems to work with in a Feng Shui survey, including Ba Zi, and the synthesis of them all is what goes into the art of consulting.

In applying Feng Shui, your house is a metaphor for your life. Let’s just start with that. There are common sense interpretations that will fit, as well as transcendental ones. In conducting a survey, usually it’s best to pay attention to any ideas that come to you, not just the floorplan or the compass degree. If you get too hung up on numbers or hard data you could miss more relevant things like the smell of damp in a house that you don’t even have to be there to smell.

When I measure the degree of a house, it is not the same every time. I think this is because things are always changing and we are using Feng Shui trying to understand what the process will be like for the occupants of the house. The difference in numbers is never that significant, but it can vary. If you take the degree and then someone else takes the degree, it’s likely you won’t get the same exact answer. Energy doesn’t stay the same. We affect energy and it affects us.

I want to acknowledge that in applying Feng Shui we are not using the compass in a wholly rational way. Because we are accustomed to using it to navigate, we might not understand that, thinking that precision is all. We may cling to the illusion of rationality for fear of being foolish, lost and wrong. We might resort to saying the data is wrong because we don’t like the story it tells.

In that case, I suppose one could claim correctness or incorrectness of the data as a safety net, but part of any job is taking ownership of your influence and responsibility. Still, I do often question my flexibility with data, and I don’t want to lose sight of my model and dimensions. I want to be precise, but too much precision can actually interfere with divination. It’s complicated!

I know some Masters would disagree with me about getting the degree exactly right every time. Those are the guys with their laser leveled compasses on tripods set up away from the house, the ones who want to remove environmental influence from their measurement. While they can get good results too, I think the interference is part of understanding the situation. The numbers don’t rule the qi, the qi rules and we all end up going with it for the most part. Life on Earth is not that neat. Life on Earth means working with the messiness.

The Universe is constantly telling you some truth that is not good or bad in and of itself. What you do or can create with that current truth is where the magic is.

*This post is an excerpt from my Monthly Guide for the Earth Tiger month. I give more detail about reading the Hexagram each month for my subscribers. Hexagram 55 matches the month pillar of 戊寅 Earth Tiger.

Lunar New Year is January 29th, Solar New Year is February 3rd. The first month of the Year of the Wood Snake is Earth Tiger.

12 Animal Fortunes for 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

How To Use The Animal Fortunes

If you already know your Four Pillars click on the animal name in the table to go straight to your forecast. If you don’t know your Year Animal, click on your birth year. You’ll want to read the fortune for all four of your pillars. If you don’t know your Four Pillars, please ask me.

The position of each pillar will tell you how the fortune relates to your life.

Year Pillar

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

Month Pillar

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

Day Pillar
Yourself and your partner; relationship.

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

The interpretation of elements in a Ba Zi rests on the day stem, therefore, these forecasts cannot take into account the dynamic interaction of your particular natal chart, your elemental flow or favorable elements. Do you want to learn more about how to use your BaZi for timing and other purposes? Visit my Services page if you’re ready for a reading.

恭喜发财
Happy New Year!

2025 Animal Fortunes

Snake 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013
Horse 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014
Sheep 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015
Monkey 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016
Rooster 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017
Dog 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018
Pig 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007
Rat 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008
Ox 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009
Tiger 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010
Rabbit 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011
Dragon 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012

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The Dragon in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

It Could Be Sunshine

If you were born in a Dragon year, congratulations on completing another turn of the wheel. Some Metal Dragons turned 84 last year, some turned 24. Some Water Dragons turned 72 in 2024, some turned 12. When you think about the Cycle of 60 pillars this way, you might see how qi flows throughout generations. Wood Dragons turned 60 in 2024, the youngest ones were born. I think all Dragons right now could use a little support. They are poised for growth but a setback could be more of a problem than usual. We all have growth stages and cycles. Observing them in a Ba Zi is important for divination.

In 2024 we had a front row seat to the clash of the Dragon and the Dog. It actually played out in the year pillars of the US Presidential Election candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Kamala, being born in 1964 is a Wood Dragon while Trump born in 1946 is a Fire Dog. Both Dog and Dragon are formidable opponents. The Dog is more attached to “reality” than the Dragon, which gives them certain advantages in politics.

Donald Trump
b. June 14 1946 10:54

  Hour Day Month Year
yin Earth yin Earth yang Wood yang Fire
  己 己 甲 丙
  巳 未 午 戌
Snake Sheep Horse Dog

 

Kamala Harris
b. October 20 1964 21:28

  Hour Day Month Year
yang Metal yang Water yang Wood yang Wood
  庚 壬 甲 甲
  戌 寅 戌 辰
Dog Tiger Dog Dragon

 

The Dragon’s advantage is that they are dreamers and through their dreams they can bring unexpected things into existence. The freshness they bring is often their most persuasive trait. As is the case with all magic, sometimes the Dragon’s magic doesn’t work. Sometimes it backfires, and yet, the Dragon rarely gives up. You have to love the Dragon for their fearlessness too. For more about Dragons and their intrepid ways, read the 2025 Forecast for the Dog.

A Dragon year is always significant for a Dragon, however, it is likely it won’t be their favorite year. In a Dragon year, the Dragon has what is called a self-clash. In 2024 some Dragons thought they knew better than their advisers, that they had everything in the bag so to speak. Unfortunately they didn’t and that’s what a Dragon’s self clash might be about. To make their magic work, they have to believe in it. When the Dragon feels their magic is being picked apart, or that others aren’t helping to sustain the “illusion” they tend to behave badly. Like the Dog, Dragons are scary by way of their remote yet seismic nature. Neither Dog nor Dragon wants to be influenced much, however, it’s quite difficult for the rest of us to escape theirs.

Now we’re entering a new year with new energy, and it’s time to move on, but after getting so much attention in 2024, Dragons could find themselves feeling neglected or lonely in 2025. Perhaps you feel overshadowed by a lesser mage, and maybe you are – for now. Being a Dragon you’re not going to let that be the case for long. And maybe it won’t matter to you much because it looks like Dragons fall in love (again) in 2025.

Chances are good that Dragons will meet someone that could be part of your life for the long term. You might find the best love luck by delaying consummation until you’ve had some time to get to know each other. Rushing into the physical part might cloud things too much. To Dragons who feel they’ve encountered love again too soon after losing a partner to death in 2025*: this might not be a rebound. Talk to people you trust about your feelings. Don’t rush, but also don’t miss out on good times.

Much of the time, the Dragon is prone to moodiness. They can just as easily hang out in the darkness as bring the light. They have a lot going on in their heads. The Dragon’s inner life, the life that they live in their world, is what makes the Dragon a catalyst. Change brings learning and relief of some kind, always. Seek it for yourself.

When the Dragon works with others, the element that is created is Water or wisdom. Perhaps this is why you might find a teacher in Monkey, Rat or Dragon. When the Dragon works alone, it’s different. The Chinese dragon is not a fire breather, but within the hidden Heavenly Stems of the Dragon Earthly Branch is the capability to create Fire. Dragons who work “alone” are often found transforming others. Their talents are not always appreciated. Again, if you want that to change, change how you conduct your relationships Dragon.

To make the year go more smoothly for your finances, Dragons can make a big purchase, donate money or donate time. There’s some energy to offset, possibly continued spending that relates to 2024. Humble yourself and learn what the Year of the Wood Snake wants to teach you. Do good deeds and your plans can proceed without too many problems. April would be the time to focus on that kind of mitigation, but that’s also a month where Dragons might misstep and fall – ego tripping. To avoid that, make your plans about what good works you will do ahead of time and stick to them.

In April, there may be some pushback or blowups in relationship matters too. Consider again that some of this might just be fallout from the mistakes you might have made in 2024. Some of those mistakes you might have made on purpose, but it’s not too late to apologize and/or fix things now. If there are situations where you know you messed up, or clumsily broke trust, actively work to resolve things in a mutually beneficial way. If you have unfinished business with your father or another older relative, it’s a good time to take care of it. Relationships are the thing for the Dragon to focus on in 2025. This is the way to get the most out of the Year of the Snake.

Dragons sometimes feel like relationships are a prison, and 2025 provides a solid opportunity to work with that perspective. Where does it come from do you think? What if it was once true but is no longer? You notice what/who you change, but have you considered how much you’ve changed or how much you have been changed since 2012? If you have still the idea of a relationship as a trap that might be another symptom of your self-clash. Maybe it feels like a trap because it requires an energetic exchange that goes both ways? Even though you are a Dragon, try to follow the rules others follow in relationship by being present. In business and legal matters, for best results make sure you are following the rules too. The mundane details of life matter.

The Dragon’s career and social status are on the rise in 2025. As I will say yet again, healthy relationships make the best foundation for the future. Everything changes, that is the constant. In the midst of all the change, there are things you can lose, and things that you can’t lose. Whatever you are building, who might you include? To whom might you leave a legacy? The relationships you build will help you in ways that you don’t know you will need help – yet. Relationships can last if you prioritize and nurture them.

For example, you can lose a job but people who love you are still going to love you. Now don’t be alarmed! That was just an example, not necessarily a forecast, but do expect some turbulence in 2025 Dragon. Note where the Dragon sits in your natal chart for more clues about what area of your life will be affected. This is the kind of dissonance you are used to so don’t let it distract from the happiness the year has to offer.

In addition to relationship being a major theme of the year, so is learning to enjoy your successes in general – even the smallest ones. Instead of worrying because things are going better in your career or otherwise, enjoy it. This year Dragons who have more success might worry that there is more to lose now instead of celebrating. Soak up a little Fire, Dragon. Life is short.

Regarding health, there could be some minor illness for the Dragon in 2025. Tend to any symptoms when you become aware of them. If you don’t wait, you can keep it from becoming anything serious. Both Dragon and Dog may be still working through some gut issues. For most, I think improvement is coming, however, you’ll want to encourage that with your habits and get support from experts. It’s very true that Dragons are tough and can withstand many hardships. It’s also true that they are harmed by that as a way of life.

One last but maybe most important reminder: It’s not stupid to be happy Dragon. If you’ve been isolated, change that. Your happiness in 2025 is available by way of relationship. That’s a simple truth you might learn in the Year of the Wood Snake.

*Not a typo

The Rabbit in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

You Can Handle the Truth

There are certain runs of years that are more difficult than others, and this doesn’t always have to do with Ba Zi concepts such as being clashed, penalized, punished, combined or drained – although that might be the beginning of it. After 2018, everyone in the world began to learn what it was like to live in a Water cycle in an age of Fire. For the Rabbit, Pig and Sheep the Water element exercises a special fascination that is hard for them to resist. For the Rabbit, the Water element would also be associated with parents; generation and regeneration.

Water can be a cold parent. That’s not always true, but I think Rabbits (and Tigers) are the ones who could be most likely to understand what it’s like to still want a Father’s or Mother’s unreserved endorsement, no matter what bad deeds they have done. Maybe you thought if they could just make you feel their love, that is all it would take for your healing. Maybe now you’re thinking that’s not going to happen. Maybe you’re right. If it’s that simple, letting go of your attachment to what is not true should set you free, right?

What we ignore most in life are the simple truths that would allow us to move forward, but we don’t want to believe them because too much truth might kill us when we cannot find a way to act on it. Sometimes we can’t let ourselves believe what is true as a matter of survival. I think this happens to many of us as children, and then we spend a lot of our present still trying to survive when the trauma exists in the past. As people like to say, the body tells the tale. We could make ourselves ill with not acknowledging the truth for too long. Look at King Charles III, for example, born on a Water Rabbit day.

In a Ba Zi you can see that often trauma, like disease, is a thing that is passed down through generations. Acknowledging the truth of your experience is surely key to protecting future descendants whether they are your kin or not. Each of us has some work to do here, but you can start by getting clear about what you want in your life, and who you want to be. Then you can act. This is simple.

Especially in these times, we construct the most complicated systems, explanations and justifications, then when function is lost we say it’s part of a conspiracy. The truth is simple and usually pretty straightforward. It’s usually not fancy or even dramatic. I think people feel let down by that fact. Why else would we keep going back to the same well. Anyone of us might do that, hoping to find out we were right all along; hoping that it was complexity that made us fail, when the simple truth is that life can be hard at times. What if in the end everything comes down to your choice? Now that’s a scary truth.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for magic, truth could get in your way. If you think that nothing can change, that may be your truth. If you’re looking for absolutes, the Snake doesn’t offer any and this is a lesson for you.

In 2025, Rabbits are capable scholars, learning to accept simple truths, as well as rewriting their stories. You can’t change the past, but you can make different choices now! In the first half of the year, I hope you will be open to the new people coming into your life. I’m talking about friends and new networks. Rabbits know that when you want change, numbers matter. So does persistence. Get involved with making the changes you want at a pace you can handle. Team up to play the long game.

Finding that they finally have the drive and energy to make things right that have been wrong for some time as we enter the year of the Wood Snake, that is what Rabbits will do. Hopefully there is more unionization coming. That’s the kind of thing that can happen when you learn things and have a little time to decide what you’re going to do with your new knowledge. Some of this organization, renovation and reparation will be for you and yours, but Rabbits will also work in the capacity of Nobleman for others this year.

In the system of Ba Zi, a Nobleman is someone who has advice or help for you that will deepen your learning. Prioritize helping those closest to you first – in terms of relationship or geography. After that you might reach out farther. Many of us will find ourselves in “disaster zones” in 2025, even if it’s not our disaster. Help out but don’t overexhaust yourself. You don’t have to be a Rabbit to take this advice.

If your impulse is usually to give whatever is needed, in 2025 I want you to be careful of reinvesting yourself in the same old pattern you’ve been trying to shake. Do help and do give, but don’t participate in situations where your body is telling you something is wrong. Don’t let yourself go up in smoke because you think it would help everyone – your absence is not welcome.

For Rabbits who are not already involved in a course of study, this would be a good year to enroll with a teacher or mentor. Self study works too, but there is a “hidden guru” waiting in 2025 that you might find helpful. You might meet them in April or May, but if they show up sooner, or later, pay attention. There are always experts nearby if you look for them, and this one probably won’t be very well known, so be sure to vet them for yourself.

Study and reading are often the fodder for your own creative works, therefore it’s time to work on the things you want to show off in 2026 now. If you’re a writer, that means publishing in 2026. What 2025 has to offer is a steady flow of your work that can create the polished and elegant work you will be releasing in 2026. That sounds like writing, refining and marketing to me. A similar luck will be available to Rabbit performers and artists, 1975 Wood Rabbit Angelina Jolie comes to mind. Maybe we will see some new work, possibly some of her best in 2026. I might say the same about Kendrick Lamar, a 1987 Fire Rabbit.

As for travel, the year of the Wood Snake is a year for Rabbits to think things through before making reservations. You might find you are attracted to places where there could be typhoons, blizzards, flooding, wildfires or other such natural events. This sounds like an obvious thing one would avoid, but you might be surprised how many people don’t think about the fact that they are booking a trip to Florida in hurricane season.

Rabbits might travel to visit elders or other relatives, possibly in the context of a funeral. If you will be visiting a place where people are ill, protect your health. Watch your step and protect your valuables too if you’re on the road, on the water, on the rails, or in the sky. Wear proper footwear for whatever you are doing. That will be key.

Financially, Rabbits have a chance to catch up with some of their expenses now. If you’ve been waiting for some kind of refund or to be reimbursed, I think that can happen for you in 2025. In the context of helping others in need, avoid lending money as a solution. Don’t make your money easily available to others. Keep track of your income and expenses. If you’re going to put down a big chunk of change on something, make sure that everything is in order as you expect. Keep your balance in the black as much as possible. Avoid risky investments this year.

Overall, for the Rabbit 2025 is a year to shine bright, to learn and to share your learning. Make the breakthrough that you’ve been wanting. Honor your body and don’t deplete yourself. Keep things simple. You’re going to have a lot of decisions to make and maybe you don’t feel like that’s your forte, but it could be in this Year of the Snake. I’m serious.

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