Category: Divination

The Horse in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The Meaning of Having It All

In the Water Tiger year the Horse is encouraged and lifted. It’s been awhile since your Fire has been strengthened so forgive yourself if it makes your legs shaky, almost like a newborn in your perspective. Go gently with yourself despite your urgency to prove that you are back. I doubt you are sure what that means but you will find out soon. Still recovering from the three year onslaught of Water ending with with a coup de grâce of Ox, you were the first to feel the quickening of Fire, maybe as far back as November. Believe it.

For the Horse, 2022 carries that psychedelic feeling of coming out of illness: colors seem more vivid, nature is a fascinating miracle, curious smells are everywhere, everything is new. It’s like falling in love with the world again. even as it is now. Especially as it is now. You can feel how much the world needs you.

The long term outcome of the Horse’s good luck this year will depend on how their relationship with Water has evolved over the last three years. Your work is not finished when yang Water is the Heavenly Stem of the year. Water to a Horse might be the potential disappointment that’s always on your mind these days. What if the Water is just trying to help or teach you? What have you learned about maintaining the relationships you want over the last three years? Just because Wood and Fire are strong now doesn’t mean you can forget all about Water. Stay in touch with all of those difficult emotions. Don’t forget how loss, or potential loss, may have clarified your values.

A secret the Horse keeps is that they crave alliance with Water. This is a mysterious attraction, frightening but irresistible. The Horse wants to bring their light to the dark and make a marriage. The Horse that learns to do this can sustain themselves through almost any difficulty. So my question to you is: have you figured out yet that your relationship to the darkness and your emotions is a partnership as much as a clash? Have you learned the alchemy of sustaining yourself in relationship? Or are you still afraid and ready to bolt? Gentle now for your own heart’s sake.

The Horse’s element is Fire and it’s been years since Fire has been as strong as it will be in 2022. When Wood and Fire are strong, that means you are too. You’re due for a big burst of forward energy in 2022. This is good news for the Horse in terms of planning and execution. You’ve got big aspirations, ambitions and ideas about turning things around quickly and this year you can do that. Your luck with career is strong. It will be easy for the Horse to get attention for their work.

And yet, as a Horse, you can expect to experience the usual tensions between personal and public. Why is there always this gap between who you want to be in your private life vs. how you want to present yourself to the rest of the world?

In June, Horses may be swept away by their exposure or at a low point of not wanting to be seen. Take time to get out of the limelight and rest in the shade. You’re probably going to be talking more than you want to, so guard your privacy if it matters to you. Your behavior is going to be observed and noted. Be careful of overexposure and burnout. June is the peak time for mistakes so be open to feedback about your pace.

Because you can move things forward quite far this year, I suggest you focus on things that you want for the long term. It would be easy to just bask in the light and let the cards fall where they may. Are you sure you want to do that again? Whatever you choose to do, do it acknowledging the potential outcome. In the short term, the Horse might get away with almost anything this year, but maybe away is the operative word here. I mean, if you want to get away, then do.

In 2022 it will be easier to ignore the things that are not going well because there will be so many things that are. That is to say, what needs attention is relationship and how you maintain it when other aspects of life feel more happy and satisfying. Both personal or business relationships will ask for your support this year. How you see that in relation to experiencing career success is your choice.

In the context of authority, stay in compliance with rules and regulations to avoid legal issues. This year, mostly what you need to do is give attention to things that aren’t “fun” or “going well”. Perhaps you feel like you’d like to be done with that but given that Water will always be your challenge, the solution is in relationship rather than resistance.

If the Horse is in your day pillar, consider making your most intimate relationship your highest priority in 2022. If that sounds tedious to you, all the more reason to do it. Either you or your partner may be in a frame of mind to look outside of your partnership for intimacy, emotional or otherwise. Start communicating now (and continue!) to mitigate potential flare ups in February, March and December.

There is enough time in the year to enjoy what is easy and apply effort to what is not. Soak up the recognition, you’ve worked for it. Because you have been waiting so long and trying to be a patient Horse it may be difficult to keep your foot light on the accelerator. We all tend to be seduced by what feels satisfying at any given moment unless we’re aware of that choice. Go ahead and harvest the low hanging fruit of public success. If you want personal success, cultivate relationship. If you’re afraid of missing out on something by being a caring and attentive partner, know that you won’t.

In March it may be that despite your best efforts, your significant other is feeling used up. A close friend or partner may disappear in search of companionship if you constantly make yourself unavailable. And if you do, that’s a choice too. I suggest Horses take time off of work in March to focus on relationship, however, know also that giving attention to relationship might mean ending it. If that’s what needs to happen, then let it. Horses might think there is only one partner for them and if it’s not this one, it’s no one. That’s just short sighted. There can be more than one satisfying relationship for a Horse.

Overall, it’s a year to be patient with others and remember that your ideas about swiftness are demanding for everyone. If you’re a Horse who is still concerned that if you don’t win every race you’ll be forever rejected, the Water Tiger’s burst of Fire might harden that conviction. This year will tend to support any illusions you might have about success being a solo enterprise. Don’t go with that flow. If it is possible to have it all, the Horse can do it in 2022 if they are willing to put in the effort where it’s needed. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s the kind of luck you have.

Summary: Apportion efforts to support long term goals.

Amulet: Pig
Rather than thinking of an amulet as something to use, or something to protect you, cultivate the idea of a partnership with the energy of the Pig. Be flexible and ready to take care of maintenance in domestic matters. Support your support system.

February: Driven by ambition, aspiration. Balance aggression with kindness.
March: Prioritize relationship over work even if it feels like the worst possible time.
June: Peak of Fire. Keep reminding yourself what you want in the long term.
July: Others who support you may want to share your fame. Why not?
October: Count up the blessings of the year. Celebrate accomplishments.

The Snake in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Being Scheherazade

The Water Tiger year brings the Snake a wealth of ideas as well as opportunities to study or get new training. Snakes who can maintain a healthy perspective in 2022 can play the role of researcher and/or consultant. Since your reputation will be up for examination, you have the opportunity to increase it. This is a year for study and learning and your capacity for that kind of achievement will be higher than usual. What might be more challenging for the Snake in the Tiger year is managing stress and expectations. 2022 may feel quite crowded.

Since you’re the Snake, I know you will pay more attention to me if I acknowledge that yes, there is danger this year and there will probably be losses. I don’t want you to let yourself go through any difficulties just to prove you are correct. If you’re keeping up with current events you already know what the main source of your stress might be, but the Tiger makes you nervous that there may be some other trouble brewing.

Throughout the year you’ll want to remember that the energy of the Tiger gets in your head. That may tend to make any problems seem bigger or more threatening than they actually are. I’m telling you this now in the hope that it can prevent some of the insomnia, or even illness, you might experience in a Tiger year. Our bodies are not separate from our minds. Because this is true, any dis ease can potentially manifest as disease.

When it comes to being human, here’s the yin and yang of illness:
Everything is psychosomatic. Nothing is psychosomatic.

Avoid diagnosing yourself. Try to avoid environments where there is lots of air pollution or smoke this year.

With your best friend the Monkey as the year breaker, loneliness might be a problem for Snakes, especially those who are traveling or working jobs away from family. If that’s got you seeking emotional or physical intimacy, this year you’ll want to double check your potential lover’s “marital” status. They may already have a partner. They could be going through some serious conflict. Get to know them before rushing in.

You have a heightened luck with people skills so use it. It’s not your year to start something new, but you can help others with that if you want to.

The Snake has Moon (太陰) on their side which means whatever the problem is, you can put things in order. While this energy peaks in May, if there’s any point in the year where you don’t buy that, I challenge you to look at the facts and evidence again. When I think of Tai Yin and Snake together, Scheherazade comes to mind. If you think you need to protect yourself through some gentle manipulation of perspective and facts, remember to stay beyond reproach with your personal story. Rely on your honesty and perseverance if you need saving.

The strongest elements this year are Wood and Fire. Wood is your resource and Fire is your season but your hidden Metal is at the heart of the Snake branch. When it comes to the Metal element, the Snake is quite flexible. When it comes to Wood, a Snake might harden up, which makes a Tiger year the right time to soften up. Cultivate your flexibility and versatility. The flexibility of Metal gathers more data; the flexibility of Wood aspires to go beyond reason. What’s a Snake to do? Ideally, both of these things.

As a Snake, you’re not always forthcoming about your own concerns. Perhaps you prefer to hear others out instead, but if the year gives you anxiety, talk about it. Remember you have Four Pillars to rely on. You’ve got to use what you’ve got to choose what you want. Leverage what you can do even if it’s not your preferred application of your skills. Look to the position of the Snake in your BaZi for more nuance.

The Tiger might see the Snake as fickle because they know you are selective about what information you share. The Tiger’s secret friend Pig hates the Snake and the Snake’s secret friend the Monkey hates the Tiger. Because these four signs relate to travel and movement, when they clash it often has to do with mobility or transportation. When there’s so much movement, there’s more potential for accidents. Slow down.

Movement and moving house might feel like the solution to what’s ailing you, but some Snakes may find there is more travel than they like. Other Snakes may find themselves fixed in place. The months to be careful or even avoid travel are February, August, and May. November may be the time you want to move the most. This might be your best chance to do it if you’ve done plenty of planning and preparation.

When the Tiger, Monkey and Snake meet in a Ba Zi of a person or a year, it’s called the Fire Penalty. What makes the Fire Penalty so difficult is that it embodies both physical and psychological clashes. One aspect of the Fire Penalty is that the Snake, Tiger and Monkey could be accident prone.

Sometimes the Fire Penalty manifests as people passing the buck of responsibility, often by way of blame or accusation. Each party fears taking on a challenge (a hit or injury?) and in order to avoid being hurt, tries to pass it on aggressively to someone else. Generally speaking, the Tiger finds the Snake baffling and uncooperative. The Snake is usually able to avoid the Tiger’s attention when they want to, but this year you may be identified as a potential recipient of the buck.

In the first half of the year, focus on helping people. Make it your priority. That may require what feels like humbling yourself. It isn’t. Let this energy wake you up to your vocation if you’re not already there. Learn this new model of leadership. We need to have as many leaders as possible this year because we’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do. Who could be better at making plans to support those with long Covid than a Snake?

If your day or year pillar is Water Snake, get advice from others rather than trying to figure it all out on your own, especially as concerns business transactions and potential scams. If you were born in 1953, I’m speaking to you. Water Snake may have a susceptibility to robbery. If you have a Water Snake pillar and are a yin Fire day master, yin Earth day master, Yang Metal day master, or Yang Earth day master, take precautions in May when this potential energy is the strongest. You might even go so far as to make no major expenditures that month.

This is the year to learn the power of truth and how to accept it from others because in February, March and August you may feel certain you are right about your fears. But do you really want to be right? The power of suggestion is so strong that we need to be careful of whose opinions we are accepting, even our own. That is to say, there’s a graceful way out of any situation without you getting ill or injured. Let the story unfold.

Summary: 1001 Nights

Amulet: Pig
Rather than thinking of an amulet as something to use, or something to protect you, cultivate the idea of a partnership with the energy of the Pig. The Pig’s humility, versatility and flexibility is the solution to the Fire Penalty. Be cool.

February: Encapsulates the year. A lesson learned goes a long way.
March: Get advice from someone charming who’s been off the radar.
May: Take some time off for building health. No big spending.
August: Potential romantic alliance. Untruths are deal breakers.
September: Check facts and data.
November: Go home for the winter.

The Dragon in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Wearing the Magnificent Crown

The question for the Dragon in the Water Tiger year is: what happens when your power element shows up with your success element?

In terms of luck, 2022 is a mixed bag for the Dragon, probably because withdrawing to the den to study, learn or create might be more compelling than anything else, including intimacy and intimate relationships. There are plenty of opportunities for advancement in your public life which may also be in conflict with your desires to stay in the ivory tower of academia or something like it. Don’t be afraid to let down your hair if it feels right.

A Dragon’s work is what they will allow to change them. The Dragon craves healing and it’s through their work with others that they find it. It might take a Dragon years to understand that their healing involves having relationships with others whether you find them worthy or not. Try that on and make some leaps and bounds.

If this sounds worrisome to you, is it that you fear losing yourself in relationship? Maybe at times that fear has tempted you to let go of the importance of relationships in general. I expect this is something you’ve been working on. If I’m right, that means all you have to do is continue your current explorations of commitment. Dragons take the risk and endure.

Because 2022 will emphasize the tension between the delights of your work and talent, and the emotional labor of giving attention to the relationships that you want, there are potential setbacks in each department. The Water Tiger year is made for learning, so each bump in the road is a chance to hone your interpersonal skills. Your healthy curiosity and thoroughness is vibrant this year. Whatever the problem is, you can influence it. If you want to change, go against what feels like the flow. Be available to people you care about more than you might naturally tend to. You may find it fuels you instead of slowing you down.

I’m telling you this because in 2022 the Dragon’s talent is so promising and compelling it might tempt them to jettison all the human “cargo” so they can go faster and farther without concern about what is used up. If the only thing you care about is your work, maybe this is the way to go. But even if you told me that was the case, I wouldn’t believe you. Avoid isolating yourself. This is a year to learn new life skills. Do study to learn and apply, not just because you like research and reading.

The first half of the year is about successes that also involve a send off – letting a loved one find their success and independence. It’s no loss to you, but it might feel that way. You’re not a hand holder, but your yang Earth appreciates others knowing you can provide stability or instability as you wish. Not only do they know this, but they also know your support is helping them on their way.

Expect that there will be some delays, mostly in January, April, July and October. In January this may be related to wanting/not wanting to pay attention to relationships that are asking for it. In April, you’ll want to consider that it may be you creating the delay. July’s delays may be solved by a brief withdrawal. In October, the delay may come in the form of what feels like intrusion: someone wants to cross your boundaries. Instead of trying to prevent that, dream up a way to make it helpful to you. I’m not sure it can be prevented.

Consider that during the last few years you may have lost sight of being realistic about the demands you make of yourself and others. A Water Tiger year is asking you to let yourself be changed and loosened. Make a list of the ways you’d like that to happen and keep it in your pocket. Use that Wood energy to find more agency or even a promotion. Your heavenly stem will be an important influence this year and so getting a new position may be easiest for the Metal Dragon, but any Dragon can take advantage.

With so much challenge coming at you, it will be very important to take care of your health. Get rest. This year’s vulnerability might be the wear and tear on health. Don’t let yourself be overheated, especially in June. Note: any time you’re hot tempered, take a break. Stay hydrated. Keep talking and communicating. Only denial can hurt you.

In the second half of the year people may be jealous of what you’ve managed to pull off during these last three years while they weren’t watching. You know this is what triggers people sometimes. You have a knack for creating success because more than any other sign you are a catalyst. When it comes to letting people know what you’re doing and why, you don’t. This might be perceived as a bug more than a feature but your methods work. There’s no question about that. Regardless of others’ perceptions of your habits, your experiences in 2022 are designed to shape your personal relationship with power; to increase your agency if you want that.

If challenge and power sound intimidating, it’s probably good for others to know that even a Dragon can get nervous at times. If you are scared, talk about it. I think what you might discover is that your own power scares you most. The lesson Dragons can share with others in 2022 is: don’t be afraid to manifest as your true self. Dragons are afraid of doing something that there’s no coming back from and yet, this is what they were meant to do. Dragons make miraculous and lasting changes. Teach us how because what we need now is a positive change that there is no coming back from.

In 2022 Dragons may be inclined to avoid any potentially critical or adversarial engagement. This idea of possibly being exposed to negative feedback might nag at you throughout the year, and because your work may not need much editing, you might think you don’t need anyone’s help in any capacity. Get help anyway. Take advice.

You only want to be known for your magic, so you hesitate to share your worries and troubles with others. Dragons feel hurt when others don’t realize that they have difficulties too, and sometimes want to be handled with kid gloves. If you want to be more approachable, or you want people to be sensitive to your situation, let them know what is going on with you. It’s that simple. This will allow them to recognize your needs too. Revealing your humanity won’t diminish your glamour so don’t even worry about that. You ≠ the sum of your problems.

This year Dragons may be more attentive to and attracted to logic, calculations and definitions because they are in short supply. Since these tendencies are natural for you, they may bring more immediate rewards than your dreams will. I suggest you go beyond what feels easy. Extend your mind to possibility and theory. Get wild with ideas, I mean, crazy. Keep track of them. This year is rich with the kind of inspiration that you can tap well into the future.

In case of difficult emotions or depression, learn to use your strengths to facilitate your own healing. Study power and relationship. Study success and what it means to you. Let yourself change your mind about what closeness means if you want to.

Summary: We only exist in relationship.

Amulet: Your choice of Horse or Pig
Rather than thinking of an amulet as something to use, or something to protect you, cultivate the idea of a partnership with the energy of the Horse or the Pig.
Choose Horse if you want more engagement and touch.
Choose Pig if you want more flexibility and versatility.

January: Breaking up = freed up? Maybe so. Maybe think again.
February-March: If you want more agency, take care of health matters.
April: The challenge of not sabotaging yourself.
June: Supporters may overwhelm. Highlights your discomfort with fans and fame. Seek spontaneity.
August: You’re a mediator, should you choose to accept that role. I suggest you say yes.
September: Calculations and definitions shape your ideas about power and challenge.
October: In case of boundary issues, you may need to get loud.

Precedents, Presidents, and Vice Presidents

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Tuesday November 3rd 2020 is almost here. We all want to know what’s going to happen.

I already missed my chance to forecast the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett whose Ba Zi immediately gives away that in terms of her work/job, 2021 is probably the most significant year ever. I chickened out.

As Amy Coney Barrett was born in a Water Rat year (1972) it’s hard to ignore that the Ingratitude Penalty is built into her maiden name Coney, which is another name for rabbit. The Ingratitude Penalty between Rat and Rabbit has to do with intergenerational values that are shared or not, and how that is perceived by each party.

The Rabbit branch in a Ba Zi sometimes signifies a Mother. Being the oldest and a daughter in a family with seven children, I expect Amy may still take issue with hers. This might have to do with her mother’s work outside the home. I would go so far as to guess Amy was born in the Rabbit hour (5-7am). That might explain a lot. Maybe she’ll have a change of heart in 2023.

Apparently I’m still trying to distract from what I’m writing about here. I’m a little nervous but it’s now or never if I want to forecast the election.

2020 US Presidential Election

First of all, don’t expect a quick resolution. I don’t think you need to be a diviner to pick up on that. It’s going to be messy.

What I do know is that every Qi Men Dun Jia pan I’ve drafted around the question of the 2020 Presidential election since early 2019 has indicated we will have a woman for President in 2021. I have to admit I kind of gave up on my interpretation once Elizabeth Warren dropped out. I think that was a big mistake – me being led astray by what I wanted to happen instead of considering how it could happen that a woman would be the “winner”. Sometimes I give up too easily.

Simply looking at the history of US Presidential elections in a Metal Rat year like 2020 (1840, 1900, 1960) it seems pretty clear that whoever is elected is probably not going to remain in office for a full term. If you don’t know what I mean, I’m referring to the pattern you can see with William Henry Harrison, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy.

So what’s my point here? Since we’re looking at similar cycles in time, we can probably expect some iteration of what came before, and of course, the character of the VP who succeeds is very important too.

10th US President
John Tyler, who succeeded Harrison, set the precedent for how we handle the death of a sitting President. Harrison was the first President to die in office. John Tyler’s actions paved the way for the 25th amendment which deals with exactly this situation. Being a Constructionist and believer in Manifest Destiny, Tyler rushed to take the oath and assume full Presidential powers before a potential Constitutional crisis could occur.

26th US President
It was Teddy Roosevelt who took over for McKinley. We mostly know Teddy Roosevelt for his work of establishing the National Parks. He is also known for the Three Cs: Conservation of Natural Resources, Control of Corporations, Consumer Protection. Teddy Roosevelt’s agenda is interesting and desirable to me as a possible outcome. His Square Deal sounds made to order for 2021. Roosevelt was a proponent of changing the rules of commerce to equalize opportunity and reward – to include a wider range of recipients and beneficiaries. Teddy had a concern about “the representatives of predatory wealth”. Sound familiar?

36th US President
Lyndon B. Johnson, successor of JFK, having already been involved in the passing of the Civil Rights Act, was hoping for a “Great Society”. To build it, he was looking to support further civil rights, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, education, the arts, urban and rural development, and public services. LBJ waged a “War on Poverty” by helping millions of Americans rise above the poverty line. He worked to ban racial discrimination in the housing market and even backed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 to encourage and welcome immigrants from non-European countries. All of his domestic policy work is overshadowed, in some circles, by his escalation of American participation in the Viet Nam war. There’s no perfect President. We already know that.

Now it’s 2020. Who will be the 46th US President? I like to frame the question that way if you get my drift.

What if I actually interpreted my QMDJ pans correctly and our first woman President comes into office in 2021? That would be Kamala Harris. Based on her Ba Zi, I think she may take office in the Sheep month (July 7th-August 7th). Kamala’s Ba Zi indicates that an Ox year could be the start of something big, but not until July. I’d say Kamala’s current Da Yun (Big Fate) supports that right now, but I don’t see her being elected in 2024.

Simply based on her year pillar Wood Dragon, it’s easy to understand why so many have the impression of her as a powerful person who might be into power for power’s sake. On the plus side, her power is real. Her job is based on it. The only person that can get in Kamala Harris’ way is Kamala Harris. It remains to be seen what she has learned over the years. I’ll just leave that there.

If I’m wrong about the outcome of the election, I’ll learn from that. If I’m right, watch for further analysis of Kamala Harris’ Ba Zi. Until then, I wish you love and peace.

Monkey Month : Strangers, Guests and Gods

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Possibly even more so than November, this is the deciding month of the year. It’s a Wood Monkey month so decisions will have a lasting effect. If that makes you anxious, you need to know it’s care that will make all the difference. I’ve seen the evidence that this is true many times. Caring can bridge even the widest gap between what you want and what you think is possible.

Last year around this time, in the Water Monkey month, I met Marin, a morosely earnest plumber who really cares about his work. He and his family moved to Seattle from Chicago because, he said, many people in the trades were being shot and robbed of their tools and equipment when they were driving to work. He felt that Chicago was too dangerous for his family because he might be killed. Marin was less afraid of dying than the effect it would have on his family.

I got the impression that Marin had his own business before he came to Seattle but at the time I met him he was working for a well known franchise. It seemed like a demotion – not that he presented it that way. The thing that stood out most about Marin was that he seemed sad in that way people who have a hard time breathing do. My guess at his year? 1980 Metal Monkey: translates knowledge from brain through hands, likes a little chat, potential respiratory issues.

When his work was done and it was time to settle up I offered Marin a chair and a glass of water. He declined the water saying “Not everyone is so kind, so I carry my own.” I thought to myself, what kind of world are we living in where people don’t at least offer a glass of water to someone who is visiting their home environment?

What made me remember Marin was that I’ve been thinking lately about the Greek custom of ξενία (xenia) which concerns the appropriate treatment of people who come into our space. Xenia is translated as guest friendship. The root of xenia is ξένος (xenos) which links together the meanings of stranger and guest. They are the same.

If you’re familiar with Greek tragedies, you’ll know that much of the plot turns on someone’s hidden identity. Any stranger could be an important person and your destiny could be decided by how you treat them. An unknown traveller could be your father, mother, another family member or even a deity. The stakes are high whether you know it or not.

Many fairy tales, fables and folktales are based on this principle as well. A person in a vulnerable or humble position requires assistance. Even if you have little to offer, if you choose to help, you might discover the “old beggar” is not what they seem. In fact, some have the power to transform your life. The moral of the story is: act as if they all do. Those who don’t usually find the story has a much different ending.

I’d say treating anyone you meet for the first time as potentially divine is a good place to start given where we are now. I’ve seen that kind of behavior bring out the best in people I didn’t know, as well as people I knew but didn’t trust. Haven’t you?

The underlying philosophy of xenia was to offer the guest/stranger the guest gifts, that is, the best of whatever you had. Xenia came to be a standard practice in ancient Greek culture. In this system, both the guest and the host have certain rights and responsibilities.

The host is meant to provide the guest with food and drink, a place to rest and wash up, and safe passage home. The meeting of basic needs was job one. It was even considered rude to ask the guest too many questions before the food had been provided.

The responsibility of the guest is to enjoy the facilities of the host courteously, to refrain from threatening, overstaying or overburdening, and to bring whatever news they have from their home or travels. If they are able to entertain with music, singing or storytelling, even better. The guest would be expected to reciprocate the host’s hospitality and extend it to relatives and representatives of the host whenever the occasion should arise.

Citizens of the world, this is how we unite.

The custom of xenia promotes survival, however, it goes a step beyond that by creating peace across generations through simple and practical alliances. It only takes one common value. Xenia is a proactive standard of reciprocation in kindness; the opposite of an eye for an eye.

I see 2021 as a rebirth of xenia. This is our movement, let’s spread it far and wide. We can share water. We can carry water with good intention and care not to spill. I think it’s within reach for all of us. It’s care that makes all the difference.

At the end of our time together on that morning that seems a million light years ago now, I told Marin I hoped that things would be better here in Seattle for him and his family. We shook hands, he turned, and as he went out the door I heard him say “God bless you.” Safe passage Marin. I hope you and your family are well.

I Want to Believe

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

In a Metal Snake month in a Metal Rat year, conspiracy theories abound. As Stewart Brand is credited with saying in 1984 (a Wood Rat year):

Information wants to be free.

This phrase in itself supports ideas about conspiracy, and since then people have used it to leverage various causes. For example, a librarian might see it as an egalitarian mandate: everyone is allowed to maintain privacy while still having equal access to information. Businesses that profit from selling information may see it as promoting a loss of income, hence the paywalls and “free if you provide your personal information” subscriptions.

In 1984, the idea that information wants to be free was related to the novelty of the internet, however, it wasn’t new. Politicians, protesters and propagandists have been leveraging this concept since the first graffito appeared on a stone wall. Ultimately, the real value of information relies on the source. Given the speed with which information travels these days we tend to disregard that. If only there was a paywall between us and Trump.

George Orwell’s 1984 was all about withholding information, or force feeding disinformation and fear, as a means of dividing and conquering. We can see the same kind of patterns in Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale. The ideas in these books resonate because we sense a possible truth in them. The source of any information, and the intention behind sharing it, is crucial in determining its usefulness. We will often be misinformed without considering that.

Craving Innocence vs. Craven Innocence

I find conspiracy theories more interesting than convincing. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe. In my life, it’s always been the insights that go against what I thought I knew that allowed the experience of life changing magic. Believing opens possibilities I might normally reject out of hand; things that I want for myself and for the world. We’ve all heard the story of the mother who lifts the car off of her child. On the other hand, like Dana Scully, I don’t want to get duped. I don’t want to have to take responsibility for that. In excess that tendency might be called cowardice.

I’ve been thinking of George Dantzig who became a famous mathematician after he was late for a graduate school level statistics class and thought the two problems that were still on the board were homework. They were actually problems famous for being unsolved. George didn’t know that so he copied them down, went home, and solved them.

It would be counterproductive for us to accept every bit of information we come across at face value, but a little gullibility might be the secret ingredient to success. Like water, it’s only helpful in the proper proportion. If, like George, we let ourselves be easily persuaded at the right time, have done the required preparation or investigation, and are acting in accordance with those things, that’s when everything clicks into place. This is a principle of water placement in Feng Shui too; lessons from a Metal Rat year regarding the nature of Water.

5G : Is Language is a Virus From Outer Space?

Any good conspiracy theory rests upon human tendencies to look for patterns. Much of human survival and evolution is based on our perception of patterns and the innovations they inspire. We don’t just identify patterns, for better or worse we also create them. Maybe the difference between forecasting and gaslighting depends on the intention of the messenger.

This month, we’ll want to remember that patterns are sometimes presented in order to misdirect our attention; to spread disinformation or fear. Some of this may be done for political reasons, nefarious or not. We can’t let that take away our agency. There’s no value in second guessing ourselves into inertia. Let common sense rule unblind.

Speaking of misdirection, I’m still wondering about Bernie Sanders, 1941 Metal Snake, ending his campaign on April 8th, a Metal Snake day with Day Officer Remove. Is it his health? With the Sheep in his day branch is it some kind of strategic withdrawal? I’d like to think it’s the latter because that opens possibilities. We could use some options.

Metal Snake month opens tomorrow on an Earth Monkey day in a Fire Snake hour. There’s a Metal cycle in the first few days. The deception is in play right from the very first minute. There’s an emphasis on truths that are related to illness. What is the truth? How do you know? A certain kind of transparency can be a ruse too. And sometimes big efforts to hide something serve to draw more attention to it. Tricky stuff. All I can tell you for sure is that lies will be told. Be informed, enlightened and optimistic. Vet everything.

Prescience or Pre Science?

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

When you’re used to walking on Fire, always growing and expanding, it takes a little longer to learn to walk on Water. For some, contemplation is a downer. Even though I had some ideas about what was coming, I didn’t take in the scale. And it has taken me a little longer than I thought it would to get my Rat year legs. How about you?

I like to think that when this is over we will be as sailors just returned from a long journey. Wobbly off the boat; joyful but still cautious. That’s when we will fan the flame together. Oh yes.

Tomorrow we enter the Metal Dragon month. Here in Washington State we’ve been advised to stay home until May 4th. I had already been thinking that certain types of businesses will ask that employees return to their workplaces in the Snake month. First day of the Snake month is May 5th this year. It’s a Metal Snake.

Snakes have been on my mind since 2016. In 2020 Feng Shui forecasters, masters, and others commented on how the Snake was a lucky sign this year. Many of them included people born on a yin Fire day in the same group. One question is: Is the luck for the Snake or does the Snake bring the luck to us?

The yin Fire of the Snake makes it the most unpredictable sign of the Zodiac. Yin Fire is also the tamer of Geng; the yang Metal of the Metal Rat. I’m mostly talking Ba Zi here, but in terms of Qi Men Dun Jia, to paraphrase my teacher Master Richard Ashworth, “Geng will usually tell you where the trouble is”.

The idea is that the unpredictable yin Fire tames the yang Metal problem. I’m always looking for the patterns and this year I see one iteration of the yin Fire as the doctors and first responders. Asclepios comes to mind, because of the Snake.

It’s All Greek to Me

Asclepios was the son of Apollo, the god who drives the chariot of the Sun across the sky each day, and Coronis(!), a mortal woman. Some versions of Asclepios’ birth say he was cut from his dying mother’s womb by Apollo as she lay on her funeral pyre. Coronis was then transformed into the constellation Corvus. Obviously this is sacrificial stuff. It reminds me of Eve’s relationship with the Snake. Both the power and the price of “forbidden” knowledge can be high.

Asclepios was raised for awhile by his father Apollo who taught him about medicinal herbs and healing. He was then sent to live with the Centaur Chiron for further education.

Known as a mythological healer, a doctor, Asclepios ultimately became so good at his work that he was said to be able to resurrect the dead. For that reason, he was killed by Zeus who felt that bringing people back from the underworld was destroying the balance of power. Tyrants often show their sociopathic natures when they are not the ones acclaimed as the givers of the miracles. This is familiar to us.

The myth goes that Asclepios’ abilities were enhanced because he did a favor for a serpent and the serpent “licked his ears clean”. The snake taught him the secrets of healing. After Zeus killed Asclepios he turned him into the constellation Ophiuchus. The staff Asclepios carries is depicted with the snake twined around it.

Coronation

Back to Chinese ideas now. The Snake, Rooster and Ox make up the Metal Triple combination. The Snake starts a new cycle.

If you’ve read my forecasts you’ll already know I have talked about the Ox being in charge this year even though it’s the year of the Rat. The Ox month is most of January in case you didn’t know. That was when we recognized the presence of the virus.

By my calculation the Ox also has a Special Star this year called Wah Koi or Magnificent Crown (I know). It often signifies heightened talents and creativity, but can also indicate a self imposed habit of social distancing: introversion, withdrawal or even celibacy. For those with the Wah Koi star in their Ba Zi, work may seem/be more compelling than intimacy, however, they get lonely too. That sometimes provides the raw material for their work. I’m not making this up.

People with the Ox or a Wah Koi in their BaZi may find it easiest to ride this time out by way of productivity. That’s not true for everyone so give yourself (or someone else) a break if you’re not feeling particularly artsy, contemplative or philosophical.

Back on the Horse

So far this has been a year of plans that require changing. That didn’t come as a surprise. The fear first hit me when I was writing this year’s Horse forecast in late December. I wish I had kept the original versions. I’m also kind of glad I didn’t. There’s always a part of forecasting that involves creation so you have to be careful with your projections.

Part of my plan, which I had been working on since September, has been to clash myself; to choose the impact so to speak. And that is why I’m not living in my house now. We moved out to make way for big renovations on March 8th; the day before many Seattle employers sent employees to work from home. That was the beginning of our social distancing. As I write this it’s been 25 days.

I’m kind of homesick but there’s no going home right now because my kitchen and bathrooms are down to the studs. Although I miss my garden there are so many others to enjoy here where I am. If this is my “disaster” I’ll take it and be grateful. In know I’m going to be alright, even if I don’t know exactly what that will mean.

I’ve been helping my parents in Arizona and my children in California and Oregon as best as I can, but going to the post office in order to send toilet paper through the mail is a tangible experience of my helplessness. So is learning how much of my anger comes from anxiety – duh.

Anyway, I’m still here and working, for which I am thankful. I do know that good things are still happening beneath the surface of this epidemic even if we are unable to identify them right now. If I can help in some way please get in touch. My fees have always been negotiable.

Why I am a Diviner

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

I’m a diviner. I use BaZi (also known as Chinese Astrology), Feng Shui, Qi Men Dun Jia, I Ching and other methods to seek information that’s not available from deductive or inductive models. I love my job. Here are the main reasons I do what I do:

I want to helpfully inform you.
I don’t make predictions just to be right. Although I know I might be more impressive if I did, I don’t consider that mastery.

I want to contain fear.
I don’t make predictions intending to scare you into thinking you need to hire me so you won’t get wrecked. I also want you to know the feelings you don’t want to have are more difficult than the potential outcomes you imagine.

I want to create something with you. Sometimes it’s the future.
I have noticed that caring makes my predictions more accurate. There are more instances of positive/desired outcomes as well. That’s a co-creation with you.

I value truthfulness and respect.
I value honesty and will tell you what I see/receive. For weightier matters, if you don’t specifically ask I’m not going to tell. I respect both physical and metaphysical boundaries.

I want to encourage you.
I employ common sense above all. I know the difference between divination and affirmation, however, I believe there’s always something to look forward to even if it seems far in the future.

Fire Rat Month: For Faith’s Sake

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

When Water is at its strongest, Fire is weak. This is yin and yang; a cycle without end. The Fire Rat month emphasizes these elemental interactions.

Water tends to dampen our faith in things turning out right. We lose optimism. Do we stick or split? Do we give up and start over or stay the course? In extreme cases there’s a temptation to give ourselves permission to force things. We are impatient to escape the pain of not knowing what the outcome will be or the possibility of being wrong.

These are questions and feelings we want to avoid, yet even in difficult times there is at least one thing that is going right. What is yours? Is there more than one? Finding these things, however small, provides the Wood that you can use to keep your Fire going. As I like to say in moments of frustration and/or celebration: sh*t adds up.

I think faith has to do with Fire: our faith in it coming back each day with the rising sun. We have faith that summer will come and we will be able to grow our crops again. There’s faith that comes from being warm; from being warmed by food, touch, light, art, performance, music and words. For better or worse, we want to reinforce our faith with things we can see. That’s not always an option.

In this cycle of years, Fire becomes scarce and therefore a valuable resource, but you can’t hoard Fire – can you? It’s a lot like Water that way. You can influence it but only timing might allow you to believe you can control it.

The imbalance of Fire and Water sometimes manifests in the free market as the scarcity principle or scarcity value. This demonstrates how we only need to perceive something as valuable to increase its monetary value. It is not required that the item have a value beyond being considered desirable and in limited supply. Most of us fail to see there’s magic in that phenomenon and use it to our advantage.

If we create the perception of value by assigning it, we can go assign value to whatever we choose. That’s influence.

There’s my divine madness – a vision of sugarplums to dance in your head. Blame it on the Fire Rat. An interesting way to explore these ideas might be through the use of pyromancy or divination from fire. Want to play?

Light the fire and get comfortable because pyromancy is probably one of the more lengthy forms of divination. It’s perfect for a cold winter night. Watch for shapes and images in the flames. Let the fire burn down to coals and throw on some salt, aromatic wood, herbs, evergreens, pinecones… Observe the patterns in the coals after the fire dies down again. See what comes up. Keep a record of your discoveries. It could come in handy in the coming Metal Rat Year.

Here’s to the return of the light…and enlightenment. Happy Winter Solstice.

Wood Pig 乙亥 Month: The Sty Ward

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

In the Metal Snake year of 2001 I became close friends with Rena who was born in a Pig year. At that time, as mothers of young children and budding entrepreneurs, we had a lot in common. We liked the same music and food. We both really loved to dance. Looking back now I realize she was a lot like another friend I had in the Earth Snake year of 1989.

The thing that was so attractive about Rena is that she had a million great ideas and the energy to carry them out. Having kids didn’t slow her down at all – she would take them everywhere and as she said “let them get used to it”. Rena would buy the rejected cans of paint from the hardware store and spend an entire weekend adding layers of paint to her living room walls to get the shade exactly right. She was an expert at transforming her career, physical self and her look too. She was always starting one new business or another and building her network. Beautiful and talented, Rena seemed capable of doing whatever she set her mind to.

Maybe it was because we became friends in a Snake year that it didn’t last. The thing I came to learn about Rena is that she had a pattern of starting over from scratch. When things went wrong she would try to do a 180° turn but Rena was already too overextended to pull it off. Luckily, Rena’s charm and appearance of helplessness compensated for her lack of a back up plan. Because she was so accomplished and fun to be around, people would volunteer to give her money and other material goods. I was one of those people; not a victim but an enthusiastic participant. This has been a pattern of mine with friendship. You could say I think people will like me more for my resources than myself.

If you are reading this then you already know my last name is Stewart. As Richard Ashworth likes to remind me, my name comes from combining “sti” or “stig”, meaning sty, with “weard”, meaning keeper or ward. I am the Sty Ward. That makes me the pig keeper. I’m Stephanie Stewart so perhaps that makes me a pig keeper who wears a crown. Queen of Pig Keepers?

The Pig is my Sap Gon Luk; my Star of Fame. There’s something about the Pig branch that is linked to what I’m known for. Since I don’t have a Pig in my BaZi, the Pig year has brought good timing for directing my efforts at increasing my audience. Writing the Animal forecasts for the first time, completing a year of providing daily original content and redesigning my web site were all ways to take advantage of the Pig year energy. I’ve worked more hours this year than any other for that very reason. The sign of the Pig has other meanings for my BaZi but I think they all relate to reputation. I will also own up to wanting perfection more this year. Stay away from that stuff – it will kill your creativity.

The position of pig keeper held a certain status in medieval times because pigs were considered to be the most valuable livestock animal. The well being of the pigs was crucial to the community’s future. In Chinese culture, the pigs could be kept under the floor to generate heat in winter. Dreaming of a pig dying on its own (as opposed to being slaughtered I suppose) is an ill omen according to popular Feng Shui man Peter So. It’s not hard to understand why that might be if your winter survival depends on eating one. Winter calls for trust; trusting that you will help those who need it and that they will help you. Winter calls for back up plans.

To some extent I am joking, but this theme of being the Pig keeper plays out in my BaZi and my life: I am trusted to care for other people’s valuables. That includes people. I am responsible for, and trusted with wealth, but it’s not always my wealth. That includes money. I know what it’s like to lack it but I also know what it’s like to have it. I feel responsible.

Recently I corresponded with Iris, a very charming and creative person. Iris reached out with a question (everyone gets a free one) and then backed away when I offered a more personalized answer. That’s legit. Not everyone wants to be “read” and I respect that. But if you ask me a question as Serious Feng Shui I’m assuming you already know what I do.

Through the nuances of our interaction it became clear to me that Iris was born in a Pig year. When she shared her birth data it turned out I was right, and Iris’ question turned out to be about money – how to get it. I could feel her pain and desperation coming through as a demand for me to fix things. That always makes me worry because more than anything else, desperation puts us at risk of making a bad situation worse.

One manifestation of the self clash I’ve seen with the Pig branch is that money is spent as soon as it comes in. I don’t mean to make the Pig sound selfish though. It’s just as likely they are spending on someone else as themselves. I think the Pig is maybe the least likely branch to have a savings account, at least until later in life when lessons have been learned.

The thing about Pigs is that they are possibly too charming and versatile for their own good. That’s how they get stuck doing jobs they are “good at” as Iris was. Often what they mean by that is they stick to what they think others will pay them for, rather than work that is satisfying. The unhappy Pig becomes less and less interested in going along with the program which may lead to self sabotage, i.e. getting fired. Here’s my message to Pigs: you could easily get paid for the work that satisfies you if you pay the dues of training and preparation. It’s that simple.

Or maybe it’s not. I suppose that when you are naturally good at so many things it is difficult to see the value in committing time to preparing for one job or skill. It’s also hard to decide which one to choose.

It’s rare for me to communicate with someone and not care about the outcome so I gave Iris more than a few suggestions as to how to bring the timing for money in early but she continued to ask how she could get “cash today”. My mojo works but not like that. I can’t change your fate but I can help you negotiate with it. I can help you play along.

And just so you know: I don’t have any methods where you can just sit back and do nothing while the money rolls in. If anyone claims to have that ability I’d say it’s a scam. Even magic requires some effort and preparation.