I didn’t grow up here in Seattle and that’s probably a good thing. This corner of the country has to do with the Metal element and there’s a ton of Water too. These are elements I already have in abundance so adding more wears on my health. They are also the elements that attract me, and that’s something I’ve learned the hard way. When I was younger, Seattle was the best, most fun place to be ever. The music alone was enough. I still love the environment here. The health part wasn’t as much of an issue when I was younger and feeling immortal.

I’m kind of like the giant Antaeus who was the child of Poseidon and Gaia. He was able to beat all comers until Heracles figured out that if you just kept him off of the Earth long enough he could be defeated. If you keep me away from the dry and heat long enough, I can be defeated too. Feng Shui has taught me that in some years I can’t spend too much time in my north located office. North is Water and cold, but the 4 star is here this month so I’ll risk it. Star 4 is good for academic pursuits and writing.

Like Antaeus, I too have to touch my origin to renew my health. I grew up in Arizona where Fire and dry Earth are strong. Being there makes my body feel good, and I’ve been missing the Sun since I got back to Seattle in early April. These days I go to Arizona more often than I used to, partly to strengthen my health. When my boots hit the desert and I look up at that endless sky, I feel I could go anywhere. I feel free, like I could move in any direction at a moment’s notice. It’s so lonely though that it’s hard for me to stay. That was always the problem of being there.

No elemental situation is perfect, nor is it static. This is why it’s helpful to know yourself and to consider what to do when. We are dynamic systems. The only constant is change, however, there are patterns within change and we can use them to keep up with what is, as well as what we want. Why study destiny if there’s nothing you can do about it? I wouldn’t.

I’m still reading Ba Zi for people and doing all of my usual stuff, but I’m also teaching now, which means going over everything I’ve ever learned. I’m digging up class notes from 20 years ago because it’s time to go back to the basics: yin/yang, Wu Xing, trigrams, baguas. It’s not that I had lost touch with them, this is more like a renewing of vows; a commitment to stick with first principles.

In the context of life on Earth, I’ve been thinking about the difference between the Early Heaven Bagua and the Later Heaven Bagua. The Early Heaven version is a representation of a primordial or ideal order like Eden, while the Later Heaven version is representing how life is after Eden perhaps. The Later Heaven Bagua describes life on Earth. Maybe I will write about that another time.

In a Tiger year, here on Earth we experience the energy of Wood. The primary emotion associated with Wood is anger, but I think that sells Wood short because Wood also relates to kindness and compassion. Wood has to do with being conceived, waking up, becoming conscious, being born. Helpful stuff, but none of it is easy or comfortable. It seems important to note here that anger has a purpose too. Let’s not criminalize it.

Wood energy is most available in the east (see above), in the months of February and March, and on any day between the hours of 3-7 am. Wood qi helps us to get things started, so there’s something to be gained for everyone when Wood is present. If you are committed to accomplishing a big endeavor in a short amount of time, it helps to get up early. If you need more sleep, go to bed earlier.

Elementally speaking, Wood gives us our aspirations and ambitions. It won’t stop moving. Wu Xing deals in verbs and processes, not static absolutes, so when I think of Wood I think of the Spanish expression tener ganas, which means “to have a desire for”. If you have the ganas, it’s a physical feeling. Possession, possessing, possessions, and/or being possessed are implied, and by that I don’t mean that you’ll need an exorcist.

As a result of all this Wood qi, lately it’s seeming like it’s time to find a new…everything. For example, I’m feeling uncertain about working with people I have worked with for years, not in the context of my business, but of theirs. It’s a feeling of waking up to what was always there but is now intolerable. Because change is inconvenient and it will take up my time and energy, I feel torn between sticking with these relationships and finding new people to work with. I know that is petty. I know what to do but I’m still questioning it.

What things should be accepted out of loyalty and humanity? Which ones should be rejected because you know the truth? How long can I put these decisions off?

I think those are the questions that sum up this Wood Snake month. Fire is finally getting strong again and Fire is what will bring out the truth. Fire will express this Wood, this anger, compassion and kindness. We already know that exposing the truth is not enough to change things, but when enough truth has spread, that’s when revolutions start.

And so, lawsuits and legal entanglements are quite likely this month, or as a result of this month’s actions, possibly more so for those who have a Tiger or Monkey in their Ba Zi. Yin Earth and yin Fire daymasters may experience some anger management problems, exacerbating their potential for conflict.

What do you do? Get creative. Turn the Wood into Fire. Take a deep breath and figure out how to direct your anger to create the results you want. Events are about to accelerate.