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… Read More
The Rat in 2019 ~ Earth Pig Year
Who is a Rat? Years: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008. Month*: December Hour: 11:00 pm – 01:00 am Day: ask us * Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too. What… Read More
A (Re)Productive Cycle
The Pig Month, which covers most of November, marks lap dung in the Chinese almanac. This is the beginning of winter. The winter season also includes the Rat (December) and the Ox (January). In terms of 5 elements, winter is the season of water. Think ice, snow, cold, rain, sleet, hail, flooding, slipperiness, clouds, downward… Read More
Camellia Sasanqua “Yuletide”
When I first moved to the PNW I thought of camellias as plants for old ladies’ gardens. To me the camellias were background for the other more important and flashier plants. This is my 20th winter in the PNW and I have learned my lesson. Winter blooming plants and evergreens are some of the most… Read More