Who is a Dog?

Years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006.
Month*: October
Hour: 19.00-21.00
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 is a Dog?

The Dog is yang earth and a byword for faith and consistency. Terriers and Rotweilers are both fierce as well as loyal. In mediaeval heraldry and Renaissance painting, the greyhound symbolises constancy. The downside of this is that like Donald Trump and two of his three predecessors (ie not Obama – naturally), they can take some moving on. And the primary force in the world today is the eclipse of the post-war era which opened in the Fire Dog year of their birth 1946, and the search for a new beginning in which humanity has some chance of survival.

A Dog can be expected to revere tradition and have a strong family background. If a Dog commits to something they can generally be relied upon to see it to completion – for better or worse. The difference between male and female Dogs can be that the female gets the message quicker. Interesting to note that Kate Middleton and Prince William are twin Water Dogs of 1982; a very solid match because as a yang earth sign, the Dog is pretty immovable, an ideal best friend or protector. These two are first and foremost, good friends.

The Dog’s thinking may not always be flexible but when he gets an idea, he really gets it. His natural grouping is with the hunters, the Horse and Tiger. The apportionment of tasks here is obvious: the Horse provides pace and the Tiger ferocity while the Dog watches the rear. If more people studied Chinese metaphysics, more workplaces would zing: in business the Horse will tend to be the sales person, the Tiger the closer or credit controller and the Dog the provider of after-sales service or er…HR department.

The Dog excels at service because he never gives up. He will return your phone calls and keep that appointment. He’s the friend who sends a card every birthday and the spouse who remembers every anniversary. He’s also the charming employer and the Tweeter at dawn.

The Dog perhaps surprisingly, also mixes well with the gentle diplomatic Rabbit. The Rabbit schmoozes while the Dog ensures that her openness is not abused. The Dog makes a wonderful bodyguard and middle manager. A Dog employer will generally have achieved that position by sheer hard work and will demand the same from all around.

The Dog doesn’t like the Dragon because he’s such a smarty pants. Also the Dog hates success without effort and he sees the Dragon create with such apparent ease. Consider Trump’s man-crush on Dragon Vladimir Putin in this light. The Snake too; she’d resent the Horse as well, except that the balanced Dog is scrupulously loyal to her own team. And just as an aside, it’s a principle of yin and yang that opposites co-exist. So some Dogs will express these qualities in the omission rather than the observance. This may make sense of both George W Bush and Donald Trump.

An unbalanced Dog is a bit of a shop steward. He knows his rights and the way things should be – often the way they always have been. An unbalanced Dog (such as one with an October or mid-evening birth) is rigid. Those recent US Presidents in a downward progress of de-evolution bottoming out at Donald Trump, have been champions of stuck, male, white, wealthy privilege. Make no mistake: it may not be clear very soon but the Fire Dog is over. The smart Fire Dog has already become mentor and confessor. That’s a pursuit at which he can often excel, and in 2020 it has become appropriate.

The Dog will often have a strong spiritual agenda and if he has a blind spot it may be an inability to tell the difference between religion and spirituality or spirituality and therapy. Because this means he sticks to his guns, the Dog is suited both to new age therapy and religious persecution. He will not be thrown off by the opinions of others once he has committed to a line of action. In fact the unbalanced Dog can be thick skinned in matters of belief; this Dog would be ideally suited to being a Grand Inquisitor. The problem is that their motto ought to be “Do as you would be done by,” and he thinks it already is. Resentment is a trap that is so easy to fall into.

The Dog can work well with other Dogs and even with the Pig. With the Pig he shares a love of home and team and they are so different they don’t crowd each other. Sometimes the Dog and Pig can be telepathically close; this is because they are adjacent signs in the calendar linked by the yang Earth that is a feature of both. Sometimes this Earth is expressed by banter or earthy humour, sometimes by complimentary delusions; consider Trump and Earth Pig born-again misogynist Mike Pence. They can have a lot of fun together while getting the job done. Or not. Beware though: the yang Earth and the yin Water have to mix just right or it can all end in tears.

But the most powerful and most demanding role the Dog can play is in a creative team including the irritating Dragon, the autocratic Ox and the soft Sheep. If the Dog acts as conscience and bookkeeper, the Ox will relax, the Sheep toughen up and the Dragon acknowledge someone else for a change. If you are a Dog recruiting for non-executive directors take note. What is great about the Dog is that if he finds advice that works he will adopt it as if it were religion. Bless. As for the unbalanced Fire Dog – watch this space.

Richard Ashworth © 2020
www.imperialfengshui.info

The Dog in 2020

Following on the hooves of the Earth Pig, the Metal Rat of 2020 brings further losses for the Dog. With the Ox in charge you may not see your competitors coming but they are. Dogs can expect to continue to lose money.

The Dog has plenty of work opportunities in 2020. It’s not earning money that’s the problem. It’s holding onto it. If you want to mitigate the money drain, give up something you value in the form of a charitable contribution.

Setting new boundaries for yourself is what will set you free. Step away from a position of authority to put your strengths at the service of others and you will be pleasantly surprised at the result. Don’t expect them to be immediate. You’re going to need to pack your patience.

Since last year your emotions have been running higher than usual and for good reason. If this is extremely uncomfortable, just let it be. Take a deep breath. If you made errors in judgment, forgive yourself. Forgive whoever you think gave you bad advice. Forgive your accusers. The Rat is giving you the perfect timing to start over. Return to your core values of loyalty, stability and guardianship for guidance. If you can do that, you’ll transform potential bitterness into a benevolent legacy. What is required to negotiate this year is already within you.

The Metal Rat is going to bring your attention to the fact that the events of the Pig year have put a strain on your relationship. It’s not just you that feels it. As we pass into the second half of the year potential is high for an affair. You’re really only in jeopardy if you haven’t been honest with your partner. It’s not too late, but without communication the unstable Fire of the summer could convince you that you’re justified in deception. Redefine loyalty and commitment through your actions. The timing is perfect for that lesson. Looking for advice from your usual sources will likely back up erroneous ideas and lead to regret.

In February the Tiger may encourage your predatory side. In March your closest friends may egg on your bad behavior, even setting you up with prospective dates. Have you noticed they are in a state of rebellion that taints their advice?

Dogs who have gone too far and/or too long in crossing boundaries with their power may experience repercussions in April. In August a neighbor is struggling with commitment in their own relationship. If you don’t listen to your courageous heart, you might see this reinforcing your own poor choice.

Let your byword be honesty. Write a new mission statement. Seek new experiences that humble you. Find new friends, the kind that are willing tell you what you don’t want to hear. Be wary of fans. Take time to hear out those who feel they’ve been wronged. Help the ones who have.

Remember: caring and approval are not the same thing. That applies not only to how people feel about you but also to how you feel about them.

Study your craft which is to maintain safety; to guard and protect. We still need you. Invite attention to what you are learning. Test the changes you think you’ve made by way of the feedback you receive.