Chinese New Year……….Year of the Dragon, what does it mean?
Enter the water dragon
While Feng Shui is practiced the whole year round, it is particularly popular as the Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year, which this year falls on Monday, Jan. 23.
The Chinese are firm believers in luck, and it widely believed that the Chinese New Year provides the best opportunity to bank yourself some good luck for the coming year. Since many Filipinos are quite superstitious, Feng Shui has become a popular way to know when would be the best time to change careers, move to a new home, get married, or just about any life-changing events.
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of arranging elements of the environment to affect positive changes in one’s life. It is based on the belief that everything on earth is teeming with energy called chi, and all energy seeks a state of balance.
The words “feng” and “shui” literally mean “wind” and “water,” which are considered two of the most important elements on earth. Some regard Feng Shui as a science. In particular, some people consider Feng Shui as environmental science because it involves manipulating the physical elements of a space to create a positive psychological effect that is believed to bring good luck, wealth, happiness, and success.
Originally, Feng Shui was used to choose burial sites and palace locations. The selection was done based on the signs the earth left behind (the study of geomancy) such as burned tree stumps, landslides, or a winding body of water. Later on, Feng Shui became a guide to acting with integrity, respecting the earth, and working with the flow of nature.
Good news and bad news Geomancer Joseph Chau
said 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, and is expected to bring in a lot of
major changes.
“Many countries will change leaders. North Korea has a new leader. In the US, there is an election this year. 2012 is the year of change. It is a time for leaders to use their power to help more people,” Mr. Chau told reporters recently.
Feng shui expert Marites Allen of World of Feng Shui Philippines concurred, saying the year of the Dragon is a “transformative year.”
“The changes in leadership will lead to new alliances and new policies. 2012 is a transformation year in politics and economy,” Ms. Allen explained. She said the last year of the Water Dragon was in 1952, which also could be considered a year of great transformation for the entire world.
“This included for example, the passing away of King George VI in the United Kingdom, and the transitioning to the present Queen Elizabeth, the official ending of the Second World War with treaties consummated between Japan and the Allies, the start of the nuclear age with the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb, and the year where the world was invaded by a huge number of UFO (unidentified flying object) sightings,” Ms. Allen said.
She said that while 2012 will be a better year than 2011, the New Year signifies continuing disharmony, with conflicts between governments and social classes leading to political and social unrest.
Ms. Allen said that based on the Paht Chee Chart for the Year of the Water Dragon, 2012 is “afflicted.”
“The Chinese New Year commences on the worst day of the month, in the worst month of the year,” she said.
Because of this, she said violence and armed conflict would likely escalate towards the fourth quarter of the year, while relationships will likely suffer from arguments and infidelity.
She, however, said that 2012 is fortunate for being a “double spring” year, which bodes well for those who want to start a business, switch jobs, or get married.
“There is growth potential, with political and economic turnarounds indicated,” Ms. Allen said. “Wealth luck for certain animal signs are good,” she added.
And while the Mayan calendar supposedly predicts the end of the world in 2012, Ms. Allen said the elements of the year do not indicate such an event. “2012 is not the end of the world,” she said.
Time to be carefulMr. Chau said the Philippines could expect good luck in 2012. But he warned that the country should brace for floods and earthquakes, especially in the months of April and October, and in January 2013.
Ms. Allen said the Philippines should “be careful” in 2012, since “The Five Yellow Star” will be at the southeast direction in the New Year.
“The Philippines, largely considered to be in the southeast quadrant of the world, should be careful as in 2012 the Five Yellow resides here, which will potentially bring serious misfortune,” she said.
She said the Five Yellow Star was in the East in 2011, considered to be the quadrant of the world where Japan is located. This could possibly explain the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last year, she said.
The last time the Five Yellow Star was in the Southeast was in 2003, when the contagious SARS virus affected Hong Kong and threatened to infect the whole of Southeast Asia.
Business Prospects for 2012
Ms. Allen said the luckiest industries this year will be those related to the wood element. These include plantations, agriculture, publishing, flowers, and plants.
“The year indicates asset growth luck for wood related businesses. Profits will rise, and these businesses can take risks and expand,” Ms. Allen said.
She, however, cautioned that wood-related industries should scale down their risks towards the end of the year, as potential revenue dangers will likely affect their operations.
Ms. Allen said businesses related to the Earth element, like real estate, will continue to have a “good outlook” in 2012 as they did last year.
“It will be a good time to invest in new property,” she said, while warning that Earth-related industries should be careful starting the third quarter of the year. She also advised those businesses involved in building construction and hotels not to make new investments by the end of the year.
She said businesses involving the water element — like banking, shipping, transport, beverages, and fishing — will have an “average year.”
“They should be extra careful this year, since 2012 is not a good year to take risks,” she explained.
“It is better for water element businesses to take a short-term view of their
prospects,” she added.
Ms. Allen’s outlook for the metal element industries is also average, saying businesses like mining, jewelry, computers, airlines, and automobiles are headed for a slowdown after a good 2011.
“It is difficult to increase profits for metal element businesses in 2012,” she said. “They may be forced to be rough on their business dealings this year,” she added.
She said fire-related businesses like entertainment, lighting, and restaurants will have a “competitive outlook” in 2012, as the Water Dragon year will likely douse the positive gains of these industries for the rest of the year.
Looking for lucky objects in a traditional Chinese store in Binondo in
preparation for the Chinese New Year. — Photo By Jonathan L. Cellona
“These industries should be cautious in making investments, most especially around the end of the third quarter,” Ms. Allen said.
She said the stock market’s stability and growth would improve in 2012, noting that bourse trading will rise starting in March, and will be very strong in the summer months.
She advised market players to hedge their bets on wood-related companies, while making sure that they have secured their positions by October.
“After a strong summer trading, the stock market will likely slow down in the fourth quarter of 2012,” she said.
Mr. Chau said that aside from considering the elements governing each industry, the public should also consider the animal signs of the leaders of the business, as well as the physical orientation of the company headquarters before they invest their money.
“Generally speaking, each industry can earn money, but it is also important to consider that the luck and destiny based on the birthdays of the big boss and directors will affect business,” Mr. Chau said.
“In addition, whether the orientation and direction of their company’s offices or the location of the company is auspicious will also affect the business. Of course, quality, service, and courtesy are important factors and cannot be neglected for success in business,” he added.
Home, Health, and Relationships.
Meanwhile, Ms. Allen said the cost inauspicious direction for 2012 is the southeast. She said there should be no major renovations at the southeast part of houses in 2012, so as not to tempt the “Five Yellow Misfortune Star.”
“The Yellow Misfortune Star is a seriously bad star which brings misfortune and accidents. It is in the southeast, and brings danger to all who live there,” she said.
“There is also the possibility of neck injury and liver problems for those who reside in the southeast this year. The southeast is the palace of prosperity, and hence this star exerts a negative influence on wealth, and the daughters of the household,” she added.
She said those living in houses whose main door faces the southeast should consider using another door, if possible.
Doors facing the southeast should remain closed for the whole day on Jan. 23. For those with no alternative entrances, Ms. Allen said homeowners should place “remedies” and “cures” at the southeast part of their houses. The remedies can be bought from Ms. Allen’s stores, including the so-called “Five Element Pagoda with Tree of Life and Seed Syllable.”
She added that lights should be switched off in this location. “Keep the southeast as quiet as possible. There should be no knocking, digging, or cutting. If this is your entrance, place plants flanking your main entrance,” she said.
Mr. Chau said those living in houses facing the southeast can use a gong or a brass bowl to counter the negative energy. “The house owner should ring the gong, or hit the brass bowl six times every day to appease the yellow misfortune star,” he said.
Ms. Allen the “argumentative star” or “the quarrelsome star” for 2012 is in the southwest. She said those who would like to avoid gossip, envy, criticism, fighting, and court cases should keep this area of their house quiet at all times.
“Marriages and relationships are adversely affected by this star as the southwest also governs relationships and marital happiness,” Ms. Allen said.
“The southwest is also the place of the matriarch, so mothers and grandmothers will feel more aggravated and irritated this year,” she added.
To counter the negative energy of the southwest, Mr. Chau said homeowners could stick a red ang pao (Chinese money envelope) containing either a P20 bill or a P50 bill at the southwest part of the house.
Ms. Allen said plants and water features should be removed from the southwest part of the house. “Keep a light turned on in the southwest all night,” she advised.
Those with rooms and offices located at the north of houses and buildings should be careful about their health, Mr. Chau said. “The ‘sickness star’ falls in the north direction in 2012,” he said.
Ms. Allen said sickness would likely affect the middle son of the family. “The illness star brings illness, and in very severe cases, terminal illness,” she said.
She added that the north represents the kidneys, so there is danger of disease and infection in this organ.
She advises homeowners to turn off lights and remove any crystals from the northern area of their houses. Pregnant, sickly and elderly members of the family should also be moved to another room this year, she said.
Meanwhile, to avoid unexpected bad luck and violence, Ms. Allen suggests that construction and renovations be put on hold at the northwest of the house.
“The Violent Star causes armed robbery and violence to those residing at the northwest sector,” she said.
Ms. Allen said the Violent Star particularly affects the luck of the fathers and male leaders throughout the world this year, and those born in the years of the Boar and Dog, causing them to be more prone to physical danger.
She said those looking for wealth, success and happiness should make sure that their desks are facing the west while those hoping for “unexpected good fortune” and “indirect wealth” should face the northeast.
Those who want to win competitions or pass board exams should have their desks facing south in 2012, while those who want to find love or perform well in school should move their desks to face the east.
Attracting luck
On the eve of the Chinese New Year on Sunday, Jan. 22, Ms. Allen said all doors should be opened, especially those facing the West. She, however, said that doors facing the southeast should be kept closed.
Mr. Chau suggests that people who want to attract luck in the New Year should wear clothes in the lucky colors for 2012, including gold, silver, white (but this should have prints), sky blue, green, red, pink, violet, peach, orange, beige, yellow, and
brown.
Among the Chinese
traditions practiced to bring prosperity for the coming year include stowing
away knives and scissors, and not cleaning the house on the Chinese New Year
itself as one may “sweep away” one’s luck.
Other superstitions
for the Lunar New Year include the wearing of new shoes and slippers, as well
as new underwear on New Year’s Day to prevent bad luck.
On New Year’s Eve,
family members are advised to eat sweets like tikoy (a sticky rice cake) for
harmonious relationships. All the lights in the house should be turned on 10
minutes before midnight to welcome prosperity for the New Year.
There are also those who give out ang pao containing money to bring prosperity for the coming year. It is believed that luck is multiplied by the amount of money placed inside the envelopes. Because of this, it is strongly advised that people refrain from giving out empty ang pao, since doing so would mean one wishes ill for the recipient.
For 15 days after the New Year, people are discouraged from having a haircut since doing so would mean losing one’s luck.
Mr. Chau said fruits like pineapple, pomelos, oranges, apples, and dragon fruit should be placed on the dining table to attract prosperity. “There should be at least five of these fruits on the table to attract wealth,” he said.
He added that there should be two ang pao on the dining table, as well as candies and watermelon seeds to attract money.
To ensure an adequate food supply for the entire year, Mr. Chau said celery stalks with roots, cabbages, spring onions with roots, carrots, and lotus roots tied with a red ribbon should be placed inside the rice container. “An ang pao with money worth P168 should be placed inside the rice container as well,” he said.
