In what promises to be a yearof smoke and mirrors, a feng shui expert stresses the importance of wisdom and sound judgment. The key to having both, she says, is to go back to basics.
Reading about feng shui forecasts relative to Chinese zodiac have been customary for people looking to maximize their luck throughout an upcoming Chinese New Year. One feng shui expert argues, however, that predicting what’s in store for the next 12 months requires more details than just birth year.
“You are not just your year,” said Princesse Lim-Fernandez, resident feng shui expert of Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony, adding that otherwise, everybody born in a particular year should share the same luck. “It’s a whole dynamic, complex system that one cannot just simplify.”
According to her, that system begins with understanding two main elements: The self and the environment.
The former refers to birth chart, which involves one’s time of birth and the popular reference point of zodiac signs, while the latter is what she calls the “feng shui side,” or the arrangement of things in one’s home, the direction which one’s office faces, and so on.
To know more about what’s in store for the self beyond what collective zodiac forecasts suggests, the feng shui expert pointed to decoding one’s birth chart using the Bazi calculator.
The device, accessible at yinandyangshopofharmony.com/bazi, takes into account not only the person’s birth year, but the entire birth details, from day and month, down to the time. Thus, results are more individual.
The Chinese word “bazi” directly translates to “8 characters,” in reference to the results of the calculation. These eight figures are categorized into four groups called the “four pillars of destiny,” namely year, month, day and time. Each one concerns respective life aspects, from relationships to career and money luck, among others.
“It’s the totality of this that will influence your luck, or what’s in store for you the coming year,” Lim-Fernandez said.
With those uncontrollable, birth-based details about the self on hand, the next step is to find out what to do with it. This is where the feng shui part comes in, or the factors that one can actually control to draw in favorable luck. If it’s at the very least involves moving one’s table to face a certain direction, or using a different workspace, so be it, the expert suggested.
Ostensibly, an ideal model is a good chart and good feng shui. But one can only control factors as much. This is why the expert points to an unfavorable chart as all the more reason to practice good feng shui to allow surrounding energies to boost one’s luck.
Moreover, there is another available guideline beyond birth charts and feng shui, according to Lim-Fernandez; one that everybody can refer to, regardless of birth year and whatnot, and that is the character of the upcoming year itself. It is, after all, the prevailing energy that applies to everyone.
The turn of the Chinese New Year to the Year of the Yin Earth Pig is on February 4, 2019, Monday, at 11:16a.m. Lim-Fernandez said that the timing welcomes one peculiarity: The year is set to come and go without spring, thus, it will become what is known as a “blind year.”
“It means people have to open their eyes, look beyond what is in front of them, because it’s very easy to get blindsided,” the expert said, pertaining to businesses, relationships, and even promises. “Basically, there will be a lot of smoke and mirrors this year, and that’s why I call her the ‘razzle dazzle pig.’”
Lim-Fernandez calls on those wanting to get married to double-check on their partners really well before walking the aisle, on businessmen to do the proper research before making any decisions, and so on.
The instability traces back to the characteristic of the Yin Earth Pig itself. Last year’s Yang Earth Dog was an earth-on-earth combination, as dog is related to the earth element. This resulted to a solid foundation where many held a strong stance, thus the frequent show and clash of power in 2018.
Meanwhile, the pig is associated with the water element, giving 2019 an unstable earth-on-water foundation.
“On the surface, the earth gives you that the illusion of strength and sturdiness, but the foundation is now water,” Lim-Fernandez said. “It means that people have to be more mindful because it will be a bit of unstable year.”
To counter the instability, the expert underscored the importance of establishing a strong and solid personal foundation. This can be achieved by strengthening one’s core and focusing on one’s self.
It’s an approach likewise promoted by the very characteristic of the upcoming year itself. The Yin Earth of 2019 covers a smaller piece of land, like a garden, as opposed to 2018’s Yang Earth, which is more of a mountain, steady and unmoving with a wider sight. Whereas last year was about the view of others and the distant future, this year will be about what’s at the lawn, the immediate, and the personal.
“The energy of the earth and organic things will continue this year, where people underwent some form of cleansing, or a sense of reassessment,” Lim-Fernandez said. “It could be as simple as skipping social media or as general as listing their priorities in life.”
If the cleansing and the foundation-building have yet to begin, the expert suggested one method: Go back to basics with three simple questions.
What makes me happy?
What are my priorities in life?
Who are the people who really have my back?
“You could ask more,” Lim-Fernandez said. “But you have to be honest with yourself.”
She added that allowing for cleansing this year could spell wonders in the long run, as it would allow a person to align himself/herself with what matters to them the most. Such reassessment could set them up on the path of being the best version of themselves.
Meanwhile, Lim-Fernandez said that the onus of instability and uncertainty the upcoming year holds should not fall on the pig. The animal, she said, is simply misunderstood. It is not lazy nor slow, but just operates on its own pace.
“For everyone, I guess the best advice I can give is just go with the flow,” the expert said. “Everything will manifest in the pigs’ own time.”