I know it is a little late for an Astrology Forecast for the Year. So this isn’t one. It is a little commentary of some of the worse aspects of this year. It was inspired by Unexpected Guest (more on that later).

The Year of the Earth Rat has got to be an interesting one for many. Afterall, it is suppose to symbolise a misty mountain top. Visibility is not the clearest at the peak. Walking around up there must be quite the adventure and depending on your personal astrology, it could either be a pleasant stroll or you could accidentally walk off a ledge.

But the interesting thing about the Wu Zi year is it is also a Peach Blossom star AND a combination of Yang Earth and Yin Water (Wu is Yang Earth and Zi is a Yin Water branch (but the combination is momentary one as it is known among the learned as an “unsentimental” combination).

I am sure that the last paragraph was Greek to most, so if you are wondering where this is going, I will get to the gist of it.

The Earth Rat is a year of surprises. It is a year of unexpected events. And by virtue of the Peach Blossom and the combination, a lot of the “events” you see this year tend to be related emotions, matters of the heart. Love and lust.

Already there has been a lot of juicy news this year. To name a few:

• The New York Governor Elliot Spitzer’s scandal with call girl Ashley Alexandra Dupré
• Malaysian Health Minister Chua Soi Lek sex video
• Actor Edison Chen and gallery of conquest flooding the Internet
• John Edwards newborn with his mistress, Rielle Hunter
• Madonna’s affair with New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez
• Jody Foster the lesbian
• Former Deputy Prime Minister and Current Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his Sodomy charge
• Josef Fritzl, the Austrian who locked up his daughter and had 7 children with her
• Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin’s 17 year old daughter got pregnant out of wedlock

…and the list goes on and on. It just gets getting better (or more sick).

Even among my immediate circle of acquaintances, I can think of 2 shotgun marriages and 2 more couples people that opted for an abortion. Talk about unexpected guest! (Hence the inspiration for this entry). As I said earlier: Wu Zi: Unexpected, surprising, love/lust related and often not the best of situations. UNEXPECTED GUEST.

Yes. This is what the Rat brings. Especially if you have other Peach Blossom stars in your BaZi Chart- Rabbits (Mao), Roosters (You) and Horses (Wu). That is because they are Punishments, Destructions and Clashes respectively. And they all usually result in some form of emotional rollercoaster for the year. (Once again, this is technical BaZi Astrology terminology.)

But this does not mean that the problems will always be romantic (or sleazy) in natural. It could sometimes just be a lot of emotional turmoil, worry and sadness. However, the daggers (if any) are usually quite deep when there are problems.

I know this is a little late for annual luck/forecast and advice… but those of you that are in trouble, dig in and weather out the storm- do NOT escalate or make things worse. Those that are still in the clear- keep out of trouble.

The Pilgrim

Did everyone watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics? I was mesmerized. It was a real testament to China’s history and its contributions throughout history.

I had quite a few favourites but the maritime segment was one of my favourites. Did anyone see of those guys in robes waving this around?

Image courtesy of Dragon-Gate.com

This morning, I get one of these babies out from our store and tried it out. It actually works quite well. Although not as accurate as the Luo Pan, but when you do want to go back to basics and need a general direction, it still works pretty well.

Makes an excellent gift too! The next five people I need to send something to, is getting this.

The Pilgrim

I read something interesting the other day. Apparently, Singapore has changed the direction the Singapore Flyer (their version of the London Eye). Although it was on a good location, it was not channeling the Qi into Singapore.

Local Feng Shui Masters managed to convince the management that the Singapore Flyer was spinning the wrong direction. It was reported that they changed it according to the recommendation at a substantial financial cost to them.

Amazing…

Personally, I think that one of 2 things happened:

1) The Man (government) told them to do so on the recommendation of the Feng Shui Masters. This is not hard to believe considering The (Singaporean) Man is unofficially a mega-user of Feng Shui.

or

2) They had to do it for some reason or another and used Feng Shui as a PR stunt. It does make it semi-newsworthy. Hey… I’m blogging about it!

But for whatever reason, Qi flow is very important and Singapore is probably doing the right thing. one must always take note of movement and even symbolism of movement. For example:

1) Roads and waterways. If they are flowing out (downward sloping for example) and leading directly out your property. This is a no-no.

2) Water fountains, spinning wheels (mini-Singapore Flyers) and our favourite, the ever popular infinity pool that flow out of your property is also not advisable.

3) Even symbols like horses and ships should not be pointed at the door. You want them good stuff INSIDE. Not outside.

Anyway, if you guys are interested, I have included the news article below:

So far so good. I think I may have managed to dodge the Five Yellow with the help of some powerful cures. I popped in a brass tortoise and another kei loon right after I found those freshly dug holes in my backyard. (If you are wondering what this is about, my dog dug up the South sector a few days ago. Check my past post on this).

I told my dog that if the Five Yellow really started to act up, she would be eating dried crackers for a month….

The Pilgrim

Everywhere you go you read about the Olympics and how China has spent so much time and money preparing for it. They will be using it as a ‘coming out’ party. One that will celebrate its new found place in the world.

If you go to any of the major cities, you will see impressive buildings in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Many of these have been built by Western architects and many actually go against the principles of Feng Shui.

Just the start of Beijing’s new skyline

Am not so sure how the occupants of these buildings and those around them will be feeling after a couple of years. This is because symmetry is very important to balance the Qi in any property. Although you do not have to have a perfect square (that would just be too boring), you should always try to have all the sectors present. Any missing sectors will directly affect the GUA of the property- basic Feng Shui 101.

But as always- aesthetics and the need to have a visual impact takes precedents over basic Feng Shui principles… Bah.

I am talking about the RIGHT Time. Many people who practice our art whether it is professionally or privately (or just simply mucking about with it), do not understand the importance of Date Selection. Choosing the Right Time to move in will bind the prosperous Qi to your property. Choosing the Right Time to start an activity will ensure that you have that extra celestial boost.

Sometimes, when the Stars are not in your favour, the situation has too many constraints or you just have crap Feng Shui, the using the Right Time may be the only thing you can do.

Common examples of things people use Date Selection for: getting married, starting a business, moving house, renovating, starting a diet, quiting smoking, starting a long trip and the like. And no. Some of you may have heard that some choose a time for taking a bath or getting a haircut. This is from the time when people used to do it once a year!

The idea of Date Selection is that you will tap into specific cyclical energies that will support specific individuals (based on their personal energy) and the specific activity. Notice I used the word “specific” a lot. This is because different energies will support different activities. Plus you have to ensure that they match the individual (often you will use BaZi Astrology to determine this). What is good for goose… is not always good for the gander.

Furthermore, one must appreciate that not all the “Right Times” are created equal. Just like anything, there are greater and lesser Right Times. Hell… some are down right cruddy.

I will be writing more about this at a later date. Just thought I would wet your appetite a little. I have to get back to my work. Have at least 8 Date Selections, 1 Astrology Reading and about 5 feet of paperwork to sort out… I hate it when things start piling up on my desk. Maybe I should have selected the Right Time to get up this morning…

The Pilgrim

This morning I was enjoying my cup of coffee in my backyard when I stumbled upon hole in the garden. A hole in the ground right in the middle of the SOUTH SECTOR. First thing that raced into my mind was “The Five Yellow!”.

Apparently, my silly dog had been spending the better half of the night, playing archaeologist. No wonder she was hiding under the car!

(For those readers new to Feng Shui, the South Sector this year is afflicted with the Five Yellow. It is a form of malignant energy that can cause mishaps, accidents, injury and a multitude of other foul events. The bad vibes stay dormant unless activated by extreme movement, renovation and yes- ground breaking (digging!)

I immediately placed a few more cures around that area. I already have windchimes, coins and brass kei loons there. I am hoping for the best and if anything happens, you can be sure my dog will be the first to hear about it!

The Pilgrim

.. the Feng Shui Pilgrim.

Greetings!

Lets start with a short introduction. I am the Feng Shui advisor and resident Astrologer for Dragon-Gate.com. I have been studying and practicing Feng Shui and Astrology professionally for over 10 years. It has and continues to be a wonderful journey and hence the name: the Feng Shui Pilgrim.

pil·grim: A Traveller. One who embarks on a quest for something conceived of as sacred

This blog will be a collection of my experiences, studies, thoughts and travels.

Welcome to my Feng Shui Pilgrimage.