“Tiger at the water hole”

Today's title is from Sun Zi’s ancient classic “The Art of War” and refers to getting everything you need, relatively effortlessly from one source. With that in mind this seems a perfect time to tell you what we do; especially since we have already begun the New Chinese year of the Water Snake, click for annual predictions.

Now you might think that the New Year begins on Sunday 10^th February, as is already well publicised; but like Easter that is a LUNAR FESTIVAL. As such, it is always celebrated on the 2^nd new moon after the winter solstice and can occur at any time within 30 days from January 19^th.

If you are born within this 30 day period you are probably confused as to which Chinese animal sign you have, as one source says this and another… something else. Let me therefore tell you that professionally we use the solar cycle which begins around February 4^th annually, as this provides much clearer and more accurate results.

There are other systems of Chinese astrology which do use the lunar calendar, but Ba Zi or Four Pillars of Destiny is not one of them. As an example a child born today will be born in a Water Snake year, even though the New Year festival happens next Sunday.  

On the subject of which animal sign you have, we actually all have 4 of them, each one influencing 15 years of our life and when we get to age 60, we begin again.  The annual Chinese animal sign really only governs your childhood environment and of more importance is the day, then the month of birth. The hour tells us the position of the Sun at the time of birth and also has great significance.

The Chinese animal signs are each given an element, which is actually an additional and different source of energy, known as a Heavenly Stem. This refers to light and solar energy, whilst the energy of the zodiac animal sign represents the local environmental influence.  Analysing the elemental relationship between these 2 aspects or “pillar” shows the effects on our horoscopes and environments.

Why use Chinese astrology in feng shui?

If you are reading this, you already know the power and effect of feng shui, in terms of tapping into the local vibrant energy to enhance your life. At the same time avoiding decaying energy which will cause stress and loss. This is known as balancing energy in our homes and offices,

This feels great but it’s general and not specific enough. However, when we use Chinese astrology we can calibrate individuals, family or groups needs to create the perfect atmosphere for their goals. For example, that can be peace and harmony in a home, or an inspiring, exciting and more efficient atmosphere in an office. Further by using Chinese astrology we can add the time aspect and work out the perfect timings for events for anything from weddings and parties to product launches or production schedules. See our recent article on the latest James Bond film Skyfall.

 By using Chinese astrology we add the time aspect to feng shui which ensures that all of our clients enjoy continuous and optimal feng shui results. In a professional reading, we can also advise clients on when to make important decisions based on their trends, tendencies, likes, dislikes, compatibility and where, when and even with whom fulfilment can be found.

This is when the Four Pillars of Destiny comes into its own and why we need to follow the annual, (Water Snake) monthly (Wood Tiger) and daily (Water Tiger) influences into account.   

So, there you go the proverbial cat is out of the bag, today's title “Tiger at the water hole” was inspired by it being a Water Tiger day. Mind you the energetic relationship between these two aspects of Water and Tiger (wood) represents intelligence, strategy and forward planning. Hopefully our own interpretations and the daily recommendations translated from the Chinese almanac provide this service.

Today's most suitable activities are therefore visiting friends, getting engaged, having an astrology reading, opening a  business signing contracts, trading, collecting debts, refurbishing a home or office, fixing a roof, buying or setting direction for your bed, hunting and setting up a tombstone. Whilst drilling a well, laying foundations or meditating is inadvisable.

So this blog places you at the proverbial water hole where all events can be reviewed and agreed before taking action. If you feel this service may be of interest to others please pass it onto them and feel free to follow us on our daily blog, Twitter or Facebook. We will return tomorrow on a Water Rabbit day, until then, enjoy every moment of NOW!

Finn & Slim Shooey