i think i see i believe ...

Dragon Riding ...

2012-01-15T17:37:00.000+08:00

Guidelines:

1) Dragon Riding reveals certain dynamics of Qi [气] for 2012 Year Of The Water Dragon;

2) First and foremost, you should avoid crossing paths with the ‘inauspicious’ Qi; then you may do the recommended placements according to your needs;

3) Traditionally, the Chinese selects 'auspicious' date and time for various activities that they consider important. The slides below show those that are associated with the Chinese New Year (CNY) festive season;

4) Of these activities, two are of more significance in Chinese metaphysics - (i) Start Work after CNY, and (ii) 1st Destination on the 1st Day of CNY. You can make use of them to enhance chances of success and minimize setbacks;

5) The last slide is to be printed out on transparency so you can superimpose it onto the map or street directory for reference when deciding on your 1st Destination on the 1st Day of CNY. This slide has been re-orientated with 'North' at the top for easy referencing with maps & street directory. If none of your intended destinations falls within the 'auspicious (red)' sectors, you may improvise by making your 1st stop at a convenient store or petrol station or etc..

6) Here's wishing you Great Ride To Success in 2012!

Be Aware Of These Things in 2011...

2011-02-02T17:39:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - Southeast Palace

2011-02-02T17:35:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey presents another perspective of the year based on Flying Stars. It should be read in conjunction with the other blogs under Annual Forecast - 2011 as they are all relevant and complementary. However, in this blog on the Flying Stars, some measures are suggested, either for enhancement or aversion. Each palace (sector) is uploaded individually for easy reference. It will be good to acquaint yourself with some basic understanding of the Flying Star Chart and its application before reading on...

2011: A Star Odyssey - East Palace

2011-02-02T17:33:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - Southwest Palace

2011-02-02T17:30:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - North Palace

2011-02-02T17:27:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - South Palace

2011-02-02T17:24:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - Northeast Palace

2011-02-02T17:20:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - West Palace

2011-02-02T17:17:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - Northwest Palace

2011-02-02T17:14:00.000+08:00

2011: A Star Odyssey - Central Palace

2011-02-02T17:05:00.000+08:00

A Basic Understanding Of Qi [气] II

2011-02-01T13:28:00.000+08:00

The Flying Stars [飞星] system illuminates certain behavioral patterns and effects of Qi [气]. It can be used to predict potential occurrences of events on a global scale. At a more personal level, we use it to decode potentialities inherent in various palaces (sectors) of our physical environment, and then encode the same subject with new probabilities, in an attempt to enhance or avert those potentialities. Feng Shui [风水] after all is a probability (de/en)coding game.

Guidelines:

1) A typical flying star chart is orientated with ‘south’ at the top according to traditional Chinese metaphysics layout;

2) In a chart that I normally used in annual forecasts (see above), the alphabetical abbreviations stand for the location of the respective palaces (sectors), with ‘c’ indicating the central palace, ‘nw’ indicating the northwest palace, and so on;

3) The Chinese characters represent Period 8 chart, which spans 20 years from 2004 to 2023. The numbers at the centre of each palace above the abbreviations represent the annual chart;

4) The smaller numbers on both sides of the annual stars are the monthly stars that run vertically, right-to-left, from the 1^st to the 12^th solar month;

5) Generally, the months which coincide with problematic stars, ie. 2, 3, 5 & 7, are the ones which are more prone to issues. Where these problematic stars are the annual star at the main entrance door / bedrooms / kitchen for houses, or main entrance door / directors’ rooms / finance department for commercial premises, it is advisable to put in place some aversion measures at the respective areas;

6) Encoding (ie. for enhancement or aversion) can be carried out at macro-scale (big Tai Ji) taking the entire premise into consideration, or at micro-scale (small Tai Ji) applying to individual rooms. For houses, living room is a convenient application ground. You encode only where it is relevant for your own premise, or when you really have the need, do not overdo!

Probing The RABBIT Hole

2011-02-01T11:26:00.000+08:00

Hi, before you embark on the probe, do spare a moment to acquaint yourself with the concept of Qi [气] , as it will form the basis for understanding my analysis and its relevance. But do not be alarmed if you find yourself identifying with some of the decoded traits below. Instead, you should seize the opportunity to encode for a chance at success. With a positive attitude and an informed mind after reading this blog, I am sure you will be able to ride the tides with ease and maximize your potentials in 2011 ;-)

Xin Mao [辛卯], Year Of The Golden Rabbit arrives on 4th February 2011 at 1232 hours, your local time. Babies born before this are trailing the tail of the 2010 Snow Tiger, only babies born after this are true natives from the Rabbit hole. However, babies born on this date, especially if born around this time, tend to carry the traits of both Tiger and Rabbit. Simply put, they are the ambiguous lot!

As in the year before, 2011 Xin Mao’s Heavenly Stem [天干] is again Metal and Earthly Branch [地支] Wood. The difference being they are now the Yin [阴] elements. The clash between Metal and Wood continues, as well as some of the previously decoded traits. Xin Mao tends to conjure a combination with Bing Xu [丙戌], yielding the Water and Fire elements, but also rendering Earth the only element missing. The Annual Star 7-Red [七赤年星] flies into the central palace to accompany the Period Star 8-White [八白运星]. Hexagrams Xian [咸] and Sui [随] will together unleash their respective prowess. All these can potentially manifest as the followings, some already taking place during this transition period as a hybrid with the previous year’s Qi:

1) The scent of money continues to permeate the air, implying economic outlook is generally good as profits are still in view and people are prepared to spend, albeit in a more reserved manner;

2) With optimism, ambition soars. The trend is for businesses to multiply their income sources. The result is regrouping and expansion on one hand, consolidation of resources and trimming excesses on the other. Watch out for news concerning MLM companies;

3) Conflicts between upper and lower tiers, as well as brushes between east and west persist, though now it will be more backstage manipulations than upfront confrontation as attention shifts to focus on mutual gains. Nevertheless, severing of ties, break up of partnerships or even disintegration of existing system / institution can still occur if not handled properly. The diplomatic play between USA and China is testament to this imminent Qi pattern, whilst the Egyptian saga and Stanley Ho’s family feud are a disruptive culmination of Qi at this juncture between 2010 and 2011;

4) With ever more knowledge about our Mother Earth and its depletion, environmental issues gain urgency. Increased climatic disruptions and seismic activities can be anticipated, likely escalating towards end 2012 or early 2013 in Southeast Asia (perhaps Indonesia which lies on the Ring Of Fire), or in the southeastern region of individual country. Issues about crops (eg. wheat, corn, beans, etc.) and rare earth garner attention;

5) While 2010 relates to sea creatures, 2011 relates to creatures with wings. Recent incidents about the contaminated German eggs, the mass death of birds across the world, etc. testify to this effect. The Green Hornet is Hollywood’s winged entry. Paul the Oracle Octopus might have had its day last year, Mani the Psychic Parakeet is finally poised to have its ‘fly-over’ this year. Even human inventions with wings - aeroplanes, or our holy counterparts - angels, will not be spared. Hence, aviation and religious matters will be subjects of contention. In creative industries, feathery designs reign;

6) Beware of terrorist bombings. Related issues about torture and security (esp. involving fingerprinting) tend to surface. There may be high profile prison breaks or riots or perhaps controversial details about inmate treatments surfacing;

7) If you drink, don’t drive! Accidents at traffic junctions or tunnels are on the rise. Road rage is catching on;

8) Breakthroughs or unethical practices concerning IVF or genetic engineering are likely. The X-chromosome may be decoded further to shed new light on the human genome. Genetic mutations will be of concern, X-Men to the rescue!

9) Beware of cancers (esp. of reproductive organs), finger or neck injuries, digestive and skin problems, sexual diseases. Bird Flu and Hand Foot Mouth Disease pose epidemic threats. Nervous breakdowns and anger outbursts plague many;

10) Major power outage and breakdown of equipment is expected, precautionary backup is strongly advised. Be cautious of lightning strikes and electrocution. Smart phones continue to revolutionize the way we live. Hopefully an xphone will emerge to break the monopoly of iphone, bringing concession to end users. Internet and electronic communication devices continue to make waves. Their ethics of usage, esp. in view of the spread of pornography, will be thrown up for debate;

11) Beans will be spilled, and secrets exposed. Wikileaks continues to upset and entice. Espionage activities intensify. Stealth and (in)visibility technologies thrive. Tomb excavations unearth new historical evidences. Tax man comes knocking at the door for undisclosed dealings;

12) Beauty and image industries tend to be in the news. Young singers or actresses, esp. female, have the upper hand;

13) Homosexuality is back in the limelight. Polygamy and elopement (esp. involving youngsters) are in. Human sexuality, libido and morality are called to question. Beware of crimes of passion;

14) Legal suits arising from misrepresentation or defamation will surface;

15) Interests in Ultraman, Cubism and Origami (or other paper craft) are rekindled;

16) Twins, quadruplets, etc. will have a shot at fame (or infamy). Such multiplicity can extend to geography as twin peaks, and architecture as twin towers or ‘split’ buildings, eg. Petronas Twin Towers (Kuala Lumpur), Ren Building (Shanghai), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), etc.;

17) Crossroads is a common phenomenon. Criss-cross logos (eg. Audi) and criss-cross forms (eg. The Interlace) present alternative manifestations. Burial grounds turn into battlefields. Starhub and Singtel brace themselves for an eventful year. Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” fetches unprecedented price. Space exploration remains on the agenda;

18) Royal families will be hogging headlines. Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding is already set to be the talk of the year, surpassable only if it brings forth the birth of a prince. Birth rate and the graying population are hot topics.

Besides, names (ie. of people, countries, companies, products, etc.) exhibiting the following traits tend to resonate with the 2011 Qi. Hence, they will have a higher chance of experiencing 2011 as a more eventful or impactful year, for better, for worse, or for both:

a) Alphabets displaying qualities of Cross or T-junctions, eg. A, B, E, F, H, J, K, P, Q, R, T, X, Y. The associated alphabets are many, affecting many people;

b) Repeated initials, shapes, syllables or alphabets, eg. AIA, Coca-Cola, Coco, etc.;

c) Repeated numbers or numbers combining with permutations of ‘10’, ‘110’, and ‘001’, eg. Taipei 101, Beijing 101, etc.. The implication covers 4D numbers;

d) English names or Chinese characters relating directly or indirectly to ‘wood’ (esp. if the Water element is lacking) tend to face more challenges, ie. Woods, Forrest, Bush, Timberland, Flora, 菲，梅，林，陈，森，树，柳，茆，苟，桦，etc.;

e) English names relating to ‘dog’, eg. Fox, Wolfgang, etc.;

f) Chinese names with dual, repetitive or split characters, eg. 陶喆，王菲，成龙，晶晶，朋，森，林，柳，茆，羽，毛，川，大，etc., or the Chinese character 希.

While the decoded traits are many as listed above, how do you encode them to your benefits? Perhaps, you can take a cue from Tiger Beer’s recent CNY advertisement campaign. Good luck deciphering ;-)

A Basic Undestanding Of Qi [气] I

2011-01-30T17:32:00.000+08:00

Qi is an omnipotent, omnipresent, universal field. Everyone, everywhere, everything tangible and intangible is subject to its influence, whether willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly. In any one year, things resonating with the predominant Qi, directly or indirectly, will tend to manifest. Usually, public figures (esp. politicians, movie stars, sportsmen, religious leaders, etc.) are the immediate ones in its line of fire, since news of these people are inevitably more worthy for headlines, and hence carry greater weight in forming our collective memory of the year.

Nonetheless, the manifestations may be for better or for worse, or sometimes for both better and worse! Whichever way the pendulum swings depends very much on what has been going on before. It must be understood that an occurrence is never an independent impromptu incident, but rather the outcome of a string of related incidences, culminating at a time when it resonates with the predominant Qi. For instance, a crook may be perpetuating his vices freely seemingly above the laws, but it is only so because his time is not yet due. There will definitely come a time when he resonates with the predominant Qi, and the laws eventually catch up with him. Conversely, an honest businessman may be diligently working his stuff but producing mediocre results. However, when the time comes and he happens to be associated with the predominant Qi, it can jolly well be his breakthrough year. All the hard work prior to this merely strengthens his foundation so he is ready for the big break. Hence, it pays to consistently invest our best efforts at all times for all things. Most importantly, much as we are subject to the pervasive influences of Qi, we still retain our free will to decide and to act. We are afterall master of our own destiny!

Qi by itself is neutral, there is nothing good or bad about it, it is simply nature. ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ are really just two sides of the same coin, both are equally likely to come by. What we desire we term as ‘good’, what we do not we define as ‘bad’. Feng Shui [风水] is simply one of the means to manipulate the probability of either happening. The context in which Qi manifests also plays a part in this regard. Say in nature’s transpiration cycle, rains may bring forth devastating floods where the rivers are congested, but in a drought stricken region, it is god sent. If we take a step back and reflect upon things, ‘bad’ may not be that ‘bad’ afterall for we can learn from our mistakes. On the contrary, ‘good’ may not be ‘good’ at the end of the day if we become complacent and slack. Our attitude matters！

Out Of The RABBIT Hole ...

2011-01-23T00:16:00.000+08:00

Guidelines:

1) Out Of The Rabbit Hole reveals certain dynamics of Qi [气] for 2011 Year Of The Golden Rabbit;

2) First and foremost, you should avoid crossing paths with the ‘inauspicious’ Qi;

6) Here's wishing you Great Leap Towards Success in 2011!

Tiger Chasing ...

2010-02-06T17:22:00.000+08:00

Guidelines:

1) Tiger Chasing is about keeping up with the dynamics of Qi [气] for 2010, ie. carrying out certain activities within certain time, so as to enhance chances of success and minimize setbacks;

2) Traditionally, the Chinese chooses 'auspicious' date and time for various activities that they consider important. The slides below show those that are associated with the Chinese New Year (CNY) festive season;

3) Of these activities, two are of more significance in Chinese metaphysics - (i) Start Work after CNY, and (ii) 1st Destination on the 1st Day of CNY;

4) The last slide is to be printed out on transparency so you can superimpose it onto the map or street directory for reference when deciding on your 1st Destination on the 1st Day of CNY. This slide has been re-orientated with 'North' at the top for easy referencing with maps & street directory. If none of your intended destinations falls within the 'auspicious (red)' sectors, you may improvise by making your 1st stop at a convenient store or petrol station or etc..

5) Here's wishing you Good Luck & A Roaring Great 2010!

STAR-FLYING THE WORLD, 2010 …

2010-02-04T16:48:00.000+08:00

The Flying Stars [飞星] system illuminates certain behavioral patterns and effects of Qi [气]. It can be used to predict potential occurrences of events on a global scale. At a more personal level, we use it to decode potentialities inherent in our physical environment, and then encode the same subject with new probabilities, in an attempt to enhance or avert those potentialities. Feng Shui [风水] after all is a probability (de/en)coding game.

2010 Annual Flying Star Chart

Guidelines:
1) The chart is orientated with ‘south’ at the top according to traditional Chinese metaphysics layout;
2) The alphabetical abbreviations stand for the location of the respective palaces (sectors), with ‘c’ indicating the central palace;
3) The Chinese characters represent Period 8 chart, which spans 20 years from 2004 to 2023. The numbers at the centre of each palace above the abbreviations represent the 2010 annual chart. As the two charts replicate each other, it may be deduced that whatever happens in 2010 is a generic indicator of the 'currents' underlying Period 8;
4) The smaller numbers on both sides of the annual stars are the monthly stars that run vertically, right-to-left, from the 1st to the 12th solar month;
5) Generally, the months which coincide with problematic stars, ie. 2, 3, 5 & 7, are the ones which are more prone to issues. Where these problematic stars are the annual star at the main entrance door / bedrooms / kitchen for houses, or main entrance door / directors’ rooms / finance department for commercial premises, it is advisable to put in place some precautionary aversion measures at the respective areas;
6) Encoding (ie. for enhancement or aversion) can be carried out at macro-scale (big Tai Ji [大太极]) taking the entire premise into consideration, or at micro-scale (small Tai Ji [小太极]) applying to individual rooms. For houses, living room is a convenient application ground. Nevertheless, you encode only where it is relevant for your own premise, or to suit your specific needs. DO NOT OVERDO!

Central Palace

In 2010, 8-White [八白] arrives at the central palace as the governing annual star. It is a star of prosperity [利禄之星], and the most auspicious star in Period 8. It replicates and hence reinforces the Period 8 governing star, so global prosperity can generally be anticipated. We may say that the scent of money permeates the air!

However, in the company of the resident 5-Yellow [五黄] catastrophic star, caution and vigilance must still be exercised, esp. when dealing with Middle East countries (eg. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Egypt, etc.). Geo-political tensions persist, some may quip since time immemorial, but defiance tends to ease with diplomatic sanctions. People’s economic and financial aspirations are strong, sustaining construction activities.

However, buildings in the NE1~SW1 (22.5°-37.5°~202.5°-217.5°) or SE2/3~NW2/3 (127.5°-157.5°~307.5°-337.5°) orientations, if lacking open space or open views in front, or do not have an internal courtyard open to the sky, will tend to encounter hindrances in business and monetary matters. This is due to the imprisonment of the auspicious 8-White Water star [水星入囚].

To Encode:

Introduce reflective elements to release the star at the central palace, eg. mirror-finished stainless steel décor, round mirror, disco light, crystal light, round metallic water feature, reflective pool, etc..

Place a black pot of gold coins for better chance at windfall gains.

mirror-finished stainless steel décor, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg

round mirror, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

disco light , image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

crystal light, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

round stainless steel bowl c/w water, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

reflective pool, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

black pot of gold coins for better luck at windfall gains, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

Northwest Palace (292.5°-337.5°)

9-Purple [九紫] is an auspicious Fire star [火星] that connotes celebrations. Arriving in Northwest in 2010, it exerts pressure on the resident 6-White Metal [六白金], accentuated by the double-effect of the annual cum Period 8 flying stars. Restructuring of financial institutions and market corrections are inevitable, no doubt for the better. Sporadic economic disturbances can be expected as a result. There tend to be higher incidences of fire outbreaks, while terrorist attacks are equally possible.

Countries like USA, Canada, Greenland, Ireland and UK will be prone to its influences, resulting in tremendous pressure on the respective government. Female politicians will be in better positions to weather such strains. Hence, it is of no surprise that feminine powers rise in Period 8.

9-Purple being a celebrative star [喜庆之星] is especially conducive for enhancing the chances of wedding, conception and promotion. However, it is more suitable for females to take direct advantage of its locational effect, simply by occupying the Northwest sector!

To Encode:

Otherwise, introduce Earth [土] element as a mediating agent, eg. clay pot of gold coins or gold dust, etc.. The ideal colour for the pot is natural clay colours, ie. brown or yellow. Avoid black colour or water features in this sector.

Place a yellow jade pagoda at NW3 (322.5°-337.5°) for academy luck.

clay pot of gold coins, image courtesy of http://en.fotolia.com/

clay pot of gold dust, image courtesy of http://www.fotosearch.com/

yellow jade pagoda at NW3 for academy luck, image courtesy of http://www.fotosearch.com/

West Palace (247.5°-292.5°)

1-White [一白] is an auspicious Water star that symbolizes vitality [生气], alluding to wealth, libido and wisdom. Arriving in West in 2010, it dissipates the resident 7-Red Metal [七赤金], implying potential wastage or weakening of financial resources. Sex scandals or other scandalous incidences relating to the sports, cultural or tourism industries are likely. There may also be floods.

Implicated countries include most of Europe and Central America.

To Encode:

Introduce Wood [木] element to convert potential negative aspects into positive influences, and to enhance competitive edge. This can be in the form of Fortune Bamboos, which is quite popular during the Chinese New Year festive season.

Place a vase of red roses in water at W2 (262.5°-277.5°) to boost your sex appeal!

Place a metal pot of gold coins to enhance conventional wealth luck.

Fortune Bamboos, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

vase of red roses in water at W2 for sex appeal, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

metal pot of gold coins for conventional wealth luck, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

Northeast Palace (22.5°-67.5°)

2-Black [二黑] is a wealth star [财富之星] that, more often than not, spells disasters instead of financial blessings, usually resulting in diseases and illnesses. In 2010 it is at Northeast, influencing countries like Japan, Korea, Mongolia, northeastern China and eastern Russia.

Its arrival reinforces the presence of the Period 2-Black. Hence, people in these countries have to beware of breast cancer, or of epidemic affecting the digestive system or arising out of animals (esp. cats & cows). Severe thunderstorms and seismic activities, eg. earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, etc. are also possible. North Korea’s nuclear (dis)armament issue will again hog international headlines.

2010 Tai Sui [太岁] resides at Yin palace [寅宫], which is NE3 (52.5°-67.5°). Hence, caution must be taken to avoid ‘offending Tai Sui’ [冲犯太岁] at the northeastern regions, esp. of the capital cities on macro-scale or of buildings on micro-scale, by carrying out construction activities or major celebration parties, or installing mobile devices (eg. fan, aircon, water feature or fish pond).

To Encode:

Introduce Metal [金] element to exhaust the 2-Black Earth star [二黑土星], eg. 6-rods metal wind chime, 6 ancient Chinese coins, traditional Chinese copper ‘singing’ bowl of water, round bowl of salt water, metal pot of gold coins, metal safe, treasure chest of jewellery, white rounded pebbles, etc.. People in the construction industry are best suited to take advantage of the 2-Black star.

It is also good to tap the ‘power’ of Tai Sui by placing a white or gold Japanese Fortune Cat at NE3 sector, coming in from NE3 direction. Ideally, this is also a coin bank with min. two gold coins. Sitting NE3 facing SW3 (232.5°-247.5°) gives the upper hand during negotiations. Nonetheless, it is good to serve drinks during negotiations to minimise conflicts, esp. if you happen to be sitting SW3 facing NE3 instead!

6-rods metal wind chime, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

6 ancient Chinese coins, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

traditional Chinese copper ‘singing’ bowl c/w water, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

round bowl of salt (6-7 tea spoons) water, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

metal pot of gold coins, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

metal safe, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

treasure chest of jewellery, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

white rounded pebbles, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

white or gold Japanese Fortune Cat coin bank c/w min. 2 gold coins at NE3 from NE3, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

South Palace (157.5°-202.5°)

3-Jade [三碧] is normally regarded as a military star [战星], alluding to fights and quarrels. In 2010, it arrives at the southern palace of Li Fire [离火], thereby harbouring threats of terrorist bombings, as well as possibility of high profile legal cases. Natural calamities eg. droughts & bush fires are also likely.

Countries receiving more of the southern Qi (ie. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) will be more susceptible to its influences.

To Encode:

Manifest the Fire [火] element to exhaust the 3-Jade Wood star [三碧木星], eg. red colours (interior decor), red carpet, red light, etc..

‘reds’, image courtesy of http://spectra.net/

red themed interior decor, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

red carpet, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

red lantern, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

North Palace (337.5°-22.5°)

The academic star 4-Green [四绿才华之星] flies to the North in 2010, exerting its scholastic influences on the Scandinavian countries and Russia.

Besides inducing literary excellence, the inherent star combination of 1-White / 4-Green also spells romance, implying possibilities of high profile romantic engagements, or perhaps scandalous affairs.

Unfortunately, 3-Killings [三煞] is also coming from the North. While it is beneficial to locate North, sitting North facing South [坐北朝南] or vice versa tends to invite troubles. Activation at this sector is strictly prohibited. Countries in the North have to watch out for nuclear or bio-chemical plant leakages.

To Encode:

Introduce Wood [木] element to manifest the potential academic qualities, and exhaust the strength of 3-Killings, eg. Fortune Bamboos, Four Treasures Of Study [文房四宝], etc..

Avoid placing thorny plants, eg. cactus, rose, etc., and other unpleasant looking objects or paintings in this sector.

key components of the Four Treasures Of Study, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

Feng Shui item - Four Treasures Of Study, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

Southwest Palace (202.5°-247.5°)

5-Yellow [五黄] is an awe inspiring star of authority [威望之星] that demands subservience and wreaks havoc wherever it lands. In 2010, it relocates to Kun palace [坤宫], possibly resulting in exceptional seismic activities to countries incl. Africa and South America. Things out of the ordinary are more likely to occur, incl. UFO sightings!

Its combination with the resident 2-Black tends to bring back civil strifes, ethnic clashes, health issues, social activism, etc.. In view that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is going to be held in South Africa, its government must brace itself for some unpleasant surprises. Besides, upsets can also be anticipated during the games, esp. towards the finals.

Buildings sitting SW3 facing NE3 are in direct clash with Tai Sui, and hence are prone to problems. Auspicious dates must be used if construction activities are to be carried out.

To Encode: Similar to that for Northeast.

East Palace (67.5°-112.5°)

6-White [六白] being Qian Metal [乾金], symbolizes officialdom and wealth [武财]. Its arrival in the East affects countries incl. China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

In the presence of the resident 3-Jade [三碧], pressure on the government is inevitable, esp. relating to economic growth and national budget. Disagreements between opposing political parties may result in bloodshed. Traffic accidents and violent crimes are on the rise.

To Encode:

Introduce Water [水] element as a mediating agent, eg. black carpet, black rounded pebbles, etc..

Place a vase of red flowers in water at E2 (82.5°-97.5°) to improve your luck in relationships and romance!

Place a black pot of gold coins at E1 (67.5°-82.5°) and E3 (97.5°-112.5°) to enhance luck for windfall gains and conventional wealth respectively.

black rounded pebbles, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

Southeast Palace (112.5°-157.5°)

7-Red [七赤] is the star of dispute and destruction [肃杀之星]. Descending on Southeast in 2010, it may put a check on the ongoing economic rallies in countries incl. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

The inherent star combination of 7-Red / 4-Green depicts a conflicting relationship between Metal and Wood [金木相克]. Its overall effect is reminiscent of that occurring in the East, hence similar measures can be applied, though 4-Green may still be enhanced for academic achievements.

To Encode:

Introduce Wood c/w Water element, eg. four stalks of Fortune Bamboos in water, etc..

Fortune Bamboos in water, image courtesy of http://images.google.com.sg/

COMMANDING THE BEASTS IN 2010 - Are You Ready?

2010-01-29T11:29:00.000+08:00

According to Chinese Animal Zodiac tradition, 2010 is the Year Of The Snow Tiger, Geng Yin [庚寅]. Therefore, Tiger is revered as the Tai Sui [太岁] (Grand Duke or Emperor), taking over the reign from the preceding Ox, and exerting supreme authority over all matters throughout the whole year. However, contrary to common belief, it relates neither to the Gregorian Calendar [阳历] nor to the Lunar Calendar [农历], but rather to the Solar Calendar [节气历]. Hence, only those born between 4 Feb 2010 (0648hrs) and 4 Feb 2011 (1231hrs) are said to be the true Snow Tiger babies.

Now, we know that when power changes hand, some heads will roll, some bow into oblivion, some brightened with shining stars. O…iii…O, which are you?

Guidelines:
(i) Name of the stars has literal implications, effects on each Animal Zodiac is a generalised indicator;
(ii) “Windfall” hints at your chances in betting, but invest at your own risks! In 2010, repeated numbers are prone to appear, esp. 77, 88. Also, the number ‘2’ is likely to transform to ‘7’;
(iii) “GTHOW” is abbreviation for “Good To Hang Out With”;
(iv) “Birth Year Luck Quotient”, see more stars the merrier…
(v) Hang on, ‘good’ or ‘bad’ are just two sides of the same coin, they are both equally likely to come by! Akan datang: More tips on luck enhancement or problem aversion.

TIGER

TIGERS are regarded to be ‘accompanying Tai Sui’ [犯太岁] in 2010. Chinese wisdom likens accompanying the emperor to accompanying a tiger, for you simply have no idea when it will bite [伴君如伴虎]. Incidentally, the Tai Sui this year is really a Snow Tiger! Hence, it is advisable to be more reserved, exercise your discretion and tread your grounds cautiously, lest you offend the wrong people.

Auspicious Stars:
Tian Chu [天厨Celestial Cook]

Inauspicious Stars:
Tai Sui [太岁Grand Duke], Jian Feng [剑锋Sword’s Edge], Fu Shi [伏尸Fallen Corpse], Zhi Bei [指背Back Pointer], Pi Tou [披头Lowered Head]

Health:
You are prone to cuts by knife or sharp objects, and surgery for gall stone. Avoid fights, do not even attempt to mediate fights. And watch your footsteps.

Relationship:
Do not let unfounded rumours affect your faith and trust in each other. Listen to what your partner has to say before asserting your own opinions. Do not neglect your kitchen, it is where your miracles are brewed!

Career:
Be sure to defend your stand, as others are quick to throw pointing fingers at you. Maintain what you have been doing. Career advancement is unlikely unless you part with some cash to give treats at nice restaurants. Anyhow, take care of your appearance and presentation. Comb your hair!

Windfall:
You may hope for gastronomic treats rather than monetary gains.

GTHOW: HORSES, DOGS, PIGS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
1998戊寅 (04/02/98/0857h - 04/02/99/1456h) - **
1986丙寅 (04/02/86/1108h - 04/02/87/1651h) - ***
1974甲寅 (04/02/74/1300h - 04/02/75/1858h) - *
1962壬寅 (04/02/62/1518h - 04/02/63/2107h) - ****
1950庚寅 (04/02/50/1721h - 04/02/51/2313h) - *
1938戊寅 (04/02/38/1915h - 05/02/39/0110h) - *

RABBIT

RABBITS are blessed with the very powerful auspicious star - Tai Yang, which has the much desired ability of chasing away troubles. Since Tai Yang signifies brightness, it is especially good if you can plan your activities outdoor, or at least in the day. Cut down on night entertainments. Stop building castles in the air, just put down your feet and go ahead with your long calculated plans. Your nobleman is literally a man.

Auspicious Stars:
Tai Yang [太阳Sun], Tang Fu [唐符Imperial Decree]

Inauspicious Stars:
Xian Chi [咸池Salty Pond], Tao Hua [桃花Flower Of Romance], Hui Qi [晦气Unpleasant Odour], Nian Sha [年煞Annual Setback], Tian Kong [天空Empty Sky]

Health:
Good health is expected. Even if you are sick, speedy recovery can be achieved by improving your personal hygiene, and going outdoors for fresh air and sunlight.

Relationship:
If you are attached, beware of extra-romantic affairs, so arrange your business appointments at the appropriate time and place. If you are still single, please get the hell out of your comfort zone, your beau is out there!

Career:
Promotion is imminent, provided you do not get yourself entangled in dangerous liaisons. Healthy relationships will get you far, romantic sorties are time bombs that are likely to explode towards year end.

Windfall:
It’s your call at lucky draws, especially in January, March and July!

GTHOW: PIGS, GOATS, DOGS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
1999己卯 (04/02/99/1457h - 04/02/00/2040h) - ***
1987丁卯 (04/02/87/1652h - 04/02/88/2242h) - ****
1975乙卯 (04/02/75/1859h - 05/02/76/0039h) - ****
1963癸卯 (04/02/63/2108h - 05/02/64/0304h) - *****
1951辛卯 (04/02/51/2314h - 05/02/52/0453h) - **
1939 己卯 (05/02/39/0111h - 05/02/40/0707h) - **

DRAGON

DRAGONS are poised to be adorned with accolades and authorities. However, you need to garner good base support in order to enjoy them. Position yourself to look at the macro picture, avoid being bogged down by micro petty stuff. Lead with gusto!

Auspicious Stars:
Guo Yin [国印Royal Stamp]

Inauspicious Stars:
Sang Men [丧门Gate Of Grief], Di Sang [地丧Earthly Sorrows], Bao Wei [豹尾Leopard’s Tail], Yue Sha [月煞Monthly Setback], Tian Ku [天哭Heaven’s Cry]

Health:
Be prepared to spend some money for toothaches and digestive problems. Females are also more prone to PMS and menstrual pains.

Relationship:
Petty quarrels are frequent. When things start to turn ugly, run to your elderly for advice and mediation. If the relationship is simply not getting anywhere, you just have to be decided and cut it off clean.

Career:
Promotion will come but discontent is building up at the ground. Exercise your newly endowed authority discreetly, and take good care of your subordinates. Place a jade ‘Dragon Seal’ on your work table.

Windfall:
Big gains consistently evade you. Small wins are not enough to cover your investments.

GTHOW: MONKEYS, ROOSTERS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2000庚辰 (04/02/00/2041h - 04/02/01/0228h) - ****
1988戊辰 (04/02/88/2243h - 04/02/89/0426h) - **
1976丙辰 (05/02/76/0040h - 04/02/77/0633h) - ***
1964甲辰 (05/02/64/0305h - 04/02/65/0845h) - **
1952壬辰 (05/02/52/0454h - 04/02/53/1046h) - *****
1940庚辰 (05/02/40/0708h - 04/02/41/1249h) - ***

SNAKE

SNAKES are perpetually feeling a sense of loss throughout the year. Problems if arise tend to trigger a chain reaction of issues. Patience and perseverance will help you ride the tides. It is good to enrol in some inspirational / motivational programs, or alternative exercises eg. Yoga, Pilates, etc.. Help is likely to be in the form of noble-woman.

Auspicious Stars:
Tai Yin [太阴Moon]

Inauspicious Stars:
Guan Suo [贯索Chain Lock], Gu Chen [孤辰Lonely Hour], San Xing [三刑Triple Penalties], Liu Hai [六害Six Harms], Gou Jiao [勾绞Hook & Noose], Wang Shen [亡神Death Angel]

Health:
Be prepared to take prolonged sick leaves, especially for issues relating to your respiratory system. It is advisable to take your medicines punctually lest complications develop.

Relationship:
You are likely to be posted on overseas assignments, outstation or home late due to night entertainments. Therefore, brace yourself for some lonely time. Be strong on your morals or pick up some healthy past-times so you will not succumb to temptations easily.

Career:
Night entertainments are inevitable, in fact good for negotiations and securing deals. But be careful about your liabilities and be alert, as vile characters are just waiting for the right time to prey on you.

Windfall:
Don’t waste your money in betting. You can make some extra cash moonlighting, especially in September.

GTHOW: ROOSTERS, OXES, MONKEYS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2001辛巳 (04/02/01/0229h - 04/02/02/0823h) - ****
1989己巳 (04/02/89/0427h - 04/02/90/1013h) - **
1977丁巳 (04/02/77/0634h - 04/02/78/1226h) - ***
1965乙巳 (04/02/65/0846h - 04/02/66/1437h) - ***
1953癸巳 (04/02/53/1047h - 04/02/54/1630h) - ****
1941辛巳 (04/02/41/1250h - 04/02/42/1848h) - ***

HORSE

HORSES will be very motivated as results are apparent. However, it is important not to be blinded by ambitions and good luck. Visit Istana Open House to manifest the potential legal tussles. Read between the fine lines when signing contracts, as mines are buried there.

Auspicious Stars:
San Tai [三台Three Stage], Jiang Xing [将星Generals], Jin Kui [金匮Golden Chest]

Inauspicious Stars:
Wu Gui [五鬼Five Ghost], Guan Fu [官符Official Writ], Fei Fu [飞符Unexpected Summon]

Health:
Your health is generally alright, although you can still catch common cold and develop high blood pressure due to lack of adequate rest.

Relationship:
You tend to neglect your close ones due to busy schedule. On the other hand, work stress can adversely affect your temperaments, so be mindful not to vend it on innocent parties. You will go steady with your long time date.

Career:
Your talents and accomplishments will be handsomely rewarded. Profits are in excess, so it is good to invest in properties or stocks to build up your investment port folio, or to divest into other areas to spread out the risks. The time is ripe to implement your plans.

Windfall:
Follow your instincts, or remember your dreams. They will lead you to gains. You will enjoy good luck at mahjong [麻将].

GTHOW: TIGERS, DOGS, GOATS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2002壬午 (04/02/02/0824h - 04/02/03/1405h) - ****
1990庚午 (04/02/90/1014h - 04/02/91/1608h) - ***
1978戊午 (04/02/78/1227h - 04/02/79/1812h) - ***
1966丙午 (04/02/66/1438h - 04/02/67/2030h) - ***
1954甲午 (04/02/54/1631h - 04/02/55/2217h) - **
1942壬午 (04/02/42/1849h - 05/02/43/0040h) - ***

GOAT

GOATS are amongst the lucky and jovial lot. It is good to keep the windows open. Houses with open courtyard or uninhibited vistas will have enhanced luck. Donate monthly to manifest the minor losses. Follow your religion faithfully. Be careful of what you stick on the walls.

Auspicious Stars:
Tian Yi [天乙Heavenly Helper], Yue De [月德Lunar Virtue], Tian Xi [天喜Heavenly Joy], Yu Tang [玉堂Jade Hall], Pan An [攀鞍Horse Saddle]

Inauspicious Stars:
Si Fu [死符Death Note], Xiao Hao [小耗Minor Loss], Yin Sha [阴煞Dark Forces], Ban An [板鞍Stretcher]

Health:
Avoid attending funerals, visiting hospitals / cemeteries, watching horror movies, or traversing dimly lit alleys, as your illnesses are likely to be associated with unnatural causes. Also, be careful of horse riding or motorcycle accidents or falling from heights.

Relationship:
If you are still single, there will be high chance of getting attached and tying the knot. If you are married, anticipate the arrival of a new member, either by plan or by chance!

Career:
Support and help are there to facilitate your climb up the corporate ladder, just don’t screw it! Remember ‘more haste, less speed’. Throw a celebration if you get promoted, but avoid suppers and karaoke’s.

Windfall:
Givers gain, spend and you will make! You may invest in your house or telephone numbers if the house has an open courtyard or uninhibited vistas.

GTHOW: PIGS, RABBITS, HORSES

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2003癸未 (04/02/03/1406h - 04/02/04/1956h) - ****
1991辛未 (04/02/91/1609h - 04/02/92/2148h) - **
1979己未 (04/02/79/1813h - 05/02/80/0009h) - **
1967丁未 (04/02/67/2031h - 05/02/68/0207h) - ***
1955乙未 (04/02/55/2218h - 05/02/56/0412h) - ***
1943癸未 (05/02/43/0041h - 05/02/44/0622h) - ***

MONKEY

MONKEYS are ‘gatecrashing’ [冲太岁] into the royal reigns of the Snow Tiger. But like the Salahi’s, you are somehow able to get away with it, no doubt to the envy of many! Your connections and social networks are functioning in your favour this year, and may just bring you to many places around the world.

Auspicious Stars:
Jie Shen [解神Problem Solver], Tian Jie [天解Heavenly Solution], Di Jie [地解Earthly Solution], Lu Xun [禄勋Official Title], Yi Ma [驿马Travelling Horse], Ba Zuo [八座Eight Seats]

Inauspicious Stars:
Sui Po [岁破Gate Crasher], Da Hao [大耗Major Loss], Fu Chen [浮沉Float], Xue Ren [血刃Bloody Dagger], Lan Gan [阑干Hurdle]

Health:
Donate blood, especially on 10 Feb 2010, in return for a year of physical bliss. Otherwise, try visit the dentist. Be careful of water related accidents. You will also tend to be forgetful, so it is good to put in place some reminders.

Relationship:
All your differences with your partner are diminished in light of your successes. Work out your relationship during tours. Maintaining multi-relationships will burn a big hole in your pocket!

Career:
Your opportunities are abound. You may even be invited to sit on several boards of directors. Mange your resources properly, do things within your means, and you can expect a fruitful year. It is also good to invest in properties and stocks, but be careful not to over commit.

Windfall:
You have a special affinity with the number ‘8’, especially if it appears in your vehicle plate. ‘8’ traditionally also implies ‘prosperity’, hence your windfall luck is extremely good. However, do not expose your gains as it will only invite misfortunes!

GTHOW: RATS, DRAGONS, SNAKES

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2004甲申 (04/02/04/1957h - 04/02/05/0142h) - ***
1992壬申 (04/02/92/2149h - 04/02/93/0336h) - *****
1980庚申 (05/02/80/0010h - 04/02/81/0555h) - **
1968戊申 (05/02/68/0208h - 04/02/69/0758h) - **
1956丙申 (05/02/56/0413h - 04/02/57/0954h) - ***
1944甲申 (05/02/44/0623h - 04/02/45/2119h) - *

ROOSTER

ROOSTERS are the most respected people in 2010. Your virtuous demeanor will be greatly admired and will earn you the rightful social status. However, if you abuse this, be prepared for a series of punishments from HIM!

Auspicious Stars:
Zi Wei [紫微Purple Star], Long De [龙德Dragon Virtue]

Inauspicious Stars:
Tian E [天厄Natural Punishment], Bao Bai [暴败Sudden Failure], Di Sha [的煞Petty Troubles], Liu E [六厄Six Mishaps]

Health:
Your health is in the pink, unless you challenge it by indulging in gastronomic excesses, or health risk vices like alcohol and cigarettes. Cut down on activities that may trigger strokes.

Relationship:
You are like the Emperor, with concubines at your mercy and fancy! Simply put, you will be spoilt for choice. Please focus on one at a time, otherwise your beaus will gang up against you.

Career:
You call the shots. Will tremendous support from the ground, be bold in implementing your plans and achieving your goals. Nevertheless, expect the unexpected! Grow your investment port folio in a gradual and steady manner.

Windfall:
Conventional wealth is good, windfall gain is out. As a matter of fact, you should play Santa Claus.

GTHOW: SNAKES, OXES, DRAGONS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2005乙酉 (04/02/05/0143h - 04/02/06/0727h) - **
1993癸酉 (04/02/93/0337h - 04/02/94/0930h) - ****
1981辛酉 (04/02/81/0556h - 04/02/82/1145h) - ****
1969己酉 (04/02/69/0759h - 04/02/70/1345h) - ***
1957丁酉 (04/02/57/0955h - 04/02/58/1549h) - ***
1945乙酉 (04/02/45/2120h - 04/02/46/1803h) - *

DOG

DOGS are full of potentials just waiting to be explored! Use them, place them on the high horse, squeeze every creative juice out of them! Meanwhile, you kind of enjoy the sudden demand for your contributions, and then you pretend to be cool…

Auspicious Stars:
Hua Gai [华盖Creative Talent], Jin Yu [金舆Golden Chariot]

Inauspicious Stars:
Bai Hu [白虎White Tiger], Fei Lian [飞廉Flying Curtain], Huang Fan [黄幡Yellow Banner], Da Sha [大煞Big Trouble]

Health:
You are prone to road accidents. You may appear moody and gloomy, but it is just a state of your heart and mind. There are no serious physical health concerns, except possibility of falling into depression.

Relationship:
You prefer to be left alone, hence at times will appear really anti-social even though you may be getting a lot of attention. Chances of attachment and commitment are there, it is a matter of whether you are willing to go for it.

Career:
Original ideas come naturally, hence any job requiring innovation is a breeze for you. Suit you if you are in the creative field, or if your work involves research and development. Your talents will be sought after. Make sure you register your intellectual property rights.

Windfall:
You are losing interest in betting, but may participate in one of those hand-on-car stamina competitions, and win!

GTHOW: HORSES, RABBITS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2006丙戌 (04/02/06/0728h - 04/02/07/1317h) - **
1994甲戌 (04/02/94/0931h - 04/02/95/1512h) - ***
1982壬戌 (04/02/82/1146h - 04/02/83/1736h) - ****
1970庚戌 (04/02/70/1346h - 04/02/71/1925h) - ***
1958戊戌 (04/02/58/1550h - 04/02/59/2142h) - **
1946丙戌 (04/02/46/1804h - 04/02/47/2350h) - *

PIG

PIGS are poised for the pursuit of academic excellence. You will be rewarded in name and in money. However, watch your words as mishaps tend to originate from your mouth. Do not rough things out alone, find more shoulders to bear the load together!

Auspicious Stars:
Wen Chang [文昌Academic Star], Tian De [天德Heavenly Virtue], Fu Xing [福星Star Of Bliss], Sui He [岁和Collaborative Star]

Inauspicious Stars:
Jie Sha [劫煞Robbery Star], Juan She [卷舌Twisted Tongue], Pi Ma [披麻Funeral Coat], Jiao Sha [绞煞Entanglement]

Health:
Your may be strong and healthy, but your close ones and elderly in the family are prone to sickness. Spend more quality time with them. Live your life without regrets.

Relationship:
Quarrels are inevitable, but patching up is fast. Do not listen to gossips or engage in meaningless debates. Express your talents and you will naturally attract.

Career:
This is a good year for those in the academic field or in education. In business, you can try to establish strategic partnerships. Avoid engaging in arguments, instead, lead by example. Law suits will be prolonged and agonising.

Windfall:
Luck is on your side, but do not flaunt your wealth as you will be prone to theft and robbery. Don’t strain yourself, just go for quick picks.

GTHOW: RABBITS, GOATS, TIGERS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2007丁亥 (04/02/07/1318h - 04/02/08/1900h) - **
1995乙亥 (04/02/95/1513h - 04/02/96/2107h) - ***
1983癸亥 (04/02/83/1737h - 04/02/84/2318h) - *****
1971辛亥 (04/02/71/1926h - 05/02/72/0119h) - ****
1959己亥 (04/02/59/2143h - 05/02/60/0322h) - ***
1947丁亥 (04/02/47/2351h - 05/02/48/0542h) - *

RAT

RATS are devoid of auspicious stars in 2010. However, not all is lost. Year Of The Snow Tiger is characterised by a complete absence of the Water element, which is actually instrumental in mediating the inherent conflict between Geng (Metal) and Yin (Wood). RATS, being representative of the Water element, are therefore in high demand! Religious faith gives you strength.

Auspicious Stars: -

Inauspicious Stars:
Tian Gou [天狗Celestial Dog], Diao Ke [吊客Hangman], Zai Sha [灾煞Misfortunes], Qiu Yu [囚狱Prison]

Health:
Beware of health issues relating to kidneys or the urinary system. Be diligent in your medical check-ups and in keeping with your health routines.

Relationship:
Beware of third party. You may end up playing the middle man in others’ relationship woes. Work on ex-relationships or existing ones, as it will be difficult to start from scratch, but be careful not to be entrapped.

Career:
External help is hard to come by. Seek assistance from family members if necessary. Make sure you do not breach your contractual obligations, lest your deal is transferred to others. Business seems more likely by word of mouth recommendation than through competitive tenders. Hence, try to maintain good relations with your existing customers. Socialise more.

Windfall:
Your windfall luck is extremely good, but make sure you keep your winning tickets properly. Do not fall prey to internet scams. Bai Ban [白板] brings you luck at mahjong, why not have a go at Da San Yuan [大三元]?

GTHOW: MONKEYS, DRGONS, OXES, HORSES

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2008戊子 (04/02/08/1901h - 04/02/09/0049h) - ***
1996丙子 (04/02/96/2108h - 04/02/97/0301h) - **
1984甲子 (04/02/84/2319h - 04/02/85/0511h) - ***
1972壬子 (05/02/72/0120h - 04/02/73/0703h) - *****
1960庚子 (05/02/60/0323h - 04/02/61/0922h) - ****
1948戊子 (05/02/48/0543h - 04/02/49/1122h) - **

OX

OXES are mooing for attention. Ask and you shall be given. Even strangers come to your aid in times of need. Maintain your celebrative festive mood and things will go smooth. 1973 OX can either make it good or suffer badly in 2010.

Auspicious Stars:
Hong Luan [红鸾Red Lattern], Tian Yi [天乙Heavenly Helper], Mo Yue [陌越Stranger]

Inauspicious Stars:
Bing Fu [病符Medical Certificate], Gua Su [寡宿Lonely Hut], Sui Sha [岁煞Age Setback], Po Sui [破碎Shattered Dreams]

Health:
It looks like you are going to make full use of your medical leaves! If you drink, do not drive.

Relationship:
If your beau still do not show any sign of proposing marriage, then be prepared to mend your broken heart. If you are already married, remember to celebrate your anniversary. Singles will have good chance to find their beau through social networking.

Career:
Marriage will enhance your career. Even the act of attend wedding dinners improves your luck, perhaps by expanding your social circles and thus, increase your business opportunities. Be more open minded, and you will be blessed in the most unexpected way.

Windfall:
The truth lies in wedding related things.

GTHOW: PIGS, GOATS, TIGERS

Birth Year Luck Quotient:
2009己丑 (04/02/09/0050h - 04/02/10/0647h) - **
1997丁丑 (04/02/97/0302h - 04/02/98/0856h) - ***
1985乙丑 (04/02/85/0512h - 04/02/86/1107h) - ***
1973癸丑 (04/02/73/0704h - 04/02/74/1259h) - ****
1961辛丑 (04/02/61/0923h - 04/02/62/1517h) - ****
1949己丑 (04/02/49/1123h - 04/02/50/1720h) - *

TIGERoars 2010...

2010-01-27T18:32:00.000+08:00

2009 ended with lingering news of Tiger Woods, though this time for his conquests in a different sport. That Tiger Woods made headlines was not new, that he was specifically poised to make headlines in 2009 was anticipated too, in a metaphysical sense: His name ‘Tiger Woods’ could be literally interpreted as Jia Yin [甲寅] - an entire Wood pillar. The predominant 2009 Qi [气] was Ji Chou [己丑] - an entire Earth pillar, which had a natural tendency to combine with Jia Yin, thereby subsuming it totally. The ‘big tree’ collapsed, so to speak.

The Tiger Woods saga serves to reinforce the concept of Qi as an omnipotent, omnipresent, universal field. Everyone, everywhere, everything tangible and intangible is subject to its influence, whether willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly. In any one year, things resonating with the predominant Qi, directly or indirectly, will tend to manifest. Usually, public figures (esp. politicians, movie stars, sportsmen, socialites, religious leaders, etc.) are the immediate ones in its line of fire, since news of these people are considered more worthy for headlines, and hence carry greater weight in forming our collective memory of the year.

Nonetheless, the manifestations may be for better or for worse, or sometimes for both better and worse! Whichever way the pendulum swings depends very much on what goes on before. It must be understood that an occurrence is never an independent impromptu incident, but rather the culmination of a string of related incidences, at a time when it resonates with the predominant Qi. For instance, a crook may be perpetuating his vices freely seemingly above the laws, but it is only so because his time is not yet due. There will definitely come a time when he resonates with the predominant Qi, and the laws eventually catch up with him. Conversely, an honest businessman may be diligently working his stuff but producing mediocre results. However, when the time comes and he happens to be associated with the predominant Qi, it can jolly well be his breakthrough year. All the hard work prior to this merely strengthens his foundation so he is ready for the big break. Hence, it pays to consistently invest our best efforts at all times for all things.

Most importantly, much as we are subject to the pervasive influences of Qi, we retain our free will to decide and to act. We are afterall still our own master of destiny! In the case of Tiger Woods, had he not strayed beyond the golf courses, he could have remembered 2009 merely as a year where he was beaten odds-on-favourite by South Korean Y E Yang at the USPGA Championship, or perhaps, a year where he was downed with bad knee injuries.

Qi by itself is neutral, there is nothing good or bad about it, it is simply nature. ‘Good’ and ‘bad’ are really just two sides of the same coin, both are equally likely to come by. What we desire we term as ‘good’, what we do not we define as ‘bad’. The context in which Qi manifests plays a part in this regard, say in nature’s transpiration cycle, rains may bring forth devastating floods where the rivers are congested, but in a drought stricken region, it is god sent. If we take a step back and reflect upon things, ‘bad’ may not be that ‘bad’ afterall for we can learn from our mistakes. On the contrary, ‘good’ may not be ‘good’ at the end of the day if we become complacent and slack. Our attitude matters.

With a positive attitude, let us embark on the journey to decode the predominant Qi for 2010 - Geng Yin [庚寅], Year Of The Snow Tiger:

It arrives on 4th February 2010 at 0648 hours, your local time. Babies born before this are riding on the tail end of the 2009 Plantation Ox, only babies born after this can truly roar. However, babies born on this date, especially if born around this time, tend to carry the traits of both Ox and Tiger. Simply put, they are the ambiguous lot!

Geng is Yang Metal [阳金], representing the West, while Yin is Yang Wood [阳木], representing the East. There is a clash between the Heavenly Stem [天干] and the Earthly Branch [地支], the mediating agent Water [水] is missing. The annual star 8-White [八白年星] flies into the central palace, replicating the Period 8 Flying Star Chart [下元八运飞星盘]. These can potentially manifest as the followings, some already taking place during this transition period:

1) The scent of money permeates the air, implying economic outlook is generally good as profits are in view and people become more willing to spend. The catch here is that those who experience a ‘bad’ year in 2009 can expect a change to ‘good’ year in 2010. Conversely, those who experience a ‘good’ year before will have to take stock of their expenditure lest there is a need for pay-offs in the second half of the year;
2) Conflicts between the upper and lower tiers (ie. between government and its people, companies and their customer base, top management and its subordinates, parents and their children, etc.) will gradually build up resentment if not handled with care, and can result in open defiance towards year end. High profile legal battles involving the two tiers are expected, such as the law suit against OCBC. Recent events indicate that such conflicts can also take on a global front, in the form of diplomatic brushes between USA (West) and China (East) over Google’s accusations. Nevertheless, it is crucial to bear in mind that negotiation is better than confrontation;
3) Green movement gains urgency, with more revelations of the environmental impacts of deforestation and stricter controls on the logging industry;
4) Water related issues tend to surface, ie. shortage of water, water pollution, new ways to manufacture water, dams, etc.. Perhaps Hyflux’s shares will escalate in view of this tendency. It may also be about ships or water creatures, ie. missing ships, fresh discoveries about sunken ships (eg. Titanic, Noah's Ark), etc.. The recent plankton infestation of 200,000 fish at farms off Pasir Ris testifies to this effect;
5) Terrorist activities, esp. involving decapitation of hostages or bio-chemical warfare, may pose a major setback for anti-terrorism campaigns;
6) News relating to amputation of limbs / prosthetics, and blindness / sight, or perhaps a remake of the movie “Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman [独臂刀大战盲侠]” is in the pipeline. It is no wonder that Sandra Bullock is receiving rave reviews for her performance in The Blind Side at this transitory juncture, since her initial ‘S’ resonates with the 2009 Qi, and her last name ‘Bullock’ aptly reifies a Yin-Chou (Tiger-Ox) combination (ie. the Bull is being ‘locked’ by the Tiger), while the ‘blind’ in The Blind Side is self-professing;
7) Seismic activities, eg. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc., which already caused mass destruction at Haiti, and which will likely wreak further havocs in the Land Of The Rising Sun - Japan, or in other countries in the northeastern or southwestern parts of the world;
8) Accidents on the road as well as in the air, esp. if the vehicle alludes to tiger or the cat family. On the brighter side of things, John Woo is planning a new movie based on the Flying Tigers, while Tiger Airways reportedly had a roaring good start with their IPO launch;
9) More awareness about the exploitation or endangerment of cats, ie. tigers, lions, etc.;
10) Troubles in Thailand, or involving Thai girls;
11) Special news of Mother Teresa, Sai Baba, Mama Lauren or religious figures associated with the fatherly or motherly connotations, or even of things associated with the legendary Ali Baba;
12) Religious conflicts or discoveries. Malaysia already got a taste of it with the ‘Allah’ issue leading to arson attacks on churches. If not resolved sensitively and sensibly, it may escalate into ethnic-political unrests in the region;
13) Rekindled interests in Baba Nyonya culture, the Japanese manga - Totoro, the ancient Chinese scholar Tang Bo Hu [唐伯虎], and Marcel Duchamp’s cubist painting “Nude Descending A Staircase, No.2”;
14) Health alerts relating to digestive systems (eg. spleen, stomach, intestines), liver hardening, kidney / gall stones, breast cancer, and nervous system;
15) Higher incidence of or news reporting on multiple births, eg. twins, quadruplets, etc.. Such multiplicity may also manifest geographically or architecturally, ie. as twin peaks or twin towers / ‘split’ buildings, eg. Petronas Twin Towers (Kuala Lumpur), Ren Building (Shanghai), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), etc.. Interestingly, Dr M also started blabbering about ‘911’;
16) UFO sightings, possibly above rainforests.

Besides, names (ie. of people, countries, companies, products, etc.) exhibiting the following qualities tend to resonate with the 2010 Qi. Hence, they will have a higher chance of experiencing 2010 as a more eventful or impactful year, for better or for worse:

a) Initials ‘J’ & ‘T’, esp. if repeated. In this regard, somehow the demise of Johnson & Johnson heiress, Casey Johnson, who was also reportedly engaged to Tila Tequila, uncannily coincided with the arrival of 2010. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines has filed for bankruptcy, and Jon Bon Jovi is expected to attract more limelight;
b) Repeated initials, shapes, syllables or alphabets, esp. ‘BB’, ‘MM’ & ‘AA’, eg. AIA, Coca-Cola, Coco, Audi’s logo, etc.. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, will have to tread his grounds with extra caution;
c) Repeated numbers, esp. ‘7’ & ‘8’. As exemplified by the events in 2009, numerical repetitions may manifest in terms of age, ie. people who are 77, 88, 33, … years old. As if to signify this, Iskandar Ismail - Sultan Of Johor passed away recently at age 77. In the context of shapes, Four Leaves’ logo design appears like a joined, inverted ‘88’. For punters, the number ‘2’ has a tendency to transform to ‘7’;
d) English names or Chinese characters relating directly or indirectly to Wood or Tiger (esp. if the Water element is lacking) tend to face more challenges, ie. Tiger, Woods, Forrest, Bush, Thunder, Timber, Flora, Net, Cage, 菲，梅，林，陈，森，树，柳，茆，震，雷，苟，桦，虎，etc.;
e) Chinese names with dual, repetitive, split or striped characters, eg. 陶喆，王菲，成龙，晶晶，朋，森，林，柳，茆，王，羽，毛，川，大，etc..

In terms of industry performance, it is often difficult to pin-point which is more profitable, as profitability really depends much on individual’s business acumen. Moreover, it is also difficult to assign a single element to a particular industry since industries are quite often a combination of elements. Where stocks are concerned, our personal favourable elements remain a reliable source of inspiration. Nevertheless, there are still certain perceivable metaphysical traits which may be taken as an alternative guide while considering decisions. For instance in 2010:

Opportunities are aplenty for the Metal [金] industries, ie. legal profession, banking, finance, pharmaceutical research & development, surgery, insurance, jewelry, hardware, gold, silver, precious stone mining, machinery, etc.. However, such positive outlook may be destabilized if the pursuit and management of wealth is forced and uncontrolled, or if the money involved is exceedingly huge. Hence, it is important to garner the necessary support before executing your business plans, bearing in mind consultation and negotiation are the keys to success. Related colours are white, gold, silver, or other shiny metallic hues; related forms circular & spherical.

Fire [火] industries, though not dominantly featured, may still offer some pleasant surprises. These include information technology, internet, electronics, entertainment, lighting, recreation, airline, fashion, automobile, photography, energy (electricity, oil, gas, coal), etc.. Related colours are orange, red, pink, purple or other bright colourful hues; related forms vertically triangular & pyramidal.

Water [水] industries tend to thrive since Water is the most critical element for 2010. These include tourism, shipping, beverages, seafood, fish farming, aquarium, pornography, etc.. Related colours are blue & black; related forms wavy & fluid. However, extra vigilance will be necessary as 2010 is a year where Water related things tend to go missing. Hence, on the side of caution, it is advisable to invest more in insurances for various coverages, esp. if the business involves the northeastern and southwestern parts of the world.

Earth [土] industries will be experiencing a busy year. Unfortunately, work there is, but money does not come by easily. Therefore, it is important to ascertain your scope of work and the remunerations before commencement, lest your efforts are put to waste. Emotional frustrations must be kept in check, and court cases to be avoided. Earth industries include construction, property, Feng Shui [风水], cosmetics, food (esp. flour & meat), pottery, hospitality, etc.. Related colours are yellow, brown, or other earthen hues; related forms squarish, cuboid & castellated.

Wood [木] industries look set to suffer in 2010. Fortunately, not all is lost provided strategic synergy can be established with Water industries or the Water element can be somehow introduced. Wood industries include education, printing, arts, publishing, textile, Chinese medicine, furniture, logging, landscaping, agriculture, vegetarian food, etc.. Related colours are green & jade; related forms vertically upright & elongated.

Now, according to Chinese calendars (mapping both solar & lunar), 2010 Year Of The Snow Tiger is regarded as a Blind Year since there is no Li Chun [立春] (Arrival Of Spring) within the lunar year (ie. 14.02.10 - 02.02.11). Hence, it is said to carry a special message: For the mature and single - high time to act blind and tie the knot, age very different also ‘boleh’ (‘can’ in Malay), not ‘bo-leh’ (‘don’t have’ in Hokkien). As Hokkiens will have it, mai hiam buoy pai lah (don’t pick, it’s not that bad afterall)! For the rest of us, shut our eyes for a moment and we’ll see a whole new world of perfect people!

OX-picious 2009 ...

2009-02-05T17:51:00.000+08:00

Whilst memories of Wu Zi [戊子] remain fresh and its repercussions can still be felt throughout the usual transition period (21 Dec 2008 - 3 Feb 2009), the incumbent 2009 Ji Chou [己丑] can potentially bring forth ramifications as follows, or their associations:

source of both images untraceable (information appreciated)

1) Continued depletion of wealth resources & strained businesses, leading to tight budget controls, emphases on savings as well as retrenchments incl. axing of top management;
2) Authority figures / leaders being confronted with difficult dilemmas;
3) Stiff competition among trades;
4) Stagnant stocks;
5) Delay, slowing down or cancellation of developments;
6) Sibling rivalries & betrayals, incl. that between long trusted friends or partners, esp. those once regarded as ‘brothers’ or ‘sisters’;
7) Environmental impacts of deforestation, incl. droughts, heat waves, landslides, water shortage or pollution;
8) Seismic activities, eg. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, possibly resulting in the formation of new craters or plateaus;
9) Collapse of highrise buildings;
10) Fall of flag poles, possibly implying military invasion of nations, overthrowing of existing government, overhaul of established administration, or breaking away from traditions;
11) Demise of prominent figures, ie. politicians, spiritual leaders & movie stars;
12) Theft of precious stones, jewelry or pricey collectibles;
13) Shortage of medicine, possibly in times of an epidemic;
14) Digging into history, traditions, archaeological treasures or graves for commercial gains;
15) Issues involving health-care & insurance monies;
16) Exploitation or endangerment of cats (eg. tigers, lions) and scaled species (eg. monitor lizards, crocodiles, snakes);
17) Demand for gold, diamond or other precious ores;
18) Accidents involving helicopters or alternatively, advancement in helicopter technologies;
19) Issues relating to round fruits with stalk & leaves, eg. mandarin oranges, apples, pears, etc. etc.. Perhaps even golf balls / golfing industry at large, or TV innovations;
20) Health alerts relating to digestive systems (eg. spleen, stomach, intestines), cancers (esp. skin), liver hardening, kidney / gall stones, brain tumors, spinal cord, or insect bites (esp. by spiders, centipedes, scorpions);
21) Recurrences of Mad Cow Disease;
22) Rise of feminine power, esp. of unconventional beauties or women normally considered ugly, as well as heightened awareness of feminist issues;
23) Higher incidence of or news reporting on multiple births, eg. twins, quadruplets, etc.;
24) Canonization of Mother Teresa;
25) Rekindled interests in the evergreen Japanese manga - Doraemon, as well as Chinese Kung Fu icon - Bruce Lee;
26) Uninvited limelight on diamond mines;
27) Middle East warfares;
28) Global terrorist attacks;
29) Economy remains gloom, with more bailouts or borrowings from national reserves (possibly in March); considerable improvement expected only towards end 2009;
30) High profile legal cases.

Besides, for better or for worse, events or people pertinent to the following qualities will be more prone to gaining exposure in 2009:

a) Names with initials ‘S’ & ‘Z’;
b) Numbers ‘2’, ‘5’ & ‘8’, esp. if repeated, eg. 22, 55, 88;
c) English names or Chinese characters relating directly or indirectly to the Earth, Wood & Water elements, eg. Brown, Clayton, Oxley, Rocky, Tiger, Wood, Forrest, Bush, Dragon, Thunder, 田，黄，倪，张，纪，古，富，史，牛，洋，祥，彭，陆，城，菲，梅，谦，宗，李，林，季，沐，陈，霖，森，树，震，龙，雷，友，苟，桦，etc. etc.;
d) Repeated initials or syllables, eg. JJ, AIA, Coca-Cola, Coco, Mama, Baba, etc. etc.;
e) Chinese names with repetitive or only two characters, eg. 陶喆，张震，王菲，阿牛，成龙，晶晶，朋，etc. etc;
f) Countries with abundant lands, deserts, sandy beaches, plateaus, orchards, or rice producing nations, esp. if the padi fields are on terraced terrains.

In terms of trade performance, it is often difficult to pin-point which is more profitable, as profitability really depends much on individual’s business acumen. Nevertheless, there are certain perceivable metaphysical traits which may be taken as an alternative guide when considering decisions. For instance in 2009:

Opportunities are abound for the Wood [木] industries but actual gain is dependent on cross-trade synergy. They include education, printing, arts, publishing, textile, Chinese medicine, furniture, logging, landscaping, agriculture, vegetarian food, etc. etc.. Related colours are green & jade; related forms vertically upright & elongated.

Fire [火] industries may offer some pleasant surprises. They include information technology, internet, electronics, entertainment, lighting, recreation, airline, fashion, automobile, photography, energy (electricity, oil, gas, coal), etc. etc.. Related colours are orange, red, pink, purple or other bright colourful hues; related forms vertically triangular & pyramidal.

Metal [金] industries will maintain performance, eg. legal profession, banking, finance, pharmaceutical research & development, surgery, insurance, jewelry, hardware, gold, silver, precious stone mining, machinery, etc. etc.. Related colours are white, gold, silver, or other shiny metallic hues; related forms circular & spherical.

Water [水] industries will thrive better if founded on cross-trade collaborations. They include tourism, shipping, beverages, sea food, fish farming, aquarium, sex, etc. etc.. Related colours are blue & black; related forms wavy & fluid.

Earth [土] industries are the least prosperous and tend to experience the stiffest competition, eg. construction, property, Feng Shui, cosmetics, food (flour, meat), pottery, hospitality, etc. etc.. Related colours incl. yellow, brown, or other earthen hues; related forms squarish, cuboid & castellated.

Nevertheless, observing the followings may assist you to ride the tides of 2009:

1) Avoid commencing construction / major renovation activities or shifting into new premises in the 6th (07.07.09 - 06.08.09) Sui Po [岁破] and 12th (05.01.10 - 03.02.10) Tai Sui [太岁] solar months;
2) Refrain from carrying out new installations or demolition works at the inauspicious sectors, esp. North (0° ± 22.5°), Northeast 3 (52.5° - 67.5°), East (90° ± 22.5°), Southeast 1 (112.5° - 127.5°), West (270° ± 22.5°), while keeping the subject areas clean & tidy;
3) Avoid sitting with back towards San Sha [三煞] (52.5° - 127.5°);
4) Invest more resources in the favourable trades, exercise caution when dealing with the unfavourable trades;
5) Make use of colours or forms related to the favourable trades, esp. when launching new products or opening new businesses;
6) Be more alert about possible events or the potentialities of things, esp. if your subject business happens to be more sensitive to them;
7) Always remember team efforts is greater than individual strength;
8) Ensure top-down committment;
9) Be humble, ie. ask and you shall be given!
10) Heed the advice of your female partner (if any), or at least consider it.

In addition, you may place the following items to enhance your respective lucks:

Benefactor [贵人] -
“white jade or stone dragon seal” at Southwest 3 (232.5° - 247.5°)
“copper Monkey God statue” at North 2 (352.5° - 7.5°)

Conventional Wealth [正财] -
“pot of gold coins, eg. S$1 coins” at Northwest (315° ± 22.5°)

Windfall Gains [偏财] -
“round tank c/w a gold fish” at Southeast 3 (142.5° - 157.5°)

Romance [桃花] -
“vase of red flowers in water” at South 2 (172.5° - 187.5°)

Academy [文昌] -
“yellow jade Wen Chang pagoda” at South 2 (172.5° - 187.5°)

Now, despite all the doom-sayings, according to Chinese calendars (mapping both solar & lunar), 2009 Year Of The Plantation Ox is regarded as a Double Happiness Year since there will be two Li Chun [立春] (Arrival Of Spring) within one lunar year (ie. 26.01.09 - 13.02.10). Hence it is said, for singles, it is a good time to tie the knot. For marrieds, it is a good time to rejoice in marital bliss. And for all, may love blooms to usher in the double happiness and chase away the looming glooms!

RATata 2008 ...

2009-02-04T17:46:00.000+08:00

Come 0050hrs on 4 Feb 2009, the Mountain Rat (2008 Wu Zi [戊子]) is finally slowing to a halt. In fact, the Plantation Ox (2009 Ji Chou [己丑]) had already begun ploughing its way into our collective experiences since last December, or some argued even earlier coinciding with the downfall of Lehman Brothers.

The 2008 Wu Zi energy was essentially characterized by “mountain on water”. Water being a reflective medium will naturally invert the image of the mountain, thereby implying the progression from peak to valley as the second half of the year arrived. And what trail of upheavals Wu Zi had left behind, what metaphysical potencies it had revealed, what lessons it had enunciated! Amongst its multi-faceted effectuations, one thing emerged prominently was its association with the alphabets ‘M’ & ‘A’- the peak, and ‘W’ & ‘V’ - the valley.

Indeed, some of the most widely remembered events or people in 2008 all bore uncanny resemblances by carrying these initials, eg. the avalanche of troubles caused by the all-important Money, the Chinese tragedies arising out of Melamine in Milk, the onslaught of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, Alan Greenspan being relegated from Maestro to Bubble, BOA’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch, the bombing of Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, terrorist attacks at Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, closing of Woolworth’s Superstore, stampede at Wal-Mart, Madoff Investment Securities’ fraud scandal, terror suspect Mas Selamat’s embarrassing escape, billionaire Adolf Merckle’s suicide & his company VEM’s reported loss of three-digit million euros on VW stock, etc. etc..

On a lighter note, Wu Zi also witnessed the Olympic successes of Michael Phelps & his subsequent disgrace from smoking Marijuana, Madonna the Material Girl’s long prophesized divorce, Michael Jackson aka Wacko Jacko’s perpetual legal woes, Dr M‘s (Mahathir Mohamad) political antics, Money Not Enough 2’s mockery of the ERP gantries, the timely release of W - the docudrama on George W Bush, etc. etc..

To an informed eye, perhaps the Batman movie poster revealed it all:

The Dark Knight, courtesy of http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-34547/Dark_Knight.html, and reminicences of Wu Zi, the Mountain Rat

The 'X' Factor

2008-02-17T22:33:00.000+08:00

Lost, In Transition...

2008-02-06T15:47:00.000+08:00

2007 imploded to a close with Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Whilst the news rocked our mortal world, I woke to the realization that we had again stepped into a period of intense activities and exchanges, transiting from one solar year to another. It typically stretches from Winter Solstice (22 Dec 2007) till the Arrival Of Spring (4 Feb 2008, start of the new solar year). It is a time when the old Qi (energy field) is making its final calls, and the new Qi is forcing itself into the picture. In this case, the Qi’s are none other than Ding Hai (2007 Fire Pig) and Wu Zi (2008 Earth Rat).

Tune in to the news, we will inevitably be treated to an energized array of Ding Hai manifestations, amidst sporadic occurrences pertinent to Wu Zi. Take for instance, tragedy struck when Benazir Bhutto was waving to her supporters from atop her vehicle after an election rally. She was reportedly shot, and later killed by an ensuing suicide bomb. It was reminiscent of the explosive implications of Ding Hai, evident also through the Virginia Tech massacre, Red Mosque siege, Islamic insurgency in the Philippines, etc..

Closer to home in Singapore, a MRT service disruption, worst since it started operation in 1988, stranded some 57,000 commuters in the morning working hours of 22 Jan 2008. And train related issues are one likely outcome of a Si-Hai (Snake-Pig) clash, besides its more adverse materialization by way of accidents, such as the myriad plane crashes and train mishaps throughout 2007. Perhaps, Boeing’s premier of its 787 Dreamliner, decidedly on July 8 ’07, provided an alternative outlet in a celebrative mood. And France ramified by becoming the first country to disclose its UFO files when its national space agency unveiled a website documenting more than 1,600 sightings spanning five decades.

Jay Chou legitimized 2007’s Arrival Of Spring premonitions by winning acclaims for his directorial and acting efforts in “Secret”, just as the inspirational film / book “The Secret” made its way into our local news while apparently attracting worldwide interests. Then, a popularity poll unearthed the new Seven Wonders Of The World, albeit without official recognition from UNESCO.

More enticing to me though, is a YouTube video entitled “Battle At Kruger”. Amongst the multiple feats it garners, what is worthy of mention in the metaphysical sense is its revelation of the potency of Ding Hai. As the principles of the 5-Elements will have it, Ding Hai is a conflicting relationship of Hai (Water) engulfing Ding (Fire). However, hidden within Hai are the attributes Jia (Wood) and Ren (Water), itself the imagery of timber logs floating on water. Ren combines with Ding to yield the element Wood, which produces and hence saves the Fire from extinguishing. Pursuant to the subject video, Ding manifests as the buffalo with two horns, Hai as the lions which are purportedly king of the jungle (because Hai resides in the Qian trigram, which represents kingship). Now, crocodiles floating on water concurs with the imagery conjured by the hidden attributes of Hai. When the crocodiles emerge from the water in a tug-of-war with the preying lions, it manifests the combination of Ren and Ding to become Wood, thereby resurrecting Ding, the buffalo!

(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2498595717353124774&q=genre%3Anature+is%3Afree)

The video was originally filmed in September 2004, but only uploaded to YouTube in 2007. It is noteworthy that 2007 was a Monkey (Shen) year, which has a relation with Pig (Hai), perhaps the best reason for its gaining attention.

Nonetheless, the message here is clear: Things assuming prominence under the influence of a particular Qi may have taken place much earlier, only to re-surface out of oblivion when the time is right. As the saying goes, what goes round comes round!

On the other hand, 2008 literally started with a ‘bang’, at least for citizens of Malaysia. Their then Health Minister, Dr Chua Soi Lek, made headlines after an indecent exposure in a raunchy video. Dangerous liaisons may have been a dominant trait of Ding Hai, but during this transition period, it definitely also mirrors the likely effects of Wu Zi. As we already know by now, in this respect, Wu Zi is a year littered with threats of video or internet exposure of sexual escapades. Lesson thus learnt: Never the same hotel, never the same room, and reason enough for some, never the same girl! Hong Kong heartthrob Edison Chen will be eager to add another word of advice: Never save on replacing your spoilt laptop…

For better or worst, things associated with the predominant Qi will stand a better chance of gaining prominence during its reign. And often, public persona, esp. political figures and movie stars, tend to be the chosen ones representing it, since their actions and demeanor is subject to scrutiny, will be widely recognized and remembered, and hence, can be conveniently used to characterize an era.

As this transition period does not merely continue the ramifications of the old Qi, but also informs about the imminent new Qi, we revere that the passing of Everest hero Sir Edmund Hillary and Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger have inaugurated the onslaught of Wu Zi, year of the Mountain Rat 2008!

HE Speaks

2007-11-06T20:51:00.000+08:00

Money Talks 2

2007-10-31T11:37:00.000+08:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what makes the richest in the world?

For more than a decade, Bill Gates tops Forbes World’s Richest People. Some estimate he makes US$250/sec, that’s an average Joe’s eon hours of work! Gosh, is he alien or is he man? Since he first landed on 1955-10-28 at 10pm, the Orient will decode it as such:

Ba Zi (birth chart) and macro-luck cycles of Bill Gates

Bill’s a Ren (Yang Water) person, born in the 9th, Yang Earth solar month. Superficially, his Water life element appears extremely weak, sitting on Earth elements which will tend to attack it. There is no trace of any supportive root of Water in the Earthly Branches, and no other company amongst the Heavenly Stems. In other words, Bill’s Ren Water is totally alone, its very survival endangered.

On closer scrutiny, there exists a thread of hope: (i) the Wood Year-Stem assists to control the suppressive forces of the Earth Branches; (ii) an immediately adjacent Metal Hour-Stem negotiates the conflict between the Earth Branches and the Ren Water life element. The result is an Earth-Metal-Water-Wood-Fire-Earth productive cycle, which literally breathes life into the chart! This satisfies its first criterion for survival. The second criterion appears in the 10-year macro-luck cycles, which provide him with the much needed Metal and Water elements.

Now, Bill’s Ba Zi displays another interesting phenomenon, that is, all the five elements are present, with the Earth element dominating and forming the entire base structure of the chart. As Earth is often considered catchment or burial ground, the respective elements existing as Heavenly Stems allude to an emergence out of the ground, revealing true natures. The Chinese coins a term for it: Chu Tou (lift up one’s head), implying accomplishment or achievement. The clear distinction between these elements and the Earth catapults Bill’s Ba Zi to a higher stratosphere, where he stands to gain what those elements represent: Metal - status, Wood - creativity, Fire - wealth.

And for Bill, wealth comes in abundance. Why? Because he has three catchments of Fire, the Dogs! Even his Year-Branch, the zodiac sign of Goat, has a hidden root of Fire (wealth). Of course, the nature of his wealth as indicated by the Yang Fire Month-Stem, is that of the unconventional type (Pian Cai), which usually manifests in larger quantities as compared to the conventional type.

It may be worthy to note also that Geng Xu, residing in his Hour Pillar, is a formation known as Kui Gang. Geng is Yang Metal, an element that is critically useful to Bill’s weak Water life element. As the Hour Pillar is a person’s career palace, having a useful element there will tend to favour his career. In Bill’s case, it is further accentuated by the special Kui Gang formation, which manifests as his extraordinary charisma, business savvy and achievements at work.

But aye, I’m just an average Joe aiming for a break. I’ve got no special formation of our legendary Gates, only Water life element though quite unlike that of his Day’s. Oh, perhaps I can keep three dogs to make up for the lack. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

Money Talks

2006-10-28T20:50:00.000+08:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall, where lies the riches in one's world?

Lakshmi Mittal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakshmi_Mittal) is a billionaire industrialist, CEO of the world's largest steel company - Mittal Steel Company NV, and notably the 5th richest man according to Forbes in March 2006. Is he really worth the estimated fortune of US$27.7 billion, by birth?

BaZi (birth chart) of Lakshmi Mittal, w/o time pillar, 1950-06-15

Lakshmi is a Xin (yin metal) person, born in the 5th, yang fire solar month. His metal life element is weak, because the earthly branches are either individually fire elements or together form a partial fire combination (Tiger-Horse) or penalty (Tiger-Snake). And fire attacks metal, eliminating even its dubious root hidden in the Snake. The only obvious assistance the Xin metal has are in the heavenly stems: Geng metal (year-stem) reinforcing the presence of metal, and Ren water (month-stem) as a cooling agent suppressing the inherent inferno. His favourable elements are therefore metal, water and wet earth (Chen - yang earth, Dragon or Chou - yin earth, Ox).

I suspect Lakshmi might have been born in a time which supports his life element, possibly in the yang, wet earth hour between 7:00-8:59am or the metal hours between 3:00-6:59pm. That will have easily explained the tremendous success he enjoys since the hour pillar also represents the career palace. Besides, it will also set forth potentials for a unique condition known as "metal shines in the heat of summer", since the heavenly stems will then remain clean and uncontaminated by other elements, particularly earth.

Nonetheless, I believe the most significant contributing factor lies in his choice of trade: steel production, inevitably a metal industry. Irregardless of Lakshmi's hour of birth, the very nature of his trade already perfectly befits his BaZi and makes up for its apparent weakness in metal.

This may well serve as a case of wise selection against the odds of the givens.

IR Dreaming

2006-10-22T12:29:00.000+08:00

On page 28 of the 21.10.2006 LianHeZaoBao, the IR @ Sentosa bids are appropriately illustrated as such: (i) Genting International - conservative, (ii) Kerzner International - alternative, (iii) Eighth Wonder - gastronomic.

The bids are reportedly being assessed based on four criteria: (1) 45% on tourism appeal, (2) 25% on design merits, (3) 20% on bidder's investments, and (4) 10% on strength of the consortium. While these are tangible aspects that will eventually determine the outcome, I dream of another subliminal aspect playing a stealthy part in the finals. An aspect I affectionately call, the meta-architectonics.

One of the trump cards presented by the bidders is the 'designer', which in the case of Genting International is 'Michael Graves', Kerzner International is 'Frank Gehry', while Eighth Wonder ropes in a surprise, designer of food 'Alain Ducasse'. They are all iconic figures, creating iconic products in their respective fields. The question is: who stands a better chance in producing the winning scheme?

BaZi (birth chart) of Michael Graves, w/o time pillar, 1934-07-09

Much as I personally can't quite appreciate Michael Graves' postmodernist architecture, his use of signifiers in design can be rather amusing at times. It delights me even more from a meta-architectonic perspective.

Graves is a Xin (yin metal) person, born in the 6th, yin earth solar month. The presence of earth element is further accentuated by his year of birth, the Dog (yang earth), and the earthly branch of his day pillar, the Snake (yin fire). Earth for a metal person means resources or memory, and in the case of Graves, a return to historical antiquity for architectural expressions!

If not for the yang wood in the year pillar, this birth chart will have been a typical case of "strong earth burying metal", where achievements can only be imagined. Fortunately for Graves, his macro-luck cycles before 65 years old were also mostly favourable, which probably explained his success in the profession. His 5-year macro-luck cycles from 65-69, 70-74 years old are strong in earth, which is an unfavourable element. Hence in 2003, a Goat (yin earth) year, the last year before he transited into another unfavourable 5-year cycle (70-74), he contracted a spinal infection that left him paralyzed from waist down.

Now aged 72, Graves is still under the influence of the unfavourable 5-year cycle. To make matter worse, 2006 is a fire Dog year, hence extremely strong in earth. Can Graves break out of the earth burden? Can the combination of 2006's Bing fire and his Xin metal bring about the water element in his favour? I doubt so, unless his birth hour supports the transformation.

BaZi (birth chart) of Frank Gehry, w/o time pillar, 1929-02-28

Frank Gehry's BaZi presents a much stronger contender. His life element is Jia (yang wood), born in the 1st, yang wood solar month. He is therefore a very strong wood person, very opioniated, strong willed, principled, and no less hot-tempered. Fire represents his creativity, whilst earth his wealth. 2006 is simply Gehry's year of capitalizing on his creativity to gain wealth, especially when his current macro-luck cycle is also his favourable earth element!

BaZi (birth chart) of Alain Ducasse, w/o time pillar, 1956-09-13

It bemuses me why Eighth Wonder chooses a chef instead of an architect as the fore-front figure for their scheme. Is it a strategic move, surprise wild card of sort? Irregardless, I find it interesting to see how gastronomy fare in this supposed war of architectures.

Alain Ducasse is apparently the youngest of the trio. He is a Gui (yin water) person, born in the 8th, yin metal solar month. 2006-branch, the Dog, combines with the Monkey (year-branch) and Rooster (month-branch) in his BaZi to form very strong metal. It will have been an unfavourable condition, resulting in a bottle-neck impeding the flow of water. The saving grace however is his current yang water macro-luck cycle, which may help resolve the shortcoming. Nonetheless, his overall luck still can't surpass that of Frank Gehry.

If the IR @ Sentosa bid has been a pure architectural competition, I bet Frank Gehry will beat the rest flat. However, there may be more at stake than the 'designers'' individual luck quotient...

Centre Of The World - PostBlog 1

2006-10-19T01:03:00.000+08:00

World Map, courtesy of www.4beachnuts.com/images3/world_map.jpg

The recent Hawaiian earthquake again seemed to re-affirm the geographic reference for the Centre Of The World. It reportedly struck at 7:07am on 15 October, about 11 miles offshore from Hawaii's popular Kona Coast.

Referring to the Period 8 Luo Shu chart for the 9th solar month (see my blog on 2006-10-15), Hawaii falls within the W sector where 1-White base star resides. 5-Yellow annual star has been lurking incognito since the beginning of Bing Xu solar year, but with the arrival of another earth star, the 8-White monthly star, it is finally making its presence felt. The earthquake occurred offshore, seemingly because 1-White is a water star. Fortunately, both 1-White and 8-White are timely, auspicious stars in Period 8, which probably render the earthquake harmless despite measuring 6.6 magnitude on the Ritchter Scale!

Luo Shu chart for Period 8 (2004-2023), 8th solar month 2006

Turning back the clock to the 8th solar month, Southeast Asia appeared to have been mapping out the potentialities of its corresponding sector by way of three widely publicised incidences.

SE sector in the 2006 Luo Shu chart is characterised by the 2-7 combination of early heaven fire. Its previous monthly star was 6-White, representing metal and the Authority, and when co-existing with 2-7, was inevitably under attack (by fire). The world thereby witnessed:

(i) the Thai military coup that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power;

(ii) criticisms of the Singapore government for its supposed mis-handling of the activist groups during the IMF-World Bank meetings; and

(iii) Malaysia's outcry over MM Lee's remarks on Chinese marginalization in the former country. In this scenario, the Malaysian government may also be seen to have been challenged.

These incidences are definitely not exhaustive. Nonetheless, they are valuable traces of evidence that help piece together our meta-architectonic cartography of the world.

Centre Of The World

2006-10-15T21:04:00.000+08:00

Location of the Centre Of The World has always been a debatable subject in Feng Shui. Its implications are wide, since it is the reference point for making predictions. Some argue that China or Middle Kingdom, where Feng Shui first originated, is the inevitable choice. Others prefer to regard Middle East as the centre, since the region is more characteristic of the element earth, being laden with deserts and rich oil reserves.

Luo Shu chart for Period 8 (2004-2023), 9th solar month 2006

The currrent haze incidences in parts of Southeast Asia seem to support the later. Based on the Luo Shu chart for Period 8 (2004-2023), 2006 sees the 2-Black annual star arriving at the SE sector. In the month of October, which mostly falls within the 9th solar month, SE sector will also experience the much dreaded sickness star 5-Yellow. Now, when 2-5 stars coincide, we can anticipate troubles, may be even disasters.

2-Black is known to physically manifest as clouds or fogs. Combining with base star 7 in the Luo Shu chart, it connotes fire. The phenomenon appears to explain the haze situation.

On a macro-scale, 5-Yellow may bring environmental upsets, eg. heat waves, draughts, earthquakes, typhoons, floods, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, mudflows, etc.. In this Bing Xu (Fire Dog) year, let's hope Mount Merapi in Central Java, Indonesia, do not pose further threats.

Hence, Southeast Asia may jolly well be, as the name implies, right in the SE sector. If this is the case, then Middle East will appear more appropriately located as the Centre Of The World.

Enter The Digital Dragons

2006-10-14T11:27:00.000+08:00

screenshot of http://www.yahoo.com

"YAHOO!" is a classic example riding on the Thunder And Wind Wrestles Each Other formation. "DO YOU YAHOO!?" asks the SE (Wind) sector; and the answer is "YAHOO!", an elatedly exclamatory response! Now, there is no obvious dynamic feature to conjure the said formation, yet action (Thunder) there is, in the form of an imaginary 'Q&A', which literally converts the noun "YAHOO!" to a verb and adjective. I must admit it is a really subtle and innovative way to manifest dynamism / actions.

However, its NW sector spots a gap. Just like a missing NW sector in buildings, it can be detrimental to wealth. Fortunately, it is not excessively big (and it's better to remain as such, or simply close the gap). Nevertheless, its saving grace may perhaps be the last item on the right column - "Yahoo! Pulse", suggesting the pink of health of its financial resources.

screenshot of http://www.youtube.com

Based on the same meta-architectonic principles as "YAHOO!", the SE sector of "YouTube"'s homepage shouts: YouTube Broadcast Yourself - it's blatant proclamation via the Wind! And when a user clicks on any of the listed video thumbnails, it expands to invade the SE sector with sound and action. Its popularity is thence guaranteed.

But its NW sector is an elongated empty white background space. Emptiness invariably is abhorred in the NW sector, but with a right column that ends with "Active Groups", it becomes a positive suggestion of active financial resources. Fortunately, white is the colour connoting metal, which is also the elemental manifestation of NW. Red, connoting fire, will have spelt disaster. Nevertheless, it is still a concern, as it may accidentally surface hidden risks pertinent to its nature of business if future changes to the webpage are in contradiction.

screenshot of http://www.google.com

"Google" on the other hand, assumes a very different architecture, yet still in conformity to meta-architectonic principles. In this case, the Cosmic Trinity is in place, with "Google" as Heaven, the search bar with its accompanying menu as Man, and the bottom texts as Earth. "Google" is rightfully on top, not only because it is the logical location for a web title, but also because it possesses the matching characteristic of Heaven. The most prominent vowel in "Google" has to be the 'o', and 'o' being circular connotes the Qian Gua, which is the trigram representing Heaven. The search bar requires user input, is the interface, is more volatile, and hence represents Man. The base text contains "...Homepage", alluding to home ground, that is the Earth.

screenshot of http://www.mamma.com

In comparison, although "Mamma" appears to have very identical architecture as "Google", it contradicts the Cosmic Trinity because its subtitle reads, "Mamma" is "The Mother Of All Search Engine". And meta-architectonic principles rule: Father is Heaven, Mother is Earth. "Mamma", you are in violation of the higher order! It may help if "Mamma" struts a bit further towards the top right (SW) sector, which according to the Later Heaven BaGua, is where Mother Earth resides.

screenshot of http://www.newscorp.com

"News Corporation" showcases another interesting and innovative meta-architectonic feature. Its logo is a square grid deformed to look like a globe, and at the same time, retains 4 squares in the centre. The number '4' is a numeric manifestation of E, which represents Thunder, and being in the SE sector, it is again the Thunder And Wind Wrestles Each Other formation, but in this case, ambitiously seeking global coverage. The 4 squares itself resembles the Chinese character 'Tian', meaning plantation earth, and it being in SE sector conjures the Ascension hexagram of Wind Rising From The Earth, which implies increasing popularity. Quite interestingly, the moving images of world map in the Man stratum also synchronizes with the potency of another Observation hexagram, that of Wind Traversing The Earth, which favours media coverage, fame, reach or circulation!

corporate logo of http://www.msn.com

"msn" with its iconic 'multi-colour butterfly' logo paints 'a beautiful landscape picture': 'm' & 'n' together represent 'mountains cradling a natural valley', and the 's', 'a river running through it'. The 'multi-colour butterfly' breathes 'life' to an otherwise secluded 'valley', alluding to 'a serene, beautiful scenery of a valley, awaken by the joy & fragrance of the blooms of spring'. But without the 'sun', the 'valley' cannot come alive. And 'sun' there is in the form of 'hotmail' and 'messenger', because 'heat' and 'radiance' connote 'fire', and 'fire' is none other than our mighty 'sun'. I think if "msn" is to re-invent its website along this chain of thought, its performance may well excel beyond its current achievements.

According to some Chinese masters who are well-versed in the metaphysical effects of numbers, the number '0' (being circular like a TaiJi diagram) is a symbol of balanced completeness. It therefore possesses a binding, all-encompassing quality, and is also used frequently for the purpose of amplification. In this light, we can perhaps decipher the meteoric rise of "Google" and "YAHOO!", since both emphasize on the vowel 'o' and also very symbolically accentuate it with a double.

Think about it, "Microsoft" also comes with a double 'o'! "YouTube" begins with a singular, but cleverly introduces another two in its subscript 'Broadcast Yourself'. "LYCOS" and "News Corporation" appear to be in the know too. By the way, "YAHOO!" repeats the omnipotent 'o' six folds in that 'Q&A', with affirmative capital letters and an exclamation mark. Now, is 'kiasu-ism' a Singaporean hang-up or what?

Having said that, I can't imagine if "Google" were to ever partner or even merge with "YAHOO!". It will be the death of internet freedom. The duo literally monopolizes with the all-encompassing 'o''s from beginning till end, well almost, or if "Google" re-brands itself as "Oogle"...

But, come on, vowel 'o' is surely not the one and only available ingredient for cooking up a storm. Really? Yes, because "Alibaba.com" has proven so. The anti-hero here is 'a', coupled with '.com' ('o''s alter-ego in the virtual world) to conquer the 'Dragon' that gave birth to this school of metaphysics. Hey, the 'o''s and 'a''s are the basest form of human survival instincts, isn't it? Little wonder then local architectural practice "WOHA" manages such a remarkable feat within a relatively short time since its inception, and "AOL" seems another likely candidate.

screenshot of http://www.bbc.co.uk

"BBC" apparently has no access to insights about the 'o''s and 'a''s, so much so that the supposed initial 'A' was unwittingly substituted by a 'B'. Well, the wise one always says: if you can't innovate, just follow the rules. And "BBC"'s Heaven (metal) - Man (water) - Earth (metal) tripartite, productive architecture is born.

Feng Shui, Feng Shui...

2006-10-13T22:09:00.000+08:00

I went up to KL about 2 weeks ago, and was checked into this room initially at Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur. Damned, the door was right at the end of the long corridor - 'SHA', bad Feng Shui!

And strange, how on earth did they know I was an architect? But surely that didn't mean I'd enjoy looking at construction sites even while on vacation, right? Suspected my stomach upset might be due to these...

Luckily I managed to request for another room; Got the corridor out of the way, and at least had a better share of life and excitements on the street. The change was really refreshing, and more in-sync with ancient wisdom: if you can't change the Feng Shui, change yourself.

The Fundamental Framework

2006-10-07T18:47:00.000+08:00

Central to the principles of Chinese Metaphysics is the concept of the Cosmic Trinity - Heaven, Earth, Man - as the fundamental framework of the Universe. The Chinese believe that each component of the Cosmic Trinity exerts equal influence on a person's fortunes.

Heaven pre-determines a person's inherent traits or heritage, and is hence fixed. It is considered in two main aspects: (i) Destiny and (ii) Luck.

Destiny is a constant, the givens at the moment of birth, eg. one's innate character, family lineage, race, dialect group, place of birth, time of birth, etc.. These are qualities bestowed upon a person at birth, and are hardly within mortal control. Therefore, there is a saying that Destiny reflects heaven's wills. Some relate it to the religious or perhaps philosophical belief of the past, present and future lives - karma.

Luck is an involuntary variable, which will change with time and thereby bring about a reaction on the givens. The basis of this thinking lies in the notion that space exists relative to time. And man being a creature in this dual realm is subject to the effects of both. Therefore, even if a person is born with a less than ideal set of intrinsic qualities, the factor of time may be able to make up for it. On the contrary, a person born with a desirable set of qualities should not be complacent.

Ancient Chinese developed many sophisticated tools for gauging heaven's wills. One of the widely practised method is the BaZi (or birth chart) analysis.

Earth determines the compatibility between a person and his outer physical environments. It is external to oneself, and therefore can be avoided or modified to suit. Ancient Chinese's solution lies in what is now popularised as Feng Shui.

Contextual influences have profound effects in shaping a person's inner self, and hence his life. The moment a baby is born, it is inevitably being exposed to its surroundings through its senses of touch, sight, sound, emotions and smell. The comforting voices of parents giving it a sense of security whilst adapting to the new world, the sight of physical references helping it map out 3-dimensional spaces, etc.. The shortfall of modern architecture is precisely a lack of sensitivity to such subliminal influences. While Feng Shui is not a fool-proof solution, it does offer a formulaic, time based approach to architecture which is purportedly sensitive to the subtleties of life.

Man is about personal efforts or input. It consists of two aspects: (i) Philanthropy and (ii) Diligence, and is sometimes called inner Feng Shui.

Philanthropy refers to the cultivation of a healthy state of mind through good deeds, which will then bring forth favourable conditions. It is not restricted to merely lending a helping hand to the needy, but rather, has to start from within - oneself and family. For instance, during pregnancy, quit smoking, refrain from alcoholic drinks, listening to soothing music, etc. is philanthropic; husband putting up with the wife's mood swings, talking to the baby is also philanthropic. Because such actions will indirectly contribute to the foetal formation in many ways, some believe even the date and time of birth!

Diligence refers to a person's sheer determination and perseverance in seeing a cause fulfilled. One cannot just sit and wait for things to happen; but instead, has to be proactive and make things happen. This involves also changing personal bad habits and cultivating good ones, eg. quit smoking because it is detrimental to health, etc.. And as man is a product of his historical bondages, diligence entails also the relentless pursuit of wisdom, to break free.

Achieving a favourable Cosmic Trinity is the ideal, but no one can be perfect afterall. Since each aspect carries equal weightage, the strategy is to be in command of two-thirds, so as to gain an upper hand in overcoming life's many challenges.

Glimpses Of The Tiger

2006-10-03T20:21:00.000+08:00

BaZi (birth chart) of Tiger Woods

Sports news in the papers screamed: Tiger Woods made history again! It was apparently another historic accomplishment by a golfing-great of our time. Much as I am completely alien to birdies and eagles, somehow, the name Tiger Woods strikes a chord...

http://www.astrodatabank.com records: 30 Dec 1975, 2250hrs, as the golfer's birth data. In Chinese metaphysics, birth charts can be derived from the solar calendar. The year, month, day and time of birth are organized in vertical pillars, each a composition of a Heavenly Stem (upper character) and an Earthly Branch (lower character). These Chinese characters are actually representations of Yin Yang and the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water). Together, they are known as Four Pillars or BaZi (eight characters).

Tiger Woods' self element is Geng (yang metal). His Day Pillar (Geng Xu) conforms to a formation called Kui Gang structure. Men possessing such structure usually exude charisma in their actions, and are more attuned to achievements in their respective fields (provided the structure is not being destabilized). Tiger Woods' BaZi exhibits such positive quality.

Wood to a Geng day master also represents wealth. And coincidentally, besides the presence of woods in his BaZi as well as his name, Tiger has also embarked on a professional career that requires constant contact with greenery. Besides, tiger is one-third of the Eastern Wood Combination (tiger-rabbit-dragon), and in itself also represents wood. The name Tiger Woods in light of Chinese idiom alludes to releasing the tiger back to its home ground (woods), where the beast reigns supreme!

Little wonder then that Tiger Woods is already making fortunes since a young age; his BaZi, name and choice of career are simply supportive!

...Tiger Woods...it's just meta-architectonically resonant.

The Hand Of God

2006-09-28T13:26:00.000+08:00

zoom-out / zoom-in aerial images c/w northpoint, courtesy of earth.google.com

Suntec City (http://www.sunteccity.com.sg) is one of the most well known feng shui icon in Singapore. It takes the form of the human left hand opening to the sky. The shorter / broader (18-storey) office tower symbolizes the thumb, the other four taller / slimmer (45-storey) office towers the fingers, the prominently roofed convention and exhibition centre (SSICEC) the wrist, and the fountain plaza a gold ring in the centre of the open palm.

Interestingly, from a macro-perspective, the meta-architectonics of this structure transcends its embodied symbolisms and the physical confines of its land boundaries. As construed in a bird's eye view, the structure is orientated in a NE-SW direction, aligned along the same axis as the financial district of Singapore. Within this extended context, Suntec City is positioned in the NE sector, which according to the Later Heaven 8-Trigrams, can manifest both as hand and mountain; And Suntec City is aptly designed as such.

The open-hand structure also assumes an act of gesture, presumably welcoming the influx of wealth from the financial district, which is characterized by highrise phallic structures. The gold (bronze) ring is itself a manifestation of the Qian trigram, which is a symbol of wealth. The ring may be seen also as a band that gathers and binds the (financial) phalli in the distance, and itself being located on a left (connotating authority) palm, it is supposed to command wealth.

Wealth arriving at the doorsteps of Suntec City is physicalized in terms of traffic flow and water (fountain). The fountain is crucial in transforming the otherwise fluctuating nature of the in-out, surface vehicular traffic pattern into a more certain catch, thus minimizing the escape of wealth through the fingers. The catch is further anchored by the positioning of restaurants around the fountain, where the acts of consumption and assimilation (by human patrons) take place. Internal circulation then takes on an integral, disseminative role in this scheme, much alike human blood circulation. Therefore, mis-management of internal circulation, be it vehicular or human, will undermine the desired meta-architectonic effects. In the same token, an effective integration with the surrounding neighbours will serve to optimize its strength as a city within a city, and ensure a seamless flow of auspicious qi (energies).

Another interesting feature of Suntec City is its capitalization of natural fengshui formation based on the other diagonal (NW-SE) axis. While the hand gestures along a NE-SW axis, the predominant orientation of the buildings (esp. the treasure-chest-like SSICEC) appears to align with the NW-SE axis. This results in a Five Ghosts Carry Treasure formation, with Istana Grounds constituting the mountain (NW) and ECP constituting the water (E), at the respective favourable stars position in Period 8 (2004-2023).

With the surrounding environments set in its favour, Suntec City seems poised to ride on the 20 years of good fortune brought along with Period 8. But alas! Fengshui has taken on a much more dynamic quality than when it was first discovered. Developments in the vicinity of a subject site quite often may upset or compliment its meta-architectonics. Evidently, soon after the official launch of the Esplanade, a support pillar of the fountain was damaged by a fallen crane. And as we all know, the thorny envelopes stand right in the path of gesture of, The Hand Of God!

Virtually Meta-Architectonic

2006-09-26T11:04:00.000+08:00

screenshot of KinetiqBuzz's homepage

Dean's firm specializes in public relations targeting at the youth market. The firm recently launched its website http://www.kinetiqbuzz.com (the 4 cardinal points are read as such: bottom [North], left [East], top [South] & right [West]). Here are some meta-architectonic tips for my friend:

Add some dynamic effect (eg. flash) to OUR SERVICES (top left [SE] corner), to ride on its quality as the Wind, making promotion of the firm's services a breeze;
Introduce some yellow / beige / brown colours for CONTACT US (central right [W] sector) while still keeping the matchbox design, so as to mediate the conflicting relationship of fire burning metal, with earth. This is to ease the firm's negotiation / connection with the media, and prevent conflicts;
Introduce more white / gold / silver & yellow / beige / brown colours for EYE ON BUZZ (bottom right [NW] corner) to enhance wealth. Make the STAMP OF GUARANTEE a complete circle so as to stamp out customer dissatisfactions!
Create something in the shape of a bowl (concave) at the central base [N] sector to contain the outflow of water, which also symbolizes wealth.
Now, the ants (crawling from the bottom left corner) are a real treat for the eyes! I think this is where the gist of the whole meta-architectonics manifests. The eye represents fire, the grey squarish frame with thumbprint in the NE sector - earth, the round iris - metal, the blue - water, and the ants crawling towards the central left [E] sector - wood. This, by the way, is the productive cycle of the five elements! The uncanny thing is that there are 7 ants in total, which is the numeric manifestation of youth, and these ants are moving towards the eastern sector, precisely where activities are anticipated - KINETIC, BUZZ!

So, who says our modern digital age has no place for traditional knowledge?

Meta-Architectonics

2006-09-24T21:12:00.000+08:00

Architectural strategies in our modern societies are essentially western oriented, and predominated by emphases on aesthetics, functionality, contextual responses, socio-political integration, programmatic articulation, etc.. While these are all relevant issues, the intricate symbiotic relationship between habitat and its inhabitants remains intangible. In this respect, the making of modern architecture is still very much an intuitive art.

Chinese metaphysics offers methodologies which may bridge the gap between habitat and its inhabitants. It prescribes a certain uncanny relationship between the two, presumably under the dynamic influence of universal laws, of time or perhaps luck. I call it the meta-architectonics of the dwelling apparatus.

This blog therefore attempts to capture my observation of day-to-day occurrences from a meta-architectonic perspective. My aim is to explore the potential of employing ancient principles of chinese metaphysics as a strategy in architectural making (and thinking) within the modern context, thereby approaching our lost SHANGri-la's.

SHANGri-la

2006-09-23T23:20:00.000+08:00

All of us reside within four walls and a roof, but not many of us can call it home, and even lesser of us know how to make it a home. We say, these people have a house, and yet are homeless.

Some believe home is a notion deep inside the heart, perhaps only one word comes close to it: SHANGri-la, meaning sun and moon in the heart, or simply paradise...