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Feng Shui & Chinese Astrology for 2012 Year of the Yang Water Dragon

This 2012 article examines the Chi energy of the Yang Water Dragon year, going in-depth into predictions for each Chinese Astrology Animal Zodiac as well as each of the Feng Shui directions using multiple Feng Shui schools.

The Ren-Chen, or Yang Water Dragon year starts on the 4th of February 2012 at around 5pm. This is based on the Solar calendar used for Feng Shui and Astrology, not the Lunar calendar used for celebrations, which gives us Chinese New Year on the 23rd of January.

The Dragon has a fearsome reputation and is considered to be the most karmic of all the animal Branches, but the Yin hidden Stems indicate a much gentler nature. The Dragon holds to high ethical standards and cannot ignore any wrongdoing, and so is known as the defender of the weak. The expectation from this perspective is that as long as you strive to succeed and stick to your morals, the year will bring rewards.

The Dragon has a fearsome reputation and is considered to be the most karmic of all the animal Branches, but the Yin hidden Stems indicate a much gentler nature. The Dragon holds to high ethical standards and cannot ignore any wrongdoing, and so is known as the defender of the weak. The expectation from this perspective is that as long as you strive to succeed and stick to your morals, the year will bring rewards.

Think of the Stem-Branch Pillar combination as a tree. The Stems are the leaves and fruit, the Branch is the branches and trunk, and the hidden Stems are the roots.

When a Stem has ‘root’, it is very strong, so we can deduce that Ren Yang Water has a stronger than usual influence in 2012 because of the hidden Stem Gui, even though Earth controls Water in the cycle of Elements.

Since Water is so strong, industries and people that are drained, controlled or clashed by Water will be adversely affected. The banking industry is the obvious on to look at. Banking and investment is Metal Qi, which is drained by Water. In fact the GFC started in 2008 which was a Rat year, in a Monkey month, which combines with the Rat to form strong Water. There is an expectation that in 2012, there may be another drop in global finances. It may not be as dramatic as 2008 though, mainly because government and the industry itself have placed restrictions on the biggest contributing factors (like sub-prime loans) that led to the GFC.

Fire industries like electricity, oil and gas supply are clashed and controlled by Water, and we can also say that the hotter, drier parts of the world that supply most of the world’s oil are looking at more turmoil.

The Dragon makes up the last of the triple Eastern Wood combination of Tiger-Rabbit-Dragon. This means that the last two years and especially 2012 will be strong in Wood Qi. This will have a balancing effect for the Fire industries mentioned above, but indicates even more trouble for banking.

Real Estate is a combination of Wood and Earth Elements, so the property market should see quite large gains, along with a few falls. Based on the annual Feng Shui energy, the best growth will occur in the Western suburbs of cities, or the western parts of countries (eg from Geraldton to Dampier in WA).

The last Ren-Dragon year was in 1952. From a global perspective, it was the year King George IV died. Interestingly he died on the second day of the Chinese New Year 6th of February, perhaps there may be some more turmoil for the royal family.

It was the first time a hydrogen bomb was ever detonated, but also the introduction of the contraceptive pill and polio vaccine. So there are scientific and medical breakthroughs that are waiting to happen.

Korea was still at war, which we can equate to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. McCarthy was still hunting communists in 1952, which we see as the war on terrorists that is still continuing in the modern day.

The Shen Sha for Ren-Dragon is Fu Xing Beneficiary, or the Blessing Nobleman. I am hopeful that we will see more of people helping and bringing blessing into each others lives.

The Twelve Lifecycle for 2012 is Mu. Lifecycles tell us where the Stem is in relation to the cycle of the Branches, from birth to death. Mu literally means ‘tomb’ or ‘buried’, and indicates a withdrawal, or a closing off of oneself. It can mean an inventive approach to finances, so there may be hope for banking/investment industries if new ways of thinking are adopted. This Lifecycle can mean not taking action, allowing stagnation, so it is important to get up and do something during 2012 – try new things and open up.

If you are new to Chinese Astrology, you may not know that you have more than one Branch for the date and time you were born.

A simple Four Pillars chart looks like this –

You can work out your own Four Pillars BaZi chart here.

If you have the Rabbit and Tiger on your chart, then the Dragon will complete a very strong Wood combination (this is a Directional, or Meetings combination). This will mean a very good year for you or a very bad year, no in-betweens. If you start the year badly, then use some Fire (red) in your everyday clothing, as this will help to reduce the effects of Wood.

The Dragon can combine with the Monkey and Rat together, or just the Rat by itself to form Water (this is an Elemental, or Unities combination). Once again, this will be an all good or all bad kind of year for you because of the strong Water Qi. If your year starts out poorly in 2012, then you can use Wood energy (green) to help drain the excess Water away.

Lastly, the Dragon can combine with the Rooster to form Metal (this is a simple ‘Six combination’). This is usually not as strong as the others. You will have extra Metal energy for 2012, but this will really just make the Water energy of Ren stronger, so you may need Wood Qi to reduce Metal and Water.

The above paragraphs list the order in which the Dragon will combine. If you have a Rat and the Rooster on your Four Pillars chart, then the Dragon will form Water not Metal. Similarly if you have the Rabbit and Tiger, then the Dragon will combine with these before it combines with the Rat or Rooster.

The Dragon clashes with the Dog. If you were born in the Year of the Dog, then in general this clash indicates moving house or being relocated, being demoted, losing your job or financial loss.

If you have a Rabbit, but no Tiger on your chart, or if you have the Ox then there will be small frustrations and obstacles during 2012.

If you have the Dragon already on your chart, then 2012 brings you a “self-penalty”. This will be worse if you are born in the year of the Dragon. Self-penalties usually indicate stubbornness, unwillingness to take advice, and a tendency to focus on the trivial. Basically, you are likely to bring yourself bad luck.

Earlier I mentioned King George VI. He died in a Ren-Dragon year in a Ren Month, on a Ren day. He died of circulation problems – coronary thrombosis. Circulation and the heart are both Fire Element in Chinese medicine, which the extra strong Water of that particular day helped to put out. Queen Elizabeth II has a double Dragon (one on her Day Pillar, one on her Month Pillar). The extra Water for 2012 is actually quite good for her Day Master (which is strong Geng Yang Metal by the way), but it will be interesting to watch her decisions and actions. This is because all of the Dragons together will tend to lead to poor choices.

If you have a Dog, Rabbit (with no Tiger), Ox or a Dragon on your Four Pillars chart, then one way to smooth the year out is to ‘buy’ karma points by giving to charity. According to one Buddhist date selection method, the best time to donate is the last day of the lunar cycle, that is, just before the new moon.

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The Chinese Zodiac in 2012

From a basic check of your Year Branch (Chinese animal zodiac), we can look at how the Dragon will affect you –

子 Rat (’48, ’60, ’72, ’84, ’96, ’08): The Dragon combination means that money will be top on your priority list this year. However, because the is a lot of Water, you will need to look after your health, and take care of legal matters (agreements, contracts, fines) as soon as possible.

丑 Ox (’49, ’61, ’73, ’85, ’97, ’09): Work and real estate / property are the strongest energy for the Ox in 2012. There aren’t any clashes or combinations, so it will be a fairly smooth run. Like the Rat though, make sure to look after your health and take care of legal problems asap.

寅 Tiger (’50, ’62, ’74, ’86, ’98, ’10): Tigers have a pretty good social and work life in 2012, but love matters may be entirely different. You will need to work on your close relationships, especially with your spouse/lover/girlfriend/boyfriend.

卯 Rabbit (’51, ’63, ’75, ’87, ’99, ’11): After a hectic 2011, life should settle down a bit for the Rabbit. Social life features prominently in 2012 as does family (parents & siblings). It is a tough year again for your love life though.

辰 Dragon (’52, ’64, ’76, ’88, ’00): When your Year Pillar is the same as the annual, it usually means life lessons, but the Dragon is also a self-penalty. This means that there will be extra worries and stress in 2012 especially when it comes to children, romance and travel. If you can, find a Rooster pendant to wear or carry with you so that one of the Dragons is cancelled out and the penalty is reduced.

巳 Snake (’53, ’65, ’77, ’89, ’01): Snakes have a pretty average time in most areas of life in 2012, no major ups or downs. Travel should be kept to a minimum if possible because Snake will have more likelihood of problems than any of the other Branches. Other than this, enjoy your year.

午 Horse (’54, ’66, ’78, ’90, ’02): Horses will have a great year for health, and being with friends and family, but it is a tougher year for money and income. Try to sock away a bit extra every week so that there is money available for unexpected expenses.

未 Sheep (’55, ’67, ’79, ’91, ’03): What a great year for love and, sex and romance. Put that charm to the test. Health Qi is at an all-time high for a lot of Sheep as well. Try to avoid property and get-rich-quick schemes in 2012, because there is high likelihood you will be burnt.

申 Monkey (’56, ’68, ’80, ’92, ’04): Monkeys have a tough time for work and social activities in 2012. You will really need to work on interpersonal skills to make sure that you aren’t misunderstood (or misquoted!). Romance and love life are all good though, no chances for misunderstanding in the bedroom!

酉 Rooster (’57, ’69, ’81, ’93, ’05): The Metal combination with the Dragon will help to give a boost to the Roosters confidence in 2012. You can make some quite good gains, especially with work and career. If you need more income, then ask for a raise. Avoid mixing work and social life though; a small faux pas on the dance floor could wreck your chances elsewhere.

戌 Dog (’58, ’70, ’82, ’94, ’06): The clashing with the Dragon can create problems for the Dog, mainly with parents (a falling out or parents get ill). It could also mean relocation and shifting house. Interestingly though, the Dog has a good year ahead for travel, relationships with children, and sex life. Maybe a bit of movement is just what the normally reserved Dog needs.

亥 Pig (’59, ’71, ’83, ’95, ’07): People born in the year of the Pig will have a nice time throughout the whole year, life is pretty steady for you. If you can, try to visit places that you’ve never been before, as this will help to expand your horizons for the next few years. Family (parents/siblings) energy is pretty low, so avoid conflict whenever you can.

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The Day Masters in 2012

Note: this section was separately published at golddragonfengshui.com.au and not part of the published Wellbeing Astrology magazine article.

甲 Jia Yang Wood

The Lifecycle for Jia in 2012 is Shua. Jia people will do well this year if they put money away and invest, especially if they involve their spouses.

If you are a strong Jia, then health may be an issue for 2012, but income will be good. Be careful of liver and gall bladder problems. If your Jia is weak, then the reverse is true – money will be an issue, but health should be quite good.If your Jia is strong, opportunities for promotion will arise. For a strong Jia person, Geng can mean power, fortune and education especially if you have some Earth on your chart. Make the most of 2010 by careful planning.

乙 Yi Yin Wood

Yi’s Lifecycle is Koon Tai. Yi people will be like Jia – put money away and more will come, but Yi will need to do this on their own.
The effects of 2012’s energy on strong and weak Yi people are similar to Jia, but weak Yi people can expect more helpers to come into their life, at least for moral support.

A special note for Jia and Yi. The Dragon is “storage” for Wood and Water. If you don’t have any of the clashing/combining Animal Branches mentioned earlier then the Dragon will make you stronger. If your DM is already very strong then it may be a very difficult year for you. If your DM is very weak, then 2012 has the potential to be exceptional.

丙 Bing Yang Fire

Bing has Koon Tai for its Lifecycle, and is a direct clash with Ren Yang Water. For a strong Bing Fire, this indicates minor hassles, nothing major. In fact it could be an indication in a sudden rise to power or gains in career.
For weak or unsupported Bing’s, it indicates illness and possible surgery. Since it is Water dousing Fire, then there are possible health problems to do with the heart, circulation and eyes.

丁 Ding Yin Fire

Ding has Shua Lifecycle, and could form a Wood combination with Ren Yang Water but by the rules of Ba Zi Astrology, the DM cannot combine. This means that there is potential for Ding, but trouble in manifestation. When the annual Stem wants to combine with the DM it indicates attracting needy people. It can also mean an increased interest in the spiritual.
Since Ren and the Dragon are ‘against’ Fire, strong Ding DM’s will be fairly ok in 2012 – a better reputation and a possible advance in career. Weak/unsupported Ding DM’s will have an uphill battle though, legal problems and possible surgery.

戊 Wu Yang Earth

Wu has the Lifecycle Koon Tai in 2012. Ren is a direct clash with Wu, but Ren is the subdued Element. This indicates losing wealth and having continual hassle throughout the year.
Wu (strong) needs a power star (Jia or Yi Wood) that can drain Ren and subdue the DM. The second method is to use Ding to combine Ren away from the clash (this is good for both strong and weak Wu DM’s). One of the tricks in Chinese society if you don’t have any of these Stems on your own chart is to make friends with someone who has them as their DM.
Aside from the clash, both strong and weak Wu Earth can expect an up and down year for money and income. The Dragon represents ‘work money’ and ‘storage money’ for Wu so get working for 2012 to help keep finances level.

己 Ji Yin Earth

Ren is wealth for Ji as well, however it comes without the clashing. Ji’s Lifecycle for 2012 is Shua, so even though there can be some good gains in income, there is nothing outstanding, more plodding along and working hard. With a saving or investment plan in place, Ji can expect some good returns.

庚 Geng Yang Metal

Yung is Geng’s Lifecycle for 2012. Ren for a strong Geng indicates fame and a great reputation, and unexpected windfalls. The Dragon on the other hand is Yang Earth and indicates accident and injury (and gynaecological problems). The Dragon has hidden Water and Wood though, so for strong Geng DM’s, the health issues aren’t so bad, you will find a solution. For weak Geng DM’s, Ren and the Dragon’s hidden Water indicates being left stranded, a victim of gossip and bickering. The Earth from the Dragon does bring some helpers.

辛 Xin Yin Metal

Xin has Mao as their Lifecycle this year, and will be very similar to Geng’s strong/weak assessment above. The biggest hurdle for Xin is the disparate energies between Mao Lifecycle, and the need to take risks in 2012. People with Xin DM’s will find themselves at the extremes of playing life very safe and then all of a sudden needing to break out and do something risky. It would be wise to walk the middle path.

壬 Ren Yang Water

Ren is the Stem of the year, so it is a year of lessons for people with Ren DM’s. The Lifecycle is Mao. It will be a better year for weak Ren people, because the Elements are helpful in making them stronger. It indicates a good year for career (especially between Feb and Aug), and generally smooth money luck. Strong Ren people will find that money comes and goes very quickly, you will need to be careful to hold onto some of it. Both weak and strong Ren DM’s will find that they attract bargains and there will be a tendency to get things for free (including advice and general help).

癸 Gui Yin Water

It will be a mixed year for both strong and unsupported Gui Water DM’s. Career luck should be good for both, but there will be an overall reduction in income (or at least an increase in costs and spending). Weak Gui DM’s should look after their health, especially during the latter half of the year. The Lifecycle for Gui this year is Yung.

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FENG SHUI FOR 2012

The following interpretations and recommendations are based on two main schools of Feng Shui – San Yuan Flying Stars and San He. You can calculate your own home’s Flying Star Feng Shui chart here.

San He is based around calculations between Stems and Branches (similar to Four Pillars astrology). Each Stem and Branch has a direction, as well as being associated with time (for example, the Dragon occupies the first 15 degrees of the 45 degree Southeast sector). The main way to use San He is to “Approach the auspicious and avoid the inauspicious”. In other words to reduce the impact of any negative formations (in red), then to activate any positive formations that are available (in green).

The Flying Stars are based on building date (kind of like birthday) and strict facing/site criteria. In general, the good stars are 1 Water, 4 Wood, 6 Metal and 8 Earth (the best being the 8 because we are in Period 8, 2004-2024). The bad ones are 2 Earth, 3 Wood, 5 Earth and 7 Metal (the worst being the 5). The 9 Fire star can exert a positive or negative influence depending on what it is combined with. The numbers are simply short hand for other energies like trigrams, family relationships, Elements, times of year, flavours etc.

The annual Flying Stars are best used in conjunction with the natal Flying Star chart of your house. The information below looks at the annual stars and how they affect the Lo Shu (Later Heaven Bagua) so we can do some basic adjustments. Even though you will get good results from following this advice, it is not a substitute for getting a trained Feng Shui practitioner to assess the energy of your house. At a minimum, your practitioner should know Ba Zi astrology and the Flying Star system.

The Luo Pan (compass) above has the annual formations from the Flying Star, San Yuan and San He schools of Feng Shui arranged for 2012.

The Central Palace has 6 Metal. The 6 star is Qian in the trigrams and represents the father and older males, so it is a very masculine energy for 2012. It is also the star of power, authority and wealth achieved through hard work. The 6 star can be strengthened by finding the centre of your house and hanging a crystal, or placing some crystals with 6 Chinese coins here.

The South has 1 Water in the Flying stars, and has San Sha 2 from the San He calculations. The South is Fire in the Lo Shu, and Water will obviously clash with it, even though the 1 star is usually considered to be beneficial. The 1 star represents young males, and the South is younger women, we can conclude that there will be problems and arguments between these sets of people. It is best to make sure that no girls are allowed to sleep in this sector of the house. The bridging Element between Water and Fire is Wood, so a plant or two in the South will help to smooth things over. If the back of your house is South, then San Sha 2 indicates that you may be the victim of thieves. It will also affect you if the front door is in S2. The usual cure for the San Sha is to use a Kuan Kung statue. He is the ‘saint’ of morals in China (same effects/cure for SW & SE).

The Southwest is very busy in 2012. The Lo Shu Element here is Yin Earth – the mother. 3 Wood is a controlling energy, and represents the oldest son. The 3 star is also aggressive and represents arguments and thieves. The third San Sha and Oppression energy are also here, so it is not a very good area for women in 2012. The sector should be kept as quiet as possible. Some Fire will draw energy away from the 3 Wood and boost the SW energy for women. The annual scholar direction is the central 15 degrees of the SW, though it is really not suitable to use with the rest of the negatives here.

The West has the great annual 8 Earth star, which is boosting the Lo Shu Metal associated with this direction. Depending on your own Flying Star chart, this could be a very good spot to place a water feature. Make sure that you don’t use the middle 15 degrees though, because you will also activate the annual ‘Broken Luck’ energy. If it is active (via a water feature, door or busy road), then it usually indicates a lot of small issues and frustrations popping up through the year. The simple way to reduce its impact is to keep this part closed off (ie close the doors/windows here). If you can’t have a water feature, then you can boost the annual 8 star by using 8 crystals in a red or purple bag. For wealth use citrine, for health I like to use Jade.

The Northwest has a Yin-Yang balance in 2012. The annual star is 7 Metal (Yin) and the NW is Yang Metal in the Lo Shu. This is a nice sector, despite the 7 star’s reputation (usually associated with legal problems and disloyalty). The first 15 degrees of the NW has Sui Po, the Year Breaker. When it is activated, it is like the Broken Luck energy in the West – lots of small problems to deal with. The last 15 degrees has the annual Good Income, so it would be beneficial to open this part up to let the energy in. To reduce the nasty side of the 7 star, simply use some plain water (in a jar or bottle) to ‘rust’ the Metal.

The 2 Earth in the North has a controlling influence on the Water energy here. In the SW we have the son controlling the mother, here we have the reverse – the mother controlling the son. It looks like there will be a few issues cropping up in 2012! The Year Virtue is a good direction to have opened, as it signals minor victories and people ‘doing the right thing’. To help balance the clashing, use Metal (drains the 2 and boosts Water). The 2 star is associated with illness and gossip. The traditional cure for this is a Metal calabash.

It would be very good to have a Northeast facing home in 2012, or at least have your front door here. The 9 Fire strengthens the NE’s Earth in the Lo Shu, which is very auspicious. The NE is the youngest son, so if this area is active, then boys and teenage males will have a very good year. The San He formations are Fame/Publicity in the middle 15 degrees, and Travel in the last 15 degrees. If your natal Flying Star chart warrants it, this would be a very good place to have a water feature. Travel can mean a lot of running around, not just holidays, so be warned. Try to keep this sector active and open as much as possible.

The East is another nicely Yin-Yang balanced area. The 4 Yin Wood star is with the Yang Wood Lo Shu sector, indicating harmony. This is a very good sector for study, creative and artistic endeavours, but is pretty bad for romance because the Yang Wood will want to overshadow the Yin Wood (think of the trees in a forest). You can bring out the best by having 4 bamboo shoots growing in water, or 4 wooden paintbrushes displayed in a nice container. The middle 15 degrees is the Yang Noble direction for the year. Yang Noble means helpful males, and it is very useful since the creativity/scholarly 4 star is here.

The Southeast has the 5 Earth disaster star subdued by the Lo Shu Wood. The problem is that the 5 star does not like to be controlled. It is worst if you face or have your front door in the SE. The annual Tai Sui, (or Year God or Grand Duke) is in the first 15 degrees here as well as San Sha 1 in the last 15 degrees. When they are activated then the outcome is long term bad luck. This sector needs to be kept quiet and closed as much as possible, even though Yin Noble (helpful females) is here.

To reduce the impact of the 5 star use Metal and Water. This will drain the Earth and bring the energy back into the Wood of the SE. The usual cure for Tai Sui is a Dragon-headed tortoise statue, but you can also visit a Daoist temple where you can get a protective Tai Sui talisman. This is the preferred course if you are born in the Year of the Dog, Rabbit, Ox or Dragon.

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This article was written by Dean French in April/May 2011 and first Published in Wellbeing Astrology Annual Magazine 2012. It is presented as written at the time as an example of Dean’s portfolio.

I hope that you are able to take something from the article and from the information I have on the website. May 2012 be a great year for you!

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Dean French

With over two decades of practical Feng Shui experience, Dean is known for his down-to-earth attitude and his direct and honest communication. A writer for Wellbeing Predictions and former writer for Wellbeing Astrology magazines, he has turned to a wider audience through this website. Visit deanfrench.com.au to book an Astrology reading or Feng Shui consultation.

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