It is time to bid farewell to the Year of the Ding You Rooster (丁 酉) and welcome in the Year of the Wu Xu Dog (戊 戌).
Therefore it will soon be necessary once again to make those Feng Shui changes around your home or business to ensure that you and your loved ones continue to be surrounded with beneficial ch’i and good fortune.
As we all know, invisible energies exist in our environment and they can be positive and enhance our well-being and prosperity, or they can be negative and cause bad health and misfortune.
These energies are dynamic and change over time in a cyclical manner, so in order to ensure that things remain harmonious it is necessary to locate and attend to the annual energies at the beginning of every year.
This year the Lunar New Year falls on the 16th February, but the shift of annual Feng Shui energies is always based on the Hsia or Chinese Solar calendar and thus the Year of the Earth Dog will commence at 5.28 am LST on the 4th of February 2018.
Lo Shu Chart for 2018
Each year there are four big Sha (煞氣 bad energy) and four lucky Stars which we should pay particular attention to. These four Sha have the power to over-ride any Flying Stars, regardless of how good the Chart of your home or business is.
The three Sha are called the Grand Duke or Tai Sui (太歲), the Three-Killings or San Sha (三煞), the Year Breaker or Sui Po and the 5 Yellow Star (五黃).
On the other hand, the four positive energies to support and activate are the Lucky Stars 8, 9, 1 and 6. So if you avoid the big Sha ch’i, activate the Star 6 (power), Star 1 (promotion) and Stars 8 and 9 (money), you will increase your potential for the coming year. Here are the positions for the good and bad energies in the Year of the Earth Dog.
Star 1 is located in the North West sector and signifies promotion and growth
- This is also auspicious for academic success and recognition
- Place a bowl of clear water here, but remember to keep it clean and fresh
- The Grand Duke or Tai Sui is also located in the North West so groundbreaking and renovation should be avoided here
Star 2 is located in the West sector and brings sickness, loss and obstacles
- Hang a strand of 6 metal coins & a metal Wu Lou Gourd or other large metal decorative object in the West sector
- Take extra care of your health if your main entrance or bedroom is located in the West sector
- is located in the North West sector and can bring sickness, loss and obstacles
Star 4 – Vibrant plant
Star 3 is located in the North East sector and can bring quarrels, conflict, legal problems and theft
- Place a lamp or red object in this location
- You can also burn a candle or incense in the North East sector
Star 4 is located in the South sector and brings the potential for romance and academic success
- Place a healthy, vibrant plant in this location
Star 5 is located in the North sector and can bring misfortune, financial problems, accidents, sickness and sudden disruptions
- Keep this area tidy and remove any active objects such as an aquarium or water feature
Salt Water Remedy
- Make sure this area is not dark or cluttered and check that it is well ventilated in order to disperse the bad energy
- If your bedroom is located in the North sector then you should sleep in another room if possible during 2018
- To weaken this bad energy place a large metal object in the North sector of your home or business
- Alternately you can place a salt water remedy here. This can be done by sitting a glass bowl or jar onto a ceramic, terracotta or glass saucer
- Pour rock salt in the bowl until it reaches around 1/3 full and then carefully place 6 Chinese coins on top of the salt in a circle
- Fill the glass bowl to the top with water, making sure that the coins are fully covered
- Replenish the water regularly as it evaporates, but be careful not to disturb the coins or salt crystals that have formed
- The North sector also overlaps with San Sha or Three Killings this year, so any groundbreaking or renovation should strictly be avoided in this location
Star 6 is located in the South West sector and represents power and promotion
Star 7 – Bamboo
- This star may also bring travel, especially for the father of the house
- To activate this area place six coins with the heads facing upwards in this sector (you can also use six Chinese coins). Make sure that you wash the coins first
Star 7 is located in the East sector and can bring gossip, sex scandal and robbery
- It is also a fire hazard so can be problematic if your kitchen is located here. Therefore please be extra careful with all of your cooking activities this year
- To combat this troublesome energy place a glass vase of fresh flowers or 3 pieces of Chinese Water Bamboo in this location
Star 8 is located in the South East and this auspicious energy brings wealth and prosperity
Star 8 – Water Feature
- Sleeping in a bedroom in the South East may also enhance your opportunities to make money
- Place a lamp, or light candles or incense here
- You can also place a water feature in the South East sector if you have a timely Water Star
- The South East also overlaps with Sui Po, so groundbreaking and renovation should be avoided in this location during 2018
Star 9 is located in the Central Palace and is another auspicious star for wealth and happiness
- Place a lamp here or light candles or incense
- You can also place a water feature here if you have a timely Water Star in the Natal Chart
When implementing your annual remedies or activating the auspicious influences, please remember that it is not always necessary to address every area of your home or business. You should also be mindful of the Flying Star energies which are present in each Palace, according to the Natal Chart. These are considered to be the Host energies and each one has a relationship with the annual Guest energies which needs to be considered.
Therefore you should firstly take care of the Grand Duke (太歲), Three-Killings (三煞), Sui Po and 5 Yellow Star (五黃) and then focus on supporting or activating those aspects of your life that are most important to you.
The Grand Duke – Tai Sui
2018 is the Year of the Dog (戌) which means that the annual energy comes to our homes and businesses from the North West. Therefore this year the energy known as the Grand Duke or Tai Sui is located in the Mountain of North West 1 (292.5° -307.5°).
In Chinese mythology the Tai Sui （太岁）is actually a position in the celestial heavens which determines the annual fortunes of all mortal beings for a particular year. A person’s happiness, health, luck and fortune are all under the jurisdiction of the Grand Duke or Tai Sui and hence he serves to remind us all to avoid misdeeds, carry out charitable activities and take care of our health.
General Jiang Wu is the Tai Sui or Grand Duke for the Dog year and it is he who gives trials to the afflicted Zodiac signs. Therefore each year it pays to heed the location of the annual Tai Sui so as not to disturb or offend him, as this can bring misfortune and problems. It is also not advisable to move into a house that faces towards the Grand Duke, which for 2018 is of course the North West.
Recommendations:
- Avoid renovations or major changes in the North West sector. If this area is disturbed then you are likely to experience problems including arguments and illness. If you must renovate or repair your home, then ensure that you commence and finish all work in the adjoining sectors
- A special date and time should also be selected for groundbreaking, renovation or moving in, but this requires the skill of an experienced Feng Shui Master
- Never sit facing the Grand Duke or sleep with your head pointing towards his direction, as this is said to be confronting him and may lead to misfortune and problems
- Appease the Grand Duke by placing his pet, the Pi Xiu in the affected sector or by wearing the Pi Xiu pendant as an amulet
- Alternately you can also place the figurine of a Dog or Dragon Tortoise in the North West sector and face it towards the Grand Duke, as this is another simple way to harmonize the influence and ensure his support
 Pi Xiu |
 Dragon Tortoise |
San Sha – Three Killings
he Three Killings or San Sha is one of the major annual afflictions in Feng Shui and is a very challenging combination of three energies – namely the Year Sha (Sui Sha), the Robbery Sha (Jie Sha) and the Disaster Sha (Zai Sha).
Obstacles that set you back may be caused by the Year Sha; wealth losses may be due to the Robbery Sha and frequent mishaps and misfortunes could be brought on by the Disaster Sha. Hence it is good practice to find out the location of this incoming energy each year and treat it accordingly.
During 2018 the San Sha is located in the North sector between 322.5 to 37.5 degrees. Therefore it is very important that the ground or location in which this energy resides should not be disturbed. Do not undertake any renovations in this part of the house or garden; avoid drilling or hammering and try not to sit with your back towards the North.
If the North sector and San Sha are disturbed then the consequences may include accidents, health issues, lawsuit, financial disaster, mishaps and possibly a string of hidden problems which bring trouble all year long.
So keep the North sector undisturbed and place three Celestial Guardians in this location to repress any misfortune. These can be 3 small golden Dragon Horse (known as Chi Lin) or a set of Fu Dog, Chi Lin and Pi Yao. Please note that these are available at www.fengshuistyle.com.au
 Chin Lin |
 Three Celestial Guardians |
Sui Po – Year Breaker Star
The Year Breaker Star or Sui Po is always located in the position directly opposite the Grand Duke.
As such it is known as the Star which clashes with the Grand Duke and should be treated with the same degree of caution.
Therefore once again groundbreaking and renovation should be avoided in the South East sector of your home or business during 2018. Most specifically this should not be done in the Mountain of South East 1 or Dragon (辰), which lies between 112.5 º to127.5 º degrees.
So it’s time to get started with your Chinese New Year preparations so that you are ready to make those changes and embrace the Year of the Earth Dog on the 4th of February.
Gong Xi Fa Cai and I hope that 2018 brings you much happiness, health and prosperity!
All enquiries regarding annual Feng Shui or Chinese Astrology updates please contact me on janene@shenchi.com.au or 0402 688 888.
