Welcome the God of Wealth this Lunar Year 2019!
Li Chun or the beginning of the spring season of the Year of the Earth Pig (己亥) falls on February 4th. However welcoming Cai Shen or the God of Wealth at the Lunar New Year is another particularly important event in the Chinese New Year Festival.
The Chinese believe that welcoming the God of Wealth into your home on the first day of the first lunar month ushers in good wealth luck for the year. The time and direction varies each year and people whose Zodiac sign conflicts with the day should not participate in the ceremony; which applies this year to those who are born in the Rabbit (卯) or Rooster (酉).
In 2019 the first day of the first Lunar Month commences on February 5th and Cai Shen arrives from the South (180°) between 11.00 pm and 1.00 am. The most auspicious time to receive Cai Shen is actually 11.40 pm LST or 12.40 am if you are observing DST.
If you would like to invite Cai Shen into your home then follow these steps and may you enjoy much happiness, health, success and prosperity in the Year of the Earth Pig!
The first thing you must do is to clean your home, paying particular attention to all the main ch’i openings (windows and doors) that are located in the South, as this is the direction that Cai Shen arrives from.
Start at the main entrance and work your way around in a clockwise direction. Ideally kaffir lime juice and leaves should be added to your bucket of water for extra cleansing properties, but this is up to you. Alternately you can also use a few drops of Kaffir Lime Essential Oil, which is available online at www.fengshuistyle.com.au.
Please note that this type of spring cleaning can be undertaken at any time, but is really best done during auspicious days leading up to the Lunar New Year and those dates are:
- December 31 – Avoid cleaning if born in Rabbit Year
- January 27 – Avoid cleaning if born in the Monkey year
- January 04 – Avoid cleaning if born in Goat Year
- January 11 – Avoid cleaning if born in Tiger Year
- January 12 – Avoid cleaning if born in Rabbit Year
- January 17 – Avoid cleaning if born in Monkey Year
- January 23 – Avoid cleaning if born in Tiger Year
- January 29 – Avoid cleaning if born in Monkey Year
Just before 11.40 pm LST (or 12.40 am DST) you should shower and change into fresh clothes in order to demonstrate your sincerity. Then open all South facing windows or doors in order to receive the auspicious ch’i into your home.
Following this light 3 tea-light candles and place them in the South sector of your home. Please do so safely and do not leave them unattended.
At 11.40 pm LST or 12.40 am DST stand (or sit) next to the open window or in the door way and face towards the South. Inhale the prosperous influences, welcome them into your home and visualize the positive goals you wish to achieve this year in both your professional and personal life.
Alternately you can burn 3 sticks of incense in the South sector of your home, bow three times and sincerely pray for well wishes, whilst inviting Cai Shen to come into your home.
You may even need to take a nap due to the early arrival of Cai Shen; as long as everything is in readiness beforehand and you remember to set your alarm so that you wake up in time!
If you would like to learn more about how to prepare yourself and make the most of the opportunities that lay ahead in the coming Year of the Earth Pig (己亥), then come along to the Chinese New Year Luncheon which is being held at the Brighton Savoy Hotel in Melbourne on February 17th by the International Feng Shui Association (IFSA) – Australia Chapter. Full details and tickets are now available via their website at www.intfsa.org.au.
