Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology

Feng Shui harmonizes energy flow throughout space in the home, it is an ancient Chinese system of design and placement. The philosophy is that people are affected either negatively or positively by their surroundings and the energies within their home. Everything must be taken into consideration, colour, furniture, furnishings, lighting, ornaments, statues, fabric, and placement of all items. The garden, types of flowers, trees, garden statues, water features, window shape, door colour, type of doorbell ring, house and room shape, is all considered when energy flow is being considered. The individual’s Chinese astrological animal sign is also to be considered when feng shuiing your home, this allows the energies to be aligned to your individual needs, assuring greater harmony.

Balancing Yang Energies

Balancing Yang energies with more yin.  Yang animals are, rat, tiger, dragon, monkey, horse, dog, these are the extroverts of the Chinese horoscope, they are more physically active than their counterparts. Yang signs require a yin oriented environment, where they are able to rest, relax, reflect, meditate, regenerate and be still. To achieve more yin, a wet, soft, cold, dark, inward, receptive, round, down, north and curvy setting is required. More yin is achieved in the home with, dark, cool rooms, curved, rounded furniture, gentle, melodic, soothing, relaxing music.

Balancing Yin Energies

Balancing Yin energies with more yang. Yin animals are, ox, hare, snake, rooster, pig, needing a quiet environment, they are the calmer, more sensitive animals of the Chinese zodiac. Within their environment more yang energy is required to activate and build their energy reserves and charge their environment. To achieve more yang a light, dry, hard, warm or hot, up, south, outward, straight, angular, creative setting is required. More yang is achieved in the home with, light, bright room, angular furniture, passionate and energetic music.

Harmony through the Elements

By knowing your signs primary and dominant element based on your year of birth, in the Chinese Astrological Chart, specific features identified with each element can be added to your environment. By applying the features of your primary and dominant elements to your environment, the characteristics in your personality can be enhanced.

Feature

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Direction

East

South

Midpoint

West

North

Colour

Green

Red

Yellow

White/Silver

Black/Blue

Season

Spring

Summer

All

Autumn

Winter

Shape

Tall

Pointed

Flast/low

Round

Undulating

Energy

Outward

Upward

Horizontal

Inward

Downward
Natural Element and Natural Energy of each animal sign

Animal

Element

Natural Energy

Rat

Water

Yang

Ox

Earth

Yin

Tiger

Wood

Yang

Hare

Metal

Yin

Dragon

Earth

Yang

Snake

Fire

Yin

Horse

Fire

Yang

Sheep

Earth

Yin

Monkey

Metal

Yang

Rooster

Metal

Yin

Dog

Earth

Yang

Pig

Water

Yin

This year 2011, is the year of the Metal Rabbit, Yin Metal, and Rabbit Wood, the qualities of Metal are fair play, justice, balance, philanthropy, altruism. The qualities of Wood are benevolence, compassion, understanding. As Yin Metal is in control of Yin Wood, Metal is the driver, this creates conflict with Wood. This year we are to be very aware of our environment, and must take notice of what is going on around us, be alert to world events, and be proactive in our own lives.

Balancing the Elements in your home.

Elements flow in cycles, they can be either productive or destructive, thus it is necessary to not only focus on the features of your own element, but to add some features of those missing in your sign.

The Productive Cycle

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water

If your sign has a double element, with the same natural and dominant elements, it is necessary to reduce the influence of the element, by using features of the element that can destroy it. This can be done by utilizing the features f the destructive cycle.

The Destructive Cycle.

Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, Metal

An example of the destructive cycle, is water destroying fire. If someone wants to reduce the fire characteristic in their personality they can add water features in and around their home, creating more balance. Photographs and paintings of waterfalls, lakes, rivers and the ocean, throughout the home, will also help. The garden is the ideal place for water features, they also work particularly well in the bathroom.

The Five Rat Types

Wood Rats – 1924, 1984

Fire Rats – 1936, 1996

Earth Rats – 1948, 2008

Metal Rats- 1960

Water Rats – 1912, 1972

Famous Rats

Water Rat – George Washington, US President, 1732

Fire Rat – Mata Hari, 1876

The Five Ox Types

Wood Oxen – 1923, 1985

Fire Oxen – 1937, 1997

Earth Oxen – 1949, 2009

Metal Oxen – 1961

Water Oxen – 1913, 1973

Famous Oxen

Metal Ox – Diana, Princess of Wales 1961

Wood Ox – Paul Newman, actor, 1925

The Five Tiger Types

Wood Tigers – 1914, 1974

Fire Tigers – 1926, 1986

Earth Tigers- 1938, 1998

Metal Tigers – 1950, 2010

Water Tigers – 1962

Famous Tigers

Water Tiger – Jodi Foster, actress, 1962

Fire Tiger – Hugh Hefner, Playboy publisher, 1926

The Five Hare Types

Wood Hares – 1915, 1975

Fire Hares – 1927, 1987

Earth Hares – 1939, 1999

Metal Hares – 1951, 2011

Water Hares – 1963

Famous Hares

Wood Hare – Ingrid Bergman, actor, 1915

Water Horse – Cary Grant, actor, 1904

The Five Dragon Types

Wood Dragons – 1964

Fire Dragons – 1916, 1976

Earth Dragons – 1928, 1988

Metal Dragons – 1940, 2000

Water Dragons – 1952, 2012

Famous Dragons

Earth Dragon – Eartha Kitt, singer, 1928

Fire Dragon – Harold Robbins, author, 1916

The Five Snake Types

Wood Snakes – 1965

Fire Snakes – 1917, 1977

Earth Snakes – 1929, 1989

Metal Snakes – 1953, 2013

Famous Snakes

Earth Snake – Jackie Kennedy Onassis, US First Lady, 1929

Earth Snake – Mahatma Gandi, political social leader 1869

The Five Horse Types

Wood Horses – 1954, 2014

Fire Horses – 1966

Earth Horses – 1918, 1978

Metal Horses – 1930, 1990

Water Horses – 1942, 2002

Famous Horses

Water Horse – Barbra Streisand, actor/singer, 1943

Metal Horse – Sean Connery, actor, 1930

The Five Sheep Types

Wood Sheep – 1955, 2015

Fire Sheep – 1967

Earth Sheep – 1919, 1979

Metal Sheep – 1931, 1991

Water Sheep – 1943, 2003

Famous Sheep

Earth Sheep – Margot Fonteyn, ballerina, 1919

John Denver – singer/songwriter, 1943

The Five Monkey Types

Wood Monkeys – 1944, 2004

Fire Monkeys – 1956, 2016

Earth Monkeys – 1968

Metal Monkeys – 1920, 1980

Water Monkeys – 1932, 1992

Famous Monkeys

Earth Monkey – Bette Davis, actor, 1908

Fire Monkey – Mel Gibson, actor, 1956

The Five Rooster Types

Wood Roosters – 1945, 2005

Fire Roosters – 1957, 2017

Earth Roosters – 1969

Metal Roosters – 1921, 1981

Water Roosters – 1933, 1993

Famous Roosters

Water Rooster – Joan Collins, actor, 1933

Metal Rooster – Peter Ustinov, actor/writer, 1921

The Five Dog Types

Wood Dogs – 1934, 1994

Fire Dogs – 1946, 2006

Earth Dogs – 1958, 2018

Metal Dogs – 1970

Water Dogs – 1922, 1982

Famous Dogs

Wood Dog – Shirley Maclaine, actor/writer 1934

Wood Dog – Elvis Presley, singer, 1935

The Five Pig Types

Wood Pigs – 1935, 1995

Fire Pigs – 1947, 2007

Earth Pigs – 1959, 2019

Metal Pigs – 1971

Water Pigs – 1923, 1983

Famous Pigs

Metal Pig – Lucille Ball, comedian/actor, 1911

Wood Pig – Dudley Moore, comedian/actor, musician, 1935

Bagua

The term “bagua” (or “ba gua”) is derived from the book of the I-Ching, a sacred text which was used to tell the future. Feng Shui Bagua is a map or chart that relates the various areas of your life to the 8 sections of your living space. These eight main sections of a space are represented by what are known as “guas” of the bagua map. The bagua map can also have a ninth center section that corresponds to the 8 major corresponding life areas. So in this way the layout of bagua map shows the nine main energy centers that we value the most.

To map a room and balance the energies within it, a bagua map is used, this is done to correlate the different aspects of someone’s life. The sections relate to every aspect of the individual’s life. The categories are, fame, relationships/marriage, children/creativity, helpful people/travel, career, inner knowledge, family/ancestors/health, wealth/blessings. The bagua map is used to balance the land/property your home is on, the home, office, bedroom, lounge, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, and so on. The map will show where there are missing, or negative spaces, that need to be attended to, a plant, or water feature may need to be added. New colours brought into the home, furniture repositioned, window dressings changed, statues or paintings placed strategically. The laws of Heaven and Earth are used in the practice of feng shui, it is an ancient Chinese system applied to enhance a person’s surroundings and improve the quality of their life, by bringing the laws of the Universe into play.

Feng Shui has been used for centuries, often used for spiritual structures, especially tombs. When feng shui was first practiced, astronomy was used, this is until the magnetic compass came to be. In China there were rules for the structures of graves, and homes, the rules were followed by builders, who referred to a carpenter’s manual, setting out the rules of feng shui, when building.

Feng Shui (wind and water), the natural elements that comprise all nature, wind and water have an energy that can be brought into your life, your home. By arranging simple elements in your life you can learn how to balance energies, filling your life with positive energy, and harmonizing every aspect of your life, creating a unique balance.

When working with the elements of feng shui, and Chinese astrology, be open minded, be daring and experimental. Not only are you shifting energies within and around your home, you are shifting and awakening mental energies, thus creating room for more positive thinking and creativity. Your home, your living environment is a reflection of you and how you see life and the world as a whole, your life can be enhanced by changing just one element within your living environment. The combination of feng shui and Chinese astrology is akin to the apothecaries practicing their art, by mixing various elements together to form a healing whole.

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