Photos of Princess by Sonny Espiritu
Photos of lucky feng shui items available at Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony by Rex Perzeus Sardinia
Good in the first half; not-so-good in the second, that’s how feng shui expert Princess Lim Fernandez describes the 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster.
“This year, I call it the ‘sweet and sour chicken’ because it can be very sweet in some aspects but it can also be bitter in other aspects,” shares the Filipino-Chinese geomancer who studied under the late feng shui master, Paul Lau.
Princess says the romance/relationship side in this year of the Rooster, which is called the “romance sign” of the zodiac, is good. “When we talk about romance, it’s not only between you and your significant other, but it also has to do with relationships with your colleagues, with your bosses, with your clients. Because romance means interaction; it governs your relationships.”
However it is quite the opposite on the money side, according to her.
A volatile year
The Year of the Fire Rooster has a volatile characteristic due to its Yin fire. Unlike in the previous year, the Fire Monkey, which had big fire or Yang fire, this year has a candlelight fire. The flame flickers; it has a small spark that can cause a big fire, but can also be extinguished easily when not handled properly.
“At the beginning of the year, the first half, things will still be good, very optimistic. Because it’s optimistic, people can get excited that they might have the tendency to get a bit complacent,” explains Princess. And such complacency might get the best of us in the second half when things drastically change or turn upside down.
“So you’ve got to take care of it [the candlelight fire],” she emphasizes.
Furthermore, 2017 is seen to be in discord, as the two elements of this year are in conflict. Rooster, according to Princess, represents metal and since it is Year of the Fire Rooster, fire melts metal “so that means there’s disharmony which will translate to some conflict.”
Being an unstable year, one must exhibit flexibility and innovativeness in order to navigate the coming months. Those who know how to play the game, so to speak, will emerge as winners.
“Yes, there’s a potential conflict but because the Fire Rooster has a lot of Academic Stars, that means one must think out of the box to do well,” says Princess. Thus, if a person is innovative and can come out with creative solutions quickly, he or she can help solve the conflict.
Economy and money
Previous years ending in number seven had been unfavorable to the economy e.g. the Stock Market Crash in 1987, the Asian crisis in 1997 and the European crisis in 2007.
Those who have stocks, are encouraged to sell in May, June, and July when the prices are good. Those who are selling properties are advised to sell now while prices are still high, while those who are buying should consider waiting for prices to go down in the second half of the year.
Money may easily come and go this year, as the Wealth Star in the East has the Three Killings Star. “Meaning (opportunity) could already be in front you but someone can suddenly take it away,” she explains.
Hence Princess warns that in the 2017 Year of Fire Rooster, “all that glitters may not be gold.” When it comes to investments and loans, it pays to be very discerning especially if it’s too good to be true. “The more conservative you are this year, the better,” she says.
Instead of the West, she recommends enhancing the Southeast which has the Prosperity Star.
Meanwhile, lucky industries this year include those that innovate and think outside of the box, such as entertainment, media, advertising, marketing and web-related businesses.
Leaders and heads
Northwest is one of the unfavorable directions this year, along with South and West, as it has the Sickness and Backstabbing Star. And since Northwest represents all the heads—head of the family, head of the company, head of the country—it’s important to neutralize the unlucky area.
“If their office is located in the Northwest, move it. But if you can’t move it due to space constraints, then you should put the necessary cure—fill it with a lot of brass, a lot of metal,” says Princess.
Home and family
The inauspicious stars of the year are located in the Northwest (Sickness and Backstabbing Star), West (Argumentative Star), South (Disaster Star) and Southwest (Robbery Star), thus Princess strongly suggests determining the key areas in your home or office in order to know what will need luck enhancers and cures.
“If you know that those areas are unlucky, then you have to keep it as quiet as possible. Don’t renovate, don’t hammer and don’t drill,” stressed Princess.
Tai Sui or Grand Duke is the one in charge of the year. This year the sign in charge is the Rooster, whose home is in the West. It’s best not to disturb him. For instance, don’t put a television in this area, but should space limit you, Princess suggests putting an unlit candle to “burn the conflict.”
When it comes to your desk or workspace, Princess says to avoid sitting in the East and facing West.
The Fire Rooster being one of the two zodiac signs with two springs, the other one is Water Rabbit, means that this year is a very good year to have a baby. This year has an inborn Academic Luck and inborn Benefactor Luck.
“That means, throughout the rest of their lives, those who are born this year will always have someone who will support them and love them. Their inborn Academic Luck, on the other hand, means that they will have the thirst for knowledge and they will be very smart kids,” she explains
Those who won’t have a baby this year can wait for 2023 which is the Year of the Water Rabbit. After that, they have to wait for another 60 years.
Love and romance
Because of its two springs, and because the ruling star this year is the Romance Star, the Year of the Fire Rooster is a good year for relationships, Princess says. It is a good year to get married and a good year to have a baby.
Singletons looking for love are in luck, because this is the year to “find the one,” according to Princess. It is also an auspicious year to do something that has to do with attracting people.
To enhance the Romance Star in the Center, put fresh flowers with no thorns such as orchid and carnation.