Question of the Month: Year of the Goat charms?

It seems I have quite a handful of Year of the Goat friends which would be normal being that normally we have friends our age, but several of them are 12 years younger than me :) All are wondering about the significance of carrying a horse charm?

Sacha J, New York, NY

Hi Sacha, thanks for your question. It makes perfect sense that you would be friends with many others that are born in the year of the Goat, because goat people tend to hang out with each other! Kind of like a herd!

As far as the significance of the Horse charm in this year of the Goat... the horse is the best friend of the goat. If you look at the Chinese zodiac there are trines (we call them three harmonies) and most ideal relationships (or best friends). The Horse and the Goat have the most ideal relationship and are therefore best friends. 

In the BTB Feng Shui tradition, in any given year, it is auspicious to carry around the best friend of the current year animal. The idea is that the year god is in the hot seat each year. If the year god would want to harm you, it will see you carrying around its best friend (this year the Horse) and will be so enamored by its bestie that it doesn't do you any harm. So it is a protective auspicious charm you should carry on you at all times.

They are available on the Holistic Spaces Store website:

http://www.holisticspaces.com/fengshui/2015-feng-shui-charm-keychain

Note: I have many questions in my “question of the month” queue, so I will be answering a few questions per month until I’m caught up! 

Thanks for reading our “Question of the Month”.  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers.  Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions! 

by Anjie Cho

Question of the Month: Understanding Yearly Astrological Horoscopes

How is it that horoscopes for Dragon & Monkey are the opposite of what my partner and I are going through? I know they are general horoscopes, but it is so different from our reality this year. I just don’t understand.

Nancy J.

Hi Nancy, this is a common question. While I was on the interviewing Yasha Jampolsky a few days ago for our 2015 forecast for the upcoming year of the Wood Sheep (watch for it next Wednesday!), I asked him to chime in on this response.

First, from my perspective, these horoscopes are like a weather forecast, like with Juno this week. We thought in NYC we might get 36” of snow, but in reality we received around 9". In Four Pillars astrology there is an animal that is related to your year, month, day and time of birth. The year animal is the most general, and the prediction may forecast rain so you know to bring an umbrella in case it does. 

Did you know the word “disaster” means “without the stars?" I believe there is something to be gained from looking at the patterns in the natural world around us. Horoscopes of any type may give you an objective perspective on what is happening in your life. Hopefully you can benefit from that! 

Yasha adds:

“This is a very basic and simple analysis based on all the single animals (your year pillar) whereas the Four Pillars Astrology charts are made up of 4 different animals and a whole lot of elements. If you know what your 4 animals are, you can get a more accurate analysis by reading the auspices for all 4 animals. The most precise reading requires an in depth Four Pillar analysis. 

First, there are 5 elements, and a yin and yang version of each – so, really 10 elements. Then we have 12 animals, which gives us 60 possible combinations. Of those 60 combinations, we can get a certain amount of information. But when you start to combine it and multiply that by 4 pillars, it gives us a possibility of over a half a million different astrology charts. Just looking at the year pillar is not the entire story.

What I have learned from doing astrology for many, many years, is that nothing we encounter is ever meant to punish us. When things challenge us, it’s always to our benefit because with every challenge is a possibility to improve ourselves. How we respond to the challenge is what determines the outcome. If you respond in a way that takes your power away, that’s really what you end up with, disempowered life. But if you respond in a way that pushes you to be the best version of who you are, then life is improved. 

Astrology is a door that you can open and walk through, but there is so much more to how our lives unfold. My approach to astrology is always as if it’s research; I never assume anything. When you look at the auspices, it may not be a perfect fit, but take from it what you can and what does seem to fit within your life. It’s always difficult to predict the exact nature of what’s coming down the road because there’s always free will involved in the choices that we make. Astrology helps clarify our choices and can identify general trends that might be helpful.

Don't forget to purchase a 2015 Chinese New Year Charm (keychain or bracelet) to protect you during the new year! Now available at the new Holistic Spaces online store!

 

Thanks for reading our “Question of the Month."  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers.  Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

by Anjie Cho

Yasha Jampolsky is a nationally recognized advisor, author and teacher of the Asian Art of Four Pillars Astrology.  He has appeared on national Radio and Television and has been a contributing writer for local and national publications. His research and innovations have made Four Pillars more accessible to students and clients alike and allowed the possibility to use Four Pillars as a powerful modern healing modality.

For more information, please visit: http://fourpillarshoroscope.com

Question of the Month: How to Store Divorce Papers

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My question concerns the storage of toxic papers and files from my divorce. Which bagua area is the best place to store this material?  Which file/container colours are best to use?  And is there a yantra to balance the bad vibrations emitted by these documents?

Giuliana G., Lille, France

First of all, I’m so sorry to hear about this difficult time in your life.  But life presents challenges as opportunities for growth.  I hope you can use this knowledge to ease the process.

From a feng shui perspective, I suggest the “Completion” area of the feng shui bagua map as the best place to store the divorce files.  See the image above and lay this Bagua map on a floor plan of your office or your entire home (not the bedroom!).  Align the bottom of the map with the entrance wall of your office or entire home, then determine where the white “Completion” area occurs.  Placing the divorce papers in the “Completion” area signifies that you are ready to complete and be done with that chapter in your life. 

As for the container in which you store these documents, red is a very auspicious and protective color in feng shui.  It doesn’t matter so much the color of the filing folders, as long as the box is red.  On the surface of the container, it may be advantageous to place a yantra.  Lucky for you I was at a yantra workshop this weekend and discussed with my teacher Mavis Gewant.  She suggested Durga for protection, Kali if you want to purge things you no longer need (but beware, Kali may also remove things you want to keep), Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles, or Bagla Mukhi, who power over enemies.  Bagla Mukhi paralyzes the tongues of your adversaries.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our “Question of the Month”.  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers.  Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions! 

Note:  To locate the Path in Life or Abundance areas of your home, please refer to the Feng Shui Bagua Map above   New blog post to come soon discussing the Feng Shui Bagua Map!