In Chinese astrology, the Rooster 酉 represents the peak of the autumn season. Consistent with the theme of the Metal Element, the energy continues to contract and recess. Although for some, the Monkey 申 month offered very little chance for relief, the autumn season should be a time for calm and reflection. Metal is the connection to the Spirit. Because Metal is not immediately obvious in nature, it might be more difficult to grasp it at first. But Metal is the unnamable mystery behind the origin of being, the essence within all things.
Rather than the world of creation, Metal is the spirit underlying the creation of the world.
Metal arises from the minerals and precious jewels found within the earth. Metal is feminine because it is extracted from the feminine earth. These substances provide strength and value, and are also symbols of strength. It is no wonder Metal is often associated with beauty, conviction, and righteousness.
Metal is also related to the planet Venus, the direction of West, the time of Virgo, and also autumn, the time of harvest, completion, and the beginning of rest. Metal corresponds with the three Earthly Branches of autumn: Monkey 申, Rooster 酉, and Dog 戌.
This month, Yin Water 癸 sits on top of Metal in a productive cycle with Water showing power again, similar to last month. Did you catch my Facebook article summarizing what seemed to have been a pretty Water-focused month? The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the intimidating emergence of the ISIS terrorist group, as well as the unusual heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of Asia that resulted in infrastructure damages and human loss are some examples related to the Water Element. Note: If you missed it, I attached the article at the bottom of my forecast.
This means, September will be a continuation of what we’ve seen in August.
The principles of the Chinese Five Elements, similar to the 8 Trigrams, offer a myriad of representation that symbolizes many complex things in life. It’s true, they have a literal meaning to the physical manifestations you see in nature, but it is so much more than that. For example, did you know Metal also represents the high-tech industry? With the peak of the Metal season, it’s no coincidence to see that Apple will be unveiling the iPhone 6, just in time when the Rooster 酉 month arrives on September 9th!
Additionally, Metal has the inherent trait associated with loyalty, justice, and altruism. AndMetal people tend to exhibit more of these qualities. As such, Metal has also come to represent law enforcement and military.
In the USA, we experienced a very troublesome and embarrassing event in Ferguson, MO that brought unwanted national attention to the town’s local law enforcement last month. The media was relentless. Activists and protestors swarmed the streets in a confrontational fight with the police, forcing the state’s Governor to call in the National Guard in the hopes of controlling the violent uprising.
Last month, Flying Star 2 was in the Center – centrally located in Missouri. Even though Michael Brown was killed on August 9th, the St. Louis County police chief held an official news conference on August 10th when Flying Star 5 was in the Center – bad luck. The string of 2,5 combination brought negative attention to that area as well as the subsequent conflict.
Because the Metal energy reminds us of “altruistic” kinds of behavior, no doubt this incidence, among other worldly events, have continued to remind us that the season brings ideals related to moral authority, principles and values, discipline, justice, and equality.
Hence, the domain of the Metal energy is meant to teach us to appreciate, to inspire, and to let go.
Do things feel different now than the first half of the year? Many of my clients are experiencing an obvious shift in their energetic space – inside their homes as well as in their personal being. It’s true the Fire energy is simmering down after Summer Solstice. For those who did not enjoy the Fiery start to the year will now experience a changeover in their physical bodies and emotional wellbeing.
If your Day Master is Yin Water 癸, then you are often compared to a drop of morning dew. This is a stark contrast from your Yang Water 壬 counterpart, to which they are more or less compared to ocean water. That’s why Yin Water 癸 people are generally regarded as more tolerant, humble, modest, and clever. But don’t expect a Yin Water 癸 person to totally be as open and forthcoming. They are relentlessly protective of their privacy. Sometimes, this makes them quite cunning and secretive, which is a direct opposite, but a total combine, to someone like a Yang Fire 丙 person, who is more open and accessible.
Note: Famous Yin Water people include Olivia Wilde, Chloe Grace Moretz, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Beckinsale, King Hussein, Mother Teresa, Johnny Depp, Olivia Palermo, and Rachel McAdams.
For those born in the Year or Day of Monkey 申, Rat 子, and Dragon 辰, this is your Peach Blossom month! Feeling extra charming? Noticing more people are paying extra attention to you? Why not? The Peach Blossom energy is supposed to influence how other people see you. If you’re looking for love, a casual date might be in store. If you’re in business, consider making more efforts to advertise and promote your work. Use the new season to get creative and artistic.
But alas! There’s always a flip side to everything, yes? So be mindful that you also do not attract negative attention, or “energy vampires.” Check out Jennifer Lawrence’s nude photos incidence, for instance. This is probably not the warm-and-fuzzy kind of attention that she is hoping for. Jennifer is a strong Yang Water 壬 person who doesn’t like Metal and Water. And Rooster 酉 is a strong Metal Element; hence, the energy of Metal brings temporary discomfort from the media (lots of people). Hang in there, Jennifer!
The Rooster 酉 will also form a strong Metal string when it combines with the Snake 巳 and Ox 丑. So if you have these in your Four Pillars, the Metal energy will be particularly strong this month. Of course, what the Metal Element means personally to you and how you will react to it will depend on your Four Pillars of Destiny (or BaZi 八字). A general forecast like this is not going to be able to address specifics, and anyone who tries to generalize it is most likely not analyzing it correctly. 🙂
The Rooster 酉 combines with the Dragon 辰 but clashes with the Rabbit 卯. I take a mini-pause here. People hear the word “clash” and they freak out. Honestly, clash sometimes offers the best chance to make changes. Sure, a combine is an easy feel because it means harmony and conflict-free. And a clash can create a disturbance in your life. But if you’re ready to make some much-needed changes – whether that’s your job, your relationship, or just to get out of the house more and take a weekend trip somewhere, then now’s the time. If you know you have a clash, exercise your free will to satisfy the clash and the Universe won’t have to do it for you!
The Rooster 酉 is also a Nobleman to those born in the Year or Day of Yang Fire 丙 and Yin Fire 丁. September can be a smooth and straightforward month with plenty of help to go around.
So what can we expect in the Rooster 酉 month? Five years ago, also a Yin Water Rooster 癸酉 month, Typhoon Ketsana (Water Element) hit the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, causing more than 700 fatalities. An underwater 8.0 magnitude earthquake near the Samoan Islands cause a major tsunami (Water Element), killing more than 115 people. Heavy rainfall caused fast-moving floods that killed more than 30 people in Istanbul, Turkey.
I suppose my prediction in September is that we will continue to see more water-related disasters. I’m also not ruling out earthquakes or other earth-related disturbances (i.e., volcanoes and landslides) that could also “shake” the energy of the ocean. This is easy to see because Metal is strong, weakening the Earth Element. Furthermore, the weak Fire energy from the year also offers no support to Earth; hence, there is an imbalance related to the Earth energy as well. You might notice that in nature but also in your physical body, too. More on health a little later.
Did you know, this month also marks the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II? METAL = Military. Interesting because 1939 was a Yin Earth Rabbit 己卯 year, but September 1939 was also Yin Water Rooster 癸酉, like this month! So my forecast will unfortunately also include some more war news. Yucky, right?
Note: Did you know the last two Goat 未 years, USA ended up being at war in the desert? Goat 未 is an Earth Element, representing the desert. The previous Goat 未 years were 2003 (Invasion of Iraq) and 1991 (the Gulf War). Hence, in 2015 we could truly see our US troops back on the battlefield in Iraq.
That leads me to the discussion of ISIS. Unfortunately, I am not referring to the goddess from the polytheistic pantheon of Egypt. I’m referring to the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Although this group has been gathering strength for some time, their sudden and formidable emergence in August brought out the scary intimidation by instilling FEAR – the essence of the Water Element, too. Their uniform is also Black, the color of the Water Element. (If you thought Water is Blue, you are mistaken!)
The UK recently raised their terror alert from high to severe, indicating an attack is not just likely, but imminent. My curious brain always seeks to understand many things in life, even the not-so-pretty things. As such, I wanted to understand more about this threat, so I performed an I Ching exercise on a Yin Metal Snake day 辛巳.
Note: For those who haven’t studied I Ching with Grand Master Raymond Lo, my explanation below will sound gibberish, but I am offering my colleagues and students a chance to follow my analysis as an opportunity to share knowledge. So, skim through and you’ll find the conclusion below, after the analysis.
Question: Will ISIS attack the US in the next 12 months?
Subject = ISIS; Object = USA. Monkey 申 and Rooster 酉 are Void.
Hexagrams: Earth over Mountain, change to Earth over Earth, total clash, with the 3rd line active.
Subject = ISIS is Worm, meaning obstacle. Object = USA is Tortoise, meaning secret, hidden danger.
Third line Monkey 申 is Void but it is active, change to Rabbit 卯, supports Horse 午 = Power. Also, USA seems to be in better luck, supported by the Day. ISIS is not in good luck in the short term, also a clash to the day, but could potentially get stronger in the long term.
Conclusion: Seems I Ching’s answer is No because: (i) total clash, (2) subject is weak and clash to the day, and (3) 6th line Monkey is friends on the ISIS side, which is Void, so no outside support, just more enemy. Also, US luck shows Tortoise, which means they are making secret plans. Funny, I just saw an article that outlined a plan that Obama hopes to roll out in the coming days on how to deal with ISIS. Stay tuned. With that said, I wouldn’t rule out continuous threats and the ever-growing power of the ISIS group. Let’s hope that’s not the case!
Last month I asked I Ching if Ebola will spread to the US in the next 30 days. The answer was mixed. Meaning, yes but the spread is controlled. A third American with Ebola did arrive on US soil last month. Dr. Rick Sacra contracted the deadly disease while working in Africa as a volunteer obstetrician. So far, his prognosis is positive, and key personnel have done a diligent job in isolating the disease from the US populace. Seems I Ching is correct!
Okay, moving on…
In the matters of health, I want to pay extra attention to our stomach and spleen this month. These organs are related to the Earth Element. Because Metal and Water are strong, both are simultaneously weakening Earth, especially without the strong support of Fire. Hence, how’s your belly?
In Chinese Medicine, the stomach and spleen are the two main organs of digestion. We can care for and maintain these organs by eating well. So I’ll give you some tips.
There is a Chinese saying, “If there’s one thing we’re serious about it’s neither religion nor learning, but food.” – Zhang and Rose, 1999, p.50.
Stomach is responsible for rotting and ripening food and drink. Cold food and icy beverages put a strain on the stomach. Too much cold food chills the body and the digestion slows down, causing the stomach to use extra energy to heat it up.
Now that we’re moving into the Yin season, it becomes even more essential to bring back some heat into the body. Pick foods that are clean (unprocessed) and warming. The effects of warming foods will raise the Yang energy, improving circulation and dispelling common colds. Some examples include dates, guava, lychee, mango, peach, nectarine, leek, onion, squash, health grains and peanuts such as pine nuts and brown rice, brown sugar, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, ginseng, nutmeg, vinegar, and if you’re a meat eater, chicken, eel, ham, lamb, mussel, and shrimp.
Tell-tell signs of Earth Element imbalances include fatigue, poor skin and hair quality, bowel problems, stomachache, weak limbs, and poor muscle tone. This affects our concentration and memory, leading us to start worrying and over-thinking. And who wants that?
Everyone in the Classical Feng Shui world knows Flying Stars this month is a bit iffy. Flying Star 2 flies to the Northwest sector, combining with Yellow Star 5 – the worst kind of Star imaginable. And 5,2 together is never a good thing because this combination represents misfortune. Both are also Earth Elements, that’s why I did not rule out Earth-related issues. We have seen so many examples of 5,2 disasters in the past: The 2004 Tsunami (Water), Japan’s 3/11 earthquake (Earth), and yes, 2009 Swine Flu (Metal = breathing organs). These all happened in the region where 5,2 resided. Do you see a pattern?
Because Metal also represents our lungs and breathing organs, I won’t be surprise to see Ebola get worst before it gets better. Take special care of the Northwest region, whether that’s in your house, office space, or regions and countries you are traveling to. Make sure you move your 6 metal coins to accompany the 6 metal rod wind chime you already have from the year’s recommendation.
The Center area is good for academic achievement (4,1) or sex and romance. Hey, now! Wouldn’t that be distraction?! 🙂
The East and Southeast Sectors are prosperous this month, with Visiting Stars 8 and 9, respectively. If you have an office here, or a room more conducive to activity, you may want to activate these Stars by placing moving objects such as a fish tank, a TV, or incorporating more Fire and Water Elements. Keep these areas open and active. However, approach the South with extra care because of 5; this could also affect young children.
Fun facts: Did you know the harvest moon rises soon after sunset for a few days around September 23? For several nights in a row the time it rises changes very little. This means that farmers in the northern hemisphere can harvest their crops by the light of the moon after daylight has gone. Cool!
To check out my previous forecasts, you can visit my website under “Articles” or in the “Notes” section on Facebook.
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