By Michiaki Tanaka
On February 1, we welcomed the Lunar New Year, also known as the new moon day. Due to national lockdowns, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, last year—the Year of the Ox—was slow. However, the baton has been passed to the fast-moving and aggressive Year of the Tiger.
For 10 years now I have been writing about how feng shui can help people to flourish in life, but this year has been the hardest. If you are wondering how feng shui—a practice developed more than 4,000 years ago—could be relevant in the 21st century, I suggest that it is because human nature largely remains the same.
Fragile Year
To predict how the year will go, we assess the balance of yin and yang, the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), the 12 zodiac animals (the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and boar) and the numbers one to nine.
Looking at the chart, we cannot see yin (-), just yang (+); metal and fire are missing; there are three tigers; and the number five is located at the center.
When the chart has all five elements, the year will be stable. But this year, two elements are missing.
The number five brings misfortune and, as you can see, it’s in the center. The first thing we should know is how important it will be to add fire and metal energy to our lives.
Relationships
International relations are already tense, and this year we will see the tension escalate. The tiger—a fierce animal—takes up three of four places on the chart, indicating a hostile environment.
Looking at the chart, you can see that there are four characters for wood and three for water. The latter, vital for wood feng shui energy to grow, makes wood’s energy too strong. Wood represents power and water represents money, meaning a power clash over money could be one of the main issues in 2022.
The general mood this year will be quite different from that during the slow Year of the Ox.
Reduce Wood
To overcome potential problems, you should be reducing the number of plants in your home and office. If, for example, you now have three potted plants, move two outside to reduce the presence of wood energy in your home.
You might also place a red carpet or cushion in your living room and wear more red. The color brings fire energy and helps reduce the amount of wood energy.
Business and Economy
The year has enough energy for growth because the first day of the Lunar New Year—February 1—started before the first day of spring, which was on February 4. Also, thanks to the amount of water—which represents financial luck—in the chart, we will see a lot of business opportunities.
The Black Tortoise, Green Dragon, White Tiger and Red Phoenix are the four celestial animals. Despite there being three tigers, meaning hostility, the potential for wealth is huge.
To bring about good luck, use the fire element. Wearing red clothing and accessories can help you to succeed since they will work as a bridge between you and any potential opportunities. If you succeed in finding this bridge, you could even become a billionaire!
Growth and financial luck are present in the chart, but lack of metal takes away our sharpness and intelligence. Thus wearing more metal should help you make the right decisions.
Health
The fact that yang is dominating the chart means we will have a very busy, active year and a variety of things with which to cope—not just the pandemic.
This year, stomachs and wombs are prone to illness. Women should be more careful. To calm down this illness energy, wear more metal, such as gold accessories, white shirts and silver rings.
Love and Relationships
The tiger also brings jealousy and suspicion. To protect your important relationships, choose your words carefully and take a deep breath before speaking.
If you feel uncomfortable in 2022, it is just due to the imbalance of energy. Please be ready. Preventing issues is easier than trying to cure them.
I wish you a very special and happy 2022.
