February 4 ushers us into the year of the Earth Pig in the solar calendar, a day when the environmental energies that we refer to as Feng Shui shift into new directions, affecting Mother Nature and the space we occupy. Next to a home’s natal stars, these annual “flying stars” are strong in effect and can promote rapid growth when activated or cause sudden problems if left unaddressed. Knowing where the year’s positive and negative sectors reside in our space gives us the power to maximize opportunities and create a harmonious year ahead.

The year of the Pig opens on Water Monkey day in a Fire Tiger month. With three travel stars in the new year’s day chart, 2019 promises more growth compared to previous year’s stubborn Dog. However, it’s a cautious growth as the year’s Yin Earth element on top of the Pig’s Yin Water create a muddy landscape. The Pig also contains Yang Water, associated with rapidly moving water, and Yang Wood, associated with growth and leadership. In this complex year, it’s best to go with the flow and connect deeper to Mother Earth for clarity, emotional stability, and peace. Opportunities will present themselves, but we must proceed with patience and compassion.

In the annual Feng Shui chart below, prosperity star 8 occupies the center, bringing auspicious energy to those who reside in a space with an open, usable center. Since we are currently in period 8 Feng Shui (a 20-year period that will end on February 3, 2024), the 8 is the most prosperous star in Feng Shui. Identify the center of your space and keep it bright and inviting to activate the annual 8. The Northwest is another positive sector, visited by the annual 9, which is the star of future prosperity. Associated with Fire element, the 9 brings joy and celebrations. Distant prosperity star 1 flies to the West, bringing wisdom and popularity to those whose bedroom is in the sector, however use the sector cautiously in 2019 due to the presence of the Three Killings (see below).

Depending on your home’s specific direction and year built, you may be able to activate auspicious 4/9 (North / NW), 3/8 (South / Center), and 1/6/8 (East, West, center) combinations, but only if those sectors associated with the stars above are part of an open space, without walls separating the sectors. For example, if your office space encompasses both the North and Northwest sectors of the building, then you’d be blessed with the 4/9 “hotu” combination, which brings positive energy to the occupants.

The annual 4 star of romance visits the North sector in 2019, bringing social and romantic opportunities to those whose bedroom or living room is located in the North sector. The 4 is also an academic star and its presence will benefit those whose study room or office is in the North. If you’d kept your North sector quiet in 2018 because of the annual 5 Yellow (star of misfortune) and the Three Killings, you can now make use of the space again.

The most critical sectors of 2019 are the Southwest (visited by the annual 5 Yellow), the West (with Three Killings), and Northeast (with annual star 2 of illness). Keep these sectors quiet, avoid renovation and loud noises in the Southwest and West sectors. If your bedroom is located in the NE sector and you’re pregnant or trying, it’s best to move to another sector. Reinforce all doors and windows in the Southeast sector, which is visited by the annual star 7 of robbery.

For more tips on the season and an overview of the year of the Pig, check out my latest article published in the January/February 2019 issue of Energy Magazine and my previous blog post for a sign-by-sign forecast based on the five elements.

February 2019: Fire Tiger month

Spring begins with the arrival of the year of the Pig on February 4 in the Chinese solar calendar, a season dominated by Wood element, associated with growth. Spring means the return of Yang / Light, a time to awaken the body from winter’s slumber. The Tiger as the Pig’s secret friend promises a harmonious start to the year. Use the friendly energy to collaborate and reconnect with helpful partners.

In the Flying Star Feng Shui chart for February 2019 below, the numbers in green are the annual stars for the new year (good until February 3, 2020), while the numbers in blue refer to February’s monthly stars.

Although the center and the Northwest are the year’s most prosperous sectors, their positivity is slightly affected by the monthly star 2 of illness in the center and monthly star 3 of arguments in the Northwest from February 4 to March 5, 2019. The month’s most auspicious sector is the East, with the monthly star 9 strengthening the annual star 6 of power and authority. If your office or bedroom is in the East sector, you can expect to have more support at work.

In February, try to spend as little time as possible in the Northeast as the monthly star 5 of misfortune flies to the sector already visited by the annual star 2 of illness. A sector with a 5/2 combination is one better avoided in Feng Shui.

*Although there may be remedies to lessen a sector’s negative energy, the best solution is to simply avoid using the sector if you can, or keep the area as quiet as possible and respect whatever energy is visiting there, especially if you’ve never hired a Feng Shui consultant to do a professional assessment and are not familiar with your home’s natal energies, as you may accidentally activate a negative natal star. If you do have to spend time in the area, keep your activities there minimal.

**Contact me here if you’d like to identify and activate the auspicious sectors in your living or office space and subdue the influences of inauspicious stars to help optimize your family’s well-being. I also recommend getting a strategic life reading, which provides you with a blueprint for manifesting your highest potentials.

***If you have had your home Feng Shui’d, I strongly advise getting an annual update as the annual stars are strong in influence and can highly affect the well-being of the home’s occupants for the year. Just like we spend time on self-care as part of our life’s self-work, there is major “home” work involved once you’ve had your home professionally Feng Shui’d. Knowing your home’s natal energies can be enlightening as it brings full awareness to your internal environment, which is a major part of our luck and destiny.