July 6^th takes us into the last month of summer in the Chinese solar calendar. We’re now in the month of the Water Sheep / Water Goat and a new seasonal marker, “Slight Heat”, with Yin on the rise again after being taken over by Yang on summer solstice. In the Feng Shui Flying Stars Bagua chart, monthly star 3, associated with the Thunder trigram, takes center stage. Read the second half of this update to learn how the nature of the monthly trigram influences the world at large.

The Sheep / the Goat is a Yin Earth sign, the element associated with Mother Earth and her qualities: nurturing, creative, resilient, and resourceful. The strongest of the four Earth signs, the Sheep marks the transition from late summer to beginning of fall. As the element between the four seasons, Earth occurs twice more often than each of the four other elements in the Chinese calendar, making it the most abundant element in nature and the bridge to the other four elements. Thus July is a time of transition and adapting to recent changes.

After an active month of the Horse in June, with forceful Yang Water as the heavenly frequency empowering us to rise up against injustice, and exuberant Yang Fire of the Horse stoking our yearning for social interaction, the universe is now calling us to return to the center, the direction associated with Earth element.

With Yin Water as the heavenly frequency of the month, wisdom is available to those who search for it, but we must dig deeper amidst conflicting info because the water is rather muddy from mixing with Yin Earth’s soil. Be gentle with your fears and anxiety – let the mud settle and allow the water to clear. Meditation can help us tap into Yin Water’s intuitive power and free the mind from confusion and indecisiveness.

Dampness is a common health issue in the late summer months, a condition associated when heat and humidity encounter overly strong Earth element. Avoid dampness-related conditions such as lethargy, congestion, swelling of the joints, and gastrointestinal disorders by staying physically active and eating foods that are Yin in nature such as cucumber, watermelon, berries, jicama, pear, peppermint, and leafy greens. Metal element foods such as ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, and kimchi help disperse internal heat. Eat simply – one or two-course meal is more comforting to the stomach than a multi-course set.

July 2020 Feng Shui

In the Flying Star Feng Shui chart for July 2020 above, the numbers in green are the annual stars for the current year (good until February 3, 2021), while the numbers in blue refer to July’s monthly stars.

The flying star number in the center of the Bagua chart, whether it’s an annual or monthly number, indicates the general moods and themes of that period. The monthly flying stars, which are based on the movement of the Big Dipper, have been especially accurate this year in pinpointing problem sectors as we deal with a pandemic.

Feng Shui, at its core, is a study of the environment, applicable to not only our living spaces but also the whole world when viewed at a larger scale. We can demarcate any space into Feng Shui sectors as long as it’s well defined in terms of boundaries. We can put the map of the world, a continent, a particular country, or a city into a Feng Shui chart. Knowing where the annual and monthly stars are in a particular space can help us identify potential threats in the environment.

For example, in March the monthly stars were duplicates of the annual stars, which amplified the negative influences of the annual star 5 of misfortune in the East sector and the annual star 2 of illness in the South sector. In the US, the East sector encompasses most of the states along the Eastern Seaboard north of South Carolina while the South includes Texas and Oklahoma. Residents of areas hit hard by the pandemic during March should continue taking health and safety precautions, as the stars will again duplicate in December 2020, the month of the Rat.

The trigram associated with the annual or monthly star also carries stories and messages of the period. This month, monthly star 3 rules the center of the Bagua chart. The trigram associated with the monthly star 3 is Zhen, the Thunder trigram, which is of Yang Wood element. Conflicts and arguments can easily arise as the annual star 7’s Metal element clashes with Wood. Let Wood’s high frequency energy of compassion be your guide whenever you encounter Yang Wood’s unbending righteousness or Yin Metal’s sharpness of words. Star 3 also relates to the throat and feet – be impeccable with your words, and watch where you’re going!

The solid Yang line at the bottom of the Thunder trigram below two broken Yin lines indicates that Heaven has the power to intervene on earthly matters, which can be sudden and out of our control, just like the nature of thunder. Whereas the previous month’s Wind trigram implied that whatever changes or chaos occurring in the environment throughout the month were direct results of human actions, this month we may experience various kinds of divine intervention. Keep your faith – prayers can be especially powerful during this time. To learn more about the year’s ruling trigram, the Lake, check out the May update.

July’s most productive sectors are the North, Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest sectors. Do your daily work or simply hang out in the North sector to activate the monthly star 8 of prosperity. The Northeast sector is blessed with auspicious 1/6 combination, which brings wisdom and career aspirations.  The Northwest is July’s most productive sector for work and study, with monthly star 4 of romance and academic excellence accompanying the annual star 8 of current prosperity. The monthly star 9 of future prosperity in the Southwest sector strengthens the annual star 4 of academic excellence, making the sector an ideal study or writing space.

Keep the East, West, South, and Southeast sectors quiet in July. These are the sectors visited by the annual or monthly stars 5 of misfortune and stars 2 of illness. Take extra precautions when it comes to your health if your bedroom or front door is located in any of these sectors. Reinforce all doors and windows located in the South, visited by the monthly 7. The West sector is especially vulnerable, with annual star 9 strengthening the monthly star 5 of misfortune. In the US Feng Shui map, the West includes California, Oregon, and Nevada while the Southeast sector encompasses Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

*Although there may be remedies to lessen a sector’s negative energy, the best solution is to simply avoid using the sector, or keep the area as quiet as possible and respect whatever energy is visiting there, especially if you’re 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. Common sense also applies: for example, it’s a good idea to have doors and windows reinforced if they’re located in a sector affected by star 7 of robbery.

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 a Feng Shui assessment done, consider getting an annual update as annual stars are strong in influence and can highly affect the well-being of the home’s occupants. A proper Feng Shui analysis always takes into account the floor plan of a home, its location, direction, external and internal environment, and the year the home was built, as well as its affinity with the residents’ natal charts.

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 brings full awareness of how your immediate environment can positively influence your life.