July 7 takes us into the month of the Metal Sheep / Metal Goat, the last month of summer in the Chinese solar calendar, an in-between season ruled by Earth element, and a new seasonal marker, “Slight Heat”, with fresh Feng Shui energies in the environment. Yin is just about to rise again after being taken over by Yang in the summer solstice.

The Sheep is a Yin Earth sign, the element associated with Mother Earth and her nurturing qualities. After two months of Fire’s joy and exuberance, we should now prepare ourself to return to the center, which is the direction associated with Earth.

The high temperature and humidity of late summer can cause dampness in the physical body, a condition associated when Earth and Fire elements mix. Take a power nap instead of a long siesta, eat foods that are Yin in nature / cooling (but avoid cold foods), and keep your body moving to avoid lethargy and gastrointestinal disorders.

For more tips on how to balance our physical, mental, emotional, and energetic bodies from the shifting elements of late summer, check out my latest article in Energy Magazine July/August 2019 issue.

In the Flying Star Feng Shui chart for July 2019 above, the numbers in green are the annual stars for the current year (good until February 4, 2020), while the numbers in blue refer to July’s monthly stars.

July’s most auspicious sectors are the West, East, and the center. Monthly star 8 of current prosperity and harmony joins the annual star 1 of wisdom and distant prosperity in the West sector. Do your work or daily activities in the West if your office, bedroom, dining room, or living room is located here to activate the most productive area of the month. Keep in mind, however, that the West is also the sector of the Three Killings in the year of the Pig – use with respect and refrain from renovations or loud noises (including drilling and hammering) until we reach the end of the year.

The East sector has the monthly star 4 of romance and academic achievements joining the annual star 6 of power, a lucky “sum of ten” combination, especially for students, lovers, writers, and those who work in communication or creative fields.

The center has been the year’s most positive sector, visited by the annual star 8 of current prosperity and harmony. In July, monthly star 6 of power “flies” to the center, bringing more social and business opportunities to those who can sensibly make use of the center sector in their home or office. *I say “sensibly” here because you shouldn’t “forcibly” use the center if the center of your home is a bathroom or a hallway, which are not usable areas. An ideal home would have an open center to allow energy to circulate – this is why ancient buildings in China would typically have an open courtyard in the center. If you’d like to learn more about what’s considered an ideal living space, check out my blog post on Feng Shui tips when house-hunting.

The sectors to keep quiet and spend as little time as possible this month, besides the Southwest and the Northeast (where the annual 5 and 2 reside, respectively), are the Southeast, visited by the monthly star 5 of misfortune, and the North, visited by the star 2 of illness.

*Although there may be remedies to lessen a sector’s negative energy, the best solution is to 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 star’s natal influences.

Contact us 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 manifest your highest potentials. 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.

Feng Shui has nothing to do about having a “consultant” come and “clean” your space with sage, incense, or palo santo sticks. While I love those space-clearing tools, they’re as good as vacuuming and mopping the floor and will not get you to the root of the issue. In fact, it is better to vacuum as the noise and movement activate a positive sector – I highly recommend doing so on the first day of a new solar month! 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 your internal environment, which is a major part of our luck and destiny. An experienced consultant will identify your home and office’s energetic blue print and give proper recommendations on how to boost the effects of positive stars and lessen the impact of negative stars, but it is up to you whether or not you choose to implement the recommendations.