Winter begins on November 7 in the Chinese solar calendar with the arrival of the Fire Pig month. Yin now dominates, with nights getting longer and temperature continuing to drop. In the Flying Stars Feng Shui chart, star 8 of prosperity, associated with the Mountain trigram takes center place, bringing in energy of abundance and innovation.

We can refer to Yin Fire, the month’s heavenly stem, as the prevailing heavenly energy and cosmic guidance for the month ahead. At its highest frequency, Yin Fire represents joy, warmth, and an open heart. As we head toward the dark of winter, it’s especially important that we cultivate inner joy instead of searching for it externally. The heart is empty when it’s devoid of inner joy. Enrich the heart by practicing kindness, self-compassion, and gratitude: focus on your blessings and the gifts you bring into your world instead of what’s outside your reach.

At its lowest frequency, Yin Fire can also bring rage and unpredictable behaviors. Stay conscious of your emotions and channel any anger you may have into constructive activities. Perform situational analysis of your environment and practice reading the energy of the room wherever you’re outside your comfort zone, as Yin Fire is the element that triggers sudden, explosive outbursts.

The Pig, a Yin Water sign, welcomes us into the first month of winter. Associated with morning dew and planet Mercury, Water element represents communication, wisdom, and the emotion fear. We all need a healthy dose of fear to motivate us to act and to set boundaries. Too much fear, however, can harm the kidney, the organ associated with Water element, the source of vitality, and the foundation of all yin and yang qualities in the body. Those with healthy kidneys are balanced in the masculine and feminine qualities: active yet calm, courageous but gentle, assertive but also compassionate. Nourish the kidneys by keeping yourself hydrated with water and adding salty flavors from sea salt, miso, tamari, or seaweed into your food.

Signs that have affinities with the Pig are secret friend the Tiger and allies the Sheep and the Rabbit. Those with these signs in their birth chart are in for a smoother month, although keep in mind that the Pig may also clash with other animal signs in the chart. Those born in a year or day with Fire element in the heavenly stem will be blessed with nobleman protection, with support and help available from the universe when needed.

One of the four travel stars in Chinese Astrology, the Pig is by nature fast-paced and thrives on change and movement, which could be one reason why time seems to fly faster once November arrives and the year comes to a close. The Pig month is an especially active and busy month for those born in the year or day of the Snake, the Ox, and the Rooster. The Snake, the sign opposite the Pig, needs to take extra precautions, especially when traveling or on the move. Practice higher self-awareness and self-compassion if you have a Pig in your birth chart as the Pig month can trigger the self-punishment penalty, which usually manifests as self-sabotaging or self-destructive behaviors.

With the coldness of Yin taking over, it is best to stay warm and keep the inner fire strong as too much Water element can contribute to seasonal depression and moodiness. Soak in some sunshine and cook your food to bring in Fire element into the body. Hearty soups and stews are most comforting and grounding to the body during these times.

November 2020 Feng Shui

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

The stars in the center of the Bagua chart, represented by the numbers, form the energetic distribution of qi in the environment during the particular period, whether annual or monthly. Each number (with the exception of number five) is associated with a trigram. The various meanings associated with the trigram of the period can provide us with guidance and insights for the period.

Flying star 8 in the center corresponds to Gen, the Mountain trigram. Associated with Yang Earth element, the Mountain trigram depicts stability and stillness. With two broken Yin lines at the bottom representing Earth and one solid Yang line at the top representing Heaven, the trigram illustrates the importance of being firmly grounded in earthly matters. When we’re rooted and in our center, we can steadily climb higher and observe truths from a bird’s eye view without judgment. We’re also more likely to remain calm even in the most stressful situations. Spiritual bypassing is what happens when we try to ascend toward Heaven without having proper boundaries and grounding, which can lead to rude awakenings and mental breakdowns when reality doesn’t match our expectations.

The Mountain trigram also represents knowledge, which is the best tool for building a solid foundation for the self. Digital technology in particular has flourished rapidly in the past two decades since the start of the current Period 8 in 2004, thanks to young tech innovators, which fits the Mountain trigram’s association with youthful male energy. We may hear about new digital innovations or stories highlighting the tech industry during the month, as well as news related to mountains and Earth element (perhaps volcanoes and earthquakes).

In November’s Flying Stars Feng Shui chart, auspicious monthly star 8 of prosperity takes the center palace. Those whose homes have an open, usable center can activate the prosperous energy by using the center more often and keeping the area bright and clutter-free. Use the sector mindfully, however, as flying star 8 is of Earth element, which can exacerbate the hostile nature of 2020’s annual 7, a Metal element star associated with the respiratory system. For more insights on the annual 7 and the year’s ruling trigram, check out the May update.

The best sectors in November for daily activities are the West and the Northwest. Monthly star 1 of wisdom and distant prosperity combines with annual star 9 of future prosperity in the West sector, forming a lucky sum of 10. The annual star 8 of prosperity in the Northwest, which has been 2020’s luckiest sector, gets a boost from the monthly star 9 of distant prosperity and joy. Activate the positive energies of the monthly and annual stars by spending your time and doing your daily activities in these two sectors of your residence or office. *Keep in mind that the effects of the visiting stars are also influenced by their interactions with the natal stars.

The sectors afflicted by the annual or monthly star 5 of misfortune or star 2 of illness should ideally be kept quiet, but if you can’t avoid them, use them mindfully – no loud noises or banging the doors. In November, these sectors are the East, South, Southwest, and Northeast. Reinforce any doors or windows located in the Southeast sector. With too much Metal element in the Southeast, be mindful when handling metal objects there. Take safety precautions if you reside in the East, Southwest, or Southeast regions of a geographical area.

*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.