December 7 takes us into the month of the Earth Rat. We’re now in the middle of winter in the Chinese solar calendar. It’s a month of doubles: not only are we in the month of the Rat in a Rat year, but the monthly flying stars are also duplicates of the annual stars in the Feng Shui Flying Stars monthly chart, intensifying the influences of the elements and the annual stars.

2020 has been a watershed year – an apt description for the year of the Rat, a Yang Water sign associated with powerful oceans and seas. The pandemic has brought much anxiety and fear, emotions associated with Water element. The elements and planetary aspects of the Rat month (which ends on January 4th, 2021) present us with double waves of challenges as we end the year with a dramatic surge in Covid-19 cases and more lockdowns around the world.

A few major astrological events take place in December to close what’s been the most unusual year, culminating at solstice when Jupiter conjuncts Saturn in Aquarius, leading us to the beginning of a new era. In Chinese Metaphysics, the once-every-twenty-year meeting between Jupiter and Saturn also marks the end of a major Feng Shui cycle and the start of another. The impacts of the Great Conjunction, which transitions us from the Age of 8 into the Age of 9, will not only affect the environment and the Feng Shui qualities of all properties built before and after, but also our ways of life during the next two decades. That the Great Conjunction happens on solstice, with Yin / darkness at peak, is itself highly symbolic, a confirmation that the coming era will be a period of significant endings and new beginnings in multiple aspects of life.

I will be posting more details about the Age of 9 over the coming months, but in short, the Age of 9 is a period of awakening of the heart and the light within. We will be more interested in finding a vocation that brings us joy and purpose. Associated with the Fire trigram, which represents the middle daughter in I-Ching, the Age of 9 favors the energy of the divine feminine. We can expect to see more women taking leadership positions in their communities and professional circles. We witnessed in the Age of 8, which favored youthful masculine energy, the proliferation and rapid growth of digital technology, including the rise of social media platforms, which expanded the ways we socialize and connect to a greater world these past two decades. The Age of 9 will advance us further into the fields of virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

The astrology of December foretells a rapid turn of events in the week preceding and following the solstice, starting with a total solar eclipse in Sagittarius on the 14^th. Saturn enters the sign of Aquarius on the 16th (or 17^th, depending on where you are), followed by Jupiter on the 19th, setting the stage for the Great Conjunction on the 21^st. Mars will square Pluto on the 23^rd for the third and final time since the warrior planet settled in his home sign Aries at the end of June for an extended stay, possibly bringing some unrest and instability.

Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius will spotlight social issues and technological innovations, especially in the digital and virtual realms, in line with what’s in store in the Age of 9. Saturn will bring reforms and regulations over the next two and a half years, while in the year ahead Jupiter will help us see more possibilities and opportunities for progress in these areas.

Jupiter’s entry into Aquarius on December 19^th also brings with it the elemental influences of the upcoming year of the Metal Ox, as the Chinese zodiac is most closely related to Jupiter’s 12-year cycle. Most of us will have our Jupiter return during the same year that we encounter the Chinese zodiac sign of our birth, which is why the year we encounter our birth sign is called a Grand Duke Jupiter year (“Tai Sui”). A Tai Sui year is usually a year of major life changes – I’ve found, as someone who’ve studied Western Astrology since 2000, that whether the changes are a welcome progress or a set back depend on the aspects Jupiter makes to one’s natal planets during the year. *I’ve been posting daily astrology updates on Instagram and Twitter @goldriverastro since 2012 – give me a follow there if you’re interested in detailed insights of Western Astrology and Chinese Astrology. And stay tuned for more info about the upcoming year of the Metal Ox.

With so much Water element and Yin dominating the season, it’s critical that we keep our vibrations high this month for optimal health. Stoke your inner joy by incorporating Fire element into your daily life. Keep yourself warm, cook your food to bring in Fire element into the body. Engage in rituals, hobbies and practices that make your heart sing. Decorating your home with cheerful holiday lights will do wonders to the spirit. As one of the most social signs, the Rat compels us to reach out and reconnect with loved ones. It’s no wonder that December is traditionally a time of family gatherings and holiday parties. This year, practice safety first when celebrating the holidays.

December 2020 Feng Shui

In the Flying Star Feng Shui chart for December 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 December’s monthly stars. As you can see, the monthly stars are duplicates of the annual stars, amplifying the positive and negative energies of the year.

Think back to events happening in March 2020 as the monthly stars also mirrored the annual stars during the month of the Rabbit. Covid-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11 as countries around the world imposed lock downs and closed their borders. Global economy took a dive and in the US, a record number of Americans filed for unemployment. Psychologically, we had to learn to adjust our ways of living while dealing with fear, grief, and confusion. This month, remind yourself to stay vigilant.

The various meanings associated with the flying star at the center can provide us with guidance and insights for the specific period. With a double dose of hostile star 7 in the center, associated with the Lake trigram, we get double the dominating energy of the year. The Lake trigram is of soft Metal element and associated with the mouth, the lung, and the emotion grief. Metal, like a mirror, encourages self-reflection. The Lake trigram itself is almost like the Heaven trigram, which is of hard Metal element. In the Heaven trigram, there are three solid Yang lines, whereas the Lake trigram has one broken Yin line on top of two solid Yang lines, illustrating how Heaven is within us. We only need to look beyond the surface and dive within to find our inner guidance, the spirit within.

From December 7^th to January 4^th, keep the center of your office or residence free of loud noises and bright colors to avoid activating the 7’s negative effects, and take care when handling sharp objects. It’s best to avoid the East sector, afflicted by the annual and monthly stars 5 of misfortune, and the South sector, which is occupied by the annual and monthly stars 2 of illness. The North sector, visited by the double stars 3 of arguments, should also be used cautiously. Take extra safety precautions if you reside in the East or South regions of a geographical area as the messages contained within the flying stars have been especially informative this year as we deal with a global recession, pandemic, and social awakenings.

The Northwest, 2020’s luckiest sector, is even more auspicious this month with the annual and monthly stars 8 of current prosperity. Do most of your daily activities here. Other positive sectors are the Northeast, blessed with double 1 star of distant prosperity and wisdom, and the Southwest, visited by annual and monthly stars 4 of romance and academic excellence. Both of these sectors are especially productive for all kinds of studies and creative projects.

The West and Southeast sectors can be either very good or very bad, depending on the natal stars. Overly strong Fire element in the West, visited by the double 9, can boost a positive natal star such as the 8, or aggravate a hostile star such as the 2, 5, or 7. The Southeast brings career luck and makes for a great office but just like the center, take care when handling sharp objects due to the strong Metal energy of the double 6.

Activities stimulate a sector’s qi, and thus the best way to activate a sector with an auspicious star is to spend time there, while the simplest way to deactivate a negative sector is to keep it quiet. Awareness of the body and mind is most helpful when it comes to recognizing when a particular star’s negative qi is affecting the occupants of the sector. For example, those who spend the majority of their time in the South sector of their homes may experience more gastrointestinal disorders this year, while those in the North sector may experience more anger issues and irritability. If you must use these sectors, try leaving the room for a while once you feel sickness or anger rising. While you can put certain remedies to reduce the effects of negative stars, those remedies are only temporary.

With significant planetary events happening across such a short period of time and the monthly flying stars amplifying the on-going themes of the year, the holidays are perhaps best spent getting cozy at home. We’re about to cross a threshold – and in a month of doubles, what waits on the other side can be extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable. Let’s make sure that a brighter future awaits us.

**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.