January 5 brings us into the Wood Ox month, the last month of the year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar. While the rest of the world said goodbye to 2018 and welcomed the new year, those who observe Chinese New Year are busy with year-end preparations for the year of the Earth Pig, which begins on February 4th, 2019 according to the solar calendar and is celebrated on February 5th per the lunar calendar.

The Wood Ox month is the last month of winter, a transitional time in nature with Yang (light) rising and Yin (darkness) starting to decline. Water is still the dominating element of the season, however the presence of Yin Wood in the month indicates an early emergence of Wood, the element of spring associated with growth and expansion. As we are part of nature and influenced by the elements, the mind may be ready for action but the body may still long for rest and retreat.

Staying grounded in our center is key during this changing of the season. Stoke your inner Yang – the joy within – and keep your body warm by cooking all your food to add Fire, especially if you feel unsettled or unusually depressed, which are common symptoms of too much Yin.  If Wood, Water, and Earth are your favorable elements, you can expect a highly positive month ahead.

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.

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

January’s most auspicious sectors are the Southwest, with the monthly star 9 strengthening the annual star 6 of power and authority, and the Northwest, with the monthly star 4 associated with academic excellence and romance combining with the annual star 1 of wisdom.  If your office or bedroom is in the Southwest, you can expect to have more support at work. The Northwest is an excellent work or study sector for those in need of inspiration and creativity. If your bedroom is located in the Northwest sector, keep a pen and journal handy next to the bed to record insights and dreams.

Auspicious monthly star 8 visits the North sector but try to keep the sector quiet for another month until we enter the year of the Pig, as we still have the annual 5 star of misfortune and the Three Killings in the North. The West is another sector to avoid in January as the monthly star 5 joins the annual star 2 of illness in the West. Avoid bright colors, bright light and loud noises in these two sectors. Reinforce all doors and windows located in the South sector of your home as the monthly star  7 of robbery flies to the South.

*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’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 your home Feng Shui’d, 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.

Feng Shui has nothing to do with 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 the 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 can be enlightening and also frightening as it brings full awareness to your internal environment, which is a major part of our luck and destiny.