Friday, January 18, 2013

Chinese New Year Tips - Gung Hay Fat Choy!


Chinese Lantern Festival Shanghai
Chinese New Year starts on February 8, 2016 and lasts for 15 days. This is China’s most colorful and important event of the year. This year it is named “The Year of the Fire Monkey.” There are a total of 12 animals and they rotate throughout the years. There are many activities that happen during this time. On the first night of the celebration, there are fireworks to let go of the old and bring in the new, just like we do here in the USA. Also, on this night, they open all the windows and all of the doors in the house to allow the old year to go out! They have large parades and the lion dancing sways back and forth to the beat of the drummers. On the 5th day of the New year is the Chinese Lantern Festival and it is very colorful and beautiful. You will see paper lanterns made of the animal of the year and also large lanterns that are displayed in their parades.

  1. Clean your house well in advance of the New Year. Do not sweep or clean on New Year’s day or it will represent you sending your wealth out the door. All brooms need to hidden and not visible. 
  2. Wear red since it is believed to be a happy color and symbolizes a bright future.
  3. Give red envelopes filed with crisp dollar bills to children.
  4. Decorate your home with nuts and sweets on a beautiful tray. You can also add chocolate gold coins to this mix as well.
  5. Entertain your friends and laugh and enjoy the evening.
  6. Open every door and every window on the stroke of midnight to let out the old year.
  7. Clear your mind of “clutter” this day and keep your thoughts bright and optimistic for the coming New Year.
  8. Don’t scold your children or cry on this day, for if you do, it will symbolize how your coming year will play out for you.
  9. Postpone washing your hair this day as you will be washing out your good luck.
  10. Display large bowls of oranges on the tables to give to your friends and family as gifts. 
Lillian Too has shared her traditions with students and followers of Feng Shui during her training sessions. She has told them that early in the morning of the New Year, she brings in a truck full of oranges and she rolls them from the front door straight through her whole house. She is creating her own luck by following this ancient tradition.

Author: Yvonne Phillips
Yvonnephillips1@aol.com 
www.fengshuipublications.com 
412-215-8247

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

What will the year of the Water Snake bring to you in 2013?



The year of the Chinese Dragon was an intense year for all of us!  It was either intensely good or intensely bad, there was no in between.  However, the year of the Water Snake brings good fortune to all of the animal signs.  This only happens once in 9 years, so that is an awesome start for all of us.  This is the year to make your strategy big for your personal and professional areas of your life.  

Lots of good news this year with 2013 having all of the five elements present, water, fire, earth, wood, metal and fire.  You have the chance to make things happen quicker and easier.  Now is the time to get your thinking cap on and figure out what is most important to you at this date and time. 

We are very fortunate this year with the energies bringing forth more a sense of calmness, not like the Dragon energy of 2012.  You can now refocus your goals and intentions easier and with more success.  The young will be focusing on new ways of achieving their goals and creating a different world in how they work, communicate and interact with each other.  The older generation will be looking at how to create and keep their wealth and they also will be more focused on strengthening their previous way of life to fit in successfully with the younger generation.

Feng Shui Grandmaster Lillian Too says, “The year’s outlook will be balanced, bringing harmony and fewer problems and obstacles.” We should all breathe a sigh of relief and create the year that we want by focusing and strategizing our business plans with creativity and harmony.

She also explains the elements and their meaning this year.  The Wood element is representative of the Wealth Luck which means for all of us new wealth coming in this year.  

Earth is the element that represents Resource Luck which means support for your projects and goals.

The element of Metal indicates good fortune to all of the animal signs and things will be manifested very easily.  This is the BEST news for 2013. Add a little extra of this element and it will support your health and vitality for the year. The balancing of elements in your home and office spaces is what attracts good fortune.  

Since the “Boomers” are the generation to be reckoned with at this time, the power element of Fire will be very good for them.  This is the generation that will benefit the most as they are considered the older, wiser generation. They are the ones that will benefit greatly at the beginning of the year with this great, new, energy.  

Now for all of the young people, the element of Water comes with an Intelligence Luck in 2013.  The best ideas and creativity will come from this generation, as it should be, to move the generations forward.  Their visionary abilities will be the best at the end of 2013.

I will be studying with Grand Master Lillian Too in January and will be sharing her wisdom on the art of Feng Shui for the Chinese Year of the Water Snake in February.   Stay tuned for dates and times of her yearly Chinese Animal updates.