13th Solar Term — Autumn is Coming

February 5, 2024 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

Game of Thrones, may well have made famous the slogan “Winter is Coming”, but the Chinese Almanac (Tong Shu) can take credit for ‘Autumn is Coming’.

The cross quarter festival of Lughnasadh or Lughnasa kicked started the month on 1 August; marking the solar point between Solstice and the next Equinox. 7 August 2024 we’ll welcome the beginning of Monkey month; which every year indicates the Mid-Point of the Chinese Year. It’s followed five day later by a Full Moon Festival - The Hungry Ghost Festival.

1st Solar Term — Li Chun

February 4, 2024 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

‘Cherry blossom with birds’ was created by Ohara Koson in Shin-hanga style.

Officially speaking the Year of the Dragon has commenced. The Feng Shui fraternity observes 4 February as the beginning of their Solar New Year; and this year it’s cause for double celebration. Behold a major cosmic state of change is occurring. We’ll bid adieu to 20-years of Earth elements transitional governance. Wood Dragon years always opens the door to a New Age — Now, Fire’s vigil begins till 2043. We bid farewell to Rabbits ’s reign as the Yang Wood Dragon year triggers the Lower 60-year ERA of a wider 180-year Great Cycle - The fiery Age of 9 is upon us.

Chinese calendar is Lunisolar, incorporating both Sun (solar) and Moon (lunar ) cycles. The SOLAR New Year commences when the first of 24 Solar Term called ‘Start of Spring’ (Li Chun 立春) is set in motion on 4 Feb 2024 @8:29am UTC (7:29pm AEDT, 12:29am PST).

22nd Solar term + Winter Solstice

December 20, 2023 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

‘Winter Solstice’ Stunning image by Lao Shu from Book of Time.

TThe pinnacle of Winter is upon folks domicile in the Northern Hemisphere when the 22nd Solar term commences on Winter Solstice (21 December 2022), marking the beginning of the “Extreme Winter” node. When the North bids Sun adieu in favour the longest night, the South heralds the zenith of the Sun and welcomes the opposing Solstice. The Sun ingresses into zodiacal sign of the mountain Goat, Capricorn on 22 Dec. This particular lunar month is depicted in Asian paintings by the pairing of a falcon, pine tree and a wren, and known to the Ancients Chinese as ‘Preserved or Meat Month’.

FEAST OF APPLES - SAMHAIN

October 22, 2023 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

Apple orchard Image credit © by Äpfel-Obstgarten

I’ve no doubt candy filled bags of loot and masks of the ghoulish variety are all that’s on the minds of kids. If Halloween fancy dress isn’t your jam, then here’s the download on the true meaning of Samhain. With some very on point cross cultural synergies with Humble apple.

SO WHAT IS SAMHAIN?

Halloween or 'Samhain' (pronounced SOW-win) as Celts called it, was first and foremost a celebration of the end of harvest time and the beginning of a dark half of the calendar year. Naive Irish speakers will know that the calendar months of May and November are called Beltaine and Samhain respectively (oh and August is called Lunasa). These are three of the four Cross Quarter days on the Wheel of the Year, Imbolc in spring completes the quartet. Witches know these markers as Great Sabbats. These power points are Midpoints or Culminating points of a given season - Samhain occurs between the Fall Equinox and Yule (Winter Solstice).

DOG DHARMA 2023

October 11, 2023 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

8 Oct 2023 — Yang Water Dog 壬戌 month kicks off on 8 Oct @9.17pm (Beijing). While the Ninth Lunar month in the Chinese Calendar; known to the Ancients as Chrysanthemum month, will commence under 15 Oct., New Moon Eclipse @4:55am Sydney (more times below*). This month is oft depicted in paintings by the pairing of a dragonfly and chrysanthemums — the quintessential flower of Autumn. Or as above, via Black Dog, as elementally Water is associated with the colour black. So how will man’s favoured companion, guide us through October’s dense terrain?

2023 Autumn Equinox (Qiu Fen) 16th Solar Term

September 22, 2023 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

16th solar term of ‘The Autumn Equinox’ (*Qiu Fen*). Image by #unknown

The Equinoxes work in pairs; marking the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – from North to South and vice versa at the time of the opposition. If you’re unfamiliar with Asian Solar Terms, then the word ‘Equinox’, may only hold a singular astrological date and meaning that’s done and dusted on one day. However, to devotees of Solar Terms, Qiu Fen 秋分 (Autumn Equinox), represents a two week long occurrence beginning on 23 Sept 14:52 Beijing and ends 7 Oct. The same period in the Pagan Calendar, represents ‘Mabon’ on the Celtic Wheel of the Year. While we remain in Rooster Month; in Western astrology the Sun enters the astrological sign of balance and checks, kicking off Libra season.

ROOSTER RISING

September 10, 2021 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

Sept 7, 2021 — Are you Ready for Rooster month? This year the Lunar and Solar month of the Rooster tee up. With the Lunar Yin Fire Rooster month commencing when the New Moon occurs in your domicile (Sydney @ 10:51am, more times below*) and the Solar month sparks up @ 19.55pm (Sydney). The eighth lunar month in the Chinese Calendar is known to the Ancients as Osmanthus month and depicted in paintings by the pairing of sparrows and rice.

MONKEY MONTH MUSING

Before we dig into Rooster reflections, how was Monkey month for you? Did Monkey Mind come knocking on your door? I took a little break from my News feeds - tricky when you’re tracking predictions - but a welcome pause. It was especially sobering to see the Afghanistan situation unfold with ‘gorilla - pun intended - guerilla warfare …. sadly rearing its ugly head’ and Biden’s part in the outcome saw him labelled a ‘liar’ something we spoke of in the monthly forecast.

PRIMATE PRIMED

August 6, 2021 FENG・SHUI ・ISM

Detail of a Monkey scroll via morimiya.net

Aug 7, 2021 — We bid adieu to a gnarly ScapeGoat month and usher in a Yang Fire Monkey month 丙申. The Primate indicates the onset of Autumn and the Mid-Point of the Chinese New Year. Followed by a New Moon in Leo on Aug 8, which marks the beginning of the seventh lunar month. Known to the Ancients as Skills Month and depicted in paintings by the pairing of a Kingfisher and Lotus.

Looking back it’s fair to say Goat clash month, triggered a barrage of predictions into reality. As I write, three States in Australia are in lockdown. Did you follow our trigger date posts on Social media? Lockdown announcements were like clockwork! Sadly the toll on mental health fronts is palpable - Lifeline has had its biggest influx of calls since it opened its doors in 1963 (noting Lifeline was two years in planning, so its also having a sexagenary return). Mental Health was a key theme in our forecast. The new buzz phrase of ‘Zero Covid’ cases and freedom implications (also predicted back in Jan 2021) is now a daily headline. Here in NSW, the Australian Defense Forces have been called to arms (Pun intended!), the military and authoritarian roles are Ox aligned professions. Not to mention the Army’s role in the 1961 Babies and Breadwinners, role out in the US . And, our highlighted ‘Conflict Cycles’ have proven equally as topical.