Note 19 February 2026 is the 3rd lunar day of 1st lunar month in Year of the Horse. Have you had your fortune divined this year? Well today is the third lunar day and it’s cutomary to consult the heavens. But what does a dog, a mouse, a red mouth, a wedding and staying in have to do with the third lunar day of the Spring festival? Perplexed? I’ve always been intrigued with the symbolism of the colour Red, so in 2021 I pontificated what happens when Valentine’s Day and the third lunar day of the month coincided; also known as ‘Red Scarlet day’!
CULTURAL CUSTOM - DIVINATION
The Chinese Lunar New Year is a 15 day long celebration, with each day marking a specific custom. This year (2026) 19 Feb, is the third lunar day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Interesting today falls on a Wood Rat day, that’s the first pillar in the 60 year calendar, a kin to a beginnings and refreshing. In times past any Wood Rat day was seen as an auspicious day to look to the Heaven’s and consider the road ahead. It’s deemed rather fitting that this omen coincides with third lunar day when it’s customary to get your fortune assessed for the year ahead. Be it divining Yarrow sticks, Chinese Bazi or iChing - knowing what’s ahead in a fast and furious Fire Horse year is rather prudent given the second correlation to Fire on this day.
CULTURAL CUSTOM - ENTERTAINING
Back in 2021, the third day of the Lunar New Year fells on 14th February - aka Valentine’s Day. I pontificated whether an old tradition may have unknowingly been revived as CNY celebrations were hit by the on-again off-again lockdowns – so folks may have found themselves confined indoors. It was that very ‘confinement’, that mirrored a timely custom of not stirring from one's home on the third day of the Lunar New Year and refraining from entertaining guests! However there is a caveat, listing graves and ancestor veneration is permitted. Visiting the dead outranking visiting the living; with spirits lingering typically trading was halted till souls returned to spirit world.
King of medicine Qing Dynasty, via public domain
Zhurong god of fire, rides dragon via Wiki commons, public Domain.
The roots of the custom begins with a colour - Red. It’s no surprise the fiery colour is associated with Fire —the overarching element for the next twenty years - and this year 2026. The name given to the third lunar day is 'Scarlet Dog Day. Also known by other names, such as 'Chikou' (Red mouth) or 'Chigou's (Red dog). But the term Red Dog is actually an inference to the moniker for the God of Blazing Wrath i.e God of Anger or God of Fire, Zhù Róng. Red implying anger and fire — angering said Fire God, could unleash his wrath – folklore notes the Zhù Róng helped separate Heaven and Earth and set up Universal Order when he won the battle with the Water God. Arguably it’s best practice to placate Zhù Róng Zhurong and stay indoors, shunning visitors! The term ‘Red mouth’ is also interesting and presumably refers to the custom of refraining from angry words - having arguments, hence keeping to oneself for fear of offending the God of Anger. To the Feng Shui fraternity, the flying star #3 correlates to arguments, perhaps another correlation to anger? In 2024 the AFS #3 governed. This year West holds the #3 star. In some literature, the God of Fire is Red bearded and depicted with three eyes and rides a pair of dragons. Whatever you do on the third Lunar day — be mindful of heated exchanges! Take note. if there’s bickering you’ll likely have sparks fly in the west sector of your home this yera - or where the #3 is permanently located in your dwelling. Side note; China's first Mars rover was named Zhurong; Mars is called the fire planet in Chinese metaphysics.
CULTURAL CUSTOM - RATS & RICE
My 2021 Scarlet ponderings, led me to the colour most associated with Valentine’s Day and Red mouth - it wasn’t a stretch to draw parallels! Which brought me to the night of the third day known also as Rat/Mice Wedding Day, when mice mate – a once off annual event it would seem! Or also called the Day of the Rat when food (rice and salt) are left out specifically to appease Rats in the year ahead!!! This year the third day falls on a Rat day! In 2021, the nocturnal pursuits of man and mouse aligned on the 14 February. This year 2026 is a Horse year but Hallmark day (my name for Valentine’s day) doesn’t coincide. Then again, if make-up fornication is your jam, enjoy the nocturnal pursuits as Horse and Rat are both Romance signs and will definitely clash throughout 2026, as they’re opposition signs. Surely it’s better than finding yourself in the Dog house on Scarlet Dog Day!
Taoist celebrates the birthday of the Sun deity -Sun Simiao, a Chinese physician and writer oft titled as China's King of Medicine, writing the Chinese Hippocratic Oath.
Happy Red Dog Day.
ⓒ FENGHSUIISM 2026
Living eye to eye with ancient wisdom
- FENG SHUI ISM
I'm a bona fida sucker for mid-century chairs. Honestly I can spot one at 40 paces. Not many things make me green with envy but the want monster comes out when I see a great armchair that fulfills both aesthetic and feng shui criteria.
Back in Sept. 2, 2018 ‘Calendar Adjustment Day' fell on 'Father's Day' . But if we travelled back to Sept. 1751, dear old Pops would have slept through the Annual devotion to Dads! Not even an alarm clock could have prevented Dear Old Dad sleeping it out. #confused?
As any astro forecaster will tell you, we’re time travellers. Time lines blur, so patterns and themes can emerge. Despite owning a 10,000 year calendar; the struggle to recall the current year is real! But one constant is August 7/8; the Solar midpoint of the Chinese year. June’s Solstice is another halfway point, falling under Horse’s purview. Hence a timely midterm review of Fire Horse predictions. Noting forecasts were written in Mar 2025, eleven months before Fire Horse began. Many prediction themes have accurately transpired. So what did the trailblazer deliver to date and what might we expect in the second half of the year?
Sol and and Luna’s allure have captivated nations and cultures since the dawn of time. And the mystical obscuring of either celestial body’s illumination continues to beguile us today. In times past, the phenomenon of eclipses must have been scary when playing out in our skies. We’ve unpacked the cosmology and folklore behind the ominous occurrences. And the upcoming New Moon marking the Fire Horse’s entrance is solar ring of Fire Eclipse on 17 Feb 2026!
August’s Full moon lunation goes by many names*, depending on your domicile and cultural preference. Named the Red Wyrt, Corn/Barley Moon by Indigenous communities while Chinese folk refer to this lunation as Harvest moon. The calendar month is Osmanthus or Skills (flowers associated with Autumn). You’ll also hear lots of Lunar Eclipse chatter, not visible in Australia but on 28 Aug Luna is technically fullest at 2.18pm in Sydney*(more Full moon times below). Eclipse aside, it’s no ordinary Full Moon.
Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day!
Unlike International lover’s day - aka Valentine’s Day - which follows a set annual date, the Chinese version fluctuates according to the 7th day of the 7th lunar Month, known as the Qixi — Double Seventh Festival. This year (2026) in the Gregorian calendar it falls on 19 August.
This article was written in May 2025 and originally published Oct 2025 for Wellbeing Predictions Almanac 2026.
Snake of 2025 slithers off the podium, with a manifesto hanging in the balance. Yang Fire Horse 丙午 is crowned torchbearer, primed to trailblaze a path to the summit. With an unapologetic entrance on 17 February, a spirited tenure begins. Horse promises powerplays from a playbook written for Black Swans⓵.
FIFA World Cup fever is cranking up. All 12 groups are finalized and 48 countries are in fine tuning mode for the holy grail of titles. Argentina are the reigning champions and a 2026 favourite, but who has the edge astrologically speaking?
This article was originally published by Wellbeing Astrology 2025– Universal Media, Australia
Legend proffers amidst a chaotic flood, the underlying order between Yin and Yang elements was inscribed upon a horse emerging from the River Ho. Since elements wax and wane, over time fire came to represent the point of culminating yang. Reflecting high noon on the midsummer solstice, when solar energies standstill — before slowly declining, seeding yin. This year’s overtly fiery horse frenetically presses the point. Amplifying the interlude between yang and yin. Feng Shui offers respite.
This article Part 1 of 2 was originally published by Wellbeing Astrology 2026– Universal Media, Australia
Aesop pontificated if it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. This year tests the probability. We’ve reached a zenith, an interlude — before crossing the Rubicon
Sport does the heavy lifting in the light relief arena of a fire horse year. Solar Horse year began on 4 Feb 2026, and two days later the 2026 Winter Olympics began seeding a year of sporting events that would dominate the calendar. And we’re only in Q1. Hello Sporting fever.
Depending on your persuasion, the wheel of the year is prefixed by many names — Celtic, Druid, Pagan or Wicca. The familiar graphic has near cult status, bedecking the walls, altars and journals of devotees of the cosmos. In more recent times the ubiquitous image has expanded and morphed into a mystical symbol shrouded in layers of occult, spiritual and religious mystery. Freed from the shackles of cultural and metaphysical associations the Eightfold wheel is more universally appropriate and immediately demystified as sun’s celestial journey mirrored via seasonal cycles.
At sunset on Oct. 31st, the transition point between two luminaries will exchange the baton from day to night. Forget midnight, it’s sunset that marks the close/ beginning of a Celtic day in their calendar. The last day of Oct. is Hallows Eve, (Hallowe’en) a significant Celtic/Pagan festival marker that’s believed to have marked Celtic New Year’s Eve*. While 1st Nov. is Samhain (or Púka’s day). Folks domicile in the S.H shall be celebrating Beltaine’s Eve. Both markers represent two major festivals or Witches Sabbaths; either the beginning of Summer (S.H) or the beginning of the opposing season of Winter in the N. Hemisphere.
Bats and Halloween have a ubiquitous relationship. It’s most likely due to the nocturnal habits of the bat, that link the two - after all Hallow’s Eve is a festival that’s celebrated at nightfall. Spookiness aside, the winged creature is known to conjure up high levels of anxiety, day or night, for folks with long hair! (Myth No. 1, they don’t get tangled in your tresses). That said, without doubt that humble Bat is steeped in myth, negative omens and superstitions. Yet in some cultures, the omen is of an auspicious nature.
National Moon Day
It’s 57 years since man took his first step on the moon on July 20, 1969. And since 1971, the landmark event has been commemorated as National Moon Landing Day. Mans' curiosity to travel to the Moon showed no signs of letting up over the years— as I update this post Artemis II prepares for a take off for a trip to the other side of the moon (2 Apr 2026). So it's little wonder that Luna also intrigued our ancestors — but there's little doubt, it's impact and affect was well known by our forefathers. Today is also a Full Moon in Libra at 1:11pm in Sydney.
The magical charm of trefoil shamrock goes way beyond the fifth century Christian legend of St.Patrick. The three leaf plant (trefoil) is said to be the source of inspiration for the triskele, triple spiral, pagan symbols and beautifully illustrated knot-work illustrated in the Books of Kells. So why is this little plant classed as lucky? And why does it appear in mythology across so many civilizations?
The 15 day long Chinese Lunar New Year festivities will draw to a close, with the Annual Lantern Festival - Yuanxiao Festival - heralding the first Full Moon of the Chinese New Year, in the Year of the Horse.
Have you had your fortune divined this year? Well today is the third lunar day and it’s the traditional day to consult the heavens. But what does a dog, a mouse, a red mouth, a wedding and staying in have to do with the third lunar day of the Spring Festival? Perplexed? I’ve always been intrigued with the symbolism of the colour Red, so in 2021 I pontificated what happens when Valentine’s Day and the third lunar day of the month coincided; also known as ‘Red Scarlet day’!
Every year I try catch a DRAGON / LION DANCE (舞狮 wǔ shī) to mark the Lunar New Year. Spectacularly loud and boasting vivid colours, they are definitely an invigorating sight. It’s maybe a familiar sight to Western eyes but it draws a frown, followed by the covering of ears. But the deafening sound, is a necessary part of the tradition.
Find out why . . . .
IIf January’s New Year resolutions have fizzled out, tune into the Chinese Lunar New Year as the Year of the Fire Horse makes its final transition on 17 Feb. 2026. Lunar New Year follows Moon (Luna) cycles therefore commencing under a New Moon. The upcoming lunation is the second New Moon AFTER the Winter Solstice which dictates the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It also kick starts the more widely known and celebrated of the Lunar New Year festivities - beginning a two week long Spring Festival. Li Chun is a Solar Festival marker which occurred on 4 Feb 2026 seeding the Chinese Solar New Year and Fire Horse official debut.
It's time to celebrate the Polarity of Seasons again. Phenologists will appreciate, when the dog days of summer bring balmy humidity, I know my internal barometer is in sync with seasons! The dog days of Summer coupled with the end July (or Jan in S.H), are both calendar and celestial indicators; a midpoint point between Solstice and the next Equinox and the heliacal rising of Sirius the Dog star. This crucial time on the Celtic Wheel of the Year is a time of Harvesting nature’s bounty, known as Lughnasadh, an Autumnal festival marker.
I’ve remained tight lipped about the Kondō convos for a while now. But I’ve been prompted to chime in from a Feng Shui perspective.
Disclaimer, I’ve not read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up book by Marie Kondō but I’ve watched her Netflix series and encountered the KonMari social media frenzy. Admittedly, I tend to rebel against mainstream crazes, but when conducting my own personal annual preparations for the Solar New Year on Feb. 4th (not to be confused with Chinese Lunar New Year) I decided to check out the best selling author.
I’ve been musing…. and it’s led me to Mistletoe’s door. Are we entering the Age of Mistletoe or The Return of the Druids? Mistletoe, the little freeloading plant that has remarkably synchronicities and on point themes that weaves a symbolic narrative of the prevailing astro weather. Even main stream media covering the cosmic skies with chatter of the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn; exact back on the December Solstice in 2020. My mistletoe musings unearthed some fascinating lore, far more interesting than stolen kisses, dare I say. And if we were living in bygone times the Xmas staple would be the Ancient’s secret weapon to this current health situation.
The December Solstice, is known as the Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere; but since December is a Summer month in the Southern Hemisphere, 21 Dec is a Summer Solstice. As I currently live in Oz; the longest day of the year beckons. Both Solstices’ always reminds me of my Celtic homeland roots. I miss celebrating classic winter Yuletide vibes when the December Solstice occurs Down under - a warm Xmas is mind bending for this European!
Seasonal Greetings to one and all.
This year give a gift with meaning. If you’re drawing a blank when it comes to choosing the perfect seasonal gift, then we've got an awesome suggestion. Give the gift that keeps on giving Good Sheng Qi - positive, prosperous abundant vibes.
Everyone needs a friend. Some prefer the furry or feathered kind and some favour mankind, but have you ever considered the Plant Kingdom as your friend? In Chinese plantlore a specific group of three plants are called the Three Friends of Winter.
Moon, the night-time celestial luminary holds great significance in the Chinese calendar system. Nowadays, lunas passage through the sky pretty much determines China’s cultural and religious festivals and the solar component is used for timings in Bazi and the 24 solar terms. The upcoming Frost / Cold Moon in Gemini (2025) is especially significant to Taoist devotees, as this Full Moon marks the Xia Yuan Festival. There are five Full Moon centric festivals of note in the Chinese calendar. Two of which are more widely celebrated. All five Moon festivals occur on the 15th day of a Chinese lunar month as it guarantees Luna’s fullest splendor.
Globally Remembrance Day falls on November 11th and on the 11th hour of the day, folk often stop to remember those no longer with us. In Australia Anzac Day is reserved for veneration of fallen service men and women during World War One - it falls on April 25th annually.