With Chinese New Year fast approaching, we sought the expert advice of three feng shui practitioners to help our readers take advantage of any opportunities and be aware of the challenges ahead!

By CAITLYN NG LI YUIN liyuin@ocision.com

WITH the cheeky monkey swinging out in style and the sonorous rooster poised to take over, it’s almost time for us to welcome in Chinese New Year! We decided to take a look back at how 2016 has been, and what 2017 will have in store for us, feng shui-style.

An overall look of what is in store

The Malaysian Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS) took a predictive look for what we can expect from a global and a local perspective.

As Malaysia falls in the southeast region alongside countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Philippines, it is one that is traditionally associated with the business and education sectors. In 2017, this region’s original Gua number is 4 (the wood element) and the guest Gua number is 9 (the fire element).

Since wood produces fire, it indicates a rise in temperatures, incidences of man-made fire as well as signs of volcanic activity in the region. As such, one can expect there to be more fires in this region, especially in months one, six, eight and ten. What is more worrisome is that month six’s fires may also cause widespread sickness with fatalities.

The hexagram for Malaysia in 2017 is IOO.IOI which is known as ‘Shih He’ or ‘Biting Through’ (refer to Image 1). This hexagram suggests that Malaysia will experience a year that is restrictive or hampered, like being placed under house arrest.

It could be the presence of various new security laws introduced in the past few years — Prevention of Terrorism Act, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, Peaceful Assembly Act and National Security Council Act — that supports this notion.

This does not mean that there will be any breach of the laws; instead it may be that the threat of terrorism or public unrest may worsen, forcing the relevant authorities to restrict all activities and movements.

In a different category, it could also be indicative of the people in positions of power being put in some form of prison or will be restricted.

Soleil Trinity Resource founder Jessie Lee further elaborated on the condition of the country and its people using the Bazi chart for 2017 as a reference point.

It can be seen that the weakest element for the year is earth since it is completely missing altogether. Since earth represents stability and trust, the absence of that element signifies that 2017 will be a year filled with unease and uncertainty.

Two of the most prominent elements in 2017 will be that of metal (four units) and water (2 units). Metal represents emotions such as grief, guilt and regret while water represents fear and anxiety which means that Malaysians may take on a victimising mentality. The effects of these two elements would have already been felt since December 2016.

However, to counter all the negativity, there is still the presence of one very important element: fire. This element, while only have one unit in 2017, represents joy, love and hope. This goes to show that no matter what the new year may bring, one can make the conscious choice to deliberately find happiness in the simplest things and maintain a positive outlook.

Fire is constantly moving and radiant, and it is the only element that can change the form of other elements. So to make the most of 2017, one would need to be able to adapt and change accordingly by creating a new flow of thoughts and emotions in order to stay at the top of the game.

“Be ready to embrace change, it is a necessity for 2017, and it is not always a bad thing. It is how we choose to look at it, embrace it and react to it. What’s worse is staying in one’s comfort zone and remaining stagnant.

Change is the only constant in life, so people should stop living in fear and stop spreading the fear, notably through the various social media,” enthused Lee.

The final element is wood, which also has one unit in 2017. Since it represents wealth, it means that it will be a very competitive year financially. In order to get a piece of the wealth pie, it will not be so easy and one should not things for granted; instead, have a clear strategy and strive towards one’s goals.

To buy, sell or hold in the rooster year?

According to Xuan Jixuan geomancy and feng shui consultant Jane Hor, the medium and lower segments of the property market will be performing better this year. Despite that, 2017 will not be a good year for short-term investments or speculators, especially in the first half of the year which will still be quite stagnant, but it will be good for long-term investments.

“It would therefore be advisable for an individual to have a strong holding power in order to wait for the right time to sell. The second half of the year, towards the end, is when the property market will start to become more active as the energy (Yang) would have already gained momentum to be transformed into tangible activity (Yin),” said Hor.

Lee shared the same sentiment, stating that in the month of August will be when the Malaysian property market will start to see a recovery.

Since the first half of the year will still be sluggish, it will thus be a buyer’s market. They will be spoilt for choice with the various products and with careful research, it would be easy to close a good deal for a good location.

Even cash-rich investors will be able to benefit from this period since they would be able to purchase affordable properties to hang on and then sell them off when the market has improved.

Lee advised potential property purchasers to conduct a check of the surroundings to make sure that the area is supported by a natural mountain and a natural body of water. This is the principle of classical feng shui where a mountain and water is a sign of the presence of energy flow.

She acknowledged that in 2017, there will be four of the zodiac animals which will have better luck in the property market: the dragon, horse, rooster and rat.

MINGS president Professor Joe Choo also weighed in on the property market’s condition in 2017.

The secondary market will be more active than the primary market in terms of number of transactions. This is because the secondary market is classified as property management and it falls under the earth element, whereas the primary market falls under the wood element; since the year 2017 is that of the fire element and fire produces earth, it will thus be stronger.

However, potential homebuyers would still need to be careful in choosing a property according to their own individual Gua number and ensure it has a good landform that is compliant to feng shui. Doing so will enable them to earn more money and thus be able to upgrade to a better property.

“Many first-time homebuyers consider the price, location and size of a property. They never take into consideration how feng shui can help them to choose a right property to advance their life. By applying the basics of feng shui, one can acquire the right home to start a family and move forward in life.

A house that is feng shui compliant does not cost you an arm and a leg, but a house that is not feng shui compliant may cost you your life savings,” explained Choo.

Whatever your zodiac sign may be and whether it is destined to do well in 2017 or otherwise, it is always wise to take some precautionary measures in our daily activities. When it comes to wanting to buy a property, as long as one were to conduct proper research about suitable locations, available amenities and existing infrastructure, then there is less room for error. Good luck and Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Feng shui dos and don’ts

On the 7th day of Chinese New Year, it is considered as one of the important dates in the Chinese calendar. This is because it is known as 'everyone's birthday', the day when it was believed that humans were first created. However, there will be a few dates in February that one should be careful of, especially those born in the year of the rooster, rabbit, dog, rat.

February 3, 7, 13, 18, 22 and 27 will be considered inauspicious days as they fall under ‘3 Killing’. As such, it would be best if one were to not partake in anything major — such as entering into a sales and purchase agreement — since it will not be fortuitous.

The Spring season signifies a growth of new life, so any part of the body that is under the wood element (such as hair and nails) should not be cut, as it is as though one were destroying new life.

There is a tradition which some people like to observe on the first day of Spring (which coincidentally falls on February 3); they would go outside to step on grass as though to symbolise the good chi and new energy flowing through them. However, there is an alternative method to that which one can do.

Boiling some water with lemon slices inside and drinking the mixture will not only help to cleanse the body's system, but it is also considered 'fortune water', which will help to boost your energy for the new year.

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