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The Year of the Rabbit: Basic Tips and Tricks


Chinese New Year falls on the second full moon after the winter solstice, which means it is February 3rd in 2011. We're finishing up with the up-and-down, tumultuous Tiger year, and entering the year of the Rabbit or Hare. People are saying that this Rabbit year will be a bit of a continuation of the tumultuousness of 2010. But what does this mean for you, and what can you do to make it a smoother ride?

If you're interested in reading some predictions about how the Rabbit year will interact with and influence your Chinese Horoscope sign, you might check out Nathaniel's monthly Chinese Horoscope column at Horoscope magazine online. Each month, Nathaniel explains the significance of the lunar month to come, and offers a write-up of the influence of the month's energies on each Chinese horoscope sign. That Chinese Horoscope link will take you to a landing page that will allow you to figure out your Chinese sign, if you don't know it, or you can use this handy Chinese Zodiac Sign Calculator.

With each new year we enter in the Chinese calendar, there is a shift in the relationship between the earth and a number of energetic influences that are out there in the larger solar system. We're all under these influences, which is why, according to this philosophy, some years are better than others for some people. You know yourself that certain situations get you all stoked and empowered, while others drive you into the dirt. This is equally true of planetary energies. Some Chinese feng shui schools argue that different planetary and star influences inevitably affect your health, wealth, and luck.

It's good to be aware of the positive and negative energies that are shifting at this time, and specifically, where they are located. Becoming more aware of where these energies sit can help you minimize negative influences in your life and maximize positive ones.

The Grand Duke or Tai Sui
This is the big one: the Grand Duke, aka the planet Jupiter, aka Tai Sui. Basically, the Grand Duke is an energy that you should strive to avoid disturbing or upsetting. It's considered a bad idea to sit facing the Grand Duke's location.

In 2011, the Grand Duke is located in the East.

If your desk faces East, shift it. If you sleep with your head pointing to the East, change your bed's orientation.  A good cure for the Grand Duke is to get a laughing buddha statue. Place him so he faces East - between 82.5 and 97.5 degrees East, to be precise, which is the exact location of the Grand Duke in 2011.

Avoid doing any renovations in the Eastern sector of your home this year.

Three Killings
Three killings represent bad luck - illness, financial loss, and accident. This year they reside in the West. Unlike the Grand Duke, it's best to face the three killings if you can, but avoid doing renovations or disturbing these energies.  Some feng shui consultants recommend using two guardian lions to fend off the energies of the three killings.

Robbery Star
This is getting into the nitty gritty of feng shui a little bit, but the robbery star is located in the centre in 2011. The robbery star represents pretty much what you would imagine: robbery, deception, theft, gossip and back stabbing. This means that hallway in the middle of your house, or, in my case, my dining room, is the area under influence here. Some consultants recommend placing water in the centre to balance this energy and removing anything red or that represents fire (e.g., candles). Personally, I'm planning to get that goldfish I've wanted for a while now, and place him and his bowl of water on my dining room table for the coming year.

Further Reading:
Annual Feng Shui for the Year of the Rabbit (2011)
Feng Shui Articles & Resources: Three Killings & Grand Duke

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