The year ahead
AS THE Year of the Fire Rooster formally commences on Saturday, feng shui and Chinese astrology consultants have started weighing in on the new year based on the components surrounding the Fire Rooster sign.
The Chinese calendar is a primary tool in fortunetelling because all information about time — such as the year, month, day, and hour — are presented in terms of the five basic elements — metal, water, wood, fire, and earth — which are considered the basic components of everything in the world. According to Raymond Lo, a globally recognized feng shui and destiny consultant, the relationship between the five elements can accurately help one predict events that are yet to happen and, thus, use this knowledge to, for instance, multiply good luck or minimize bad luck in one’s life.
In his official Chinese New Year forecast, Mr. Lo said that the Year of the Fire Rooster is symbolized by two elements – with Yin fire sitting on top of metal. He said that based on the cycle of birth and destruction, which governs the inter-relationship between the elements, fire conquers metal and there is a destructive cycle between the two. He believes this signifies that the coming year will not be a harmonious one, and international conflicts can arise.
On the global economy, Mr. Lo said that the element fire will often be the driving force behind the stock market. A fire year can generate optimism and drive up the stock market because fire represents joy on the mood scale. Water, in turn, represents fear, while earth means meditation, metal signifies sadness, and wood represents anger. As an example, he cited the financial crisis in 2008 and noted that it was a strong Year of the Water Rat. He said the economic crisis deepened and went on until 2012 because the years in between did not have fire element.
“As expected, when fire returned in 2013 with the Snake year, the US economy showed strong recovery with the Dow Jones industrial Average surpassing 18,000 points,” he wrote in his forecast, which is published online. “2017 is still positive for the economy and the optimism continues to bring confidence to buy particularly in spring and summer time, when the candle flame gains seasonal support and drives up the illusory optimism.”
He said, however, that as the yin fire is an illusory candle flame, it will be extinguished by autumn and winter.
“There will be serious setback towards August and October and this will bring long term bearish market as there is no more fire years before Tiger year 2022,” he explained.
Mr. Lo also believes the fire and metal element of 2017 can be expected to bring prosperity to fire and water industries because fire conquers metal, and the metal element is a symbol of money to the fire industry. Industries under the element fire includes energy, entertainment, stock market, and banking and finance. The second best industries, he said, could be water, as water conquers fire, so fire is money to the water industry.
Similarly, enterprises related to the element earth ( property, construction, and mining) can expect an active year while those in the metal industry ( banking, engineering, and automotive) will face tight competition.
“In summary, the industries that will perform well in the year of the Rooster will be industries related to fire and water elements,” he said. “The Yin Fire Rooster year, with fire on top and metal below, is a symbol of optimism, innovation, and progress. There is still conflict and disharmony in international relationships, and may not be a peaceful year but people are optimistic, open-minded, confident and innovative to bring solution to obstacles.”