“Good news: nothing to fear,” Patrick Lim Fernandez reassures those intimidated by the incoming Lunar New Year.
Is 2022 just 2020, too? Not so, according to the expert who correctly predicted that the year of the Metal Rat would be full of extremes.
Patrick Lim Fernandez, resident Feng Shui Expert at the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony, said the same stars that indicated a chaotic 2020 are suggesting that things will look up this year.
Here’s why he thinks so.
On the mark
There were a few indicators that 2020 would turn out the way that it did, according to Fernandez, who at the time had advised people against traveling and investing.
The year marked the start of a new 60-year Chinese Zodiac cycle, usually starting with the Metal Rat and then ending six decades later.
“Usually it signifies like a change in large energy. Usually, the first year will always have these transitory things,” Fernandez tells Lifestyle Asia, likening the phenomenon to tectonic plates hitting each other.
Furthermore, deeper analysis based on past models looking at the different energies of the year showed a lot of instability. The interaction between the five elements—water, wood, earth, fire, and metal—and the yin and yang polarities had forecast this instability to affect different facets of life.
The expert said that alongside his knowledge of feng shui and Chinese metaphysics, he was able to incorporate his academic and professional background to his readings. His extensive credentials include management engineering and economics degrees from Ateneo de Manila University, an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles, and advanced analytics courses from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford.
Aside from providing consultations to both local and international clients, he’s also held VP roles at multinational companies like HSBC and Wells Fargo.
“At least the trends seemed to be matching, then I was able to make those assessments. Overall, I think it’s using one lens of the world, which is these energies from the Chinese metaphysics side, overlaying it with what we’re seeing from business trends, from economic trends,” Fernandez explains his analysis.
“I think for me, that’s the best way we can contextualize feng shui and Chinese metaphysics in this day and age.”
He added that interpretation of signs and what they mean for the world at large is more important than identifying which energies are strong or weak.
Paper tiger
Using the same process, Fernandez deduces that 2022 will mark a turning point from the past few years marked by crisis.
“Good news: nothing to fear,” he reassures people intimidated by the Thundering Water Tiger.
He explained that animals are either yang, which is more active, or yin, which is more docile. Moreover, the five elements interact with each of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animal signs, creating about 60 different combinations.
In this case, the water element is seen as tied to energy from the ocean.
“So this year, for example, it’s the water tiger. Thundering because it’s a yang year, so there’s going to be a lot more activity especially versus the previous year,” Fernandez analyzes.
The tiger, however, is also the animal associated with spring. The expert thinks this means we’re emerging from the winter years (pig, rat, and ox) toward rebirth, reinvigoration, and re-energization of the world.
“And then the tiger is a very bold animal. It’s a good year to take calculated risks. Be bold, push the envelope, try to do things that will go beyond being conservative. If you’re able to list down and understand all the risks well, those people who are able to do that will do better this year,” Fernandez advises.
As a disclaimer, he said that the transition from winter to spring, literally and figuratively, is not instant.
“It won’t be an immediate thing as spring usually you see the snow is thawing and then the flowers slowly start blooming. So it’s gonna be a process. But fortunately, I think it’s going to have more positive energy,” he clarifies.
Although positivity is expected, it might also be accompanied by volatility, which happens when a yang year coincides with the start of a new season.
Animal roundup
In terms of life aspects (money, relationships, health), the different animal signs can expect polarizing outlooks this year.
Fernandez added that people usually know only their year signs, but there is actually an animal for a person’s month, day, and time pillars as well. One’s “BaZi” or eight characters representing the Four Pillars of Destiny can be calculated through the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony website.
Financially, signs with a positive fortune are the horse, the goat, and the rooster. Having these animals in one’s chart, especially in the day or month pillar, tends to bode well for career energy.
Monetarily speaking, the snake and the pig can expect to accumulate wealth and luck.
The dog will also do well if the person works in a creative field. However, it, along with the goat, have to watch out due to a “robbery star” indicating unexpected loss of money. They are advised to guard their assets.
From a relationship perspective, the ox and the goat will do best.
The rabbit, meanwhile, might have an excess of relationship luck predicted by their “illegal romance star.” However, they are warned about being perceived as too attractive this year as it may attract unwanted people and tenuous situations.
Those who should watch out are the tiger and the dragon, who have the “conflict star.” They are encouraged to avoid misunderstandings, quarrels, and conflict.
Lastly, “adverse health stars” are in store for the year, meaning everyone should be careful in general.
The rat and the dragon, however, are told to pay a little bit more attention since they have a few “sickness stars.”
Altogether, the monkey is expected to have the most interesting year since it is the animal that clashes with the tiger. During a clash year, the affected animal sign can anticipate extremes and change.
Making a fortune
Notwithstanding, Fernandez said that how a person will handle the cards they are dealt is ultimately up to them.
He likened his service to a weather forecast, saying that feng shui is really just reading chi energy as it goes throughout the world, affecting our personal luck and properties.
“It gives us like what type of energies are present, how strong they are, probably when they’re going to appear and to whom. Similar to a weather forecast, you know if it’s going to rain, how warm it’s gonna be, how much wind, and so on,” Fernandez compares.
“So then from a personal perspective, the question is what you do about that. How do you adapt your behavior or your plans to that? For me, that’s the more critical part. What do you do in response to these different energies that are present?”
Fortunately, there are external and internal changes we can make to influence our luck.
“So we can probably start with the surroundings, because it’s a little easier than changing yourself. On the surroundings, that’s the feng shui element, you can arrange things within your home to align with the positive energies of the year,” Fernandez suggests. He recommended decluttering, which removes blockages to help with the overall flow of chi.
The upside is that feng shui works regardless of the year, upon which other factors are dependent.
Another step is to delineate one’s workspace from their rest space. According to Fernandez, work is yang energy while sleep is yin energy.
“So if you mix the two, you won’t be as restful at night or during the day, you might not feel as energetic,” he explains.
Year-dependent feng shui, meanwhile, points to certain directions being either luckier or ones you should steer clear from.
Money-wise, the northeast and south are prosperity and wealth directions. These can be activated by staying in these directions or putting moving or living things like plants in those areas.
Directions to avoid altogether are the southwest and center, which have sickness and disaster energy. Do not stay or place red objects here in order to help diminish negative energies.
In terms of internal change, people are advised to keep an open mindset, give themselves more positive chi by attending or hosting celebrations or gatherings, and being selfless.
“In other cultures, they call it karma or they call it good vibrations. In Chinese, it’s really giving away good chi and what happens is you receive good chi in return. If you do acts of charity, if you give, if you volunteer…all of those things help provide good chi for others, which actually comes back to you,” Fernandez concludes.
Interested individuals can receive a tailored reading of their specific birth charts from the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony, which also offers personal and professional consultation services.
Banner Photo by Ratanjot Singh on Unsplash
