MEDIUM RARE
Feng (wind) shui (water) – psychology in sync with nature, or just plain superstition?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a believer or not, but for those who do believe, feng shui is a charming way to connect the triad of Heaven above, Earth below, and Man in the middle. It’s not a religion, not a cult, and not superstition.
At any rate, knowing your feng shui signs based on the lunar calendar is no different from knowing your Western astrological sign. Both systems are divided into 12 signs representing the 12 months of the year, and there are people like Patrick Fernandez who can connect the two systems.
To pick up where we left off last Saturday, when Patrick gave a quick overview of what to expect in the Year of the Serpent starting Jan. 29, 2025, you could activate the lucky sector of your house by removing clutter and plants with thorns, and pay your debts and make no new loans, at least until after Jan. 29. Lucky colors to use as accent are gold and silver. Refresh your home with fresh flowers and fill the rice bin. Wear a new dress, shirt or outfit, with new shoes on or before Jan. 28, eve of the New Year. You might as well get yourself a new wallet, purse, or bag.
Fish, noodles, shrimp on your table represent laughter, dumplings and spring rolls (lumpia) represent currency. On Jan. 29, give ampao (red money envelopes) and GCash in amounts ending in eight. It’s a good idea to give money to children, according to the elderly, because kids know how to be grateful, and the noise they make when they say “thank you!” is the sound of joy. If you receive ampao, keep the amount in the bank until Jan. 29, 2026. Wear green, red, festive colors, but avoid white, especially on happy occasions.
Prosperity fruits to display in pairs — they’re round, spherical —on your altar or table are pomelo, orange, pineapple, apple, dragonfruit.
Nonsense? Wealthy people are among the most superstitious, they just don’t advertise their beliefs, like the businessman who won’t shell out money on a Monday.
In a few days, time to cheer, “Kung hei fat choy!” (Cantonese) or “Kiong hee huat tsai!” (Fookien).