December Feng Shui Energy Update

Hey guys welcome to the Learn Feng Shui podcast where you'll Learn Feng Shui from a classical point of view taking out the myth and Superstition so if you're interested in learning fun Chinese astrology all things Chinese metaphysics as well as the superstitions and myths that connect it all you'll enjoy learning funu with me hey guys welcome to today's episode of the Learn Feng Shui podcast where we explore how ancient wisdom meets modern living I'm Candice Berlanga certified fun practitioner and red ribbon professional with the international funu Guild in this episode we're going to look at December's energy shifts and I'll be reading from this month's newsletter we'll be covering tips for staying balanced during the solar Cycles insights into flying stars how to use that Funway for the month and a zodiac forecast to help you navigate through the energy so let's get into it you know we always start out with talking about the beginning of the month starting with the solar cycle this is a 15-day cycle of energy known as a micro season and there's two within the month it's called the ji cycle it kicks off the month on December 6th and last through the 21st is called greater snow the seasonal energy is when the weather turns colder heavier snow in Northern regions and of course Frost and cold weather in the South nature is in a deep dormy and the yin energy is dominating December 21st through January 4th is the solar term of winter solstice and this is the time where we experience the longest night of the year the yin energy is at its peak and the Yang energy does slowly begin to grow after the solstice which symbolizes renewal and the gradual return of light and it does coincide closely with the Pagan wheel of the year and the observance of of course the winter solstice and Ule staying healthy during both of these times you know it's kind of a turning point for Health it does represent the restoration of Yang energy in the body and in Chinese medicine is still a time to conserve energy and protect your body continue to nourish those kidneys that's really been a toned as we entered the colder Seasons that Yin energy really is supporting the gradual rise of the Yang energy it really represents the shift in the year when the yin energy is waning and the young energy will be taking over from that point just resting conserving energy rebuilding Your vitality continue to protect your lower back and keep warm and just those continued movements of chiong one thing that I do I'm not a chiong practitioner necessarily I probably should be or taichi maybe even but I do a yoga and so I do yoga with a hammock that hangs from the ceiling instead of doing the vigorous style that I usually do in the winter time I will switch to a light stretching class so I just switch my classes and that's perfect for me you could do regular yoga light stretching touching your toes just some kind of things to get your blood flowing taking a nice little walk outside might be nice right now I know I live in the south where that's possible but even in the colder regions where there's snowfall there is days that it's sunny and you're able to get out and I feel like the cold is a little bit invigorating especially when you're taking deep breaths out in the cold and you get a little bit of a vigorous walk in although you don't want to strain too much just some nice light stretching and the foods you need to be eating would be cornbread pastas rice puddings blueberries cranberries and pecans you're going to want to continue to eat warming soups and stews and ones that are higher in Iron you can make bone broths those are very nourishing and it's a good time to be eating black ey peas walnuts kale and even sweet potatoes which are still there and warming spices that we've talked about before which are like cinnamon nutmeg anything that's kind of fiery spicy has that fire energy is going to keep you warm during this time and a little bit of wine or liquor can help do that too help warm your belly and just kind of keeping in Trend with nature we recognize that animals are hibernating right now animals are slowing down it's reflected in our trees around us the leaves are gone so we're going to want to kind of mimic that and even though say the trees look dead or bare or the grass looks dead and bare really is a time of year where everything's just dormant things are growing but they're growing underneath we really need to embody that and mimic nature in that way continue going to bed early again fully fully support that and this is the month of the fire rat and the energy that represents it does highlight the importance of mindful nourishment so focus on what you feed your body your heart and your mind and prioritize healthy food positive thoughts and uplifting motivation and according to Farmers Almanac December brings you something called the houseon days I don't know if I'm saying that correctly this period is about a two week of calm weather that often follows blustery winds at Autumn's end and ancient Greeks and Romans experience this weather at or about the time of the winter solstice when the house or king fisher having tered the wind and waves so that the waters were especially calm at this time was thought to brood in a nest floating on the sea and it also warns to be aware of something called the pogonip so it says the word pogonip refers to a frozen fog that was coined by North American indigenous peoples to describe the Frozen fog of fine ice needles that occur in the mountains or valleys in the Western United States and can Canada according to this tradition breathing the fog is injurious to lungs looking at weather trends possible extreme weather conditions maybe like flooding in one area fire in another just very extreme type of weather so I'm hoping I'm wrong but that's kind of the trend that I see with the energy of the fire rat let's take a look now at the Zodiac forecast for the month and how this can potentially impact your zodiac sign and reading from the newsletter at learnfengshui.com remember I do have a monthly newsletter and that's is where all the information for this episode comes out certain Zodiac signs are impacted when they interact with the energy for the month and the Year this energy can impact you depending on where it falls in your natal chart and you actually have four zodiac signs in your natal chart you just kind of take not over that zodiac Falls in which category and that is the area that can impact you in your life it has the potential to impact you so if it falls in your year it represents your friends group your Social Circle and your community around you if it falls in the month it can represent your career and parental relationships if it affects your day or it falls in your day it can impact your health or your romantic relationships and if it falls in the hour it can represent your children's your thoughts your emotions your feelings and if you have a downline or your boss it represents your subordinates and the zodiac signs that are most impacted are going to be one the rat we're going into the rat month so we're going to look at the shin Shaw stars to kind of see where to focus our attention you do have some good ones and a couple you need to be careful of so the Tai nobleman you do have the ability to problem solved this month the star of golden lck can help you with financial gain remember you do have to take action even if you want to buy a lottery ticket you still have to go stand in line so there's always action taken right you don't win the lottery without buying a ticket with that being said also this may indicate you have more work hours you get a little Christmas bonus something like that the general star it can indicate that you're being seen as an expert in your field or possible promotion and recognition so remember again that's a thing of taking action but the energy just support you if you have been up for promotion or some sort of recognition at work you've been putting the work in behind it this is a month it could pay off Sky Warrior it really is just about miscommunication so be cautious of that and the bath star is a possible romantic encounter or being romantic this month the other two zodiac signs that can be most impacted are going to be the Pig and the ox this is the seasonal combination so these animal signs do make up the season of winter which is a water energy the water energy really helps with making connections and networking with others in your field and collaboration it really helps you with applying your knowledge and getting hands- on in Practical experience and even um problem solving brainstorming and deep thinking are all represented by the water energy can be it's a very very strong combination and can bring potential wealth opportunities too if you have the monkey you already have the dragon and rat so you have a combination also it's called the three Harmony combination and the energy will help you get things moving it's also a water energy so if you felt stuck you may see movement or things going a little faster this month it can help you showcase experience in your field again just applying those learned skills to gain some hands-on experience brushing off on your communication skills and collaborating marketing and even the brainstorming and thinking are all traits of the water element the combo of six or secret fr for the rat is the ox and so the rat and the ox combine and can give you the ability to kind of feel grounded create a sense of stability help you focus and get some work done do some strategic planning and setting goals maybe you want to plan your first quarter of the year start some projects before the holidays and strengthen relationships and spend time with loved ones so that's perfect for the December month take a little time off for Christmas there and the clashing energy or the opposing energy for the month is the horse and so that's a fire and water energy that clashes so really just remember that you can Clash that away with a combination and the combinations to the horse are um I would recommend using the Southwest sector of your home to get some support from the goat and lessen the clashing energy so you can take away those clashes and remember clashes aren't always bad you can use them to make a change sometimes that just indicates changes happening sometimes it could be things like moving or just a change in your circumstances so not always bad I think we tend to think of that opposing energy and think oh we don't want any trouble but you know sometimes the clashes can be very useful and actually create good things happening around us so just remember that let's go ahead and look at the funu and flying stars for the month of December all right guys flying stars looking at the funu and the best sectors for the month uh flying stars 1468 and N usually consider positive but can present a challenge when they meet with negative yearly sectors like the six-star it's going to fall to the west and it can really be activated we're just going to leave that area quiet let's start with that flying start six in the west the six star is a positive energy but again we get this mix of the monthly six with the yearly five making it unusable kind of unstable there it's not completely bad either so really just this month keep that sector quiet sort of neutral not going to cause too many problems the metal of the energy that is there already can kind of help control the five star but if you're a GU 7 do be careful of disputes with superiors Investments and and maybe even your finances so do be cautious of that I know it's supposed to be the best sectors but uh the best Stars I guess but that sometimes again they can be a little bit neutral or they can switch depending on what they combine with Flying Star number one The Authority star does go to the Southwest sector and so that star can bring opportunity steady progress and helping your plans fall into place again if you feel like you need to get things moving and going if there's some stagnancy with work if you feel like you need something to move then just use that area you can work in the sector study put a fan or short-term water activation that can go there add a little touch of some Earth elements Pottery maybe crystals to uh Aid and enhance that area F guad too look for opportunity and things again just that movement that one n combo can enhance your chance for recognition also social connection and maybe even help with Clarity so that's a good thing there and again just use that area if you'd like to enhance those things in your life going next to Flying Star number four so this does go to the center and remember the center area depending on your views of funu or your teaching can't really be activated but it does kind of set the tone for the month rather so we get Flying Star number four in the center and it can ate issues with communication or relationships just be aware of these themes in your life and be open to having difficult conversations and it could also help boost your learning or education so that's just kind of a collective energy we share for the month Flying Star number eight does coat to the South to the GU n so Flying Star number eight we star does bring opportunity for making money maybe more work hours May present themselves you know activate to increase chances for income and then take that action like I was telling you earlier you still got to maybe put in for more work hours maybe take on extra projects but do be sure you're being compensated especially guine so you don't want to just be busy and not get paid for it you know try to find a little bit of a work life balance because it could mean being busier this month and you can enhance by working the sector placing a fan activation you can do candles there or even hang some Christmas lights but add some extra lighting there help activate the area especially if they're like blinking flashing you know that helps activate the area Flying Star number nine in the north it can help bring happiness inspiration as well as an increased chance of prosperity so the combination can help create opportunity for future gains it does have the opportunity for networking and Leadership and it also has the potential to increase happiness and joy especially if you were our Gua one so you can enhance it by working in the seor fan short-term water activation or again placing some lights looking at some of the challenging sectors for the month remember flying stars two and five are generally considered negative and flying stars three and seven can kind of be neutral however this month we have a little bit of a mix of some uh negative flying stars combining with areas that are generally usable for the year so we'll just keep those quiet starting with Flying Star number three in the southeast can bring some issues with communication but can be effective in leadership roles where you may have to argue or debate your point so quad number four be diplomatic in your relationships remember to remain calm in arguments if romantic relationship issues occur try to communicate don't shut it down and try to practice a little self-awareness that's how you can mitigate that energy Flying Star number five does cod to the Northwest which is generally a good sector for the year um but but you know not too much of a concern either I think the metal of the sector will control it um continue to be cautious using the sector though because it could cause things like headaches migraines upper respiratory issues gu 6 same thing caution of headaches and respiratory they kind of pop up on you this month and also be cautious of work relationships you can mitigate that just by placing a salt cure or spending less time there you can also place your preferred cured item for the five star which is generally a a little uh six coins tied on a string usually yellow string works best a little bit of color funu theory there all right Flying Star number seven legal and dispute star does go to the Northeast so it's a case for the Monthly Star might show a little bit of a gentler side probably won't be too bad but bickering kind of occurs with the star seven spending too much time in the sector be cautious of arguments with superiors and your workplace also and guat 8 just continue to be cautious is feeling the need to argue especially in work related settings you can mitigate this energy by just keeping the sector quiet and spending less time there you don't have to place anything there if you don't uh don't feel the need to Flying Star number two this is always the heavy hitter here the illness star does go to B three in the East so the two star falling in the East just always an indication of illness but feet leg problems liver issues when it goes there gu 3 just take caution of these things and you also watch your kidneys bladder and urinary system and you can mitigate it by placing a salt cure there you know if your bedrooms here if your front door is here you might want to place a little something though keep the sector quiet and place your preferred cure or item there looking at the no renovation sectors these are sectors that you want to avoid digging and major Renovations in for the year or even the month and this does only apply to ground floor of your home or ground level Apartments because the energy does affect the Earth level so if you have a second story or if you live above this energy you you know consider more of the flying stars but we're not going to want to activate this area by digging and moving furniture around you know doing heavy heavy things Renovations um it can be done with date and time selection so message me if you need to do one of these areas but of course course Southeast Southeast um we're just not going to mess with that does have the yearly Shaws the north does have the monthly Grand Duke the East the five yellow flying stars that's another area we cannot renovate for the month the South has the yearly sha where the horse is remember that is the opposing energy so that is called the soo or the month breaker we're going to avoid that if you need any help finding a date to renovate you can safely do this with most of the sectors and the energies you just have to kind of be careful of when you start just looking ahead on the newsletter I have things like lucky dates also on the website so go check that out I have things like spiritual side of things social and relationship on December 10th or 22nd maybe even the 16th you can host a holiday get together on your health you can look at a day of visit your doctor or even business and finance so go check those out on the website again which I read from the newsletter each month go to learnfengshui.com to get all the information and really really you can follow along I start this newsletter so you could follow along with the Funway you can find it in your home and of course if you need help with the mapping of finding the sectors I can do that for you and I don't charge for that it is something I offer free to my listeners you can follow along and you can place your cures or activate the best areas the links are all in the show notes and whatnot in honor of upcoming winter solstice I thought I'd bring to you the origins of dong Z festival or the winter solstice Festival so coming to you from Wikipedia and I'll link the links in the show notes there says the dong Z or winter festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrate it during the dong Z solar cycle term of winter solstice which Falls between December 21st and 23rd respectively depending on the year so the origins of the festival can be traced back to the yinyang philosophy of balance and Harmony in the cosmos after this celebration It is believed that the days have longer hours and therefore create an increase of positive energy flowing in which is true we see that reflected in the amount of daylight we get after the winter soles the amount of daylight does start to increase again the philosophical significance of this is symbolized in the eing exogram of returning in Chinese the word dong means winter while Z means arrival giving the literal meaning of the coming of winter or Winter's arrival and dongzi celebrates a winter solstice usually around the 21st through the 23rd and is observed on the longest night of the year and again it does correspond closely with Ule uh this does symbolize the victory over Darkness dongi represents that days will start start to grow longer and bring a sense of balance and Harmony to people's lives based on the Chinese beliefs of Yin and yangong the yangong represents positive energy warmth and light and following the dongzi festival daytime will increase or lengthen as the Yang energy also increases and it's believed by some that this is the day that the kitchen God went to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the conduct of the family I touched on that in a previous episode The Kitchen God is regarded as the god of the Hearth the Festival was first celebrated by Chinese people in the Zhao Dynasty and declared an official celebration during the Han Dynasty the Han people would take a break from work to celebrate with their families and they would hold Heaven worshipping as well as honoring their ancestors by burning Jaws papers at their ancestral shrines to show their gratitude in ancient time the day was also known as the Festival of extreme length as the sun's extreme position lengthens the Shadows it was traditionally very important on the holiday and it was comparable to Chinese New Year the Chinese people do still celebrate in certain practices during the dong Z Festival such as a un need a family and in Hong Kong many businesses LED employees off to spend time with their family on this day while in some other areas shops closed for the holiday the dony festival has historically been associated with various agricultural activities in China particularly in rural areas as the festival represents the winter solstice it's a crucial time to harvest winter crops such as wheat barley and radishes it's also an important time to pay respects to certain Livestock and Feed these animals special meals to celebrate the occasion I am all for treading your animals well traditionally the dongi festival is a time for families to eat together so one activity that occurs during these get togethers is eating of glutenous rice or sticky rice balls which symbolize reunion and it's usually made of glutenous rice and flour and sometimes colored pink or green each family member receives at least one of these rice balls in addition to several small ones they can also be cooked in a sweet or savory soup or broth and it is served in a bowl it's also often served with a mildly alcoholic or unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains of glutenous rice and usually flour people typically eat winter solsis dumplings which um again they do love a good homonym which is a word that sounds like another word um so this in this case it sounds like reunion this custom is said to have been started by The celebrator Physician jeang Jean Jing during the Han Dynasty one cold Winter's day he noticed poor people were affected and they I'm not sure they had some kind of growth on their ear it says he was moved to pity and he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients and distribute them among the poor to keep them warm and prevent their ears from being affected since the dumplings were shaped like ears they named the soup and from that time it's been a tradition eat dumplings all on the day of dong Z dumplings are not only eaten by family but also shared with friends and relatives as a blessing the dumplings may be molded into shapes like dogs and cats and common superstitions include that married people should have two anen to have their wishes come true and a single person should leave one for an auspicious year according to one tradition the dumplings should be eaten by an even number of people for good luck and many people take some of the sticky rice that has been used for offerings and stick them to the back of their door windows and tables and other pieces of furniture these empowered sticky rice serve as a protective Talisman to keep evil spirits away from children old traditions also require people with the same surname or from the same Clan to gather at ancestral temples to worship on this day there's also a grand reunion dinner following the ceremony other traditional foods include a hot pot or wons and dumplings the festive food is a reminder that celebrators are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year and even today many Chinese around the world especially the elderly still insist that one is a year older right after the dongy celebration instead of waiting for the Chinese New Year we talked about ice wine and eating dumplings other ways people celebrate is worshiping Heaven it says here that it says here that Chinese people have worshiped Heaven on dongzi day since the Hond dnasty and many temples were built for this reason including the famous Temple of Heaven in Beijing and it is believed that heaven worship will bring a great harest in good health for the coming year we talked a little bit about ancestor worship people set up incense burners in front of their ancestor tablets and some place food on a table in front of them such as dumplings the steamed rice and the cooked pork as a symbolic offering pring to their ancestors making roasted Meats is popular says here people in southern China usually preserve roasted Meats at dongy Festival and dongy baked pork has become an indispensable delicacy on the dinner table in certain provinces during the Chinese New Year and Counting the nine names of winter in many areas of northern China people do what is called counting the nines of winter during the coldest part of winter so the nines of winter is a f song and in Chinese traditional culture nine is extremely good luck and it does represent eternity and completion Chinese people do believe that spring will come after N9 day period starting from the winter solstice so the nines of winter song goes like this during the first and second days it's too cold to put your hands in the air during the third and fourth days you can walk on Ice during the fifth and sixth days Willow on the bank will start to sprout during the seventh day ice will solve during the eighth days geese will fly back North and during the ninth days Farmers oxen will start to work the fields different provinces within China will have different kind of customs and traditional greetings during dongi uh go as follows happy dong Z wishing you good health and happy Winter Solstice and keep warm in the winter all right guys well thanks for listening today I hope you enjoyed the episode just kind of looking over that energy of the month of flying stars of zodiac forecast hope you find the information useful and again you can go to the website and look at the newsletter follow along learnfengshui.com Le r n f n g shi.com uh this month we're going to be exploring decorating with the five elements that'll be next week looking at the winter solstice traditions and then as promised that spooky geography look at at mysteries of places like Death Valley and nasaline I'll look forward to presenting that and I'll catch you guys next week for a free energy mapping of your floor plan please check the link in the show notes to support today's podcast go to learnfengshui.com sign up for emails leave a review and share with your family and friends he