Continuing the discussion from 
Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE ~ Catch-Up!:
Challenge entry #3 – Lunisolar Calendar and Chinese New Year
[Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney, Australia – Woman in black dress standing on brown wooden log near river during daytime photo – Free Sydney Image on Unsplash]
With the Chinese New Year just around the corner and our next catch-up not until after the festivities, I thought now would be the perfect time to dive into it!
I’ve been quite busy preparing, especially with setting up our new home. To bring in positive energy and harmony, I’ve started incorporating some Feng Shui principles and the Bagua map concept.
The idea is to align our living space with these Chinese practices to enhance well-being and prosperity. It’s fascinating how these techniques can influence the flow of energy in our home. For instance, by arranging furniture and selecting decor based on the Bagua map, each section of our house is now thoughtfully aligned with different aspects of life, like health, wealth, and love.
It’s an exciting process, and I’m eager to see how these changes bring about positive transformations in our daily living. Plus, it feels like a meaningful way to usher in the New Year, embracing traditions and new beginnings.
The Stem-Branch Calendar System
Theis system unveils intriguing insights. At the heart of this system are the Stems, represented in the upper row of the chart. These Stems correspond to the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire, and earth, each holding unique characteristics and influences.
Beneath these, in the lower row, are the branches. These are the 12 animal signs, each intricately linked to the five elements. This relationship between the elements and the animal signs forms a fundamental part of the system, offering a nuanced understanding of one’s astrological profile.
Associations of the Five Elements
Each element possesses unique attributes and is connected to various facets of nature. These include directions, seasons, colours, shapes, and more, creating rich associations and meanings.
[Brown log surrounded with trees photo – Free Nature Image on Unsplash]
The tables below provide an overview of these relationships.
Fengshui Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | East | South | Center | West | North |
| Season | Spring | Summer | change of seasons (last month of each season) | Autumn | Winter |
| Climate | Windy | Hot | Damp | Dry | Cold |
| Color | Green | Red | Yellow | White | Black |
| Shape | Rectangular | Angular | Square | Round | Undulating |
Astrology Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planets | Jupiter | Mars | Saturn | Venus | Mercury |
| Heavenly Creatures | Azure Dragon（青龙） | Vermilion Bird (朱雀) | Yellow Dragon (黄龙) | White Tiger (白虎) | Black Tortoise (玄武) |
| Heavenly Stems | 1st (Jia 甲), 2nd (Yi 乙) | 3rd (Bing 丙), 4th (Ding丁) | 5th (Wu 戊), 6th (Ji 己) | 7th (Geng 庚), 8th (Xin 辛) | 9th (Ren 壬), 10th (Gui 癸) |
| Virtue | Benevolence | Propriety | Fidelity/ Honesty | Righteousness | Wisdom |
| Represents | Creativity, luxuriance, blooming, and flourishing | Enthusiasm and passion | Nurturing, stability, and security | Ambition, determination, progress, and persistence | Aptitude, brightness, agile mind, and mental strength |
Chinese Medicine Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Sour | Bitter | Sweet | Spicy | Salty |
| Sensory Organs | Eyes | Tongue | Mouth | Nose | Ear |
(Chinese Five Elements Philosophy and Culture)
Relationships Between Elements
The Supporting relationship, akin to the bond between mother and child, depicts how one element nurtures and enhances another.
- Water, for instance, nourishes trees, allowing wood to grow robustly.
- Wood, in turn, fuels fire, enabling it to burn brightly.
- Fire contributes to the creation of earth by producing ash or dust.
- Earth fosters the formation of minerals, giving rise to metal.
- Metal contains and holds water, completing this cycle of support.
Thus, we see that water acts as a benefactor to wood, unlocking its potential. Wood serves a similar role for fire, amplifying its energy. Fire, in turn, enriches earth, while earth enhances metal, and metal boosts the properties of water.
[Bonfire near mountain photo – Free Smores Image on Unsplash]
On the flip side, the five elements also engage in a Fighting relationship, reminiscent of a master-and-slave dynamic, where conflict and opposition are prevalent.
- Water can quench fire, although fire has the power to evaporate water.
- Wood can penetrate earth, but earth can also engulf wood.
- Fire has the ability to melt metal, but there’s a chance metal won’t succumb before the fire extinguishes.
- Earth can soak up water, yet water can inundate and cover earth.
- Metal has the capacity to chop wood, but it risks becoming blunt before it can completely break the wood.
In these interactions, water stands in opposition to fire, hindering its progression. Wood contends with earth, restraining its influence. Fire challenges metal, curbing its force. Earth conflicts with water, limiting its spread. And metal confronts wood, checking its growth.
[Photo of lava flowing on land photo – Free Hawaii Image on Unsplash]
These interactions between the elements create a complex dance of balance and conflict, mirroring the relationships found in nature and life.
My Life
For the following two aspects, I’m using information from here: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/chinese-zodiac-time.htm. For everything else, I am following the information found here: Master Tsai Five Pillars Ten Characters Chinese Astrology
There’s a perspective suggesting that to accurately determine the hour of birth in the context of the Chinese zodiac, one should align it with China Standard Time. If we apply this method to my birth details, I would be classified under:
Mao Shi – Jade Rabbit is working with herbal medicines.
The 2-hour period between 5 and 7 a.m. is Mao Shi. Although the sun is rising up, the moon can still be seen in the sky. In Chinese fairy tale, Jade Rabbit inside the Moon Palace is still working with herbal medicines. In this case, Mao Shi is related with zodiac Rabbit.
[A full moon in the Northern Territory, Australia – A full moon is seen in the distance over a desert landscape photo – Free Australia Image on Unsplash]
Looking at the month of May, we also find this:
Horse: Horses run and crow happily in the grassy lawn.
[Horses in the Snowy Mountains, Australia – A herd of horses standing on top of a grass covered field photo – Free Animal Image on Unsplash]
Rise and Fall Chart
In my personal chart, the blue bar represents the level of luck I was born with, a starting point of sorts. Each red bar on the chart, spanning a decade, indicates fluctuations in my luck over time. When a red bar extends beyond the blue, it signals a period of heightened fortune. Notably, the longest red bars or those significantly longer during my marriageable years suggest an auspicious time for a successful marriage. Similarly, the ideal time to kickstart my career is also marked by a longer red bar.
Reflecting on my past, this chart resonates with my experiences. My younger years were challenging, lacking in the luck that the chart now seems to confirm. However, everything shifted in my early 20s, around the time I my current partner reconnected and moved in together. It wasn’t smooth sailing immediately; it took us a few years to really gel and understand each other. But by my late twenties, things began to improve, a trend that, thankfully, continues to this day.
Looking ahead, the chart suggests that my late 40s and early 50s might be a transformative period, perhaps one where my partner and I start to break free from the material trappings of “normal” life. The dip in the chart towards the latter part of my life gives me pause, though. It hints at a decline, possibly in my partner’s health, leading to what I fear might be an inevitable loss. It’s a sobering thought, reminding me of the transient nature of life and the importance of cherishing every moment…
The entire structure of this rise and fall chart is based on the animal signs of the Chinese zodiac, encompassing major cycles of 10 years each. These signs, each with their unique characteristics and influences, play a significant role in shaping these cycles and, by extension, the ebb and flow of luck throughout life.
Lucky Element: Wood
As someone deeply connected to the element of wood, I’ve discovered a fascinating guide to enhance my luck. This element, representing growth and vitality, manifests in many forms like trees, grass, forests, and flowers. The colour green, along with anything that grows or spreads out, is closely linked to wood.
[A forest in Victoria, Australia – Green and brown tree branches photo – Free Australia Image on Unsplash]
Interestingly, it’s also associated with kindness and parts of the body like the liver, gall bladder, and eyes.
The influence of wood on my life is evident in various ways. For instance, spring, with its lush greenery and new life, is my lucky season. Similarly, February and March, the months when nature starts to awaken in the northern hemisphere, are particularly fortunate for me.
My affinity with the eastern direction is quite strong. It’s beneficial for me to orient myself and my surroundings towards the east. However, somehow, I naturally gravitate towards doing the exact opposite as my desk currently faces the west.
[Sunset behind the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia – Silhouette of stone on seashore during golden hour photo – Free Nature Image on Unsplash]
The role of wood and the colour green in my life is significant. A wooden bed, for example, enhances my connection to my element. Green, as my lucky colour not just in Chinese astrology but also in Western due to the emerald being the stone for the month of Mat, influences many of my choices.
The influence of wood extends even to my diet and social interactions. Sour foods and vegetables are particularly beneficial for me.
Engaging with nature through outdoor activities is another aspect that brings me joy and luck. Whether it’s visiting parks and national gardens, or exploring forests, these activities can strengthen my connection to wood and enhance my well-being. Interestingly, even a name associated with wood or its meanings, which I do have, seems to align me closer with my lucky element.
[Mountain range in NSW, Australia – A view of a mountain range with trees and mountains in the background photo – Free Australia Image on Unsplash]
right now 
But I get the idea! I am drawn to wood. I’d love to live in a log cabin in the woods. I use wood for crafting. I love hard wood floors lol 
My brother can identify wood by the smell emits when it’s burning…anyway…
I’ve visited the forests up north, around the area that part of my family worked on some farms, and it’s way too much for me!
not sure if that’s correct, but that’s what I’m going with right now!
Predator and Prey… I wonder if that’s significant in any way. 