Dear Gossips,
Saturday is Lunar New Year. If you’ve been visiting this website over the years, you may be familiar with our annual Lunar New Year tradition: my ma, the Chinese Squawking Chicken, passes on to me to pass on to you astrological readings for each of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. She shares with us which signs are experiencing upswings in luck, and which signs may want to harvest luck instead of cashing it in during certain years, explaining the Feng Shui principles that are intertwined with Chinese astrology. Many of you have been emailing and sending messages on social media the last few days asking when this year’s Squawking Chicken advisories would begin. We very much appreciate your interest; it’s wonderful to know how much you care.
Ma has been studying Feng Shui almost her entire life; she’s not a certified expert but she has a lot of experience and, as those of you who’ve been following can attest to, she’s uncannily accurate because she spends a lot of time on the research, comparing current readings to past readings, looking for connections and patterns. Ma takes it very seriously – meaning year after year, she spends a lot of energy on understanding it and even more energy on communicating it.
Like many of her generation, she perceives energy to be a finite resource. This is why luck will surge and dip, why luck should be stored and protected and consumed judiciously. Because no one has a limitless amount of it and because luck too has its own whims and moods. Luck doesn’t want to be wasted or handled inappropriately. When we are young, sure, we can sometimes afford to be frivolous here and there with our luck as we have the time to replenish our reserves. But that’s also why you should build up a reserve – because nothing stops time.
Ma is soon turning 70 years old. Andas I explained last year, when we announced that 2019 would be the final year of the Squawking Chicken’s forecasts, she is now strictly in reserve and conserve mode. She’s been making withdrawals from her own tank and that tank isn’t filling up as quickly as it used to. Please revisitlast year’s post here如果你错过了或者你忘了.
That said, as promised, even though she will no longer be preparing detailed readings, she will still continue to distribute lucky charms to those who need it most. We’ll have more information on the charms in a few days. I will also, on Friday, post a general explainer on some Chinese astrological and Feng Shui basics that might help – because, unfortunately, though many of you have asked, I don’t have other recommendations, I’m sorry. All I know is my ma. And she doesn’t get her sh-t from just one source either.
She reads all kinds of texts, she has old scrolls that she consults. And, frankly, she’s skeptical of some of the people out there who don’t fully appreciate the magic and the history behind the practice. Chinese astrology and Feng Shui should never be about how to seek out success quickly or find love right away or get rich. And it should never be an expense. Because there are no shortcuts to life.
Her approach to it has always been protection first, which is why her readings are often so somber. Ma isn’t here to give anyone good news – nobody needs a heads up on good news, but what we all need is a heads up when we could use it. With that in mind, here are some things that we can all do, no matter our sign, year after year:
Remember that putting in the effort is always better than relying on luck. That sounds like a total duh, but you’d be surprised at how often people put luck over effort. Luck will come easier when it knows that it’s landing somewhere that will support its presence. Why would luck ever visit someone who’s all risk all the time? Or someone who’s too lazy to keep luck around? Work hard so that your luck can take a nap because then, when it wakes up, it’ll be at full power, at your service.
To prepare for the arrival of fresh, new luck ahead of Lunar New Year, start cleaning. Clean right up until Friday night, which is New Year’s Eve. You cannot clean at the start of the New Year because you’re sweeping away new luck. So get rid of the old sh-t over the next few days and make sure your surroundings, including your car, are nice and tidy so that luck will want to come by and stay.
如果你将理发,现在也是。No haircuts after Friday though for at least two weeks. Don’t wash your hair either, if you can, on the weekend.
After February 4, go see the doctor or the dentist. It’s a good time for a checkup, blood work if possible.
If you’re done your cleaning, make some plans with friends for the next few nights. I mean, you don’t have to go out every night but a family dinner tomorrow or Friday night or a friends gathering is a really good idea. When you start the year in community, you increase your chances of being in community for the rest of it. Also, if you happen to be serving noodles (noodles are longevity), for God’s sake don’t cut them!
Check back later in the Prince Harry post that’s coming up for more thoughts on Chinese zodiac. And on Friday in this space, I’ll have some other details.
Yours in gossip,
1zplay
