This is a year when thinking big will reap big dividends provided the Feng Shui has been arranged in accordance to usher in positivity. Overall a good year, especially for the Eastern countries; in India, natural disasters and unrest would prevail. People’s living standards could improve and more large corporations would be headed by females.

The Chinese calendar, a tool which not only calculates the passage of time, valued for its accuracy, and often used for fortune telling, is a table of comprehensive data called the ‘HSIA Calendar’. The information, based on the interaction of five elements - water, wood, fire, earth and metal, with regard to the year, month, day and time, formulates the fortune telling known as ‘Ba zi’ or ‘Four pillars of Destiny’. This helps in postulating the energy cycle, its cause and effects on the universe and mankind in particular.

The year 2008 is the ‘Year of the Earth Rat’ and is primarily constituted by elements, earth and water. This is symbolised as “Earth sitting on top of water” which implies earth controls water, so it would be a year of confrontation between elements. The year would appear to be “calm and stable at the surface but a lot of undercurrents and tension would prevail globally”. The year 1948 was a ‘Year of Earth Rat’, when the West versus USSR confrontation intensified with the blockade of Berlin, and unrest in Middle East erupted between Israel and Arab.

The animal sign Rat belongs to the Yang water element and is the first of the 12 animal signs, so it would be the beginning of a new 12 year-cycle ushering in new equations in international relationships, change of regimes in few countries like USA, United Kingdom, Russia, France, and Taiwan.

Rat signifies romance luck, so opportunity for marriage or mending broken hearts is possible especially for animal signs - Rabbit, Sheep and Pig. The clash of animal sign Rat and Horse, which represents the Fire element, predicts accidents relating to air and sea. Rat representing water element, could cause excess floods like the South Asia Tsunami in 2004. Due to global warming and rapid melting of Arctic and Antarctic, there could be excess flooding, landslides and building collapses as it is unstable earth in 2008.

The five elements in Feng Shui also represent the vital organs of our body. Earth element relates to stomach; epidemics through food poisoning and diarrhoea would be common. The imbalance of fire and water elements can aggravate high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney problems, so take extra care.

On the economy front, it is a year when the market will cool down after being active in the past years. The property market will be very active and highly profitable although there could be dramatic fluctuations in the stock markets.

Earth industries like property, mining, hotel, chemicals, insurance; and metal industries like machinery, computers, and skincare, would do exceedingly well. Most problems seem to be related to water and air, so awareness towards healthcare, holistic, yoga and tourism for spiritual pursuits will increase. Textiles, fashion, books, publications, paper, forestry, furniture, representing wood element, would have a profitable year.

Water element representing shipping, communication, beverages, will see unhealthy competition.

Fire element industries like finance, stock market, energy, electricity, and entertainment and airline businesses, will face immense obstacles and hurdles and overall weak inflow of wealth.

Hi-tech industries like computers, internet, and software may see good business but not great wealth. There would be many business mergers, especially in the hi-tech sector with appearance of fast growing hi-tech venture firms and new environmentally sensitive products being designed.

In the box on the right are the generic animal sign predictions based on four pillars of destiny (Ba-Zi) for Business and Industries.

In Feng Shui, energy changes constantly. If we analyse the annual afflictions for 2008, we can identify the afflicted areas and take precautions both at home and work to usher in prosperity, health, wealth and happiness in 2008. 

Wish you a great year ahead.

The author is a Master Feng Shui consultant and traditional Vaastu practitioner. He can be contacted at ph:- 91-80-25252456 or 25252109

Email:- fengshui@fengshuiserver.com
Website:- www.fengshusiserver.com
 
Tiger

(1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998):- Hard work is the key to success. You need to be optimistic to sail against the tide and accept changes to make the year better.

Snake

(1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001):- New business ventures and opportunities will come your way, be cautious of being tricked or robbed.

Rabbit

(1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, and 1999):- Career growth and increments expected. Exercise caution while signing contracts and legal documents.

Horse

 (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, and 2002):- Business plan and ventures will take you into a new path, yet a moderate year due to year conflicting with the animal sign Horse. 

Monkey

(1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, and 2004):- A year of conflicts as people may let you down, so remain calm and self assured to tide over hurdles. 

Rooster

(1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005):- Career opportunities are plenty and overall a good year with some good rewards and business returns.

Rat

(1924, 1937, 1948,1960,1972,1984, and 1996):-
Money inflow would be better but avoid lending or spending too much and dabbling in stocks; be cautious of being over confident and impulsive.

Sheep

(1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003):- Avoid speculation and high risk investments; a better year but good things settle in gradually.

Dog

 (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006):- A mixed year, toil and hard work in the past year will yield results, avoid large speculative investments.Pig

(1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, and 2007):- At last a better year, good business returns avoid discussing your success to breed jealousy amongst friends.

Dragon

(1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000):- Negotiations, persuasion and planning will make you sail through smoothly; unfinished work and efforts of the past would succeed.

Ox

(1925,1937,1949,1961,1973, 1986, 1998):- Be cautious of signing contracts when new opportunities come. Colleagues may be envious of your success.