Understanding the Year’s Negative Energies
Feng shui in the Year of the Snake poses some severe challenges. In my 2013 Feng Shui Forecast, I wrote that children are under an influence that can cause them harm – particularly from metal – like guns, cars or knives.
But that’s not the only concern we have in 2013, but it is among the most sensitive.
No one wants children to suffer, yet the whole family is under duress in 2013 with children standing in front of the tip of the blade.
The following article explains what you need to know in the coming year and how to help protect yourself, your children and your family from the year’s most difficult energies.
Astrologers know that many times a coming astrological influence may peak on a particular day, but it’s often the three to four days on either side of the date when the effect is felt the most.
In my experience, it’s typically the two to three days before a shift that the impact is most greatly felt. For the annual energies, my experience has been that the impact begins in the two months before the change.
Depending on the year, the change can be felt as early as November or as late as December. In 2013, the Year of the Snake, the New Year date in 2013 is February 10th. The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut took place two months out from this date. It’s why I advise looking at feng shui early and taking heed of the annual advice.
In my annual feng shui forecast, I wrote that 2013 would be a year with wildly swinging energies, both good and bad.
I also reminded readers about the importance of making your annual feng shui preparations in advance – as much as two months in advance.
That’s what makes advance preparation for feng shui, like planning for a retirement, something to do now rather than later. Sorries always come later, not earlier.
Some might ask why I would write only about the difficult energies and not talk about the bright side of the year – because there certainly are some great aspects to the Year of the Snake. But to me, this is like complimenting you on your rose bushes while we watch your house burn down.
If I can point out that overloaded electrical socket that will prevent your house from burning down, then that’s what’s most important. It’s called protective feng shui. And it’s the most important feng shui you can practice. Bear in mind that the energies will affect those whose houses face these directions – but the opposite is also true.
Remember what I said about polarities earlier? It’s at work here.
What I mean by this is that houses that are facing one of the year’s most serious energies aren’t the only ones affected. If your house faces the OPPOSITE direction, you will also be challenged.
Why is that? The rear of the house is called the “people side” and if these challenging directions are on the people side of your house, the side that’s usually the most active, the effects will be more likely on your relationships.
For example, the northeast has beautiful energy in 2013, but if this is your home’s facing direction, it means the Black 2 is in the southwest, the direction opposite your front door. The Black 2 in this case would be quite serious.
Additionally, the front of the house is often called the money side.
Therefore, if you have afflictions at the front, it’s quite likely you’ll suffer financially. But it could cause problems all the way around. These are just some of the scenarios to consider.
Without looking at each individual home, it’s hard to know exactly how the energies will affect your particular home, but you’ve got a head start on what to look for and what could happen if you don’t handle these energies.
The good news is that these energies can be handled, so take heart!
Keep reading for more in depth details of each of the problematic energies in 2013, and what you need to know on how to handle them so that you can make the most of the good energies in the year ahead.
7 Red Violence Star Resides in the West sector of children
The west sector is the sector that relates to all descendants, or children, and specifically, the youngest daughter. It can also pertain to creativity, projects and any kind of new undertakings. In the body, the west relates to the mouth.
The 7 star is at home in the west, making its energy more potent and lethal. The 7 star relates to violence, particularly by metal such as guns, cars or sharp objects.
One of the world’s sharpest objects? The tongue.
Words can slice through a heart faster than any knife ever could. This year, children are particularly vulnerable to harsh words from other children and family members. They, too, could also be the source of harsh words and may say things they don’t mean and later regret.
The 7 star is called the Red 7 because of the blood associated with it, from injury to violence. This year all parents must be concerned about bullying, the risk of dog bites, car accidents or bicycle injury. The 7 star in 2013 means “injury to children by metal.”
Take precautions: don’t leave your toddler alone with your Rottweiler, or any dog, for that matter.
In 1997, my thigh was ripped open by a dog that was “friendly.” When I told the plastic surgeon who showed up to the emergency room how bad it was, he said, and I’ll never forget, “No matter how bad it is, you’re a grown woman and it’s your leg. I’d rather stitch your leg up than try to piece a four-year-old child’s face back together, and usually, when it’s a dog bite, that’s what I’m doing.”
This year make sure you children wear their bike helmets, drive safely in the car – or don’t drive at all if you have any doubts – and be cautious around all animals, even your own. In short, don’t take risks with your kids and don’t let your kids take risks.
Another concern is robbery and burglary.
The 7 star rules over this domain, so make sure you have a buddy in a dark parking lot, you don’t go jogging alone in the park at night or forget to lock your doors each and every night. Take precautions with all metal and personal safety!
Think your house is safe? It may not be, especially if you put your garage remote opener on your car’s sun visor. Most people don’t lock the door between the garage and the house, and they carry ID in the glove box. A thief can break into your car, get your remote and house address, and then go straight into your house to steal you blind – or worse. This is the year to play it safe. Very safe.
House Remedies
Who does the 7 Star affect the most? Everybody, but especially west-facing houses, and anyone who spends a lot of time in the west corner of their house, such as an office, living room or bedroom. If you have a bathroom here this year, thank your lucky stars; it will handle this negative energy.
If your office or front door is in the west, add a fountain here and lots of blue and black objects. If your bedroom is located here, remove any shiny objects and add plenty of blue and black colors, such as blankets.
And for parents, add a blue blanket to your child’s bed to protect them and have them wear blue and black colors as often as possible. Figures that are particularly helpful are elephants and rhinoceroses, such as the feng shui blue rhinoceros. Display them in the west corner of the living room and house, particularly if your home faces west.
Be aware that if your house faces west, it has east in the rear. That makes the next star a very important star for you to consider. Please read the next section carefully.
The 3 Star of Anger
The 3 Jade Star flies home to its home location of the east, sector of the oldest son and the whole family. The 3 Jade represents big, angry wood. It can cause problems in the family and with boys – particularly anger from boys.
It’s easy for families to become filled with divisiveness this year and for anger to take the place of love.
Put it together with the 7 Star and you have angry, harsh words flying amongst the family members. If there is dysfunction, mental illness or serious anger or addiction problems, this year could be especially difficult and risky.
The best way to handle this energy is with fire.
The case of “fighting fire with fire” applies here. Fiery words, flaring tempers and angry outbursts can do more lasting harm to a family than other problems. It can divide them, and create rifts that never heal. If your son becomes hot-headed this year, you have the 3 Star to blame.
House Remedies
This star affects everyone this year, but those whose houses faces east, have an east bedroom or office located here will have to handle more of it than others.
If your kitchen or a fireplace is located here, this is the best cure for this energy! Make sure you add red colors, such as blankets, throws or sofa cushions and add lamps with red shades to this corner to burn up the 3 Jade energy.
You can also add a 9 Ring Sword here to cut through the 3 Jade star energy.
But in 2013, we all have a singular feng shui foe, and it’s the 5 Yellow Star.
The 5 Yellow Destruction Star
This is the most dreaded star because it has the capacity to wreak havoc on the entire household – and in every way – from health crises, financial failure and relationship destruction, singularly or in combination.
Everyone will have to contend with this beast.
Those whose homes have a house with a door, bedroom or office in the center or who have a kitchen or fireplace in the center will be most prone to this star’s most destructive energies.
The 5 Yellow is an earth affliction and can be exhausted by metal. A six rod metal windchime is a proper remedy for this affliction. To find the center of your home, draw a large square around your floor plan and draw an “X” on it.
Where the X intersects is the exact center. Try to place your windchime there. If you have a kitchen sink or toilet in the center, or very close to it, this will handle the affliction. Another important remedy? A 5 element pagoda. These figures will “lock up” the 5 Yellow if you place a small amount of dirt from your garden in them.
But what you do is almost as important with the 5 Yellow as what you don’t do. It’s VITAL that you don’t have any fires or flames. If you have a kitchen here with a gas stove (electric is OK), try to use it as little as possible and add water and plenty of metal colors in the kitchen.
If your fireplace is located here, do not use it in 2013. You should also completely avoid candles and remove any red, orange, pink or purple colors as these can stimulate the energy. Naked flames work like gasoline on this star and the 2, the other earth element affliction. Read on….
The Black 2 Illness Star
In 2013, the Black 2 star of illness brings its particular energy to its home sector in the Southwest.
This is the corner of the woman of the house – the foundation of many homes and families – the rock that’s relied on. That’s what makes this year’s placement extra difficult.
Women, who were frustrated and exhausted last year, just might succumb to illness, financial problems, or get fed up with running in circles in their relationships. When it comes to love, try to take a breather or a break before making a commitment to end it though.
This year’s energy suggests you won’t have the energy to make clear decisions, making time and distance a valuable way to deal with heartache.
If you need to take some time for yourself, think of it as an investment in your relationship if you can’t justify doing it for yourself or your own mental or spiritual health.
The houses with the most difficult times dealing with the Black 2 will be houses that face southwest or northeast. For northeast houses, the southwest is at the rear. For southwest houses, the Black 2 is at the front of the house, affecting the quality of energy for the entire year.
The way to handle this is very similar to the 5 Yellow: avoid flames at all cost. In fact, other than the northeast and east, avoid candles if you can. It’s safer to simply use red colors and bright lights in those sectors. I will be putting away all my candles for 2013 to be safe.
If you have a bathroom, garage or laundry room located in the southwest corner of your house, you’re in luck. These areas press down the effects of the Black 2. If you have a kitchen or fireplace here, the energy will be stimulated.
If your kitchen has a gas stove, the energy can be serious. Avoid using it as much as possible and put a large bottle of water next to the stove. If you have a fireplace, don’t use it. You can also hand a six rod metal windchime in the southwest to drain and lift the energy away.
So there you have it, the four troublesome energies for 2013.
I hope you will take the time and effort to work on your feng shui and get these energies handled. It is easy and quick and will give you greater peace of mind, so you can focus on the beneficial energies in the year ahead — because as powerful as the difficult energies are, the beneficial energies are just as potent! That is the silver lining to the black cloud of afflictions.