The first day of Chinese New Year for 2008 falls on February 7th and in line with tradition, celebrations will last for fifteen days – from the new moon to the full moon.
The past couple of weeks have been a particular busy time of year for fortune tellers, fengshui and Yi masters who make personal readings for their clients, and/or those who disseminate predictions through their annual Chinese horoscope books (animal signs), seminars, and newspaper articles, on what 2008 will bring.
Good and bad fortune can certainly be foretold depending on the prediction skills of each master.
In times of global uncertainty and financial markets turmoil like those witnessed in the last quarter of 2007 and the first few weeks of 2008, more people can be expected to turn to fortune tellers and fengshui masters for help.
While these masters were busy making their professional calculations to come up with predictions for the year 2008 to sell their services, books and/or seminars, this student has yet to consult the Book of Changes for the annual hexagram.
Their reasoning for their hard work is simple. Many Chinese would want to know their fortune before the Chinese New Year starts. Therefore fortune readings for the oncoming year are usually in great demand some time before the old year ends, so are the seminars and the horoscope books. Strike while the metal is hot, perhaps?
My reasoning for not consulting the Yi is also simple*. At this time of year, and according to tradition, the Daoist deities and heavenly immortals (the ShenXian) are said to be returning to heaven to make yearend reports of what transpired on earth. Furthermore from experience, personal annual hexagrams consulted before a Chinese New Year begins are neither here nor there. Therefore this student only consults the Zhouyi on or after the first day of CNY for his annual hexagram and not before.
To me, the current period of time can be called, ‘a blind corner’, since few would really know what is around the corner. Under the circumstances, one cannot offer anything special about the stock markets until the CNY begins. Not long to wait though.
Note:
*After I had written out and decided to blog a more comprehensive entry on this topic in the wee hours of this morning (local time), when I clicked onto the internet explorer to post the entry in blogger.com, my ISP link to international sites suddenly went dead while the links to local sites remained stable. Also by coincidence, a heavy thunderstorm started.
Perhaps Heaven was trying to provide hints that too much is being revealed. Therefore certain information which relate to the ways of Heaven to support my simple reasoning has been omitted.
6 comments:
Or perhaps it indicates that Heaven is requiring a personal request from alert readers who view your blog internationally to ask for those extra insights?
Hi Allan,
This is a very interesting post. I too am very interested in knowing your reasons for not consulting the Yi for your annual hexagram before the old year ends. I also would like to know more about this 'blind corner' if possible.
From your personal experience you have said that personal annual hexagrams consulted before Chinese New Year begins are neither here nor there.
Does that mean that the personal hexagram I have gotten for the first 6 months of 2008 which i consulted in the last week of Dec 2007 is neither here nor there?
If so would I have to reconsult the Yi for a hexagram after Chinese New Year for greater relevance?
Thank you in advance for your guidance.
Irving
Hope I haven't overstepped the mark here, but I asked for extra information only because I like to read what you write, and wanted more.
B-R,
Certain things can be revealed, others cannot be. After having received two previous warnings from Heaven during the past few months because of certain blog entries, I have to take this third warning seriously.
I am sure you do not want me to suffer the consequences of revealing too much.
Irving,
A ‘blind corner’ is simply what it is; few drivers can see what lies around the corner of a tight bend.
Like what I suggested in a much earlier entry (on Annual Hexagrams), Yi aficionados should consult their personal annual hexagrams on or after a Chinese New Year. It may prove to be more accurate with the possibility to see around a ‘blind corner’ – where an ‘English’ New Year begins and before an old Chinese year ends.
Whether Yi aficionados are Chinese or not, they can always try to keep in line with ancient Chinese tradition and/or practice.
Thank you for sharing Allan. I would have made years of mistakes before it dawned on me that such a thing as a 'blind corner' would exist when an 'English' New Year begins and before an old Chinese year ends.
Irving
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