Are we all going to the dogs in 2006?
January 28, 2006 | 12:00am
It’s an irony that the animal most associated with loyalty, justice and fairness also figures in the most number of negative expressions. We say "dog-eat-dog" to mean ruthless self-interest, "in the doghouse" for being in a state of disfavor, "doggone" for damn, "dog in the manger" for being a selfish twit, and so on.
You call somebody a lazy dog or a lucky dog, accuse him of dogging it for failing to do his best or putting on a dog and pony show for nothing more than an elaborate PR pitch.
So, in the Year of the Fire Dog, are we all going to the dogs? Not quite. According to feng shui masters Merlina Merton, author and president of Better Living Feng Shui Services Inc., and Hong Kong-based Joseph Chau, resident geomancer of Mandarin Oriental Manila, the year brings both good fortune and bad for the 12 different signs.
To start 2006 right, Merlina advises that we enter the new year debt-free. "This refers to personal, not corporate debt. Not only money, but kindness should be repaid in kind. Resolve all quarrels and misunderstandings before the new year, so that family and friends can renew their ties with peace in their hearts. Before New Year’s Eve, thoroughly clean your house and office, and discard old, worn-out or broken objects. Wear new clothes in the year’s colors: red, yellow, gold and silver. Have as much cash on hand as safety permits to impart a feeling of wealth. It is a bad omen to run out of money during the new year. Switch on all the lights in your house and open all the windows and doors to let in the new chi."
While it is customary to greet the new year with loud noise, Merlina cautions the use of firecrackers harming the "energy bodies of young children, old folks and house pets" and, of course, of unborn children reacting to loud noises in their mothers’ wombs.
Joseph traces this custom to ancient Chinese farmers who would make loud noises to scare off wild animals from destroying their crops and attacking farm animals. In feng shui, this symbolizes warding off evil spirits. He says, "You should not sleep until the new year comes – you have to welcome it. Take a shower, wear new undergarments and slippers. Stamp the floor with your new slippers to drive away bad luck and back-stabbing."
Parents, he adds, have to give ang pao to their children. (And also give money envelopes to those who served you during the year, says Merlina.) Families should also set up their dining table, put fresh flowers, tikoy, radish cake, different kinds of fruits, a money bowl, and candies to symbolize prosperity.
Merlina says the importance of welcoming the new year is based on the "belief that how you act and feel on the first day of the year will affect your luck for the rest of the year." As such, on the first day of the Year of the Dog, "think positive thoughts, do not speak negative words, and do not scold the children."
Famous dogs: George W. Bush, Lao Tzu, Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Robert Frost, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Mother Teresa, Donald Trump
Joseph Chau: Dogs will have numerous disputes and conflicts both in business and in daily life. This is not the best time to develop new projects or undergo expansion, except for autumn or winter Dogs born in the lunar months of July, August, September, October, November and December. Dogs will excel mainly in the creative field and will have an optimistic romance this year.
Merlina Merton: Not a very good year for most Dogs. Be patient. Work or study well. Avoid negative people and situations, and things can improve.
Famous Pigs: The Dalai Lama, Woody Allen, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Hillary Clinton, Ernest Hemingway, Mozart, Luciano Pavarotti
Joseph Chau: Pigs have better luck in business development and expansion, and are lucky in the overseas market. Financially, it is a profitable year for Pigs. Single female Pigs will have many opportunities to meet their dream lovers and there is a possibility of getting married this year. Married Pigs, however, should try to reach a mutual understanding to avoid temptation.
Merlina Merton: A good year for most pigs. Make hay while the sun shines! Money and friendships are well aspected. Don’t overspend and/or overwork and get enough sleep.
Famous Rats: Louis Armstrong, Cameron Diaz, Gene Kelly, William Shakespeare, George Washington, Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Joseph Chau: A lucky year for Rats, especially for politicians, military and government employees, with a possibility for promotion. Corporate Rats will get the full support and back-up from top management. Money luck is stable but they should pay special attention to finances during the lunar months of May and September. Rats are highly prone to accidents this year and therefore should refrain from participating in dangerous and extreme sports, especially in January and September.
Merlina Merton: A so-so year for most Rats. If you concentrate on what you are doing and don’t get sidetracked by emotions, you will be just fine.
Famous Oxen: Napoleon Bonaparte, Jim Carrey, Princess Diana, Walt Disney, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Vincent Van Gogh, Colin Powell, Eddie Murphy
Joseph Chau: Luck will be half good and half bad. Oxen may encounter hurdles, misunderstandings, gossip, and strained relationships with people. Female Oxen will be luckier than male oxen. Their finances are on the upward trend. However, they should use caution getting into high-risk investments, especially in the lunar months of May and September. A romantic year for male Oxen. For single female Oxen, they should take the initiative to enliven their love life.
Merlina Merton: Good aspects this year for romance and money. Take advantage of opportunities and welcome help from the opposite sex.
Famous Tigers: Sun Tzu, Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe, Jodie Foster, Marco Polo, Demi Moore, Dwight Eisenhower
Joseph Chau: Money is easy come and easy go for Tigers. They have to be careful with documents, especially when signing contracts and must watch out for business traps, especially in July. This is not a romantic year for Tigers. Married couples should try to avoid arguments and quarrels, while single Tigers must be alert so as not to fall into a love trap.
Merlina Merton: Don’t be discouraged if at first you fail. Diligent work will be rewarded. To avoid stress, be patient with your family and loved ones.
Famous Rabbits: Confucius, Tiger Woods, Jet Li, Drew Barrymore, Fidel Castro, Cary Grant, Michael Jordan, Robin Williams, Tommy Hilfiger
Joseph Chau : A good year for Rabbits, especially for those in the PR, movie, and sales industries. They will have the opportunity to go into a partnership in business and will get a bundle of money in reward the whole year. A very romantic year for Rabbits.
Merlina Merton: Romance can flourish and it’s a good year for marriage. Money comes when needed. You have nothing to complain about.
Famous Dragons: Bruce Lee, Salvador Dali, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Andy Warhol
Joseph Chau: A tough year for Dragons encompassing business, career, family, and love affairs. They will face many obstacles and hurdles both in business and personal life. Try to save money for unexpected expenses throughout the year, and be cautious in September. Avoid car racing, diving, swimming and other dangerous sports, especially in March, May and September.
Merlina Merton: Not the best year for dragons. You should keep a low profile; don’t make major investments; take care of your health and the health of your loved ones and don’t gamble or take unnecessary risks. Next year, your fortune is better, so just sit this one out.
Famous Snakes: Mao Tse-Tung, Muhammad Ali, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Henri Matisse, Brooke Shields, Oprah Winfrey
Joseph Chau: A very lucky year for Snakes. They will be creative and productive at work. Money is good and they will have an opportunity for promotion. They should be cautious of falling into business traps, especially in April and October. Snakes should pay special attention to their health. They will enjoy a very colorful love life throughout the year.
Merlina Merton: Generally a good year. Opportunities will come. Your love blooms, but watch your expenditures.
Famous Horses: Jackie Chan, Nelson Mandela, Kevin Costner, Cindy Crawford, James Dean, Paul McCartney, Theodore Roosevelt
Joseph Chau: This year is particularly lucky for government employees, administrative officers, police, military, politicians, and all kinds of leaders. They will have chances of getting promoted and becoming famous. Good luck in money, however, they must be patient and avoid getting involved in disputes, and should pay special attention when signing contracts and documents.
Merlina Merton: Your luck is generally good. Be tolerant and kind to those around you, especially your significant other. Your kindness will be rewarded.
Famous Goats: Robert De Niro, Chow Yun Fat, Zhang Ziyi, Pamela Anderson, Charles Dickens, Bill Gates, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bruce Willis
Joseph Chau: Goats may be quite emotional and weak in communication, which will affect their relationships with people. They have to be patient and avoid getting annoyed easily. Financially, they will have satisfactory profits from their investments, but not lucky for love affairs. Lovers will easily have misunderstandings and quarrels.
Merlina Merton: A year to be careful in your speech and actions. Avoid gossip and intrigues. You can enjoy this year if you lower your expectations.
Famous Monkeys: Pope John Paul II, Elizabeth Taylor, Julius Caesar, Yao Ming, Lucy Liu, Michael Douglas, Alicia Keys
Joseph Chau: More travel prospects await Monkeys this year. A job promotion or change in career or business is also possible. Lucky industries include immigration, travel, trading, transportation, sales, hotel, education, publishing. Should avoid going to funerals and wakes. Not a romantic year for Monkeys.
Merlina Merton: A good year to circulate, meet new people, and develop new business or career interests. Money will come if you are enthusiastic and have a positive attitude. Find a way to de-stress.
Famous Roosters: Benjamin Franklin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Yoko Ono, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger
Joseph Chau: Luck will fluctuate, bitter at first and sweet later. They have to be careful in handling business or work. Beware of hidden enemies, and avoid getting entangled in personal disputes. A good year for romance, but they should pay attention to their health.
Merlina Merton: Not a bad year for Roosters. You can make it better by concentrating on your career and taking care of your health. Hens may get lucky in love.
Better Living Feng Shui Servcies Inc. president Merlina Merton says says that a house "that is dark, dusty, leaking, cracked, cluttered or clogged will have a bad energy field or bad feng shui."
She prescribes seven general rules to improve one’s feng shui, regardless of the year and birthday of the homeowner:
1. Clean all windows and door screens, electric fans and aircon filters. Air passing through dust loses its chi and downgrades the energy level of your home.
2. Enliven the chi with plants inside your house if you don’t have a garden.
3. Declutter. Get rid of old, broken or unused items, especially those cluttering your corridors as these will block your luck and affect your health (the corresponding cluttered hallways are clogged blood vessels and ducts).
4. Fix your plumbing. Leaking roofs and clogged drains are deadly to your health and to your cash flow. The physical correspondence of clogged drains are problems with the kidneys, genito-urinary tract and digestive system.
5. There should be no garbage and dirt outside your door. Locate your trash as far as possible from your gate or door without intruding into your neighbor’s space.
6. Make sure enough natural light enters your home. Remember, natural light energizes, fluorescent light enervates.
7. Mold and mildew negate good chi. Respiratory illness is one of the year’s probabilities. A vacuum cleaner would be a good investment this year.
You call somebody a lazy dog or a lucky dog, accuse him of dogging it for failing to do his best or putting on a dog and pony show for nothing more than an elaborate PR pitch.
So, in the Year of the Fire Dog, are we all going to the dogs? Not quite. According to feng shui masters Merlina Merton, author and president of Better Living Feng Shui Services Inc., and Hong Kong-based Joseph Chau, resident geomancer of Mandarin Oriental Manila, the year brings both good fortune and bad for the 12 different signs.
To start 2006 right, Merlina advises that we enter the new year debt-free. "This refers to personal, not corporate debt. Not only money, but kindness should be repaid in kind. Resolve all quarrels and misunderstandings before the new year, so that family and friends can renew their ties with peace in their hearts. Before New Year’s Eve, thoroughly clean your house and office, and discard old, worn-out or broken objects. Wear new clothes in the year’s colors: red, yellow, gold and silver. Have as much cash on hand as safety permits to impart a feeling of wealth. It is a bad omen to run out of money during the new year. Switch on all the lights in your house and open all the windows and doors to let in the new chi."
While it is customary to greet the new year with loud noise, Merlina cautions the use of firecrackers harming the "energy bodies of young children, old folks and house pets" and, of course, of unborn children reacting to loud noises in their mothers’ wombs.
Joseph traces this custom to ancient Chinese farmers who would make loud noises to scare off wild animals from destroying their crops and attacking farm animals. In feng shui, this symbolizes warding off evil spirits. He says, "You should not sleep until the new year comes – you have to welcome it. Take a shower, wear new undergarments and slippers. Stamp the floor with your new slippers to drive away bad luck and back-stabbing."
Parents, he adds, have to give ang pao to their children. (And also give money envelopes to those who served you during the year, says Merlina.) Families should also set up their dining table, put fresh flowers, tikoy, radish cake, different kinds of fruits, a money bowl, and candies to symbolize prosperity.
Merlina says the importance of welcoming the new year is based on the "belief that how you act and feel on the first day of the year will affect your luck for the rest of the year." As such, on the first day of the Year of the Dog, "think positive thoughts, do not speak negative words, and do not scold the children."
DOG 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 |
Joseph Chau: Dogs will have numerous disputes and conflicts both in business and in daily life. This is not the best time to develop new projects or undergo expansion, except for autumn or winter Dogs born in the lunar months of July, August, September, October, November and December. Dogs will excel mainly in the creative field and will have an optimistic romance this year.
Merlina Merton: Not a very good year for most Dogs. Be patient. Work or study well. Avoid negative people and situations, and things can improve.
1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 |
Joseph Chau: Pigs have better luck in business development and expansion, and are lucky in the overseas market. Financially, it is a profitable year for Pigs. Single female Pigs will have many opportunities to meet their dream lovers and there is a possibility of getting married this year. Married Pigs, however, should try to reach a mutual understanding to avoid temptation.
Merlina Merton: A good year for most pigs. Make hay while the sun shines! Money and friendships are well aspected. Don’t overspend and/or overwork and get enough sleep.
1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 |
Joseph Chau: A lucky year for Rats, especially for politicians, military and government employees, with a possibility for promotion. Corporate Rats will get the full support and back-up from top management. Money luck is stable but they should pay special attention to finances during the lunar months of May and September. Rats are highly prone to accidents this year and therefore should refrain from participating in dangerous and extreme sports, especially in January and September.
Merlina Merton: A so-so year for most Rats. If you concentrate on what you are doing and don’t get sidetracked by emotions, you will be just fine.
1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 |
Joseph Chau: Luck will be half good and half bad. Oxen may encounter hurdles, misunderstandings, gossip, and strained relationships with people. Female Oxen will be luckier than male oxen. Their finances are on the upward trend. However, they should use caution getting into high-risk investments, especially in the lunar months of May and September. A romantic year for male Oxen. For single female Oxen, they should take the initiative to enliven their love life.
Merlina Merton: Good aspects this year for romance and money. Take advantage of opportunities and welcome help from the opposite sex.
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 |
Joseph Chau: Money is easy come and easy go for Tigers. They have to be careful with documents, especially when signing contracts and must watch out for business traps, especially in July. This is not a romantic year for Tigers. Married couples should try to avoid arguments and quarrels, while single Tigers must be alert so as not to fall into a love trap.
Merlina Merton: Don’t be discouraged if at first you fail. Diligent work will be rewarded. To avoid stress, be patient with your family and loved ones.
1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 |
Joseph Chau : A good year for Rabbits, especially for those in the PR, movie, and sales industries. They will have the opportunity to go into a partnership in business and will get a bundle of money in reward the whole year. A very romantic year for Rabbits.
Merlina Merton: Romance can flourish and it’s a good year for marriage. Money comes when needed. You have nothing to complain about.
1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 |
Joseph Chau: A tough year for Dragons encompassing business, career, family, and love affairs. They will face many obstacles and hurdles both in business and personal life. Try to save money for unexpected expenses throughout the year, and be cautious in September. Avoid car racing, diving, swimming and other dangerous sports, especially in March, May and September.
Merlina Merton: Not the best year for dragons. You should keep a low profile; don’t make major investments; take care of your health and the health of your loved ones and don’t gamble or take unnecessary risks. Next year, your fortune is better, so just sit this one out.
1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 |
Joseph Chau: A very lucky year for Snakes. They will be creative and productive at work. Money is good and they will have an opportunity for promotion. They should be cautious of falling into business traps, especially in April and October. Snakes should pay special attention to their health. They will enjoy a very colorful love life throughout the year.
Merlina Merton: Generally a good year. Opportunities will come. Your love blooms, but watch your expenditures.
1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 |
Joseph Chau: This year is particularly lucky for government employees, administrative officers, police, military, politicians, and all kinds of leaders. They will have chances of getting promoted and becoming famous. Good luck in money, however, they must be patient and avoid getting involved in disputes, and should pay special attention when signing contracts and documents.
Merlina Merton: Your luck is generally good. Be tolerant and kind to those around you, especially your significant other. Your kindness will be rewarded.
1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 |
Joseph Chau: Goats may be quite emotional and weak in communication, which will affect their relationships with people. They have to be patient and avoid getting annoyed easily. Financially, they will have satisfactory profits from their investments, but not lucky for love affairs. Lovers will easily have misunderstandings and quarrels.
Merlina Merton: A year to be careful in your speech and actions. Avoid gossip and intrigues. You can enjoy this year if you lower your expectations.
1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 |
Joseph Chau: More travel prospects await Monkeys this year. A job promotion or change in career or business is also possible. Lucky industries include immigration, travel, trading, transportation, sales, hotel, education, publishing. Should avoid going to funerals and wakes. Not a romantic year for Monkeys.
Merlina Merton: A good year to circulate, meet new people, and develop new business or career interests. Money will come if you are enthusiastic and have a positive attitude. Find a way to de-stress.
1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993 |
Joseph Chau: Luck will fluctuate, bitter at first and sweet later. They have to be careful in handling business or work. Beware of hidden enemies, and avoid getting entangled in personal disputes. A good year for romance, but they should pay attention to their health.
Merlina Merton: Not a bad year for Roosters. You can make it better by concentrating on your career and taking care of your health. Hens may get lucky in love.
She prescribes seven general rules to improve one’s feng shui, regardless of the year and birthday of the homeowner:
1. Clean all windows and door screens, electric fans and aircon filters. Air passing through dust loses its chi and downgrades the energy level of your home.
2. Enliven the chi with plants inside your house if you don’t have a garden.
3. Declutter. Get rid of old, broken or unused items, especially those cluttering your corridors as these will block your luck and affect your health (the corresponding cluttered hallways are clogged blood vessels and ducts).
4. Fix your plumbing. Leaking roofs and clogged drains are deadly to your health and to your cash flow. The physical correspondence of clogged drains are problems with the kidneys, genito-urinary tract and digestive system.
5. There should be no garbage and dirt outside your door. Locate your trash as far as possible from your gate or door without intruding into your neighbor’s space.
6. Make sure enough natural light enters your home. Remember, natural light energizes, fluorescent light enervates.
7. Mold and mildew negate good chi. Respiratory illness is one of the year’s probabilities. A vacuum cleaner would be a good investment this year.
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