In Pure Spirit

For open minds

Chinese New Year 2016: What does the Year of the Monkey mean?

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Year of the Monkey fashion collection

With the advent of 2016, the Chinese New Year is almost beginning and in tandem with the Chinese zodiac, it is the Monkey’s Year. It is set to start on Monday, 8th February. If this year is to be the Year of the Monkey what does that mean?

The Chinese Zodiac.

The Chinese zodiac is a method in the Chinese folklore of naming personality traits in association with zodiac animals according to the person’s year of birth. This system has 12 animals, and thus, the cycle rotates over a period of 12 years. The following animals are considered zodiac animals;

  1. Goat-People born in the year of the goat are often associated with these traits; sensitivity, kindness, politeness and creativity.Some of the years are;1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015,2027.
  2. Monkey-People in the year of the monkey is known to be witty and quite intelligent. Some of the Monkey years are 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016,2028.
  3. Rooster-Independence and punctuality are the traits associated with people born in the Rooster years;1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029.
  4. Dog-Honesty and loyalty are the major traits associated with people born in these years 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030.
  5. Pig-People born in these years are friendly and lazy;1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031.
  6. Rat-Adaptability and intuition are an association of the people born in the year of the rat. The years include;1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020.
  7. Ox –People born in these years 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021,2033 are known to be conscientious and moral.
  8. Tiger-Courage, unpredictability and stubbornness are traits associated with people born in the year of the tiger.They are; 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034.
  9. Rabbit-People born in these years 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023,2035 are associated with compassion, modesty and are known to be impulsive.
  10. Dragon-Confidence, wit and dominance are traits associated with these years 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024,2036.
  11. Snake-Intelligence, wisdom and privacy are traits associated with the year of the snake 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025,2037.
  12. Horse-People born in this year are popular, free spirited, hard working and intelligent. The zodiac years are 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038.

So, if you’re a Monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac you are lively, smart and witty. You are also short-tempered and jealous, but you are quite gentle and honest.

Love.

In matters of love, Monkeys are more compatible with the Ox and the Rabbit though they should avoid the Tiger and the Pig because they are considered a bad omen.
This year, however, will be a challenging year for Monkeys. They will have colourless relationships though they have higher chances of getting lucky during the 7th and 12th Chinese lunar months.

Lucky and Unlucky Numbers.

Like a Monkey, your lucky numbers are 1,7 and 8.However, you should avoid 2, 5 and 9.

Career.

Monkeys will have prosperous careers this year if correctly aligned with the year Monkeys will have prosperous careers if properly aligned with the Tai Sui star. Monkeys should focus on their jobs and discipline themselves otherwise; they won’t achieve anything.Monkeys should be wary of untrustworthy people and be taught to avoid getting in trouble. They should seize opportunities during the 2nd, 5th and 12th Chinese lunar months as these are their luckiest.

Health.

Monkeys will experience minor illness, but they won’t come to a lot of harm if they are careful.They should take caution of traffic when going about their daily activities and avoid taking risks.

Some famous monkeys include; Tom Hanks, Mick Jagger and Kim Cattrall.

In Pure Spirit

Is the Chinese New Year special to you? What does the Year of the Monkey mean for your family? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Chinese boy with glowing eyes can see in the dark

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This news footage for the UK but from China appears to show a young boy with very strange eyes. It’s not just that they are blue (like a Westerner, says the reporter) but that they seem to reflect light back like cat eyes. The boy has amazed the medical community because it appears as if he can see in the dark.

Take a look at the video below and let us know what you think. Is this real? A mutation? Evolution?

In Pure Spirit

This would not be the first time someone with superhero-like powers being “found” so we should be cautious of this video. Don’t you think?

Can he really see in the dark?

Tiger dancers and a surprising New Year twist

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It’s the Chinese New Year today. May the Year of the Dragon be a good one for you. Although these two dancing puppets aren’t dragons – they’re Chinese tigers – it’s still a good time to share the video.

The two dancing tigers start of dancing to some traditional Chinese music but that doens’t last long as we see the pair begin to shuffle to Party Rock Anthem.

In Pure Spirit

Not bad, huh? I thought the coordination between the front of the tigers and their back legs was especially impressive.

5 Chinese Dragons to celebrate New Year

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When is the Chinese New Year in 2012? The Chinese New Year is Monday, 23 January. That’s right. Chinese New Year is today.

There are five different time zones in China. They range from UTC+5 to UTC+8. That means the first parts of China celebrate New Year at about 4pm GMT on Sunday the 22nd.

Happy New Year.

In order to celebrate here are five photographs of Chinese Dragons.

In Pure Spirit

What will you be doing to celebrate Chinese New Year? Will the Year of the Dragon be a lucky year for you?

The Chinese zodiac in crayon

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These ordinary crayons have been gracefully carved into the 12 symbols of the Chinese zodiac.

The artist behind this clever feat is Diem Chau. She normally works in other materials but I’m glad she made a colourful exception with these crayons.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Aren’t they as beautiful as they are clever?

The Year of the Ox – the earth Ox

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year of the ox chinaToday is the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Ox. 2009, according to Wu Xing, is an Earth year and so today is the start of the Earth Ox year.

The Ox

The Ox is yin in polarity and associated with the element of water. People born in this year will have Oynx as a birthstone.

Ox is a hallmark of quite hardwork and stalwart determination. People born in the Year of the Ox are often born to lead. Although they can be quite they are dependable and naturally achieve what they need to achieve. Despite success, the Ox often remains modest, calm and tireless. However, those born to the Year of the Ox sometimes need quiet and time to reach their goals and once set on a target they can be tenacious in reaching it.

Ox tend to be grounded in common sense and logical. Although security is important them so is kindness and care. The Ox enjoys helping other people and dislikes being in debt or flying by wire.

Earth

Earth is balanced yin and yang and equally masculine and feminine. Earth, like the Ox (which is a water associated animal) represents hard work, patience but also stubbornness.

People born in the Year of the Earth Ox are especially likely to be hard workers but also prone to being stubborn.

Love compatibility for the Year of the Ox

The Ox is most compatible with people born in the Year of the Snake, Rooster or Rat.

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year

  • Have a clean house – It is considered wise to sweep away any bad luck that might have built up during the previous year
  • Decorate – Red is a lucky colour. It is common to hang red paper decorations on winds and doors.
  • Don’t clean for a day or so – Avoid sweeping away the good luck the new year brings, don’t clean for the first day or two
  • Offer a Nian Gao to the Kitchen God – Leave a Chinese sticky cake out for Zao Jun
  • Gift packets of money – Give a little money wrapped in red paper to children
  • Use a Tray of Togetherness – A circular or octagonal shaped tray with eight compartments filled with symbolic foods

In Pure Spirit

We wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year. How do you plan on celebrating?

An introduction to five Feng Shui schools

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Feng shui Luopan compass

Image via Wikipedia

Research suggests that Feng Shui is around 6,000 years old, it started in China, then became popular in surrounding countries and latterly the world. It is perhaps not surprising that there are different schools and techniques within Feng Shui. This post looks at five of the most popular Feng Shui schools still used today.

The Eight Directions School

The Eight Directions School uses the bagua map to calculate and  orientate the eight directions over the home’s floor plan. Each direction carries a different energy variant which can either  be calmed or enhanced depending on the need. This Japanese technique suggests that both your sleeping and sitting position can influence how much energy you absorb.

The Eight Mansions School

Your date of birth is used to calculate your kua number (the amount of chi you were born with) and whether you belong to the east or west-life group. Homes facing in one of four directions are benefit to people belonging to the east-life group and ones homes facing in one of four different directions are beneficial to people from the west-life group. Furthermore, the Eight Mansions School suggests that one half of your home can be positive to you but the other  half can actually be negative.

The Flying Star School

This Feng Shui school works in close conjunction with an astrology chart and the date in which the building was constructed.  The bagua map is orientated by the building’s structure and surroundings. A special lo pan compass is then used to help interprete readings.

The Form School

There are four mystic animals in Feng Shui; the dragon, phoenix, tiger and tortoise. The Form School studies the surroundings and landscape to identify the presence of these animals. An ideal home would be able to position some low, solid protection or wall on the right (the tiger) and a lighter but taller structure on the left (the dragon). There should be an open area at the front (the phoenix) and a sturdy area, mountains, trees or hills (the tortoise) behind.

The Three-gate School

The Three-gate School makes significant use of the bagua map. The Three-gate school uses the front door to centre the bagua map and uses the life areas on the map to study how chi will flow around the home. The Three-gate school is a relatively new technique and was developed in the 1970s in New York.

Compass and non-compass schools

Feng Shui schools traditionally fit into two different types; compass and non-compass. Compass schools originate from flat plains of China and focus on the movement of the sun. Non-compass schools originate from the mountainous regions of China and focus more on surroundings and shape.

  • The Eight Directions School is a compass Feng Shui school.
  • The Eight Mansions School is a compass school.
  • The Flying Star School is a compass-based school.
  • The Form School is a non-compass school.
  • The Three-gate School is a compass Feng Shui school.

In Pure Spirit

Have you any experience in the different schools in Feng Shui? Which of the schools have worked best for you?

Mu and Wu – the question is wrong

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Oxherding pictures, No.

Image via Wikipedia

Wu is the Chinese word which equates to Mu in Japanese or Korean. It means ‘none’, ‘not-being’ or ‘without’.

The Mu koan

In Zen Buddhism Mu is used to imply that the question being asked is wrong. The most studied Mu koan has a monk ask Zhaozhou, the Chinese Zen master, “Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?”. Zhaozhou’s answer to the question was “Wu” (or, in Japanese, Mu).

Early Buddhist academiccs debated whether dogs and other animals had a Buddha-nature or not. By answering “Mu” to the question Zhaozhou not only avoided taking sides in the debate, he also avoided following the wisdom of others without denying them. It could also be interpreated that Zhaozhou’s answer implies that yes and no are both right and wrong.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Is Mu ever a valid answer or it is the only valid answer?

Disclosure

This blog discusses ideas and causes. Urban myth and history combine here. In Pure Spirit covers stories from elsewhere on the web and may make fair use clippings and quotations from the original source.