2015: The Year of the Wood Sheep (Or Goat, Or Ram)

Holistic Spaces is so happy to welcome Yasha Jampolsky back to provide insight on the Year of the Wood Sheep. This year is also called the Year of the Wood Ram or Wood Goat. Yasha has been kind enough to gift us with astrological advice for the past two lunar new years (Wood Horse and Water Snake), and I'm very excited to see what he has in store for 2015! Be sure to check in Wednesday February 18th (Chinese New Years Eve!) to read individual forecasts for each zodiac animal!

YJ: I hope you are ready for the year of the wood sheep. After the frantic energy of the wood horse year, it is a welcome relief to step in to gentler, calmer energy, more welcoming and a whole lot more heart-centered. This year is about connection with people. It’s also about looking at the bigger story and looking at the problems that we encounter as humans and viewing them as solutions rather than conflicts. 

Last year, we experienced a lot of strife throughout the planet. The good news is that during the year of the sheep, any kind of conflicts that come up, resolution can be reached. One thing we can look forward to the year of the sheep is peaceful resolutions for the planet. 

In the mythology of the Asian Zodiac, there were originally no animals, but rather 12 cycles of change. Through each cycle, we are able to improve ourselves as people. The sheep is the 8th cycle. The issues that come up during this 8th cycle involve looking at ourselves. If we have the qualities that the sheep inspires, we can enjoy the year and those traits that we’ve developed. If we do not have these qualities, this is the time to take a good look and take the opportunity to improve. 

What are these sheep qualities? The sheep is kind, heart-centered, very open-minded and seeks a relaxed life. The sheep is the most humanitarian of the animals of the Asian zodiac. It is interested in doing good in the world. In many ways, the 8th cycle of the sheep is really about opposing forces of the ego. We view ourselves as individuals separate from everyone else, and then there is the group mind, our concern for the greater good. These are the opposing forces that have to learn how to work together. The sheep inspires us to look less selfishly and in a much broader, group-oriented manner. This is a great time for gatherings, to learn how to get along better with our family members, people we work with, people we encounter, and even strangers. 

If you have those sheep qualities and it’s something you’ve been working on, it will feel familiar and comfortable to you. If you have issues with any of these, if these are challenging for you, it’s a great opportunity to lift them out in to the light and do something about it. If you are attempting to change some things within yourself, you’ll be greatly supported during the sheep year.

In Four Pillars astrology, this coming year pillar for the sheep is yin wood with yin earth. In some traditional Asian mythology, wood and earth compete and do not work together but in this particular case, they combine quite well. The yin wood is very flexible and has the ability to enter the rigid and stiff earth to loosen it up. Visualize fingers going into soil, aerating and loosening the earth so becomes more useable. This year offers the stability, comfort and dependability of earth, that is more useable, productive, and yielding. All in all, we can have an amazing year during a yin wood sheep year. 

More qualities of sheep: sheep prefer to move with the herd whether in a work or leisure space. Sheep are happiest and most empowered when the activities revolve around the group. When a group includes family, friends and loved ones, blessings are redoubled. Sheep are warm-hearted and heart centered. They thrive on connection. Connections are easily strengthened or reestablished with all friends and relations. New connections are more easily accomplished during sheep times. 

If it’s romance that you’re seeking, this is a great time to meet your soul mate, a heartfelt relationship -- something that will last as long as you’re genuine within your relationships. It could be very successful. If you are already involved in a romantic relationship, sheep times are an excellent time to renew romance and passion that was once within a relationship that's no longer there. It’s also a great time to make friends and to especially be involved in community activities.

The sheep can be timid and reserved. It prefers to put off enthusiasm until solid footing is achieved. This is a quality of earth. Earth preserves and prefers solidity and sure footed-ness. Last year, things moved at a very gregarious pace. People were running into walls and challenges. This year, the tendency will be to move more slowly and more sure-footedly. The results usually will be superior to what we experienced last year.

The sheep is interested in all manner of creative endeavors. One of the things that sheep times are noted for is intense creativity or a lot of artistic activity. If you have ever had a desire or if you’re involved in activities that are creative, these are highly supported during the sheep year. You are encouraged to pick up that paint brush and start painting again, or that chisel and start sculpting again, or go out and do some amateur theater if that’s your inclination -- because these are wonderful things to be engaged in during the sheep year.

The sheep is also very home-centric. There’s a tendency to nest and to want to be home, to be in warm and very nurturing environment. This is all wonderful, but also we’re expected to pay attention to the broader global issues that is going on. Try to participate in humanitarian activities that you feel inclined towards and attracted to. The sheep is a very committed humanitarian.

Although the sheep may appear gentle and peaceful in nature, it is not afraid of confrontations. Sheep will stand out and go head on where injustice exists, so that change can come about. The sheep is also called a ram, a lamb and a goat. The sheep may appear in any one of these incarnations and when confrontation is needed, we experience the ram. The ram can be quite direct in doing what has to be done. 

Overall, it will be a potpourri of group events, coming together, conflict resolution, facing of social issues in realistic ways where solutions can be found and generally, a big relief from the cycle of the horse. The crazy energy of last year is winding down, and as we get in to the sheep year, we’ll be able to get our footing and think more clearly. We will be able to make decisions that really serve us. But most importantly, have awareness for greater good so that our decisions also will serve others.

Thanks so much to Yasha for giving us another great explanation of what to expect in the coming Chinese New Year. As a note, Chinese astrology always recommends carrying a three-dimensional horse charm during the year of the sheep, no matter what your animal. You can get yours at the Holistic Spaces store as a keychain or bracelet! 

by Anjie Cho

Yasha Jampolsky is a nationally recognized advisor, author and teacher of the Asian Art of Four Pillars Astrology.  He has appeared on national Radio and Television and has been a contributing writer for local and national publications. His research and innovations have made Four Pillars more accessible to students and clients alike and allowed the possibility to use Four Pillars as a powerful modern healing modality.

For more information, please visit: http://fourpillarshoroscope.com

Question of the Month: Understanding Yearly Astrological Horoscopes

How is it that horoscopes for Dragon & Monkey are the opposite of what my partner and I are going through? I know they are general horoscopes, but it is so different from our reality this year. I just don’t understand.

Nancy J.

Hi Nancy, this is a common question. While I was on the interviewing Yasha Jampolsky a few days ago for our 2015 forecast for the upcoming year of the Wood Sheep (watch for it next Wednesday!), I asked him to chime in on this response.

First, from my perspective, these horoscopes are like a weather forecast, like with Juno this week. We thought in NYC we might get 36” of snow, but in reality we received around 9". In Four Pillars astrology there is an animal that is related to your year, month, day and time of birth. The year animal is the most general, and the prediction may forecast rain so you know to bring an umbrella in case it does. 

Did you know the word “disaster” means “without the stars?" I believe there is something to be gained from looking at the patterns in the natural world around us. Horoscopes of any type may give you an objective perspective on what is happening in your life. Hopefully you can benefit from that! 

Yasha adds:

“This is a very basic and simple analysis based on all the single animals (your year pillar) whereas the Four Pillars Astrology charts are made up of 4 different animals and a whole lot of elements. If you know what your 4 animals are, you can get a more accurate analysis by reading the auspices for all 4 animals. The most precise reading requires an in depth Four Pillar analysis. 

First, there are 5 elements, and a yin and yang version of each – so, really 10 elements. Then we have 12 animals, which gives us 60 possible combinations. Of those 60 combinations, we can get a certain amount of information. But when you start to combine it and multiply that by 4 pillars, it gives us a possibility of over a half a million different astrology charts. Just looking at the year pillar is not the entire story.

What I have learned from doing astrology for many, many years, is that nothing we encounter is ever meant to punish us. When things challenge us, it’s always to our benefit because with every challenge is a possibility to improve ourselves. How we respond to the challenge is what determines the outcome. If you respond in a way that takes your power away, that’s really what you end up with, disempowered life. But if you respond in a way that pushes you to be the best version of who you are, then life is improved. 

Astrology is a door that you can open and walk through, but there is so much more to how our lives unfold. My approach to astrology is always as if it’s research; I never assume anything. When you look at the auspices, it may not be a perfect fit, but take from it what you can and what does seem to fit within your life. It’s always difficult to predict the exact nature of what’s coming down the road because there’s always free will involved in the choices that we make. Astrology helps clarify our choices and can identify general trends that might be helpful.

Don't forget to purchase a 2015 Chinese New Year Charm (keychain or bracelet) to protect you during the new year! Now available at the new Holistic Spaces online store!

 

Thanks for reading our “Question of the Month."  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers.  Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

by Anjie Cho

Yasha Jampolsky is a nationally recognized advisor, author and teacher of the Asian Art of Four Pillars Astrology.  He has appeared on national Radio and Television and has been a contributing writer for local and national publications. His research and innovations have made Four Pillars more accessible to students and clients alike and allowed the possibility to use Four Pillars as a powerful modern healing modality.

For more information, please visit: http://fourpillarshoroscope.com

Listen: Feng Shui for Home Renovations

The Home Discovery Show's Ian Power and I are at it again! This week we talked about the lunar new year for the Year of the Ram and how to incorporate feng shui into your home renovations. Tune in for answers to these questions and more! 

Interview Transcript:

IP: Anjie Cho is a holistic interior architect and a sought after expert in the fields of Feng Shui and Green Design. A registered architect in the State of New York and a certified Feng Shui practitioner, Anjie creates beautiful spaces throughout New York and beyond. And we reached her today in California, good morning.

AC: Good morning.

You’re on West Coast time today.

Yes, yes, I’m in California this week.

Whereabouts in California?

I’m in the Los Angeles area in Burbank.

Nice of you to join us this morning. Your new book is already a best seller on Amazon, congratulations for that, that’s quite an accomplishment. It also tells us that there’s a huge interest in the things that you do and talk about. The book, 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces, Feng Shui and Green Design for Healing and Organic Homes. What does that mean to the unwashed?

Well, Feng Shui is a philosophy where you can look at your environment as a metaphor for your life. So if you began to look at how your environment, which means your home, your office, how those spaces affect you, you can make positive shifts in your life. Everybody knows when you’re happy in your home and you feel like you have clean, supportive environment, you feel much more successful, and things come a lot easier in your life so that’s really what it’s about. My goal for the book was to create 108 simple tips that people could use to incorporate Feng Shui and Green Design principles in their life to create a more holistic environment that supports them and nurtures them.

It’s a beautiful book by the way. There’s a lot of comfort in holding your book, just the way it’s laid out and the look of it, maybe all of this ties in. I wanted to ask you about the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year which is February 19th, that’s the Year of the Ram, and what, if any, implications that might have on what you do.

Well, it’s interesting. I think we talked the other day Ian, we’re coming out of the year of the horse and into the year of the ram. And the year of the horse; what does the horse do? A horse just runs and runs, and sometimes they hit walls and they just keep going, and it was a very active and crazy year. So I have all these things that are finally coming to a culmination right now. So it seems like a lot of things are happening right now with my book and I started an online store and my business. So this coming year, the year of the ram, is a lot more thoughtful and slower. The ram is also the same as the sheep. The sheep like to go around in herds and they like to pass a lot of friends around them and a lot of support and they move a lot more slowly, so this year is going to be a lot more thoughtful, a lot more introspective I think. There’s going to be less hitting walls and more of people getting along and supporting each other.

That’s good news. And how do we tie that in to home renovations and/or home design and decoration?

Well, I think it’s a good time to just remind yourself if you’re in a middle of a renovation or you’re considering doing renovations, why not incorporate some Feng Shui aspects into the changes that you make? I found that most of my clients, maybe they’re not interested in Feng Shui but they’re like, well, why not? Everyone’s actually becoming so much more open to it because everyone understands that your environment is so important to you especially if you’re doing a home renovation. You want to spend probably a lot of your savings on making your home just the perfect space for you to support you and your family whether you want to entertain and have your friends over for great dinners and/or have your family come stay with you or your grandchildren... There’re so many emotions and positive things involved with renovation that why not make the most of it and add in some Feng Shui tips in your renovations?

Let’s talk about the kitchen because that’s everybody’s favorite room. What are some Feng Shui tips for the kitchen?

There’s a couple Feng Shui tips. One is the kitchen cabinet. Now, a lot of people sometimes get pre-fabricated kitchen cabinets, and that’s okay if you can’t afford a custom kitchen cabinet. But if possible, try to push your cabinets, your upper cabinets, all the way to the ceiling or create a soffit above, because in Feng Shui, that area, that gap between the ceiling and the top of the cabinet, that’s a place where dead energy can collect, and if you think about it in a practical sense, it’s a dust collector. The idea is that this is a place where energy can stagnate, and it causes problems with your health and with your prosperity in your life. So just push them all the way, either push them to the ceiling or drop a soffit or put another sort of cabinet up there. And nowadays, people also have taller backsplashes because they want to accommodate like those blenders and whatnot, so we’re not seeing shorter backsplashes anymore. So that’s one of my first tips, so push your kitchen cabinet, the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling. 

Sure. What about the stove? I know that’s an important part of Feng Shui.

The stove is really important. When we look at the three most important areas or objects in your home,  the first 3 are your bed, your stove and your desk. So the stove is really important because this is how we nourish ourselves, we cook, we feed, it’s a modern hearth, right? Everyone gathers around the kitchen now, especially with these open kitchens where we have the island. Where the stove is located is really important for the prosperity in your life because how well you nourish yourself relates to how well you can work in the world and bring abundance in your life. So if you are in a place where your stove, for instance, is not facing the door so your back is facing the entry door or you can’t see what or who’s coming in to the room, that actually puts you in a position of stress and fear, and you actually can put that energy into your food where you’re cooking and that doesn’t help you. So if you’re going to renovate your kitchen, if possible, it would be great if you could position your stove so you can see the entry towards the kitchen where most of the people are coming in so that when you’re cooking, you’re in command of your space, you’re not in a place where your back is exposed, where you don’t know what’s happening so you’re in full control, you’re happy, you're stress free and you’re relaxed while you’re cooking and nourishing yourself.

Makes sense.

And if that’s not possible, you can set up a mirror or say even like a mirror teapot on your stove so you can, it’s like a little cheat, that you can see behind you like what one of those convex rearview mirrors…

Right.

So then consciously and subconsciously, you know that you could still see behind you if you heard someone coming.

Sure. Just want to move along Anjie, just because we’re just about at time and I want to make sure that I get this in, because I think one of the easiest things to do and certainly affordable things to do is to create a more inviting entry, and I want to know how and why that’s important to Feng Shui.

In Feng Shui, your entry represents your space in the world and especially, unless you're retired, most people want to have the best relationships come to you, the best opportunities come to you, and if your entry is not inviting then it’s hard for that energy or that chi to find your front door and come in to your life. So one thing is to push your entry out beyond the space of the home, that would help because it actually adds more space, more energy to that entry area. You also should really make it stand out and attractive and easy to find. There’s so many times where I see front doors hidden behind a bush or you park your car but you have no idea do I go left, do I go right, how do I get to the door…

You know what Anjie? I’m going to have to leave it there just because of time but you know what? The rest of the answer is in 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces, Feng Shui and Green Design for Healing and Organic Homes by Anjie Cho. Look for it online at holisticspaces.com. Anjie, we’ll get you back, we’re going to talk about college and other things the next time you join us on the Home Discovery Show. Thanks for your time and we’ll be back on the Home Discovery Show from the Corus Radio Network.

Click here to listen to my other interviews with the Home Discovery Show. 

by Anjie Cho

From the leaky faucet upstairs, to an entire back yard overhaul, when it comes to projects around your home, the advice you need is heard weekly on Vancouver’s CKNW Home Discovery Show.

Join Ian Power every Sunday from 10 to 11 am PT as he’s joined by experts on home renovations and upgrades, plus the latest tools and tricks from the trades.