8 Chinese Metaphysical Things To Remember In 2019

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! I hope everyone’s enjoying their time with friends and family during this festive season!

We are finally in the ‘real’ new year, astrologically speaking. Chinese New Year is really near the 4th of February this year, which is technically the day when Li Chun (立春) arrives (except a very few particular years), so what this means is that both our BaZi and Zi Wei Dou Shu charts have shifted into 2019’s configurations.

I can’t help but get a little nervous each time the new year arrives and it’s a bit of an occupational hazard. 2018 has been great for me, and I hope 2019 will be just as great, if not better, not just for myself but for all my readers as well.

This year is a little different as it’s 无春年 which is translated as the year with no spring. There is a really simple explanation for why this year is 无春年 and you’ll have to go into Chinese history and how the Chinese calendar was developed. The ancient Chinese combined both the solar and lunar calendars to keep better track of time, but because both calendars are not precisely in sync, you’ll often hear that ‘extra’ lunar months (闰月) are added during certain years, and 2019 happened to one of those years. I won’t bore everyone with the technicals.

Anyway, as we usher in the new year, I figured it would be a good idea to write a post which consolidates and recaps some of the important things I’ve always advocated. This post brings together some key points I want my readers or anyone who may eventually stumble upon this blog to know.

This mission I’m on in getting the right message out there stems from the fact that this field needs a thorough clean-up. The number of malpractices happening out there frustrates me. I don’t remember being so bothered by these malpractices in the Chinese metaphysics field when I first started giving consultations in 2014, but this slowly changed as my eyes opened up to the countless people being harmed by the blatant and intentional misapplication of metaphysics – all for the sake of business. There’s nothing wrong with charging for a service and it’s not a matter of how much one charges – Chinese metaphysics is not a field where you can joke around because people’s lives are affected here. I’m not sure when this happened, but something in me snapped one day and I’ve been trying very hard to educate people on this field ever since.

People need to start approaching metaphysics the right way and people who call themselves practitioners should perhaps revisit the way this art is being conducted things as well – myself included. However, my issue is more on learning to be less blunt. Certain lines shouldn’t be crossed, and I hope there will come a time when people no longer get conned into false cures or be misled by the misapplication of theory.

I believe the onus lies more heavily on practitioners as laypeople rely on them to convey the right message. Practitioners are the ones that should uphold the values and principles that our ancestors developed this field with. The catalyst, however, lies in the masses and lay people. So please, if you can, spread the right message because it will help someone someday.

Here are eight things that I want all my readers, both old and new, to remember:

1) Practitioners Cannot Perform Miracles And Turn Your Life Around

Chinese metaphysics practitioners are normal human beings, so don’t mix us with people who claim to have supernatural abilities. I believe such people exist, but you don’t have to have such abilities to practice metaphysics. Practitioners do not project into the future via visions we receive or some mystery voice we hear. The practitioner’s ability to forecast comes from seeing things a certain way or pattern. These patterns are built on the laws which Chinese metaphysics explores. These laws won’t change and will, in fact, keep repeating itself.

Studying and practising metaphysics does change your perspective on life. Seeing how people’s lives unfold according to the theory and charts can be daunting, especially in the case of challenging charts where the majority of the chart holder’s life is suffering. It makes you wonder what’s the point of everything and why people must suffer.

Metaphysics, when broken down into its simplest form, is really just about cause and effect. The practitioner’s job is to explain how this cause-and-effect might unfold, but it is never their job to help you resolve these issues. A practitioner could give some pointers based on their own life experience, but what needs to be done should be fairly obvious to anyone as long as their desires or attachments don’t cloud one.

The paradox here is that visiting a practitioner isn’t meant to change anything, which has nothing to do with whether the practitioner is accurate. Assuming the practitioner is accurate and knows what he or she is doing: People need to understand that the practitioner’s job is to help you get a different perspective, but what you do with that information is entirely up to you.

A practitioner cannot suddenly make you smarter or that you can get that job you want; a practitioner cannot suddenly make you healthier when you spent your life neglecting your health; a practitioner cannot magically make a man or woman of your dreams fall in love with you when you are perceived as an unreliable partner. This is cause-and-effect and you can even call it common sense.

Please understand that your chart, at the end of the day, reflects your karma, who you are, how you develop and what your debts are. The practitioner can help you become aware of these things, but whether you become aware of them is a different story. Do not ever expect practitioners to solve these problems for you.

If one has a bad chart and life is tough, it’s not because this person is ‘unlucky’ – it’s simply because they are self-destructive and the mindset they hold puts them in a slow, downward spiral. One cannot keep blaming one’s environment because only people with fixed or toxic mindsets stay stuck in negative environments.

Related Post: What’s The Difference Between A Good BaZi Chart And A Bad One?

2) Chinese Metaphysics Is Not About Generating Good ‘Luck’

This whole notion of generating good ‘luck’ and attracting wealth is so deeply embedded in Chinese culture that it has become a bit of a problem. I’m not sure if everyone noticed, but 9 out of the 10 Chinese New Year songs always have some element of attracting wealth and some songs are even centred around the God of Wealth (财神)。

Chinese metaphysics is a study of cause-and-effect and the rules that govern the universe. When the Chinese ancestors set out to study and develop this field, the intent was never to be about attracting ‘good luck’ per se. Yes, you will often hear of the term 趋吉避凶 which means to attract what’s good and negate what’s bad, but people always tend to take things at face value and not realize that this term really refers to us watching our thoughts and actions. Chinese metaphysics has never been and will never be about generating ‘good luck’ and tossing aside self-awareness and cultivation.

There is a reason why I always use single inverted commas when I use the word “luck” because this word has no place in Chinese metaphysics. The Chinese word we often hear of in this field is 运, but please remember that the definition of 运 is not the same as “luck”.

Related Post: There Is No Such Thing As ‘Luck’ – Understanding What 运 Means In Chinese Metaphysics

3) Zodiac Forecasts Are 100% Entertainment And A Complete Misapplication Of Theory

I blog about this every year, but my voice gets drowned out by mass media, which is understandable. I’ve addressed this issue multiple times from layman and theoretical angles, so refer to the links below to understand where I am coming from.

The best example is this term we always hear of clashing with the Grand Duke. Clashing with the Grand Duke or ‘Tai Sui’ (冲太岁) is not always bad and can be one of the most beneficial things in one’s astrological chart.

This major change in how we perceive and use Chinese metaphysics will not come from the media but from us. The media will always continue to perpetuate what the masses want or whatever that generates buzz. My voice will perhaps always be overshadowed, but what matters to me is the readers I have an affinity with and appreciate what I’m trying to achieve.

It really doesn’t matter which famous practitioner is performing all these forecasts on mass media. It doesn’t mean anything. What better way to reach the masses and grow the business than creating content that thrives on the misunderstanding of this field and the innate human insecurity about their future?

The fatal cognitive bias here is to think that just because everyone is doing it, it must be true. If a practitioner wants to go on the media and start a forecast with “By the way, your full details are needed for an accurate personal forecast”, then wouldn’t it already show that the idea of annual zodiac forecasts is fundamentally flawed to begin with?

Our ancestors never intended for this field to be used this way because it is ridiculous, unconstructive and can potentially harm many people. I don’t understand why anyone who calls themselves a practitioner or “master” would participate in this annual charade.

Related Posts:

Why You Should Stop Taking ‘Feng Shui Masters’ Who Do Zodiac Forecasts Seriously

What Is ‘Tai Sui’ And Will It Really Affect You?

4) Using Colours & Feng Shui Items To ‘Change Your Life’ Are Nonsense

This is a complete bastardization of this field. It defies all logic and twists whatever the Chinese sages and ancestors developed.

Life and the laws of nature are not so simple or weak to manipulate just with colours and items. The only benefit from colours and items is psychological, and if a psychological boost is all you need, it is silly to let it come from these trivial solutions in the first place. No so-called “feng shui master” should ever be proposing or claiming that items and colours can grant you the kind of life you hope for.

If these things had any value or legitimacy to them, the sages would have written them down or at least come up with case studies on them – but they didn’t. Why? Because in an age where Chinese thought and culture were at its prime, anyone who advocated this would be laughed at and ridiculed.

I say this with no ego or bias, but only the people with the worst BaZi and Zi Wei Dou Shu charts will be naive enough to believe in the legitimacy of all these nonsensical claims and magical cures.

There are cultural and historical reasons why colours are assigned to certain directions and elements. The five elements you hear are not the literal metal, fire, wood, water or earth you see in real life. The five elements are a way to describe how energy moves and Yin Yang interaction – that’s it.

Related Post: The Whole Debate About Colors, Feng Shui & ‘Good Luck’

5) Feng Shui Takes Around 3 Years To Take Effect

Case studies throughout history have shown that the effects of feng shui take around 3 years to take effect and this should be expected.

Chinese metaphysics is a study of cause-and-effect, and the unfolding of cause-and-effect, like everything else in nature, needs time. If you managed to find yourself a home with excellent feng shui, just remember to be patient as it will take you a while to reap the benefits. If you are the sort who likes to move around and sell your house the moment the value goes up, you may want to consider if that’s truly a wise move in the long run. I am not talking about your real-estate investments or second properly – I’m referring to that one precious home you and your family are supposed to create happy memories together.

I never liked the idea of having to shift homes once every few years and go through the arduous process of finding a new place. The time and energy you save could be used on many other things.

If you managed to find yourself a house with good feng shui, I would suggest you make the most of it and plan your next move carefully because there is a chance you might shift somewhere less than ideal. If you happen to end up in in a house with bad feng shui, please also be cognizant that there is a reason for this because the kind of house we end up in is fated in a way.

Related Post: Why I Have No Choice But To Screen My BaZi & Feng Shui Clients

6) People With Good Charts & Good Karma Will Get Good Houses

This is one of the harsh truths in Chinese metaphysics. Houses with good feng shui exist, as do houses with extremely bad feng shui.

Not everyone will get to stay in a house with good feng shui, which is the reality. You could say that where you eventually end up reflects how nature’s laws unfold. In other words, the kind of house you end up in is fated.

Try not to perceive that feng shui as being about whether a course can put a curse on you or bless you. See it this way: When a practitioner enters your house, we can project what may happen. Of course, what practitioners can see will be limited using only feng shui is used – a reading into your astrological chart always holds more insights.

All these said, Feng Shui gives us that extra lift we are all looking for, but getting a house with excellent feng shui takes some effort and transcending of one’s astrological chart or fate.

Relate Post: Your Astrological Chart (BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shui) & House Feng Shui Are Interconnected

7) Chinese Metaphysics Is Not About Predestination, But Transcending Your Chart Is Different For Everyone And It Won’t Be Easy

Life would be practically meaningless if Chinese metaphysics were about predestination and everything was set in stone. Do not ever fall into the trap of thinking this way. I lost count of the number of times I said, “Our ancestors would not have spent hundreds of years developing this field just to tell us we can’t do anything about our lives”.

Metaphysics studies cause and cause-and-effect; the ’cause’ for anything is ourselves. We cannot blame others for what we go through, nor can we blame our parents or Heavens for being born with a bad chart. The charts we are born with reflect our karma, so there is no point in blaming anyone other than to keep working with what we currently have and playing our cards right.

Transcending charts are different for everyone and it won’t be easy. There is no template way of transcending your chart. Yes, you could say that it boils down to self-awareness and practical wisdom, but therein lies the tricky part. You must figure out something that works for yourself and your unique situation.

Related Posts: What Does Transcending Your BaZi & Zi Wei Dou Shu Chart Mean?

8) Everything Is Interlinked & Balance In All Things

There is a saying in the medical field that we only live as long as our weakest organ. When one organ fails, the whole body fails, and what comes next is obvious.

Similarly, our lives are only as good as our weakest aspects.

I did not make up this notion of balance and how everything is interlinked – it is at the core of Chinese metaphysics.

What’s the point of having riches but with no good health to enjoy it? What’s the point in having a marriage only to see two people come together and not be happy?

This balance in all things is at the core of Yin and Yang, forming the foundation of metaphysics. True progress only comes when each and every aspect of our lives improves together. Of course, I’m aware that achieving this isn’t easy, but the point I am trying to make here is that we should always have a holistic view and approach.

Anything taken to the extreme will have negative consequences, including how one views metaphysics. One would be severely mistaken if one approaches metaphysics, thinking that it’s all about good vibes and positive thinking. There is wisdom in acknowledging the negative or the flip side of things.

Related Posts: Why Your Marriage, Success & Wealth Are Interconnected

I always say this: This blog exists to educate people, and I challenge everyone to approach Chinese metaphysics from a different perspective – different from what mass media portrays. If you have an alternative view which you feel is right, I am always happy to hear your thoughts, so don’t be afraid to leave a comment or reach out, and I’m happy to explore it with you.

If you found this helpful post, by all means, please share it with your friends and family, and hopefully, just hopefully, the day people can truly benefit from our ancestors’ knowledge and wisdom will finally come.

– Sean

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