I’m on paternity leave. There are no BaZi reports or Q&As due, so I thought it made sense for me to write and pen down some of my thoughts before I know the avalanche that’s going to hit me hits me. I will be in touch with everyone in the queue very soon.
I mentioned in my previous blog post that 2024 has been off to an incredible start – and it indeed has. I don’t remember any year starting this well. My career has reached new heights, I’ve made many truly meaningful, deep friendships, and my wife and I grew even closer with the arrival of our child. I continue to be reminded that I am blessed with good people around me who owe me nothing but still choose to help me.
I am grateful, but as always, I remind myself that it can be taken away at any point should Heavens feel like I don’t deserve it anymore.
Life feels very different. Given my background, I really, really never thought I’d get here. It’s been a profoundly transformational few weeks, and I struggle to find the right words to describe it. It’s weird saying this after everything I’ve been through, but I’ve never felt so blessed.
This entry is a bit more self-indulgent, so do pardon me. It’s an update and some ramblings. Nothing important.
Life As A New Parent And Father
The past few weeks have been the most magical few weeks of my life, and it all started with my wife going into labour after eating a McDonald’s cheeseburger and some nuggets. I guess my son didn’t want to taste them through the umbilical cord anymore.
I could not control my tears as I held my son in my arms. I felt some grief welling up knowing what I went through as a child and that I would never let him go through what I did, but my heart was also filled with love for a human being I just met. The void of not knowing what a family felt like was gone – because I am now playing the role of the people who failed at their roles, and I am witnessing what motherly love feels like vicariously through my wife. Anyone who enjoys parenting can relate to this bliss and fulfilment of being a parent, and I’m so happy I finally get to experience it.
I’ve always wondered, “What does family feel like?” Now, I know.
If you’ve been paying attention, Pluto has been messing with my Ascendant House for a while now, and it did transform me and made me feel like I went through some form of rebirth. I’m sorry, my haters, but Pluto didn’t tear my life apart, although I know it did for you. Pluto is one of my strongest planets, blessed with the presence of a domiciled Jupiter. I am blessed and heartened to know that this trait of my chart allowed me to go through transformation after transformation. Thankfully, they feel like positive transformations. My Mercury Cazimi allows my thoughts to be heard, and some other traits in my chart allow me to be seen by my community – you, the reader, and an Instagram follower.
Was the outcome of my life because of “luck”? Is “luck” the same as the Chinese metaphysical term 「运」？ You should know my answer if you’ve known me for a while. Perhaps I should give some credit to some Divine Creator who gave me a lift, or perhaps the Divine Creator made it such that my thoughts and actions led me here.
The remainder of 2024 will be packed not just because of fatherhood but also because of work and other things I hope to achieve. I suddenly find myself looking at another three-digit queue. I don’t know when I’ll be able to blog again unless it’s a compelling trigger or topic I wish to talk about, so I figured I’d better do some writing now.
I can’t wait to tell everyone about my fatherhood journey, and I can’t wait for my son to grow up so that I can have deep conversations with him and teach him everything that I know.
My Start To 2024 & Giving Thanks
It’s been quite a start to the year. I stepped into 2024 telling myself to remember the lessons of 2023, and I could not be more grateful. Was my great start to 2024 a reward for how I handled 2023? I really don’t know. I only know I was reminded to handle it, and I got humbled. I’m glad I am still alive and well.
2024 started off with the craziest Chinese New Year I’ve ever had. An influencer-friend posted about me and I found myself with a three-digit queue. I wanted to write more about our friendship, but I’ll leave that for another time. I only managed to catch my breath recently to prepare for my son’s arrival, and I told myself to take a break.
Fast-forward a little. The next thing I knew, my Our Grandfather Story (OGS) feature was published, and I suddenly found myself with another three-digit queue. It felt like Chinese New Year all over again. I know what you’re thinking, and I will address it later.
There were so many significant events happening one after another, and it has been one hell of a ride – exhausting but deeply fulfilling.
Filming the OGS feature was a lovely, memorable experience. I even got my fortune ‘read’ for the first time in my life and witnessed how someone can run a script and spout nonsense for 20 minutes straight. Wendy is an amazing, beautiful, and charming host. Even though I know she’s Christian, she showed openness, and I felt really comfortable talking to her. The producer is also one of the nicest and most patient people I’ve ever met – she put in a tremendous amount of effort trying to understand what I do and the message I was trying to bring across, and we had many discussions about it. I’ve always been blessed by such benefactors, and I could never be more grateful. They owe me nothing; having them feel like my story was worth sharing is a huge honour.
There were a lot of behind-the-scenes moments that would have been fun for the viewers to see:
If you’ve not watched the feature yet, here it is.
This was accompanied by another cute little feature in which an 11-year-old girl interviewed me. One of my VIP clients wanted to do a little side project together with her daughter, and what followed was one of the most nerve-wracking interviews I ever had to do because suddenly, I needed to describe what I do to someone who isn’t even a teen in Mandarin and in a non-irreverent way while battling my intrusive thoughts.
The OGS feature is my most significant one so far, given its reach and what I was able to discuss on screen. My Rice Media feature from two years back didn’t give me much chance to discuss my philosophies and beliefs as it focused more on the individual. I was glad OGS allowed me to go deeper and get the word out in a well-written story.
I’m not used to being in front of the camera (I don’t even like posting pictures of myself), and I think most people can tell there was some awkwardness on my part during some scenes.
It amuses me that some people still think I pay or pull strings to get these media features. I can assure you – I don’t – and I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this. I’ve always operated from a place where I focus on doing my job properly, and whatever is meant to happen will happen. If someone could pay for such things, it is common sense that I would be the last practitioner to be featured because dozens of practitioners out there can’t wait to throw marketing budgets at them. I’ll admit that such features do bring more business, but I need to remind everyone that I’m not so foolish to encumber myself with the pursuit of more business or money because there is a limit to how many cases I can handle, and it should be obvious that I am selective of my clients. Letting too many people, or the wrong people, know of my existence will bring me more trouble than good – the axiom of balance applies here.
I won’t pretend to be coy here. I know I have a compelling story, and it is a huge honour that people wish to tell my story more than I wish to tell it myself. My story is the same reason why clients find me for a consultation, and I don’t say all this out of arrogance or superiority. The truth is, my past is, well, the past – I’m done with it. I don’t have to talk about it to feel better about myself, and I am fully focused on creating my future now with all the lessons I’ve learned. I’ve never twisted my story to make myself look favourable. I don’t even call myself a “nice person”, although I definitely wish to be a “good person”.
The truth is, my past is, well, the past – I’m done with it. I don’t have to talk about it to feel better about myself, and I am fully focused on creating my future now with all the lessons I’ve learned.
I studied Chinese metaphysics and astrology to seek answers for my own life during a period of my life when I felt my life was meaningless. It came to my realisation that I had a lot to contribute to this field, especially in a place like Singapore where Chinese people don’t seem to feel connected to their roots anymore.
It’s not that I chose this story (or maybe my soul did). It chose me because I was born with the chart I have, and the only thing I could do was to embrace it because if given a choice, would you have wanted to be born into the family I was born into? I sometimes told myself my soul chose this family so that it could accelerate my growth, and it has in some ways.
Getting To Know Me As A Person: Both Light And Dark Sides
The most heartening thing about the last few weeks is that people finally saw different sides of me. It used to be just words via my blog, then my irreverent Instagram page where I choose to have fun. Then, there is the occasional revealing of my face and then my voice – and right now, it’s more about how these come together and show up in different situations. My blog is the deepest you can go into my mind; my Instagram is the playful and sometimes wrathful side of my mind, and how you see me on video is how I am in real life and how I express myself.
I’m happy that people are getting a chance to know me, but I want people to know both the good and the bad in me because that is only fair. I think it’s important that people get to know the darker sides of myself too so that I have some safeguards to my moral compass. The last thing I want is for people to feel that I’m trying to put up a false front, or pretend to be good.
If you want to get to know me, then get to know me. I will always show you my authentic side, and I won’t pretend to be someone else to make you part with your money. Get to know my dark side even. If I respect you, I will tell you; if I love you as a friend, I will tell you; and if I find you stupid, I will also tell you. My darker side has to do with how I assess morality and weigh my decisions and why a part of me feels that something to achieve the greater good, some ‘bad’ things need to be done. My bluntness is one such manifestation. My morality is something that I am always contemplating. For example, should I save one Cat. 1 chart-holder and let 1,000 Cat. 4 chart-holders drown? These are questions I will always be asking.
The last thing I want is for people to feel that I’m trying to put up a false front, or pretend to be good.
People are often taken aback by the stark contrast between my online persona and in-person demeanour. It’s not that I want to hide it in person. Written words are the most direct and unfiltered transmutation and expression of my thoughts and emotions. That’s how I am, and it will always be a little different from an in-person interaction, which calls for some level of decorum and restraint. Astrologically, I have Pisces and Gemini placements—double fish, double human. I do have a duality, and I can supplement emotions with rationality and vice versa.
Written words are the most direct and unfiltered transmutation of my thoughts and emotions.
I never claimed to be perfect or a saint. I find stupid, ignorant people an absolute, tedious chore. I know I could use another word or politically correct way to say it, but whether you want to be sliced by a sword, bludgeoned by a mace, or given a lethal injection that you think is painless but isn’t, the point is I will still let you know how I feel, but the delivery really depends on what kind of person you are and what I feel works. It is the same reason why you can see me curse and swear on my Instagram and not realise it’s the same person on video.
At the end of the day, behind all that wrath, irreverence, and vulgarities, calling people “stupid”, “moronic” or whatever. What am I trying to achieve? Some Cat. 4 chart-holders have never been called out for their nonsense their entire lives because they actively avoid people and situations where they are forced to take a good look at themselves. You are wasting your life away, and you are living a life where you make it a pain to inflict harm and suffering on others – if you are not stupid and moronic, then what are you? Besides, it’s not like I’m like that to everyone. I give hell to the people whom I feel deserve, especially when they are toxic parents, narcissists, or disgusting human beings.
You can hate me for being so harsh, but I will say what I wish to say. I could call you “stupid”, or I could call you “ignorant”. To me, it is the same. But perhaps to find a middle ground somewhere, I will call people “ignorant” from now on.
Sometimes, I wish everyone knew how to read astrological charts. You will know exactly why I am the way I am. That said, I am still evolving, especially as I am now a father and don’t know what I’ll become like. We will just need to let time tell. What I do hope is that fatherhood will make me an even better practitioner moving forward.
Trust me, I am very aware of my bluntness, curtness, and whatever is due to my childhood. I am aware of it, and I try to keep it under control. It’s not that I wish to project it on others, but certain triggers are just very hard to control at times, especially when I’m dealing with a toxic parent, client, or someone who refuses to work on themselves and yet wants good things to happen to them. That said, it is my responsibility, and I will work on it, and I feel that the arrival of my son will help.
What Does It Mean To Live Effectively?
As you should know by now, my favourite quote will always be, “The astrologer’s purpose is not fortune telling or entertainment; it’s to show people how to live effectively.”
One of my hopes for the video was for people to be reintroduced to Chinese metaphysics, be it BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shu, or Qi Men Dun Jia, in the right and proper way. What is the spirit of Chinese metaphysics and astrology? Is it to make you rich? Or perhaps something deeper?
The quote says a lot without saying a lot, and it reminds me of Confucius’s saying of 「书不尽言 言不尽意」。 A full-on discussion of what it means to live effectively could see me bring back every single topic I’ve covered in the past: Balance, transcending charts, and that your 运 is not “luck” at all. These are just some of the many examples.
I don’t know everyone’s definition of an “effective life,” and I think people should define it for themselves, although I’m sure its definition won’t veer too far from finding your purpose in life. I dare say that from my years as a practitioner, most people don’t even bother thinking about their purpose, let alone trying to work towards it.
Perhaps let’s just put it this way: Living effectively simply means living to your chart’s fullest potential. You’re able to express its best qualities while also ensuring that the negatives don’t get in the way because you work on them. I’ve said this before, but looking at an astrological chart is looking at what’s needed to reach enlightenment and the cessation of suffering. It doesn’t mean you get to live however you want. A Category 1 chart-holder’s way of living effectively will be very different from that of a Category 4’s. To a Cat. 1, living effectively means using their resources and intelligence well and contributing to society the best they can. To a Cat. 4, it might simply mean to stay out of trouble and to keep yourself alive.
There are endless ways to live effectively, but I don’t wish to make this about case studies and thought experiments for now. Rather, this is a reminder of why astrology exists and its hopes to achieve. Chinese metaphysics and astrology will never, ever be about shortcuts to fulfil your desires. No one will ever be the universe’s special child – unless you are Lisa Manobal.
Reiterating A Few Things On The Industry & My Place In It
The Chinese Metaphysics Industry Is Still A Bloody Cesspool
One of the biggest things I hate about the Chinese metaphysics industry is this: If you look at 9 out of 10 of the advertisements out there, it’s either about making you rich, helping you find your dream lover, or coming up with some weird ‘life hack’ to get you what you want. Qi Men Manifestation Masterclass… What in the hell is that? Why don’t you use it to manifest something else, like striking the lottery or making crypto go up, instead of Qi Men manifesting a Qi Men Manifestation Masterclass?
I have been speaking against this misconstrued notion of Chinese metaphysics since Day 1, and I am glad the OGS feature allowed me to really get my message out there – that your 运/Elemental Phases is nothing but an endless series of “thought and action”. It is so senseless to think that 运 is “luck”, or that Feng Shui Items and bracelets can do anything to change your 运， luck, or whatever.
I’ve spoken a lot about the industry by now, addressing its atrocious standards and spiritual narcissism. At the rate we are going, the Institute of Mental Health will produce better practitioners than any Feng Shui school can.
Am I In This For The Money?
I know what some people are thinking. Three-digit queues – it must be a lot of money. I’m not going to be coy and pretend that people don’t try to estimate my earnings and that it is indeed higher than average, but I want to state here, categorically, that whereas the money makes me comfortable, more of it doesn’t make me happier. I know there will be people who go, “Pfft! That’s easy for him to say.” Then I wish you to have as much money as you want, and then let me know how you feel, especially when you take shortcuts and have never worked hard, believed, or fought for something in your entire life.
I’ve said this before, but if I really wanted money, I would be like the scumbag practitioners selling jadeite figurings for five figures and ridiculous ‘BaZi-changing’ rituals for $150,000. Some practitioners drive a Lamborghini and dress in Prada shoes and shirts. I don’t even have a car. $150,000 saves me the time of 307 BaZi reports and Q&As, it saves me from dealing with Category 4 cosmic garbage, and it saves me plenty of my time and energy. If I wanted money, I wouldn’t be doing things the way I am now. Trust me, there are enough ignorant and desperate people willing to pay such a sum. Even if it’s not $150,000, there are ones that are more ‘economical’ packages out there that even come with coupons.
With my skills and experience, if I wanted to scam, I could be the best scammer out there because I know exactly when to sell you something to get you hooked. I even said this in my Instagram Reel here. This is, in fact, what’s happening right now because some basic BaZi knowledge is all you need to fool someone that the item they just bought somehow has a causal effect on the progress in their lives when all they needed was to believe in themselves a little more.
So, tell me, am I doing this for the money? Do I really need to keep addressing this? Should I be punished for committing to a craft, wanting to be good at it, and ensuring people get a proper reading instead of a generic report sold to everyone? Mind you, I have the reports of every single practitioner in the industry, so please – I know my industry better than anyone else.
Money talk aside, at this point, nothing makes me happier than my family and friends and finding meaning in my existence – which I have. I know why I exist, what I am fighting for, and what I was brought here to do, and I am glad I have loved ones who support me throughout the process. Trust me when I say this: There is no greater joy than knowing why you exist and no greater joy than human connection.
The money is a bonus, and I save up to experience new things with my friends and family. I don’t splurge on luxury items or clothes, and if you don’t believe me, please realise that I’m always in the same ‘uniform’.
The image on the right from my Instagram Reels was taken when I was invited to give a presentation at my Alma Mater, SJI, in 2022. I try to live as simply as possible and not be a slave to money, chasing revenues to pay off a heavy mortgage or car loan (I don’t even have a car) when I’m just as happy living in government housing and taking a cab.
At the end of the day, what I value the most is my freedom and autonomy because no amount of money can buy you a day or even a second of your time back. Money cannot buy love, friendships, and class. I want to live, and I want to experience life and what I missed, connect with others, and hopefully, people feel like crossing paths with me was a good thing. Part of my happiness and fulfilment also stems from knowing I will not bow to evil, and I do not have to tolerate anyone just because they have a higher corporate title than I do.
Trust me, I gave my all in the corporate world, not putting my interests first and remembering that everyone is also a human being with families and dreams, but we all know what the corporate world is like. The last thing I wish is to answer to a corporate superior who is out to only look after his/her rice bowl.
Addressing My ‘Arrogance‘ (Again) & Calling Out The Hypocrisy *Rolls Eyes*
I get called “arrogant” a lot because of my demeanour, especially my online demeanour. This is nothing new, and I will reiterate a few things for the sake of people who have just gotten to know me. It’s not that I’m sensitive about this issue because I know myself better than anyone. Trust me, I know I can come across as arrogant. If you don’t observe proper etiquette in your emails, don’t expect me to be polite either.
Firstly, if you ask me whether I am a better human being than some people, especially when compared to the Category 4 bad BaZi chart-holder – there is no reason why I’ll tell you that I am not. Did I use my past as an excuse to become a menace to society, like what we’ve been seeing in the news? One Singaporean got murdered in Spain because some useless low-life had a chip on his shoulder, refused to grow up, and over-compensated. Two Singaporeans were killed in a completely preventable traffic accident because two people wanted to be egotistical pieces of garbage. It’s sad to see all these things, knowing they might happen to a loved one or someone you know one day.
The Yin Yang contrasting nature of duality will make it look like I am superior, and I will humbly while bearing in mind the privileges and fortune I’ve had, take that. This isn’t about me – because anyone should be very proud that they can discern right from wrong, which makes you superior in some sense. But is it an exaggerated sense of my importance or abilities, and does it come from a place of insecurity? Am I calling out other practitioners because it is a moral imperative or because I want their share of Category 4 clients, which you know I’d rather not deal with? I’ll let you decide. Alas, if people wish to think I’m arrogant, I am perfectly fine with it.
I’m always reminding myself that there’s something to learn and room to grow because if I do not think this way – it disqualifies me from being a practitioner. I should know the 谦 (Humility) Hexagram exists in the 64 Hexagrams, and I know what Saturn is capable of. Of course, sometimes I slip, but I will be reminded.
What I’m about to say next is nothing personal. It’s just a glimpse into what I deal with from time to time in my industry. I never wanted to put this in this post, but someone threw the first punch and even spread lies, so I’m going to call it out. Everyone should know I detest hypocrisy because I grew up with a hypocrite and narcissist, and I will not just stand by and do nothing.
My question to people who call me arrogant is whether they have ever felt that they need improving, and have they ever considered what they are doing is not just wrong but also extremely insulting to human intelligence?
I spend every single day trying to be a better practitioner, not just through practising my craft but also by making it a point to be a decent human being. Then, here I have other practitioners who never once questioned if they did things right. They then go on to call me “arrogant” and use different YouTube accounts to leave hate comments. By the way, I know the exact person who left these comments – a few favours here and there, and it’s not difficult to find out.
So, I suspect the ‘practitioner’ who is all about yellow floor mats created a new account just to leave the above comments. I merely replied, “I wonder how I survived for ten years then,” to the first comment, and the pompous reply claiming her statement was factual and impersonal came. I’ve not seen someone so salty before. I mean, I was double-hatting, studying, and practising as much as I could back in my earlier days, and I was, in fact, earning more from my Chinese metaphysics side gig than my corporate job since 2016. Is studying hard, doing well in my Chinese metaphysics side gig, and being in the corporate world mutually exclusive? I’m really not sure what she was trying to pick at. It’s not that I like to call people “stupid” sometimes, but some people really don’t make sense at all. They’re also too dumb to know that when someone leaves such a comment and tries to convince people not to consult me, it pushes even more people to me, thanks to YouTube algorithms. But nah, they can’t resist – and I can understand why.
I don’t actually need the extra business. What’s more important to me is that we spread the right philosophies so that society doesn’t feel like yellow floor mats or red triangle stickers will change your life.
Here is my factual and impersonal description of events to return the favour. Remember when I first posted about those pink papers on the oven? For some amazing reason, she texted my client within 10 minutes of that post going up – which was unexpected but impressive. My client ignored her on WhatsApp, so she texted on IG. My client ignored her again, and she texted on Telegram.
Maybe just let it go? What were you hoping to achieve? Change the colour of the floor mats and paper? It only signals to me that this person refuses to admit she’s wrong. So, may I ask who the arrogant one is? It doesn’t matter if her remedies are “validated by Feng Shui practitioners from the same school” because what is the point when everyone’s doing the wrong thing? The groupthink and confirmation bias are so extreme here. It’s called the bandwagon fallacy.
Who Cares What Your Lineage Or Who Your Teacher Was?
There are different schools of Feng Shui – and then there is absolute garbage Feng Shui. I don’t get why people are so presumptuous to think you’re Heaven’s gift to mankind just because you took some classes from someone who has whatever lineage. If that had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t have met so many Category 4 chart-holders from Oxford or Ivy-league universities.
It is extremely tragic that Feng Shui has become a circus act. I don’t know what kind of Feng Shui requires the practitioner to climb onto someone’s dining table to get measurements – it is completely unnecessary. It’s a charade and clown act. Yes, the person on the dining table is the same practitioner proposing yellow floormat and pink paper on ovens.
Only ONE person will keep harping about me being self-taught – and it is this legend. If you want to leave hate comments using different accounts, at least don’t make it so obvious. Cover your tracks and assume I have friends to run checks for me if necessary. In any case, the internet is a free world, and I can’t stop people from posting what they want to. She left another comment using another account, but I’ll leave it.
But what I wish to point out is this. There is a sick, disgusting irony and hypocrisy that someone who thinks yellow floormats and pink paper on ovens can alter your fate and Shibu Inu floormats can block ‘qi’, but yet has the audacity to pick on me being self-taught ‘amateur’ when this person can’t even decipher a BaZi chart for nuts and can only rely on what I regard as a lower-level form of numerology. The focus of the OGS video wasn’t even on Feng Shui. It’s not that I don’t wish to respect her, but she has been asking people to use yellow floor mats and red arrows under the aircon for three goddamn years.
The old saying goes, 「七分命理不出门，三分风水走天下」。 You won’t dare show your face when your astrology skills are at 70%, but with your Feng Shui skills at 30%, you can conquer the world. This basically means that it’s easy to use Feng Shui to hoodwink people, even when you only know 30%. Anyone and everyone can be a ‘master’ with just 30% proficiency in Feng Shui.
If these remedies really worked, I would have kept my mouth shut. I would have been happy for my client, and I would have been delighted to know that simple, albeit nonsensical, remedies had magical effects. But did it? It did not. Read my conversation in the post with the pink paper. My client ended up arguing with the husband over these stupid ‘remedies’ because, thankfully, one of them has some sense of rationality, knowing that these are nonsense.
May I also remind everyone that if you leave an item or piece of paper somewhere long enough and let your BaZi run its course, you will eventually hit some positive years? Then, some practitioners will convince you that it’s that item or piece of paper that did the trick when it was completely unnecessary in the first place. The causal link between the Feng Shui item and your life event is what we call a Correlation/Causation Fallacy. If shark attacks and traffic accidents go up together in a certain year, it doesn’t mean shark attacks cause traffic accidents.
This ‘practitioner’ has some history with me. She sent me a really rude, self-entitled email way back in 2020 when she was first studying Feng Shui, and me being me, I gave her a piece of my mind. I never knew she would come out to practice Feng Shui until someone (not the pink-paper client) mentioned they engaged her one day and told me how ridiculous their experience was. This was how I discovered that such a bastardized form of Feng Shui had emerged.
There were some other hate comments, but I don’t know whether it was from a practitioner or a client. But if it were from an ex-client, I do have to say I deserved some of them because I know I can be very brutal towards clients, so some resentment is expected. But I’m calling out the said practitioner because it is so disgusting and hypocritical that this person calls me arrogant when she feels floormats and red triangles are going to do something for your life and has never once self-reflected that what she’s doing is right.
Serendipity saw me cross paths with the client who put those pink papers on her oven. We had a good chat. Long story short, she’s explored Buddhism, and a shift in perspective was all she needed for her marriage to improve – not floormats or pink paper.
I operate in an industry where everyone talks about being nice, kind, and spiritual without even questioning what it means, entails, or how we get there. So-called practitioners don’t even bother looking inward anymore. It is all about selfies accompanied by motivational or spiritual quotes. These days, doing good deeds is for the sake of uploading it on social media to win praise, and compassion becomes a marketing tool instead of being focused on alleviating suffering. I wish to make it clear that if someone wants to convince you that Feng Shui items and floor mats work, of course, they’d be nice because that’s the only way you’ll let your guard down and establish trust.
My field can get a bit pretentious at times because everyone says they wish to help others, but I often see the opposite. You can read the above blog post if you wish. I don’t want to get long-winded here.
Do NOT Give Away Your Autonomy And Power
At the end of the day, you decide what you wish to believe in. I have no control over that, and I do not care. I’ve found a good balance between religion and astrology, especially because Buddhism doesn’t reject astrology at all. I’d rather focus my time and energy on my loved ones than what you think. As I’ve said, I don’t see my job as convincing you on what to believe, but rather, how you should think.
Imagine the kind of personal power, conviction, faith, and even respect that you lose for yourself when you stoop to the level of thinking floormats and pink paper will do anything to change your life. Can anyone blame me for calling someone “stupid” for that? You are telling whatever divine power governing this world that you no longer believe in yourself and no longer wish to work on yourself. Why the hell would any Divine Creator help a pathetic person like that?
Imagine the kind of personal power, conviction, faith, and even respect that you lose for yourself when you stoop to the level of thiking floormats and pink paper will do anything to change your life.
If the Divine Creator was a sentient being that you could have tea, coffee, or perhaps smoke some pot with, what would you presume he or she would say to you? “I want you to put some yellow floor mats around your house – because that will help you develop character, teach you how to be a better human being, and I will reward you after that”? Stupid, moronic, ignorant – pick an adjective that you can accept and not be offended by.
I’ve said it in my previous blog post, and I’ll say it again: Do not let anyone decide for you what it means to be spiritual and let that person decide for you what your connection to the divine should be like.
I know the pitfalls of being a practitioner better than anyone else, and I speak about it because I am aware of it. Speaking about it is also a reminder to myself which path not to go down. As I’ve said before, Chinese metaphysics, astrology, or any esoteric field has an uncanny ability to amplify your flaws as a human being. If you are not careful, your ego inflates, and people start to use these esoteric fields for various selfish means – it could be narcissism, money, or even lust.
This is my greatest fear because I know it will ruin me. I remind myself of the pitfalls all the time.
Addressing The Fact That I Am Self-Taught
Let’s get to the bottom of this whole “I am self-taught” thing.
I agree that we need formal education for certain industries, and it’s how our economy is kept alive and the healthcare system is working. Passing down knowledge is always better when an experienced person guides the process. That said, it baffles me that some people think we cannot pick up skills independently. It’s even funnier that people say that I’m good at SEO, which is somehow mutually exclusive from my skills as a practitioner. When Google decided to bump my website to No. 1 one day, SEO wasn’t even on my mind – it was simply because I wrote a lot, and one thing led to another, and I found myself on Channel NewsAsia one day because a client found me and decide to speak about me to her friends two years later. I’ve mentioned our friendship multiple times on my blog and Instagram. The thing is, I don’t even care about SEO now because blog entries like the one you’re reading now don’t get me any leads that will lead to conversions in the first place. Does it look like I have keywords in this entry?
Most people would have missed it. I mentioned in a few places that I was a national-level Weiqi/Goe (围棋) player at one point, and I dare say I can still hold my own to this day. Learning Weiqi was one of the best things that happened to me, and you would have seen it in my Rice Media feature too. It has taught me many life lessons. Taking any hobby or interest seriously will indubitably teach you life lessons, like overcoming challenges, solving problems, and dealing with failure. You will not allow yourself to make a mockery of what you’re doing. I have a friend who does pottery for a living, and you should see how she teaches it and what her life principles are, which are expressed through pottery.
I loved the game and I wanted to be one of the best in Weiqi, and although I wasn’t the best, I still managed to get some core memories I’ll remember for a lifetime, travelling overseas for competitions. I am still in touch with some of my chess friends.
I don’t know if you can relate, but I hope you can. But if you are the sort that needs everything spoonfed to you, I can assure you that you’re not going to get very far in anything. I remember some uncles or aunties at the clubhouse proudly proclaiming that they’d been playing Weiqi for 20 years when I first lost to them, but I came back and surpassed them in less than a year. The funny thing is that they refuse to play with you again after you surpass them – that’s how big of a loser mentality they have.
Is my chess teacher supposed to teach me every move to make and take my place in competitions? Do I find something to blame when I lose and hope that one day, everyone drops below my level so that I can win, or do I figure out a way to play better and with my own unique style?
I am self-taught because I can be self-taught, and I’m sorry this makes some ‘practitioners’ feel imbalanced and inadequate. I will also proudly declare that I have a chart of an astrologer. This is why I will never, ever bastardise this field. Until you can tell me what basics like 太乙行九宫 is, or what 甲 Wood truly is, I suggest any ‘practitioner’ who has a problem with me being self-taught simply just STFU.
Does this qualify me as arrogant? How about the people who refuse to think they’re wrong, don’t go to the source of Chinese metaphysics, and are just putting up a show and then go on to insist they are right?
I was trained and brought up to know how to be self-taught. If you wish to feel that this is arrogant – that is fine by me because, like I said before, if the only way to not be deemed arrogant is to be mediocre, I’m sorry – I have no interest in that. As weird as it sounds to the average person, I am very proud of my cognitive abilities, and I find it amazing that people out there think the world has to stoop to their level so they can feel more adequate. It’s like going to a chess competition, and your opponent says, “Can you lose to me on purpose so that I can win?”
That’s not to say that I am smarter than everyone out there or that I know everything, but I know I can get my brain to function if I need it to and appreciate different disciplines and schools of thought. If I want to pick up a skill, I will do it.
I am self-taught because I can be self-taught and I’m sorry this makes some ‘practitioners’ feel imbalanced. I will also proudly declare that I have a chart of an astrologer. This is why I will never, ever bastardise this field.
Perhaps let’s put it this way. Who should I have learned from when I am in an industry where people can’t even speak or read Chinese, am buying fake social media followers, selling the same generic reports, and telling people yellow floormats can alter fates and that pictures of cats and dogs can bring bad luck? Should I learn from them or those who taught them to become such unethical, ridiculous ‘practitioners’? What makes it even sadder is that society enables such standards to exist.
Why do I need to spend thousands on a watered-down course when the source material is all free?
Addressing The LosersHaters
First of all, to my readers and those who have supported me over the years: You all don’t have to worry about me being affected by haters. I’d like to think that the fact that I have haters means I’m somewhere in life. You know the old saying, “You haven’t made it till you have haters”.
The woman who gave birth to me hates me, and it has fueled me to achieve what I have today. If I am OK and can accept that even the woman who gave birth to me hates me and wants to see me fail, why would I care about people who choose to be mediocre and societal losers and what they think of me?
Some people will say, “But you’re talking about them, so it means you’re affected.” This is exactly why I say the average person isn’t very smart and why universities should make philosophy and logic classes compulsory modules.
The above is a fallacy called “affirming the consequent”. One way of expressing this fallacy is, “If A, then B. Therefore, if not-B, then not-A”. Because the average person is dumb, let’s use an example:
Suppose it is raining; you will definitely bring an umbrella outside. But if I bring an umbrella outside, does it mean it’s raining? No, because I could be bringing the umbrella for the purpose of shoving it up someone’s ass. These were the kinds of exam questions that separated the gifted students in primary school.
Returning to my situation: If I am affected by it, I might talk about it. But if I talk about it, it doesn’t mean I’m affected – because I will shove an umbrella up your ass.
Now, I know many people will tell me, “Sean, I don’t know this, so are you saying I’m dumb?” My reply and most practical proposal is this: Are you going to waste your time hating me? Or should you simply un-dumb yourself for your own sake and go on to live the life you’ve always dreamed of? Choose, and choose wisely. How I view you is not going to affect your life in any way, and the best thing you can do is make me regret calling you dumb when you could have been a valuable friend or ally.
I don’t need people who haven’t even gotten their logic right to tell me how I should feel. Everyone, let me decide for myself. To my haters: Please continue hating me so I will always remind myself why you will always be a Cat. 4 chart-holder because you are such a huge part of my career – you even made my career because it brings comfort to us that some people are just born to be dysfunctional, useless low-lives, and degenerates. The more you hate me, the better – because the better I will be, whereas you will always be a spineless coward behind a keyboard.
It’s funny that haters call me “scum”. Hey, in that case, take a loan, go do that $150,000 ‘BaZi-changing’ ritual or perhaps a more economical $68,000 jadeite mountain, and we’ll see who’s the real scum in a few years, shall we? Or if you wish not to be called “cognitively challenged”, please transcend your chart.
Some of these people had a much easier start to life than I did, and it fascinates me to see them waste their lives away.
Moving Forward, The Remaining Of 2024, And Some Business Matters
It’s a bit weird to say this about myself, but it does feel like my career has reached new heights somewhat, and I don’t measure this by how much I’m earning or how often I appear on media. I will never appear in media as much as other practitioners because I do not agree with mainstream, commercialised Chinese metaphysics. Chinese New Year shows and giving zodiac forecasts only serve to remind us how dumb society has become.
It has reached new heights because, in a way, I guess people are taking what I say seriously now. It is a huge honour. I do not take it for granted, and I will not abuse it. My reach has never been this wide, and with that, I do tell myself I need to be more responsible with how I conduct myself, and I will make it a point NOT to swear, berate, and call people “stupid” unless it is an extreme scenario that calls for it. That said, I will still be very blunt and deliver my analyses objectively, and if your chart says you are Category 4, spouse-harming, or child-harming, I will definitely let you know.
You know, to be fair, Buddha did call people “worthless” to make a point according to the scriptures…
It is a little unnerving because I know people out there wish to see me fail, and a target is painted on my back. I assure you that I will always be the most hated practitioner amongst other practitioners for reasons I don’t have to state. But, again, to the other practitioners reading this – there are enough suckers to go around, so you don’t have to worry about your rice bowl. The place where you should feel the biggest prick is your conscience – not your purse.
I have my own little community that I am happy with and looking forward to connecting with. That’s all that matters to me. Being friends with 100 functional people is better than being friends with a million dysfunctional ones. I’m not that naive to think that I’m going to change the world – because not even religion has done that, and it never will.
2023 and 2024 have been a whirlwind, and I’m glad the metaphorical winter of 2023 has passed and that the start of 2024 has been a beautiful coming of spring. I hope the remainder of 2024 will be peaceful and without drama. I really just want to focus on churning out the reports that are due, doing a good job for what people paid me for, and spending time with friends and my new family.
I don’t know how everyone’s 2024 is, but I do hope it’s been well. Even if it is not, please remember that everything is but a cycle and human life is no different from the changing of seasons. The strongest trees that survive winter will be the ones that continue growing, and the frost that once threatened to kill them now nourishes them when Earth once again basks in the warmth of the Sun. As I’ve said in the OGS feature, life is no different from what you can observe in nature because「在天成象 在地成形 在人成事」。
The Sun… Holy motherf***ing s***, the weather is hot these days.
– Sean
