Hi everyone,

This is a personal, rambling post, so it’s going to be pretty messy and unstructured, and do pardon my tone here as well. Whatever I’m about to write here is nothing new, and there have been many times when my posts were motivated by the need to rant and set things straight. I’ve been conducting this sideline of mine long enough for me to cover most of the key topics that I wish to cover, at least from a philosophical angle, especially when it comes to addressing myths and misconceptions, as well as the right mindset to approach Chinese metaphysics. However, many important posts are now buried in the archives, so it’s time I did a refresher on a few things and shared some of my experiences with recent cases.

Anyone new to this blog will probably have to dig through a lot of old posts to understand why I screen and pick my clients. Long story short, not everyone is suitable for a BaZi readingand not even a Feng Shui audit. Not everyone understands how to truly benefit from metaphysics. To see metaphysics as a shortcut or a magical cure is not only a complete misunderstanding of this field but also an extremely dangerous mindset. Such engagements are neither beneficial for the client nor the practitioner.

I know I’m definitely one of the practitioners out there who charge higher fees, and I’m much more vocal. My online rates are even higher than some in-person rates that other practitioners charge. I have my reasons for the fees, of course. To name a few reasons:

1. My time is severely limited. I do hold a full-time job, and there’s a very good reason why I do not wish to do this full-time, at least for now. It’s not that I don’t want to dedicate more time and effort to my craft – it’s just not wise at this point, and I do not wish to feel any form of monetary pressure originating from this sideline of mine.
   
2. I am targeting a different demographic, and I feel I can better connect with. Pricing my fees too low will only compromise the quality of my services and harm my mental well-being. I have to put myself first before I can do this job well.
   
3. I have to maintain my own motivation, and I know where I stand in experience and knowledge. Many clients have shared reports from other practitioners with me, so I have a benchmark, and I’m not afraid to declare that I know exactly where I stand.

There are many other reasons. Put yourself in my shoes, and I’m sure you can think of reasons why I’m not shy of charging a premium. The Q&A segment is something that I don’t think any other practitioner is giving, and I do it because I really want my clients to benefit, and the true value comes from the exchange between me and the client. Imagine getting a lengthy report with no explanation and no background, and you don’t even know if it was grounded in theory – it’s not going to be very helpful.

Unpopular Truth: All Businesses Filter Their Clients

I’m going to jump straight to the point here and be extremely upfront about it: If I could pick my clients, I really would. In fact, I’m already trying to do that. That’s why I ask people to fill out a form if they are looking for a BaZi consultation: I screen the cases before I take them on. If it so happens that the chart is a very challenging one, I do reach out to ask if they would be ready to hear negative things and if they are able to accept that metaphysics is not a shortcut to anything – I don’t reject these cases outright all the time because some of these chart-holders aren’t evil or vile, it’s just that they’ve had a tough life but can’t get out of the rut they’re in and are seeking some clarity but unfortunately, I end up fodder for their own issues. There is a story behind this – there was a case long ago where a client blamed me for not detecting her cancer, not knowing what metaphysics can or cannot do, which made me realise not everyone is suited for a BaZi reading. She did not even ask about her health when she first consulted me; she just wanted someone to blame. Challenging chart? Of course.

I’m neither shy nor feel guilty about picking my clients and rejecting certain cases because all companies do this. There is a reason banks have tiers, and companies have user trust teams to weed out clients they do not wish to serve. There is a reason why planes have three different cabin classes. I don’t wish to state the obvious, but this is so.

Our resources are limited, and it’s wise for businesses to focus their time and resources on clients who deserve them, not on self-entitled people who think the world owes them something.

I Will Start To Screen My Feng Shui Clients

I currently have this screening process for BaZi only, but I will roll it out to Feng Shui clients and all my other services as well. I haven’t been doing this – I should have. What this means is that I will not take up just any feng shui case that comes to me. There will be a strict screening process before I decide to take on a case. This is for the good of everyone, because I’m not your typical modern-day practitioner, and I tell you your life’s problems can be solved by rolling a pineapple into your home or burning incense in your house.

I’m really quite sick and tired of people coming to me and expecting me to turn their lives around just by putting items and placing furniture around, and as politically incorrect as this sounds, clients who have this sort of expectation tend to have challenging charts, and it’s just a matter of time before life hits them so hard that they will never be able to climb back up again. I don’t like saying such stuff on my blog because it’s cruel, but pretending it doesn’t exist or that this issue isn’t real is not helping anyone either – it makes things difficult for both myself and the client. I guess I have to take my own advice and keep things balanced – metaphysics is not always about fun, hope and a bright future like how the media paints it to be. I think people tend to forget that we don’t live in a world that’s free from suffering – it’s everywhere.  What you can hear is sometimes soul-crushing, and there are some harsh truths that will make anyone’s stomach churn. The important question is how you are going to react and what you will do if or when you hear this. Perhaps the layman can’t appreciate this fact, but if you are in this line and you see how charts manifest and translate into real life, you can’t help but feel jaded at times and wonder why life can be so unforgiving.

Challenging charts our ancestors deemed 贫贱 charts do exist, and I don’t buy the “every chart is good, it’s just how you use it” argument championed by some practitioners – to me this is just a way to package metaphysics so that it’s easier to sell, so can we please stop pretending like everything is all rosy and just because you’ve heard of BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shu or feng shui, you stand a chance at becoming wealthy and successful. I’ve argued countless times that your view on things should always be balanced if you wish to progress in life. Being positive in itself is not a bad thing, but if you push it to the point of delusion, then it is.

I wish people would take whatever I say in my blog extremely seriously, rather than just seeing it as marketing material. I know everyone is probably already sick of hearing me say things like “I’m done enough consultations to know” – but I really have. It’s just that a lot of what I say needs time to come to fruition. Here’s an example:

The client mentioned above is a very kind lady who is going through a rough patch. I wished that, with the consultation in 2016, her predicament could have been prevented, or at least that she could have been mentally prepared. She took much of what I said extremely well, despite looking grim, and did not ask for a shortcut to her problems. This is also the reason why you can see an upturn later in her life based on the chart, and she will enter into a good 10-year Elemental Phase – she has the right mindset and attitude. The challenges make her stronger and wiser. For some others, challenges make them crumble and spiral downwards.

I came out to do this sideline of mine thinking I could make a difference, and everyone, or at least whoever ends up on my blog, can walk away with a better understanding of metaphysics and how it should be approached. I’ve come to a point and realised that not everyone will ‘get it’ no matter how hard you try to explain things or help them. Perhaps it’s their karmic debt, or it’s simply just the way nature and reality are. If it were so easy for everyone to ‘get it, we wouldn’t have all the negative news we’re seeing almost every single day. I don’t like seeing the world this way – it’s really very, very cruel. It’s like telling someone, “Too bad for your tough life. It’s probably your karma.” It’s not something anyone has the right to say. It’s just that when you’ve seen enough challenging charts as a practitioner, and you see how it manifests in real life, you can’t help but ask yourself whether or not some people are really punished by Heavens or nature. I do have moments when I look at a chart, and without even knowing the person, I can’t help but feel some sympathy because I know this person is going to seriously screw up someday. But then again, sometimes they deserve it.

My own chart is one of those special cases where it swings from the extremely bad to the extremely good, so in a way, I have tasted both sides and what it’s like to have a bad chart as opposed to a good one, so it does help me in my practice and my consultations because I can relate to my clients’ suffering. But what I really cannot stand is a toxic mindset – I can’t tell you how much I disagree it because I’ve once had it, and I’ve seen how much damage it can do, and ever since, I’ve never allowed myself to go there again.

I’m not saying all this because I feel enlightened or whatever. Metaphysics is just a field I happen to be an expert in, and I will not stand for how things are currently in this field, so I hold very different and strong opinions. I’m trying so hard to communicate what I feel is right and what I believe in, and I know, deep down in my heart, I’m doing the right thing, but there will be people who are irresponsible with their own lives coming in to make a complete joke and mockery of everything I do. I was once rather naive and thought that as long as I did my best and had my heart in the right place, every client would be happy and walk away better, which I was, of course, proven wrong. Way wrong. There will always be a bunch of clients who absolutely shun me because of my style – I really don’t sugarcoat, and I will not hesitate to call out their nonsense when I need to. Fortunately, on the flip side, there will be a bunch of clients who do make me feel very blessed and humbled to have this set of skills and have something valuable to offer – some of them have kindly left very heartfelt testimonials, which you can see here. I’m past the phase where I get very defensive or sensitive about my reputation – be it online or offline. I realised I can’t make everyone happy, although I wish I could, and any business struggles with this.

I honestly would have expected everyone to do their research on me and how I conduct things first before actually parting with their hard-earned money. I’ve encountered cases where I told my clients who just bought a house recently that they bought a bad house, and what I can do is limited, and they simply replied, “But this is not what Feng Shui is about! I’m shocked!” It turns out they did not bother to read any of my blogs before engaging me, thinking feng shui is about placing items and shifting furniture around. It doesn’t matter where I rank on Google or how many testimonials I’ve got – do your research, people.

I’m trying my best to minimise the unpleasantries as I conduct this sideline of mine because I’m someone who doesn’t like drama, and I really don’t like dealing with certain kinds of people – the toxic ones in particular. I’m sure everyone can relate to this, and we all know that one person we don’t wish to be around and eventually cut off from our lives. I’ll be extremely upfront and say that I’m not always the nicest or most patient service provider. I know I should strive to be – it’s a business, after all, and clients are paying, but there are times when I need to drop the veil and just say it as it is, and I have done that plenty of times.

One of the purposes of my blog is to offer everyone a balanced view for me a person and service provider. Yes, I do try to showcase the good side of things through my testimonials and blog, but I’m also totally fine with being upfront about the bad. I’d rather you read it here directly from me instead of from somewhere else – not that there is any I know of at the moment. I’m sure there are other practitioners out there who are way better than I am, charging less, and are more patient and compassionate. Whatever it is, I really just don’t agree with pretending. I’m not leading a conglomerate where I have an army of client-facing staff at my disposal. Every client engagement is directly with me, so I can’t put on a corporate front like conventional companies.

Why I Prioritise Directness Over Comfort

I do lose my temper with my clients. It’s not something I am proud of, but thankfully, it doesn’t happen that often. I must admit that I’m not someone with the best temper, and sometimes, I think this is due to my being a bit overstretched. It does make me question whether I should do this full-time instead, so that I can be a bit less snappy. I’ve been trying to make things better by automating certain processes. For example, whenever someone fills out the consultation form, an automated email with instructions gets sent out – this saves me a huge amount of time. I do think that my temper stems from the strong opinions I hold on certain things, and I do have certain values and principles that, if challenged, will provoke a reaction from me.

I have one of those jobs where a lot of interesting characters can really show up at your (metaphorical) door, and it’s a huge challenge dealing with them, which is why the client screening process exists. Fortunately, I have the luxury of that.

Here are some of the rather blunt things I’ve said to my clients, along with the context. Please don’t mistake the tone, though. Whatever I said isn’t out of malice; it’s just that I have situations where I find that I need to drive a certain point across with no holds barred:

• “You need to understand this is precisely the reason why you have a low-quality chart.” This was said a few times to different clients who somehow couldn’t take feedback or were expecting some magical solution to their problems.
  
• “You really think too highly of yourself.” This was said to a client who clearly had some ego issues, a superiority complex, and refused to accept that his chart was not meant for riches. We all tend to overestimate our abilities – it’s a natural human flaw. What matters here is having moments to calm down and reflect on your life and career plan before making that leap. I often meet people who want to go into business because they need to feel significant or seek validation. It’s a very common issue. I was once like that and almost went bankrupt because of it, so it’s really very easy for me to identify someone like that.
  
• “It’s your life, not mine. You don’t have to prove anything to me.” Pretty much the same context as the above two points. My job is to decipher charts – that’s it. No one has to prove anything to me. Whatever I write in my reports is an objective analysis of the chart, but some people take it really personally. For example, a lot of people like to ask me if they will be wealthy, and I simply say “no” because their chart doesn’t show that kind of capacity or ability. It’s not a personal attack, for goodness sake. So many of us are stuck in a corporate job, and the rat race, and it’s just the way it is – not everyone has that kind of ability to build a business empire.
  
• “What you’re thinking of is disgusting and wrong.” I am fiercely protective of this art. I once had a potential partner approach me with a proposal to ‘scale’ my business by hiring junior staff to read charts under my name, essentially turning my practice into a factory. I will never do that, and I even wrote about it recently. He was trying so hard to sell me this grand idea, and it was clear he cared only about the money and didn’t realise how much damage a business model like this could do to people because of the huge drop in quality. I was extremely put off by this person who came to me with this proposal. The funny thing is that he hasn’t even got his own life sorted out. His questions on the BaZi form he submitted were rather simple – he basically asked if he can be a boss and if he will be wealthy. It wasn’t difficult to gauge what he is like deep down, from his chart and the questions he asked. The questions people ask can say a lot about them.

Before I move on, this is my opinion on this whole “training others to do readings” model: If someone is meant for this field, this person does not have to learn from me and can go fully independent. All the resources are already there for people to learn, and it would help a lot if you could read Chinese. Having a mentor or lineage simply means someone is assisting you and pointing you towards the right direction and sources, not because they have some god-granted special ability.

I almost became bankrupt because I mixed with the wrong crowd. Meeting opportunistic and cunning people who lie and oversell themselves in order to get what they want is not something new to me. I was young and impressionable back then, and was in the position of many of the clients I ‘advise’ today – I wanted to make something of myself, but deep down I just needed validation that my parents never gave. I may be young for this field, but I’ve been through a lot that people much older than me haven’t, which is probably why you keep hearing people say I give good advice in my testimonials. Perhaps I don’t give myself enough credit for that because I don’t want people to think that I’m arrogant. If you haven’t already stumbled upon my blog post about the Enneagram, please visit their website and take the test. It’ll be worth it.

I’m usually cordial and keep things friendly and uplifting, but when the situation calls for it, I can be extremely blunt. By posting this here, I also declare that I will never go down the path some practitioners have chosen. Training someone to do readings and scaling the business this way is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion, for reasons I’ve already mentioned plenty of times.

I think everyone needs to be rather clear about something. Being in this field lets me get to know someone very well without actually having to go through the process of getting to know them. The charts can tell. So please don’t come to a consultation pretending to be someone you’re not. I can know what someone is made of just by looking at your chart, and I don’t care whether you’re a celebrity, politician, hawker or business person – your charts will tell me all I need to know.

The thing about the above-quoted cases is that they present very challenging charts from the perspective of BaZi and Zi Wei Dou Shu theory. You’re probably asking, “Why did you take them up in the first place anyway?” I’ve always talked about transcending your chart, and honestly, I hope through the consultation they can somehow be a step closer to that once they get an understanding of what metaphysics is really about – but things don’t always go the way I intended.

I do not have anything against people with more challenging charts, but I also wish to be objective here and mentioned that there are the toxic people that frankly no one likes to be around, or the ones who seem to have some void in them that they simply must show the world how great they are and get validation from everyone, when clearly they have very little to offer. Let’s admit it, people like this exist – we simply just avoid them and focus on our own lives, but I have the obligation to write about such things because, in my field, I deal with such people a lot. I wish I didn’t have to.

Every BaZi Consultant and Feng Shui Master’s Dream

The ideal situation and dream scenario for a practitioner like me is to use my knowledge to serve people who are already doing very well. Business people, business magnates, whatever. I’ll help them time their decisions and get the most out of their lives using metaphysics. It’s the path of least resistance for me. I don’t have to deal with the unpleasantries, and I can still be financially comfortable. But we all know that the ones who are having a tougher time need it more than those who are already doing well. You’ll hardly see anyone having a good time going for a BaZi reading.

This field is so bastardised that people think rolling pineapples into your home can change your life (I’m not kidding). I had a feng shui engagement that didn’t go well because the client wasn’t happy that I had no solution to their problems. Their BaZi charts weren’t exactly good (yes, Category 4), and I only wish I’d screened it instead of taking on the case without thinking it through. To have not worked hard your whole life, or spent time improving yourself, and expecting a total turnaround of your life using feng shui (and it’s not even the proper application) is not only the epitome of sloth but also stupidity.

Moments That Make Me Fulfilled As A Practitioner

If you’re wondering what this whole category 4 BaZi chart is about, I’ve written a post on the difference between good BaZi charts and bad ones, and also one on whether you can change your BaZi or Zi Wei Dou Shu chart – I highly encourage you to read these posts. Those posts are some of the most well-received ones I’ve written because it gives a perspective that almost all clients have never considered before. You will not regret going through them. Perhaps we are all too busy and caught up with our own responsibilities to really sit down and ponder things (I make it a point to do that for myself). If you were in my shoes and had gone through the number of charts that I have, you would notice a certain pattern in the way people think and handle their lives depending on the level of quality of their charts. People in category 4 have a tendency to condemn themselves to their charts, and they don’t seem to understand that BaZi and Zi Wei Dou Shu is not about predestination.

Fierce texts and heated arguments aside, it makes me very happy whenever I receive texts like these:

That’s how I sound on most days.

My life has moulded me into someone who doesn’t really know how to pretend or put up an act. My own BaZi and Zi Wei Dou Shu charts make this very clear as well. Any of my close friends or clients who have had some brief interaction would know that about me. This side of myself does get me into trouble once in a while, but I don’t feel I need to apologise for what I stand for and what I believe in. I’m all for being friendly and polite, of course, but if I have to be blunt, I will. I think every single post I’ve written has been consistent. I don’t try to be someone I’m not, and I speak my mind and say it like it is. If you are not comfortable with it and you dislike me for it, or if you perceive it as arrogance, there’s no need to reach out or engage me. I’m really not here to sell a ‘feel good’ package or service. If you can’t accept that you have a bad BaZi or Zi Wei Dou Shu chart, and you can’t accept you bought a bad house because you simply were fated to have one and refuse to accept that feng shui is not about placing artefacts and shifting bloody furniture around – that’s your problem and mental block to overcome, not anyone else’s. Acceptance has to come before change can happen. Practitioners can’t answer questions like “Why do I have a bad chart?” That’s like asking why there is suffering in the world.

I’ve spoken about this on my blog before, but I’ve never mentioned it for a while – I have this skill at my age because I had an extremely tough start to life and grew up with abusive parents and in an extremely harsh environment. I had my phase of self-loathing and self-pity, and I did look for shortcuts in the past. You can just read the full story here. I can’t tell you how much I absolutely detest people who only know how to blame everything else but themselves, and act as if the world owes them a living and deserve all the good things in the world without having to put in the effort.

I don’t have an answer to the question of why some people are so lucky to have good charts, whereas most of us don’t. I am not a deity and I’m not some omniscient being. I, too, freaking ask myself why I have a less-than-ideal chart and why I was born with abusive parents. Just to share: I always told myself it’s probably my god damn karma, and I’ve most likely done something really bad to them in my past life. I let the experience make me stronger, and I move on. Yes, it took me two and a half decades of struggle, but I can say I’m glad I went through whatever I did. I’m a hell of a lot stronger than most of my peers mentally, and looking at things now, it’s quite clear why I had to go through those – if not for my past, I would have never gone so deep into metaphysics. Again, just to be clear, I’m not invalidating anyone’s struggles. I do feel for people who are going through tough times, and I hate it that good people have to suffer. What I’ve always been trying to tackle here is really the toxic mindset of people seeking a shortcut through metaphysics. That’s all. So please don’t mistake my intent.

I don’t put up a front as I build this sideline of mind, and I’ve always made it a point to be consistent – I really try to let people get to know me through my blog. Look, I’m a normal human being who just happens to have this skill due to how my life went. I don’t possess this skill because I’m some enlightened being who wishes to save the world, and I’m all compassionate – trust me, I’m not. I have a temper, and I do get triggered, and some of my clients do get a piece of my mind when they cross a moral boundary and don’t seem to have any self-awareness at all. I do make mistakes from time to time as well in my report, and I even went as far as to be upfront that parts of my reports are templated (of course, they are), and they are templated because parts of the report are meant for laying out the foundational knowledge of metaphysics before someone can read and digest the parts unique to them. The template is in my BaZi sample report, which is available on my website for all to see, and it’s not some dirty secret I’ve been hiding. The end goal is to be able to communicate, effectively and concisely, the knowledge that is esoteric and understandable to the layman.

Your Affinity With Feng Shui and BaZi

At the end of the day, whether you end up with a house with good or bad feng shui is fated. This is the reason why you don’t see me advertising, because I know whoever is meant to find me will find me. Not many people are ready to accept my views on Feng Shui, even though it is the correct view – that you can’t change your life or alter your fate with mere items, furniture arrangement and colours.

If you are planning on getting a reading, please go read my blog post on good BaZi charts vs bad BaZi charts. I don’t expect anyone to know whether they fall under Category 4 BaZi charts, but if you feel what I say is nonsense or doesn’t make sense, please consider whether you are truly ready to engage with me and benefit from Chinese metaphysics. Join me only if you are ready.

If you feel like the world owes you a living or that metaphysics can turn your life around while you can be a sloth, or if you feel metaphysics is some magical shortcut, please go to the other practitioners who are keener on being an entertainer, or get a life coach. Please also remember that I reserve the absolute right to stop the 7-day Q&A at any point if anyone displays any rude or disrespectful behaviour – I’m not here for people to project their issues onto me. I give the 7-day Q&A as a privilege to clients because I really want them to have a fruitful consultation, but at the same time, I have to draw the line and protect myself from the more ‘interesting’ characters out there.

Look, guys, no one is pointing a gun at anyone and forcing them to engage me. My blog and the internet are out there for you to do your research. I’m not the perfect practitioner, but I can say for certain that there is no other practitioner out there who blogs like I do, and most are more interested in being a media whore and winning the popularity contest. I just happen to like writing, and I have my own style of conducting this ‘business’. I have absolutely no intention of hiding who I am or what I’m like. I can be an extremely harsh and critical person, but it doesn’t come from malice.

Perhaps people never had anyone speak to them as I do, and their insecurity makes them extremely defensive when it comes to receiving feedback – if such things bother you, then don’t come for a reading. Go focus on the things you need to do and do it well. The only difference between someone who eventually does well and one who doesn’t is their mindset – it doesn’t matter where or how you started. There is a reason why there’s a saying 命好不如運好 – your mindset and how you develop despite your circumstances is still the ultimate determinant of the quality of your life and chart.

I’m the way I am because of what I went through in life, and I have flaws that I am struggling very hard to overcome, and some of these flaws are the lack of empathy and losing that sense of compassion that makes us human sometimes. It’s hard for everyone to understand what I’ve been through to become so hardened at times, why I hold such strong views, and why I find certain people or mindsets repulsive. The things that I went through made me the practitioner I am today, as I dug through the Chinese classics in search of an answer – the irony here is that it’s also why I have the flaws that I do.

If you are going to someone – a practitioner anda stranger – and counting on this person to give you advice and foretell what your future is like, it might be a good idea to have a thorough understanding of his or her background, and everything else you can know about this person.

Chinese Metaphysics is about affinity. I may not be the right practitioner for everyone, and that is okay. If you are looking for soothing words or magical items, there are other avenues available.

However, if you are looking for a rigorous, logic-based analysis of your destiny—and you are prepared to do the work required to transcend your chart—then I welcome you to apply for a consultation. Let’s focus on reality, not fantasy.

– Sean