Sugar Snake shake?

When sugar (sucrose) is dehydrated with sulphuric acid, there is a spectacular response as the sugar turns into a black carbonized tube that grows serpent-like out of its container. This phenomenon occurs as the acid removes water from the sugar, releasing heat, steam and sulphur oxide fumes. You shouldn’t try this at home as acid is extremely corrosive, but exothermic qualities also occur when wind meets water.

Principally water evaporating and air condensing releases energy into an environment, which when absorbed affects our performance and quality of life. Problems arise as energy rises and falls and as you would expect; when water is placed on vibrant energy beneficial effects occur.

Unfortunately, when water interacts with decaying energy, negative results follow and this will certainly affect your efficiency, health and wellbeing. Luckily feng shui uses time and the earth’s natural magnetic fields to discern vibrant from decaying energy and advises on the best location for a water source. This creates a naturally nurturing environment and converts stressful spaces into highly efficient and empowering zones, making a home or business consultation ideal for these troubling times.

Unlike the sugar snake experiment, Feng Shui is definitely something you should try at home and especially in the office. It can also create the perfect atmosphere for any environment or occasion such as restaurants, parties and weddings.

As this is a feng shui and Chinese astrology blog, you may wonder why we began with a chemistry phenomenon. Well in truth, the inspiration came from today being an Earth Snake day and although the quality of an earth element is “sweetness”, we were more attracted by its alignment with this month zodiac signs. Specifically, today's Snake sign reacts with this month’s Monkey sign to form a water combination that signifies wisdom.

Wisdom is inherent within Feng Shui the study and practice of wind and water in an environment and its use allows us to improve our quality of life at home, as well as efficiency, morale and success in our office. This is why we likened the effects of mixing two ingredients together to obtain extraordinary results.

On the subject of wisdom, the Chinese almanac suggests "extraordinary results" could be found today by meditation or honouring ancestors, visiting friends, exchanging gifts, emigrating, opening a business and trading, laying foundations or fixing a roof.

If Earth Snake is in your Chinese horoscope, and you can find out from our free Chinese horoscope, you are very resourceful, competitive and creative. See our dedicated Earth Snake web page for more details and we will return tomorrow with a Metal Horse.

Until then, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey

Success takes Wing with a Dragon pair

Today is an Earth Dragon day in a Dragon year, doubling the auspiciousness and bringing success to most ventures. However, there’s more… our title is even more literate as it is both a Wings day in the Lunar Mansion system and a Success day in the Twelve Palaces. Whilst Wings is only fortunate for theatre and general entertainment, double Dragons and Success makes it a very good day indeed!

Specifically, the Chinese almanac or book of nature recommends meditation or honouring ancestors, asking for blessings, visiting friends, taking a course, getting engaged, having an astrology reading, buying or making clothes, emigrating, refurbishing a home or office, laying foundations, fixing a roof, making wine or fermenting, buying or setting direction for your oven, hunting, or setting up a tombstone as suitable activities.

If you have an Earth Dragon in your day horoscope and you can find out here free Chinese horoscope, you are confident, enigmatic and lucky with money. The only downside may be a sweet tooth which may add rounded features to a possible otherwise square(ish) form. More from our dedicated Earth Dragon web page and we will return tomorrow with an Earth Snake. Until then, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey

Celebrate the return of the Earth King

Wow a grand title to match the day. Earth king refers to the eighteen day period that occurs at the end of every five element phase or season. Sadly, yesterday was the end of the fire element or summer season as we know it. According to the book of nature the metal season or autumn starts on the 7^th August and the time between then and now is meant for celebration of nature’s finest.

Consequently, the Chinese almanac advises making wine or drinking (responsibly), putting your home in order by fixing cracks in walls and uneven paths, laying foundations and burial functions or duties.

Being an earth period of stability it advises against anything to do with installing water in the landscape, such as building dykes or watercourses. Hopefully, as the earth element naturally controls water, we should see the recent torrential flooding diminishing.

Interestingly, in support of this “drying out” hypothesis, tomorrow is the start of Great Heat; a fifteen day period comprising one of the 24 Seasons in Chinese philosophy and culture. As today is a Water Horse, does this mark the turning point being half water and half heat?

Of course erring on the side of frivolity, I have tagged today's celebratory influences as a Soused Seahorse. To see the effects this creature has on your personal astrology see our dedicated web Water Horse page.

A secondary reason for such an outrageous title is that hopefully you will remember us with a smile during our blog holiday. We are teaching this weekend and our blog would normally return next Wednesday; however we routinely take a seasonal break, so our blog will now return in September. Our office will still be manned and we are still available for all consultations and usual business arrangements. Until we return, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey

If Snakes could grow legs they would take the sTRAIN

As London gears up to host the Olympics in just over a week, road traffic begins to snarl and the patience of “locals” is greatly strained due to traffic light signalling giving priority to Olympic athletes and dignitaries.

However, today's New Moon starts a new cycle and as it’s a Metal Snake day, perhaps the solution is in the form of a train. After all, it’s built of metal carriages and snakes its way along, so maybe if commuters used trains instead of roads, we would avoid the upheaval and be happier for it.

“If Snakes could grow legs” is a saying meaning the impossible, and it would certainly be impractical for businesses to adopt this method, although our canal system once provided very good transport links and it worked very well.

As one element controls another, a Metal Snake can also indicate stress, creating a very dynamic and emotional person. They are usually precise, pay attention to fine detail and master their emotions, which makes this the most powerful of the five different snake types in Chinese astrology.

They also have alluring or magnetic eyes and Angelina Jolie is a fine example, having two of them - that’s both eyes and metal snakes.

If you have this pillar in your horoscope, and you can find out here free Chinese horoscope you will want to know what fine details and recommendations lay ahead. The Chinese almanac suggests meditation or honouring ancestors, asking for blessings, visiting friends, having a haircut, seeing a doctor or choosing a treatment, opening a business and trading or setting directions for your door.

See our dedicated Metal Snake web page for the effects on your personal astrology. We will return tomorrow on a Water Horse day or should that be a Canal Boat day? Until then, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey

Golden Dragon makes scaled donations?

It’s a Metal Dragon day in a Water Dragon year and although there can never be enough dragons, is this one too many? Is that the reason for today's cryptic title? Actually, no, the Chinese almanac makes very few recommendations today, other than offering a donation and planting seeds.

This may seem reminiscent of Jack and the Beanstalk, but charity has the approbation of heaven and earth, blessing those that give as well as those who receive. On the subject of celestial and terrestrial benefits, we all enter the first of three 10 day cycles of heat and warmth today. Hopefully, this is an end to the deluge and flooding we all seem to have experienced of late.

Heavenly blessings will arrive tomorrow in the form of a New Moon; always good for a new start. To see the heavenly influences Metal Dragon has on your personal astrology, see our dedicated Golden Dragon web page.

We will return tomorrow on a Metal Snake day, so until then, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey

Blessings from the sweet toothed bunny?

Today's Earth Rabbit forms a combination with the monthly Sheep sign and makes this a very auspicious day. It is completed by the Pig, so if you have this sign in your chart, today can be a very memorable day indeed. You can check that here with our free Chinese horoscope and should you have one, see our attribute cycle for the effects of wood on your chart.

It is such a lucky day that you can seek blessings from the heavens and possibly receive advice or assistance. It is also a good day to take a course and start learning. For example, did you know that most people with an earth element heavenly stem (top line in their day pillar) have a very sweet tooth? You can actually tell their favourite flavours and tastes by analysing the entire pillar.

Today is actually thrice blessed, as the 28 lunar mansions lists it as a Tail of the Dragon day, fortunate for building and finding hidden treasure. Those who marry can have numerous descendants and improved status later in life.

We also have Success from the 12 stations and collectively the Chinese almanac recommends the following activities; meditation or honouring ancestors, asking for blessings, visiting friends, travelling, getting married, exchanging gifts, having an astrology reading, seeing a doctor or choosing a treatment, emigrating, opening a business and trading, refurbishing a home or office, laying foundations, fixing a roof, making wine or fermenting and hunting. It advises against buying clothes, funeral duties, drilling a well or opening a pool.

Earth Rabbit can be the most ambitious and powerful of the five types within Chinese astrology. Having found your own signs, you can now see how you will be affected by its influence on our dedicated Earth Rabbit web page.

If you have enjoyed today’s blog, please feel free to send it onto a friend or anyone you think may benefit from a daily dose of Chinese astrology or feng shui. We will return tomorrow with a Golden Dragon and until then, enjoy every moment of NOW.

Finn & Slim Shooey