There is a part on timing in a celebrated ancient Feng Shui text called “Ode to Flying Star”. It says that, “In general, whether the beneficial or the detrimental prevails will be determined by the annual star” and “Moreover, whether the predictions are realized early or later depends on the year and period”.

But what are these annual stars? If you have been following the annual New Year talks by Feng Shui practitioners, you will know that these annual stars are actually energies – both auspicious and inauspicious – that influence the different sectors of a property. They are generated by the movement of the nearby planets and they change their position every year in a pre-defined pattern.

These energies are represented by numbers from 1 to 9 with stars 8, 9 and 1 being highly auspicious and stars 2, 5, and 7 being inauspicious in the current period.

From the text, we can also conclude that while the annual stars are important and acts as a qualifier, the expected effects or predictions must be read in conjunction with the energies that inherent in each sectors. (The energies inherent in each of the sectors of the house are determined by the facing direction and period of the house).

To put it simplistically, an auspicious annual star falling into an inherent auspicious sector will likely cause a positive or beneficial event that year and vice-verse. On the hand, an inauspicious star falling into an inherently auspicious sector may not do much harm and vice-verse.

By the same reasoning, if your main door is unintentionally located in an inauspicious sector, it does not mean that you will suffer bad luck every year. You luck may take a tumble only during those years when an inauspicious annual star drops by and combine negatively with the inherent energies in that sector.

This is the primary reason why practitioners spend so much time positioning the main door, stove, bedroom etc in auspicious sectors of the house. That ration is that once placed in auspicious sectors, an inauspicious annual star prevailing at that sector is unlikely to trigger a negative or detrimental event that year. However an auspicious annual star prevailing in the same area is more than likely to trigger positive or beneficial events.

The official switch over date for the annual stars is the beginning of the Chinese Solar year or Li Cun (Start of Spring) which usually falls on the 4th Feb. In practice, these energies do not switch on or off but start transiting in the weeks before and complete the transition in the weeks after.

The diagram below shows the annual star distribution in 2015. The most prosperous star 8 influences the north sector while the least auspicious star 5 influences the west sector.

However before we go try understand the effect of the stars and the explore things that we can do to capitalize on them let us first take a look at another two set of annual energies. They are the Grand Duke or Tai Sui and the Three Killings or San Sha.

In 2015 Tai Sui comes to is from South West 1 (also known as South West South) or the Goat direction. Both the goat and the ox located opposite are affected. In Feng Shui speak the Goat offends the Tai Sui while the Ox clashes with it. How badly those born under these zodiac sign will be covered in an article on the the astrology of the animal zodiac.

For now, those who live in a house that faces SW1 or SWS of the Goat direction should take note that the Grand Duke or Tai Sui energy influences your house directly and will likely increase the incidence of people related problems in the household.

While not everyone living in a house with such a facing will be affected, the chances increases hugely if you carry out a major renovation to the house in 2015. To recap, do not renovate your house if it faces SW1 (and sits NE1).

Major renovation include ground breaking, tearing down walls etc. You are however likely to survive a little drilling and slight knocking!

Since the Ox clashes with Tai Sui, I would advice Ox people to also refrain from carrying out major renovations in their homes or move house regardless of the house facing direction.

Three Killings affect the West sector in 2015. The Three Killings are Robbery, Disaster and Year Killings and they influence the SW3, W2 and NW1 sectors. The two sub-sectors in between the affected sectors namely W1 and W3 are called the squeezed sectors and in practice we treat them as affected too. Hence altogether 5 sectors spanning 75 degrees are affected

A house sitting West or simply occupying the West sector is not likely to result in incidents involving robbery, disaster and obstacles. However like Tai Sui above, major renovations in these sectors can greatly activate and increase the chances. I would again advice you not to carry out major renovations in these sectors.

You need to watch out for these ‘renovation rules’ only if you are staying in the house during the renovations. There is no need to be concern about them if you renovating a vacant house or you are not planning to live in it during the renovations.

There is another rule governing Three Killings. If you house sits on Three Killing, you should also avoid carrying our major renovations to the house. For example if your house sits west (and faces east), you should not carry out major renovation in 2015.

Now back to the annual 9 stars. The sectors influence by the annual stars can be found by placing a compass in the ‘center’ of the house .

The most inauspicious star 5 falls in the West sector. To be safe you should avoid any kind of major renovation if the house sits west (or facing east). You should also not renovate the west sector of your house. If you must and is renovating several sectors of the house, then start in a not affected sector, then progress into the west sector and finish in a not affected sector.

The penalties for violating Five Yellow is severe and can include bodily injuries or financial loss. It is the worst of the lot. Some practitioners advocate the use of metal e.g. a wind chime to cure the Five Yellow. In my opinion, it is better to be safe and defer any major renovations in the sector.

Star 2 is another inauspicious star and it falls into the SE sector. It is known as the illness star and you should watch out for it especially if it falls into the bedrooms. As a guide, those with poor health, recovering from an illness or pregnant, should avoid sleeping in the SE sector. The cure is to place a decent size metal Wu Lou to diminish the earth energy of star 2.

Star 7 occupies the South sector in 2015. It suggest financial and other losses. The cure is to place a container of still water in the south sector. If your bedroom is in the south sector and the money side of your life appears to be taking a dip in 2015, you may want to move into another room.

Star 3, often called the dispute or quarrel star falls into the center sector. The traditional cure is to place items that represent the element of fire in that sector. Examples include items that are red in color e.g. red carpet, red basket etc.

The quality of star 4 can change depending on the stars that it combine it. When positive it can means good study luck but when negative it means drifting or a lack of direction. The cure is similar to star 3 above. Place elements that represent fire in that sector.

Now to the good stars.

The most auspicious star is star 8 which influences the North sector. You should experience better luck (money and career wise) if you main door is in the north sector. Also great if your bedroom, study or other places that you spend a lot of time are located in the north sector. Placing a water feature such as an aquarium or a water fountain can enhance your luck further.

The next most auspicious star is star 9 which suggest celebration or happy events. In 2015, star 9 falls into the south west sector. If you main door or bedroom are located in the south west sector, it can induce happy events such as a new relationship, marriage, childbirth, promotion, scholarly honors etc. Placing a wood element such as a live indoor plant in that sector can help to enhance the auspiciousness of star 9.

Star 1, another auspicious star falls into the east sector. Star 1 is associated with promotion, recognition and knowledge. As with stars 8 and 9, spend time if you can in the east sector to be positively influenced by the auspicious energy. You can further enhance the auspicious energy of star 1 by placing a water feature in the east sector.

Star 6 which is associated with power, influence and loneliness influences the NE sector in 2015.

These are some of the things that you can do in 2015 to improve your luck.

In the next article, I will explore the luck of those born under the various zodiac in the year of the Wood Goat (2015).