Auspicious Dates and Places for the month of the Earth Sheep 2023
Auspicious Dates and Places for
the (6th) month of the Earth Sheep 2023.
(18:10pm 7th July to 03:16am 8th August inclusive)
in the Year of the Water Rabbit.
Public edition
Sheng
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The Ascendant
Hexagram 46*
Earth Sheep Month: Hard-headed Woman.
“I know a lot of fancy dancers
People who can glide you on a floor
They move so smooth but have no answers”
Cat Stevens. Hard-headed Woman.
The Hexagram that corresponds to this month’s Earth Sheep is Number 46 Sheng, The Ascendant, which indicates a reset of the power balance from the Yang to the Yin. The last annual Earth Sheep was in the pivotal year of 1979, when Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister, the one before that 1919 when women were granted the vote, having pretty much run the country for the previous four years of war. On the face of it, both were just such transfers of power. And way overdue. It’s the year that Rosa Luxembourg is remembered for too.
The Sheep is an idealist, all about family and belonging but also the promoter of alternative lifestyles: look at the Sheep of 1967 when it seemed for a moment that the truth that guns are less powerful than peace and love would indicate the future. Peace, love plus hallucinogenics of course; they say that if you remember the ‘60’s, Whiter Shade of Pale and the International Times, you weren’t there. Perhaps it was all an hallucination.
The Earth Sheep as you might expect, is deeply sensitive, able to reach that alpha-dream state between visualisation and prayer more rapidly and profoundly than others and without chemical enhancement. And she concerns herself also both with fertility – for better or worse – and the hinterland between religion and spirituality.
These are the likely concerns this month. War may be over if you want it, to almost quote John Lennon.
Back in 79 I doubt that anyone observed a softening, a tolerance or an increased gentleness in Mrs Thatcher’s approach. Little Yin there. And 20 years after 1919 the boys were at war again. If the problem was short-sighted male thinking, then neither Mrs Thatcher nor the franchise were a solution. In the 1920’s as the 1980’s and 2020’s, inflation soared as did the price of energy while riots and strikes suggested that these were not listening times.
Expect July to rehearse these challenges. Prices continue to rise, the proxy fights between Russia and the USA – then in Afghanistan, now in Ukraine – come to a head while idealists scatter yellow powders over public events to remind us that oil is over. This is not Yin but Yang power, the rule of might equals right and wealth equals merit, which has led to the gospel of perpetual economic growth that threatens the planet. It can not go on. Not at home and not in the corridors of power.
Some would say that Margaret Thatcher kowtowed to the belief that the only way for a woman to wield power was like a man: ruthless and clumsy. Perhaps we know better now.
I know pretty much no Western Astrology but my friend @MicheleKnight, perhaps Britain’s most respected psychic, interprets July’s “North Nodes in Aries square to Pluto” as “an escalation of aggression by male leaders before peace.” Light always follows dark as Yin always follows Yang but sometimes more slowly than we might hope. The restoration of women to power withheld for millennia is the key project in the world today.
For students of the Book of Changes: For other reasons, the Years 1979 to date may be following the path from Hexagram 46 to Hexagram 53. That’s from this current re-balancing to a state of Exhaustion in Hexagram 47, of energy and resources at risk (Hexagram 48 The Well) to the mutual rivalry of globalisation in Hexagram 49 and the rise of China described in Ding the Cauldron (Number 50 which marks a change of dynasties.) leading to the chaos of Hexagram 51 and the everything stops of Number 52.
I will be hosting a fresh Book of Changes series of workshops from October. The format will be examining the corresponding Hexagram at the very beginning of each month with a view, among other things to getting better and better at recognising how the month will play out. For those interested in forecasting as well as self-knowledge these workshops are the nursery slopes.
More detail here: https://rb.gy/1kgan
© Richard Ashworth 2023
The Earth Sheep Month:
A 3 month is about innovation.
A typical Sheep Month is tribal – or not.
Where to be this month: North, South West.
Where not to be this month: West
Favoured Animals: Rabbit, Pig, Sheep, Horse
Especially challenged: Rat, Ox.
The Hexagram* (above): Sheng The Ascendant, Earth over Wind, power shift.
Summary: follows Horse trends.
2 7 9
1 3 5
6 8 4
Earth Sheep lo shu
A Helpful Day
Thursday 13th July, Water Monkey, Astride, Remove (1) **** helpful
1st Mansion of the Western Tiger Palace, usable Remove Day. No need to people-please. Suits upwards mobility. Good day for frank dialogue with your romantic partner. Activity: Rat due North.
Favours: Monkey, Rat, Dragon, Rooster. Some leeway for chaos.
Not So Helpful
Tuesday 18th July, Fire Ox, Beak, Destuction (5) **** fractious.
New Moon: 00:49am. Ox clashes Sheep: slap-fights, pointless dispute. Remember just how much there is. Share and play nice to avoid negative consequences. Activity: Rat due North for due discussion.
A Place to Locate
North, Communication: Star: 9 Month Star: 8. Monthly san sha
9 multiplies the benefit of the visiting 8. Peak visibility may be followed by peak efficiency especially if your aim is attention. Seek a connection or middleman here this month. Reluctant Rats and Oxen located here would do well to step up and Monkeys and Dragons to own up. Expect attention.
To ground and reduce: add Earth.
To encourage: add Fire (ie bright light) & Wood e.g. plants and flowers.
A Place to Avoid
West, Intervention: Year Star: 6 Month Star: 5. Sui po, Annual san sha, Month Wu huang
Hazardous. Aggressive energy as the tricky 5 Earth empowers the paternal 6 drawn out by the underlying and fractious 7 that lives here. Domestic disagreements, unequal distribution of duties and power. Avoid interference here, it’s still uneasy.
Mitigate the san sha: open South-facing windows while the Sun shines.
Also: t’ang lung to temper the 5.
The Month of the Earth Sheep, Animal by Animal:
These generic forecasts carry different nuance dependent upon whether this Animal rules your Year, Month, Day, Hour or Life House.
Sheep (1943, 55, 67, 79, 91; births in July*, 1-3pm & on certain days#) Briefly everyone’s on your team.
Monkey (1944, 56, 68, 80, 92; births in August*, 3-5pm & on certain days#) For preparation. Keep aspirations plausible. Assess & value the respect you’re receiving.
Rooster (1945, 57, 69, 81, 93; births in September*, 5-7pm & on certain days#) Weak support could encourage recklessness.
Dog (1946, 58, 70, 82, 94; births in October*, 7-9pm & on certain days#) Technically a “Break-Up”, be prepared. Under-promise, over-deliver.
Pig (1947, 59, 71, 83, 95; births in November*, 9-11pm & on certain days#) Progress in concert. Join the team whole-heartedly as it’s likely to take you where you want to go.
Rats (1948, 60, 72, 84, 96; births in December* 11pm-1am & on certain days#).
Withdrawal from chronic dispute is wise.
Ox (1949, 61, 73, 85, 97; births in January*, 1-3am & on certain days#) Opposition: some direct, some not. Time out could be wise.
Tiger (1950, 62, 74, 86, 98; births in February*, 3-5am & on certain days#) Called to service, best be willing.
Rabbit (1951, 63, 75, 87, 99; births in March*, 5-7am & on certain days#) Winning mostly, know your impact.
Dragon (1952, 64, 76, 88, 2000; births in April* 7-9am & on certain days#) Probably not comfortable which is no reason to withdraw.
Snake (1941,53, 65, 77, 89; births in May*, 9-11am & on certain days#) New information empowers your desire for certainty. Could be thrilling.
Horse (1942, 54, 66, 78, 90; births in June*, around midday & on certain days#) You are well served,
* Chinese Months start later than European ones.
#You’ll need help or a Chinese Calendar for this.
© Richard Ashworth 2023
Richard Ashworth is one of the most respected Western Feng Shui Masters. A good taster of his approach may be found on Audible at https://adbl.co/2m92Es3.You can also see him at work on tv’s Housebusters at https://bit.ly/2lJWLBl Most Thursdays and Fridays he is to be found teaching both feng shui and ba zi one-to-one online (times by mutual arrangement) with students from Seattle to Belgium,
Richard has worked from Lebanon to Bermuda, in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and with stars such as Naomie Harris, Kelly Hoppen and Gillian Anderson. Unusually for a Western Master, he has addressed the Grand Masters at the International Feng Shui Conference in Singapore.
Every month we send (at a modest fee) retainer clients a more comprehensive monthly bulletin than this one, covering in detail right places to be (and when) as well as the most helpful days Animal by Animal and much more from the Chinese calendar.
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