Singapore Slung
I’m back from the Convention where I spoke to the Singapore Grand Masters about my particular approach to ba zi*. I think it was clear that I know my pings from my pongs, I didn’t seem to upset anybody too much and we sold a few books, in which I was assisted by my Russian friends Tatiana and Olga who at the end of the event, presented me with a bottle of authentic vodka which I proceeded to get confiscated at airport security on the way home. What was it doing in my carry-on luggage? Now there’s an oriental mystery.
While in Chinatown I bought my supply of Monkey amulets in the market for protection during the Snake year. Pigs, pay special attention: these are mostly for you. This is basic prophylactic feng shui for the year of the Snake in the Grass. The energy of 2013 is very different from 2012 and now is the time to make changes in readiness.**
The consensus is that central issues of the year appear to be the what-you-see-is-not–what–you-get of the Snake as illustrated by the shenanigans around the Leveson enquiry and the hanky panky of the US Generals in Afghanistan. December 21st isn’t the end of the world. It isn’t even the end of the Banking System As We Know it. That’ll take approximately seven more years. My Power Point incorporated a recent slide of Neil Young to illustrate the Taoist concept of qing or affection about which more in my next diary.
At the Speakers’ Lunch which followed I found myself sitting with Grand Master Raymond Lo, possibly the best known feng shui man in the world. GM Raymond has been very generous to me over the years; he has given me limited edition books and I have attended a variety of workshops and short courses with him but never really felt I made contact. On this occasion he opened conversation by telling me how much he admired Neil Young. We then spent 40 minutes or so talking rock’n’roll in general and obscure guitar solos in particular. I had no idea that GM Raymond was a closet rocker.
Later I got to hang with legendary polymath and all-round good egg, Stephen Skinner who in his knowledgeable way, showed me around the new Buddhist Temple in Chinatown: four storeys, built by subscription inside 5 years, it is host to one of the Buddha’s teeth. Another was displayed at the Drukpa Foundation in North London earlier this year and Stephen was able to confirm my suspicion that like the splinters of the True Cross which, assembled together would amount to a mighty forest, if all the alleged Buddha’s teeth were to be reunited, the Gautama would be an orthodontic prodigy indeed.
*Discover the Secrets of the Four Pillars of Destiny: (click here for more info) I’m teaching starter ba zi again opening the weekend of January 19th and 20th. Ba Zi is a lifetime study of course but by the end of the fourth and final weekend, the attentive student will be able to draft ba zi in Chinese characters (it’s not actually that hard) and have all the tools necessary to interpret. No Chinese Master would think of assessing the feng shui of any building without drafting the ba zis of the occupants, nor would any traditionally-minded Chinese parent let their daughter entertain a suitor whose ba zi was incompatible with her own. Ba zi is the best means I know, short of deep intimacy, of really knowing who somebody is. This course is looking like an interesting and varied group. We never teach more than 15 and there remain a few vacancies.
**Tune-Up: I’m available until February for a small number of Tune-Ups for 2013. If you want to hire me, contact Sheila by clicking here. page But be prepared: the drill includes several clearing “Activations” before the year starts. It’ll be available as a do-it-yourself late in January but for best results, you’re going to need the Activation details meanwhile.
Next: My 2013 Animal Fortunes will be on the website shortly, followed by my Forecast for the year of the Snake in the Grass, which will be sent out to subscribers before the Solstice.
Richard Ashworth © 2012.