This would have been an entry posted right at the END of my series on 2012 but on Facebook there were a number of questions that were directed at the subject matter of the impact of annual forecasts so I decided I would do this first because it ultimately is more relevant to the Individual than a broad far-ranging forecast that relates to the global picture. I must admit, I was surprised at the number of people who were interested to know about global events (fixation on natural disasters is frankly just not something I really understand) on the basis that the occurrence of political change happening somewhere in the world would somehow have a trickle down effect on them. The AVERAGE person, and by this I mean the average wage earner or employee, is affected by global events in the same way the average person is affected by the latest fashion trends on display during New York Fashion Week or in haute couture. In essence, this season’s colour or look is only likely to affect the average fashion buyer in something like 2-3 years, when the haute makes its way to the hoi polloi. And so in the same vein, economic and global events honestly take in my unscientific opinion, 2-3 years to really trickle down to affect the average person. If one looks at the financial crisis of 2008, it originally began in 2007 but it has taken it about 2-3 years to really hit – forecasts for a decline and slowdown in various economies has only really become evident in 2011 and in light of GDP growth predictions for developed economies in 2012.
If one is to believe the thinking that runs in the financial world holds true generally everywhere as well (see this article on how 0.1% of the investors in the financial industry profit whilst 99.9% fail), world events have an actual impact 1% of the population in any real terms.
So the average person in reality, is not as affected by the global turn of events. The average wage earning or self-employed person does not own enough equity in the stock market for advance knowledge of economic events to truly influence the extent of their wealth. The average wage earning or self-employed person does not command a sufficient slice of the economy or political power for the global turn of events to significant change the outcome of their actions, one way or another.
What matters more in essence is how the YEAR affects YOU rather than how the year affects the economy, the political scene and the world at large. If YOU are having a lousy year, the world economy would be breaking records everywhere and it wouldn’t make a difference to YOU. It would still be a BAD year. So with that in mind, onward with the discussion of 2012’s Winners, Losers and those who are gifted with the wonderfully ambiguous accolade of ‘Uncertain Regard’.
Important disclaimer: generic BaZi forecasts are never as accurate as an actual forecast predicated on your full BaZi including Luck Pillars. These forecasts are general in the sense that they look at the effect of the Branch/Stem of the Year compared to certain Branches or certain Day Masters. A general forecast is never useful in my view, which is why I have tried to make my ‘general’ forecast less general.
WINNERS
As you will recall from last year’s post of the same nature (2011: Winners, Losers and of Uncertain Regard), the easiest way to determine the year’s winners is to see who is in combination with the Grand Duke or the Tai Sui of the year. In this case, the Tai Sui is the Dragon 辰 accordingly those born in the Animal Years that Combine with the Dragon will prima facie start the year on an advantaged footing. I say prima facie because this naturally is subject to the assumption that there are no interactions of a negative nature with the Dragon in the rest of the chart.
Priority advantage of course will go to the animal years that form part of the Water Frame Combination with the Dragon vide the 申 子 辰 Combination, with those born in the 酉 year coming in second. As such, if you are born in a Monkey or Rat or Rooster year, the year will bring some positive outcomes, given the combination with the Grand Duke. The Big Kahuna is on your side in 2012.
Now, there are zillions of people born in the Monkey, Rat and Rooster years – it can’t be good for all of them equally. So, the next qualifying requirement in order to be classified as a ‘Winner’ for 2012 is having WATER as one of your Favourable Elements or Useful God. This is because 2012 as a pillar represents strong Water and the Three Harmony Combination (which trumps the middling Six Combo of 酉 辰 Rooster-Dragon) produces Water.
Sidenote: those born in the Rooster year would be coming off a uncomfortable year from Xin Mao 2011 and as such, 2012 should definitely see some marked improvement. However, Rooster years will not have the same advantage compared to the Monkey and Rat years because the nature of the combination involving Monkey and Rat is somewhat superior to that of Rooster-Dragon.
Day Masters which are able to naturally make use of Water, specifically Ren Water, will likely be advantaged in 2012. Xin Metal likes Ren Water and so would be somewhat advantaged this year as it will be their opportunity to shine, shine, shine. Arguably, this would be the case even if Ren Water is already strong in the chart as Xin Metal can only shine more! (of course, if there are unfavourable features in the chart which go against the Dragon then deduct points accordingly). Wu Earth also is likely to have a good year since 2012 will be a strong Wealth year for Wu Earth. Ji Earth however may not be able to lay claim to the same advantage because Ji Earth does not control Ren Water as well as Wu Earth does. Ding Fire also should have a good year as it is a strong Direct Officer year and there are strong possibilities for a promotion or career advancement in 2012, assuming none of the negative Earthly Branches are in play. Weak Water Day Masters will have the benefit of a favourable Rob Wealth/Friend Star this year and will also benefit from 2012.
LOSERS
Naturally, all animal years that do not get along with the Grand Duke of the year, which is the Dragon, will de facto fall within the Losers category, in the absence of extenuating circumstances.
First up, those born in the year of the Dragon.
Brief educational aside: Conventional orthodox Chinese Astrology (read, the kind that your fourth aunt sixth removed or the family old foggie busybody – read, people who know nothing about real astrology most of the time) espouses the view that a person born in the year that is the same as the Grand Duke is Offending the Grand Duke. As such, it is common for those who practice Buddhism to wander on to the temple and perform a ceremony that involves ‘adding’ a year to one’s birth year, thereby duping the Grand Duke as such. So if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you would magically by virtue of this ceremony, become a Rabbit. THIS IS A PURELY RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL practice – the Grand Duke is not stupid and is not that easily duped. You can wear a Rabbit’s clothes but its rather hard to hide the Dragon’s claws. Secondly and of greater significance, only four animals are actually capable of Offending the Grand Duke and they are the four Earthly Branches that form part of the Self-Punishment group of Earthly Branches: Horse 午, Rooster 酉, Dragon 辰 and Pig 亥. All other animals DO NOT actually offend the Grand Duke.
Dragons will have the torment of a Self-Punishment in 2012. Now, in the grand scheme of things, a Self-Punishment is really not that terrible. It simply denotes engaging in an activity that you know isn’t progressive or advantageous but somehow not quite being able to avoid doing it. I call it the Cheesecake problem – you go on diet but somehow keep on eating Cheesecake. In any case, Self Punishment often manifests itself as this thing called mindf**k – so really its mindgames rather than anything else. But nonetheless, it is enough to warrant a problem for Dragons in 2012.
The wake-up call for 2012 for Dragons will most likely become evident in January 2012, as we enter into the Ox month. Rabbit month will also pose challenges so Dragons should expect a tough start to the year. However, for most Dragons, 2011 would have brought some problems because of the negative interaction between the Dragon and Rabbit and so 2012 will probably involve some of the problems that have arisen in 2011 which were unresolved.
Other animals that don’t get along with the Dragon are the Dog 戌 (Clash), Rabbit 卯 (Harm) and Ox 丑 (Destruction). As such, those born in these animal years de facto fall into the Loser category for 2012, in the absence of extenuating circumstances which render the chart in the Uncertain Regard category. Now, just because you don’t have a Dog, Rabbit or Ox in your BaZi chart, doesn’t mean that you’ll escape unscathed. Don’t forget to check your 10 year Luck Pillar. Granted, if the 10 year Luck Pillar is negatively affected but the main BaZi chart is not, this is not as bad. But seeing as the Luck Pillar dictates the overall outcomes during a particular period of time, anything that shakes the Luck Pillar is not a good thing.
The Inferred Negative of 2012 – the Three Harmony Combination will silently push out the Rat 子 in 2012 in the month of Monkey 申 – in such an instance, there is a possible inferred negative outcome (or Stealth Problem) for individuals who have Goat in their chart, since Rat-Goat is a negative interaction of a Harm. And since the Goat and the Dog (one of the problem trouble makers in 2012) form a Bullying Punishment which is further exacerbated by the Dragon’s arrival in clashing the Dog, those born in the year of the Goat or who have the Goat Branch in their chart may need to be a wee bit cautious in 2012.
In terms of the individual Day Masters, strong Water Day Masters, be it Gui or Ren, will have a less than favourable year because of the presence of an unneeded Rob Wealth/Friend Star.
UNCERTAIN REGARD