We all know that 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, but most of us don’t realize that this year also kicks off the Age of Fire, according to Chinese astrology. While it sounds like something from Game of Thrones, keeping tabs on these concepts in feng shui and astrology can actually help focus and harness more positive energy into our lives and spaces, as well as manifest and attract the luck we want and need.
To kick off Lunar New Year, Shangri-La Plaza flew in Chinese metaphysics master Venus Wang from Singapore to give a feng shui talk at its “Unlocking Wisdom, Wealth and Wellness” event at the Grand Atrium, to help patrons unlock a better, stronger, and luckier 2025. Most people had their Chinese zodiac sign ready, but Wang revealed that there’s more to your fate than just your animal zodiac sign.
In feng shui, there is actually the concept of a “period cycle,”or yun, which is a span of 20 years that has a dominant element — wood, fire, earth, metal or water. On Feb.4, we are officially in Period 9 until 2043, a period ruled by the fire element. This will be a time of great growth, innovation, and transformation. While we can expect it to be exciting and prosperous, it can also be quite tumultuous.
Wang also added how each year is also defined by the Heavenly Stem and the Earthly Branch in Chinese astrology. In 2025, the Heavenly Stem is Yin Wood, while the Earthly Branch is Si, a symbol that represents fire and symbolized by the Snake. Together, the energies create a “Wood-Fire Year.” Understanding the energies of the yun and year we are in helps us forecast potential problems in the coming months of years.
The first half of 2025 is when we can experience the Yin Wood energy. Wang likened it to how flowers can grow in many different parts of the world. “The energy for the first half is about fostering flexibility under all the uncertainty,” she said. As wood and flowers can grow under challenging conditions, she encourages people to take this time to foster quiet strength, to focus on careful preparations that bolster yourself and life from imminent, turbulent changes that will come when the Fire element becomes more prominent in the second half of the year.
“A fiery transformation is on the way,” warns Wang. What happens to the wood when fire comes into play? “It burns,” she pointed out. “It spells a little bit of uncertainty. There can be an uncurrent of rebellion; there is a readiness to challenge status quo.”
Expect there to be a lot of changes, especially in technology, culture, and society. This is time to show resilience through adaptability. Review yourself, especially your career: Are you still relevant and in-the-know? If not, invest in learning new things, be creative, and start thinking more outside the box.
“Diversity is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Wang. She foresees industries that deal heavily with creativity, trends, and innovation, like F&B, IT, events, digital marketing, which will thrive.
It will help to check your astrological sign and element to understand how your internal landscape will react with this year’s environment, but in the end, Wang advised people not to let the fiery energy of 2025 consume them. “A lot of the times, you have to channel it into positivity,” she said. It’s tempting to fight fire with fire, as the saying goes, but this is when accidents and mistakes happen.
“This year, every time you feel challenged, keep calm,” she reminded. You are ultimately the master of your fate: by using these insights and information from feng shui and astrology, you can choose to fan the flames of 2025 or snuff them out.