These and more give us a smacking taste of what Chinese New Year is like in the Philippines. And on top of that, according to Chinese feng shui, there are such things as lucky objects which ensure, yes, luck – be it in business, career, love or marriage (or all of the above?) – for the new year. How lucky we were to find a houseful of the so-called luck items all in one shop: Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony tucked away at the ground floor (adjacent to the PR office) of Mandarin Oriental Manila in Makati City.
"Those belonging to the lucky signs in the Year of the Goat – Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Monkey, Rooster, and Pig – can get any of these items to enhance their luck," says Princesse Lim Fernandez, master Joseph Chau’s feng shui student who runs Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony with her mom Arlene. "In aspects where they’re not lucky, they can get something to counteract their bad luck or protect them. Basically, in feng shui, you have an enhancer and a neutralizer – you enhance a good thing and neutralize a bad one."
As for the unlucky signs – Rat, Ox, Dog, and Goat – fret not, says master Chau, "feng shui has something in store for you, depending on your element."
So here are some "luck" items in the Year of the Goat, courtesy of the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony:
• Tin luk (pair) – This is one of the best and luckiest feng shui ornaments in the olden days of China. Tin means heaven while luk is similar to the pronunciation which means grace and never poor. Thus, a pair of tin luk brings grace and wealth from heaven.
• White jade pak choy – Pak choy means fat choy, which is the symbol of riches and prosperity. It is a lucky ornament to help improve one’s financial standing and bring good luck to the family or business.
• Ngo yue – Especially designed for students, people in business and politicians, it helps enhance intelligence, calmness, self-confidence, moving ahead, and luck in promotion.
• White jade gourd – For road safety and protection of passengers against car accidents, you can hang it in your car. For the home, put it in the south sector to ward off the sha chi (poison arrows) and prevent sickness.
• Three-footed wealth frog – Believed to be a bringer of fortune. With a coin in its mouth and sitting atop a pile of money, this frog calls in wealth. Put it facing your door.
• Mythical pei yau – Considered an infinite creature and catcher of money, it is said to have a voracious appetite for wealth. Use it to avoid bad chi resulting from bad objects that emit negative chi in your house or office. Also, use it to harmonize the incorrect arrangement of an area. It should be filled with special semi-precious crystals.
• Golden unicorn – With the head of a dragon and the body of a horse, it’s the ultimate protector and acts as a deterrent for anyone intending you harm. It symbolizes longevity, joy and wisdom.
• Guardian qui lin – Designed as guardian of the home, it waches over the family and home while you are away.
• Jade dragon/unicorn chop (pair) – The dragon portends business luck, support and protection against gossip and criticism. The unicorn symbolizes power and authority. They’re best for business people and those in positions of authority.
• Seven-star quartz tray with seven prosperity stones – It’s designed according to the old magic of feng shui that dates back to 206BC-220AD. Put in the proper directions, it neutralizes and vitalizes a dark/poor aura and creates prosperity. May be used to attract money, success, business smoothness.
• Jade pagoda – It enhances the study atmosphere for your children. Likewise, it enhances the chances of promotion in your career.
• Mountain jade – This is extremely useful for those who do not have a solid support behind their work area. It is symbolic of backup or support.
• Sek kam tong (pair) – This is used to dispel the negative chi that results from an inauspicious orientation of lots, main doors and gates. It is used to harmonize the T-junction (tumbok) fronting a door.
• Crystal prosperity tree – Helps attract money and magnify money wishes.
• Prosperity stone guan po – It energizes the wealth energy of the home.
• Golden double gourd – This mythical item is believed to hold the elixir of health, vitality, and longevity.
• Brass abacus – If you’re an employer, it minimizes the possibility of your employees cheating or stealing from you.
• Ching Dynasty and five-emperor antique coins – To counteract bad chi and increase your luck, put them in your wallet, purse or pocket to symbolize the Emperor’s wealth in your hands.
• Chiu tsoi metal coins – Put them in the southwest and southeast directions in this Year of the Goat to forestall disastrous things from happening in your home or office, and minimize illnesses and accidents brought about by the malevolent star.
• 6 and 8 metal coins – Put them in the northeast direction in this Year of the Goat to avoid accidents and reduce chances of car accidents and surgeries.
• 8 pcs. white jade coins – Use them to avoid criticism, backstabbing and gossip especially in the workplace.
• Golden chest with contents – For better luck in money matters and to help prevent money from going out. Put it in the money location (this year, it’s the northwest).
• Golden tai suey charm – It is used to increase the luck of people born in the years of the Ram, Ox, Dragon, Snake, Dog, and Rat by harmonizing the clashing of the great deity and grand duke.
• Burning packs – Improve and boost business prospects as well as promote faithful and harmonious relationship between couples.
• Lucky stone horse – Increases one’s chances of migration to another country or place.
• Buddha head charm – Designed by master Joseph Chau especially for Rabbits and Pigs as they may experience an extreme fluctuation in their luck this year, particularly in the lunar months of March, July, and September.
• Jade Buddha pendant – Given as as birthday gift, it brings luck to both the giver and receiver. Also good for infants.
• Jade dragon-phoenix charm – Good for couples and newlyweds, it enhances harmony in marriage and relationship.
• Happy couple – Works best in bringing about family happiness.
• Brass gourd vase – Good for the single female looking for Mr. Right – right now.
• Long-neck brass vase – Good for the single male, who’s tired of being single and wants to find a wife.
• Purple sandalwood power beads – Ideal for frequent travelers as they help protect against travel accidents. Also help alleviate pain from rheumatism.
• Fertility eggs – But of course, for fertility and richness. Put them in the headboard or in the northeast direction of your bedroom.
"Oh, yes, you don’t have to wait for anyone to give you a luck item; it’s perfectly all right to buy it yourself," asserts Princesse, who starts her day at work with an auspicious drumroll from her small drum. "Some of our clients come and buy for each other."
But where, oh where, is the bagua (octagonal mirror). "We do not recommend it to amateurs," comes Princesse’s quick reply. "For those who do not know how to use it the proper way, a little knowledge is certainly a dangerous thing. Put in the right direction, it will double or triple your luck. But placed in the wrong direction, it will magnify your bad luck. For instance, we had a client who put a really big bagua on her door, but since she put it in the wrong direction, luck eluded her and she came to us crying. Which is why when we recommend items, we explain them properly to our clients so they will be used in the proper way."
So far, according to Princesse, all her clients got what they wished for. She relates, "An office girl came to us and said she wanted to travel but how could she when she didn’t have money? Well, she was able to travel because her office sent her abroad."
Then there was this guy who wanted to migrate but told Princesse that the line at the US embassy was so long it would probably take a year before his papers were processed. "He came to us in February and left for the US in April," says Princesse with a big smile.
Most people consult Princesse on matters related to the Big M (as in money) and business. She recounts, "We had a client who was down on her luck and only had P2,000 in her pocket. She asked us what she could buy with her money to increase her luck. I recommended to her the most basic items. The following year, she came back to tell us that her business grew. Every year, she comes and buys items worth P50,000 because her business gets bigger and better each year."
And here’s another "lucky" story from Princesse: "A client wanted to sell her condo unit. We recommended the burning packs to her. On the seventh day, after she burned the last pack, a buyer came."
The abacus is not just for counting. "It is also for preventing people from stealing from you or catching a culprit," says Princesse. "If there’s hanky-panky happening in your business, you will discover it, it will come out."
Of course, there are clients who come with another Big M (as in marriage) problem. Like one distraught client whose husband was having an affair. "I don’t want to advertise this item because if the wife puts it in the house, the husband will know what it’s for (you have to see Princesse personally for this). Yes, it’s for bringing back a philandering husband."
There are also those who come looking not so much for luck as for love. "I have a friend who had had a series of bad relationships," Princess shares. "I told her to wear the brass gourd vase like love beads. She just got married and once, she told her husband, ‘Because of Princesse, you are here.’"
Then there was the perennially ill wife of a prominent politician who came to Princesse as a last resort. According to Princess, this woman had gone to so many doctors and they couldn’t explain what was wrong with her. She got a quartz pendant, to which she was particularly attracted – it’s not a health crystal, rather it’s used for protection. It turned out that somebody was hexing her. Her pendant cracked and she got well.
Or take the case of this mother who came to Princesse’s shop and was at once drawn to a particular crystal. "She really liked it but she didn’t know what it was for," says Princesse. "We told her it was for calmness. She chose just the right object. Now, she’s no longer stressed-out, even when her young kids are fighting and running all over the place."
But as you and I know, we are the masters of our fate. So shape up or sheep out in the Year of the Sheep (or Goat or Ram)!