Snakes & Rabbits (Or how to change your luck in the ‘Year of the Dog’)

• In this "Year of the Dog," it is the "Snakes" (born in ’41, ’53, ’65, ’77, ’89) and the "Rabbits" (born in ’39, ’51, ’63, ’75, ’87) who are going to have good things to bark about. Ironically, it is not going to be the "year" of those born in the Year of the Dog (’34, ’46, ’58, ’70, ’82)!

• Good luck, indeed, rubs off on others. That is not just a figure of speech. So if this seems not to be a lucky year for you, "hang out" with Snakes and Rabbits. (A good excuse if you’re after more than just their luck!)

• TV sets in the room are not only bad for your sex life (according to Italian sexologist Serenella Salomoni, who says they decrease the frequency of sex by half), they’re also bad for a truly restful sleep.

• Women are still going to hang tough in the corridors of power because the yin (female) energy will not fully wane until 2010. Hmmm.. that’s the year President Arroyo’s term officially expires, di ba? Apparently, just like many political analysts, the i-ching believes in GMA’s staying power.

• Based on the Chinese Hsia calendar, real estate is going to see a boom this year. And when the real estate industry is on the rise, so will the general economy.

• In some part, the fortune of business enterprises depends on the personal fortune of the CEO and the feng shui of the business premises.

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  These and more were revealed by geomancer Merlina Merton at the Bulong Pulungan lunch forum at the Philippine Plaza (soon to be a Sofitel hotel) last Tuesday. Merton, who has been practicing feng shui in the Philippines for over 18 years (before that, in Hong Kong), says feng shui is "not superstition."

"It is a natural science that takes into account the energy flow in the universe. It is physics!" claimed Merton, who said one should be wary of so-called experts who sell a lot of "charms."

"Feng shui is not about charms," Merlina stresses.

How does one know whether a feng shui expert is reliable?

"By word of mouth, darling!" says the Elizabeth Taylor look-alike.

Merlina says that one of her best-known clients is the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, whose architects consulted with her. According to Merlina, sources at the Marco Polo told her that the hotel has been doing well every day since Day One, except on the day its fountain was turned off for maintenance purposes. The location of the fountain was decided on in consultation with her, she says.

I myself grew up in a home where no superstitious beliefs or feng shui rules (I am not saying they are one and the same) were followed. My parents Frank and Sonia Mayor believed that if you were good to others, the same goodness would bounce back on you – not that that was their motivation for doing good in the first place. They simply saw that what "goes around comes around."

But there was a short period in our lives when things weren’t so good and someone suggested that the "crazy-cut" marble flooring in our living room be completely replaced. I guess a "crazy-cut" design was just too disorganized and, well, yes, bespoke of clutter and lack of direction, if you would follow the rules of feng shui. I guess it didn’t also do well for people to stare at such a design day-in and day-out, although such design was "in" during the late ’70s.

Well, my parents had the flooring changed. At the same time, my father, a hardworking man all his life, worked even harder. My mother, a woman of exceptional faith, prayed doubly hard. Our fortunes changed.

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Having said that, let me elaborate on Merlina’s statements at Bulong Pulungan. Merlina says it will be a good year for those born in the year of the Ox ("Good aspects this year for romance and money." Can you beat that?), Rabbit ("You have nothing to complain about."), Snake ("Your love life blooms."), Horse ("Your luck is generally good."), Monkey ("A good year to circulate, meet new people and develop new business or career interests."), Rooster ("Not a bad year."), and Pig ("A good year for most Pigs." GMA was born in 1947, Year of the Pig.).

For all the rest, you can "borrow" luck from the lucky ones, especially the Snakes and Rabbits. You can also enhance the feng shui of your house with some very practical ("practical" being the operative word) tips, which we all learned in grade school, come to think of it.

• Clean all your window and door screens, electric fans and aircon filters. Air passing through dust loses its chi (energy).

• Enliven your house with live plants (no thorny leaves, okay?).

• De-clutter, especially hallways and corridors and get rid of broken and unused items.

• Fix your plumbing. Merlina believes bad plumbing at home corresponds to clogged digestive systems!

• Locate your trash as far away from your gate or door without intruding into your neighbor’s space.

• Make sure natural light enters your home. Psychiatrists say this also prevents and eases depression.

• Banish mold and mildew from your home, they negate good chi. They’re unsanitary, too!

As for the TV set, Merlina believes that it is not good to have one directly facing the bed because it emits energy waves (run your hand over the screen even after you’ve turned the set off and you’ll still feel them) even when turned off. The bed already has a charged atmosphere (for sexually active couples), and therefore should be a place of rest when not in use for that purpose. She suggests unplugging the set off at bedtime. Since that is torture for someone about to doze off, Merlina suggests having an extension cord near your side that you can unplug easily. I think this is one tip I’ll pass up! 

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  Based on the Chinese lunar calendar, the new year begins on Jan. 29 and most people will be celebrating at 10 p.m. on Jan. 28. Merlina thinks "better things" are to come in the Year of the Dog. Kung Hei Fat Choy and may you find a Snake (or a Rabbit) in your midst!

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(You may e-mail me at [email protected])