October 9 – November 7
The month of the Dog brings us to the ending of the autumn season and the month which is the ‘graveyard’ of the fire element. The hope and optimism that fire brings makes way for the fear and uncertainty that the coming water season brings. An uneasy time to be sure.
The Dog, also known in Western astrology as Aries, is the god of war, which brings a fighting and militaristic spirit to this zodiac sign, it is the sign of the warrior.
The Metal Dog in particular is unique among Dog pillars as it has two special qualities which give us some added insight into the influences of the energy of this month. Firstly, true to its warlike nature, this pillar is one of four ‘Chief General’ or military general pillars, and it is also one of ten spiritual pillars. This pillar is the spiritual warrior. This month we can tap into this energy to stand in our power, to fortify ourselves spiritually, and to fight for what we believe.
Though fire is waning now, the relationship of the Dog and the Tiger in the year brings some hidden fire, so there is energetic support for cultivating the fire within us this month if we know where to look. One place to look this month is Bing or Yang Fire as this heavenly stem carries the Heaven’s Blessing and Month Blessing. Look to see if the Bing stem is in your chart and if so where it is located as this is the area of your life to focus your attention on for the. Month:
In the Year Pillar – Focus on networking, social media, or your home environment
In the Month Pillar – Focus on your career
In the Day Pillar – Focus on personal cultivation, health, or romantic relationships
In the Hour Pillar – Focus on passion projects or investments
Not sure what’s in your chart? Look it up for free here:
https://bethgracefengshui.com/bazi-chinese-astrology/astrology-charts/
The Hexagram for this month is #12 called Stagnation, Heaven trigram above Earth trigram, each moving away from the other. The lack of connection between the trigrams in this hexagram illustrates a time of standstill when progress cannot be made. It can also signal a lack of communication and cooperation between people.
Despite the sluggish outlook, this hexagram also offers a stratagem that one can use to make progress. In fact, of the 36 Stratagems of Sun Tzu’s Art of War the stratagem connected to this hexagram is the most superior strategy called ‘Fool the Heaven’s to Cross the Sea’. In short, it means to ignore the reality of a situation and instead create a false narrative that people believe in which lowers their guard and willingness to fight against it. This month I expect we will see this strategy employed in myriad ways maybe even on you. Forewarned is forearmed, so do not become complacent or ignore the reality of the situations that surround you, instead face the truth and be willing to fight for it if necessary.
NEW RETREAT DATES!
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are shifting the dates for our sacred journey to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to June 25 – July 1. Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot as soon as possible! For more information please visit my web page:
https://bethgracefengshui.com/retreats/
