How now, brown cow? HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Chinese (and Five Element) New Year! In earlier posts, I mentioned that the essential yin-yang subdivides in a way that leads to the Five Elements (playing into the birthcharts I've mentioned before, and I'd like to visit the Five Elements topic more in future posts too). This 2009 New Year is sometimes called the year of the Ox, but it is actually a yin (female) sign so we say Cow. And this is an Earth year (in the five elements - water, wood, fire, earth, metal), so we use the colors brown or yellow to signify that. So this really is the year of the Brown Cow!

If you missed the onset of this new year, don't worry. The Chinese Astrological New Year actually doesn't start until February 3 in the U.S., and February 4 in China. So there's still a bit of time!

I actually quite like the www.fortuneangel.com web site for providing all sorts of really good information for anyone interested in the Chinese and Taoist five elements and how they affect our lives. You can even use it to locate your own birthchart information, as well as information to help you with health, family, financial, relationship and other issues.

So, here's a quote of some information from their webpages about this 2009 Brown Cow New Year (I know the grammar shows a rough translation into English, but it's rather charming and I'd rather not disturb with any editorial changes):

The Chinese New Year day is on January 26, 2009. This day is a new moon day, it is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system.

The First Day of Brown Cow Astrology Year

In China's time zone, the first day of the Brow Cow Year is February 4th, 2009, because February 4th, 2009 is the first day of Tiger month and the Tiger month is the first month of the year in Chinese Fortune-Telling Calendar system. In the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar, the first day of the first month, Tiger month, is called "Start of Spring", which is when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac. In the China's time zone, the time of the Start of Spring is at Feb-04 00:49. So the first day of the Brown Cow year 2009 is on 04-Feb-09.

The time of the Start of Spring is on Feb-03 at 11:49 for US EST zone and on Feb-03 at 08:49 for US PST zone. So the first day of Brown Cow Year in USA is on 03-Feb-09.

People born in late January or early February may be confused about their birth year Chinese astrology animal signs. This is because it is a common misconception that the astrology animal signs begin on the Chinese New Year day. Actually, Astrology animal signs are based on the Start of Spring, the first day of astrology year. For example, if a baby was born after the Chinese New Year Day and before Feb-04 2009, then its animal sign is the Rat, not Cow because the birthday is before the Start of Spring. If you are still confused about your animal sign, we have an Animal Sign page for people to verify their Chinese birth year animal signs.

2009 is the year of Female Brown Cow. Brown is equivalent to Earth in Five Element theory. The major element in Cow is Earth, too. That means Earth comes in 2009 very strong.

If your lucky element is Earth, then you will have a very good 2009 year. If Earth represents your money, then your money luck will bring you a big fortune. If Earth is related to your job, then will have a good career luck in 2009.

On the contrary, if Earth are your unlucky element, then 2009 will be a tough year for you. If Earth is money to you, then you will have a financial trouble, If Earth represents career to you, then will feel lots of pressure from your job in 2009.

Earth is the mother (supporting) element of Metal. If your lucky element is Metal, then you will have a great year too. If Metal is your unlucky element, then 2009 won't be a peaceful year to you.

Special Earth Relationship
If the Earth or Metal are your lucky element or unlucky element, then you have to check any Special Earth Relationship between 2009 Female Earth Cow and your Birth Chart as well as your Current Major Cycle. Those relationships can make you even luckier or bring you poorer luck in 2009.

If Rat is found in your Birth Chart or Current Major Cycle, then Earth will become even stronger, because Rat and Cow together have the Attraction Relationship into Earth. If your lucky element is Earth, then you must have a great year 2009. If Water is your lucky element, then the trouble in 2009 is expecting.

If Sheep is found in your Birth Chart or Current Major Cycle, then Earth will become more powerful, because Sheep and Cow together have the Fighting Relationship. When they fight, both of them fill with Earth energy. This is a plus sign for Lucky Element Earth people.

If Female Water is found in your Birth Chart or Current Major Cycle, then Metal will become stronger, because Chicken and Cow together have the Attraction Relationship into Metal. The Lucky Element Metal people will get benefit in 2009.

If Female Water is found in your Birth Chart or Current Major Cycle, then Lucky Element Fire people will gain some good luck in 2009. This is because Female Water and Male Earth together have the Attraction Relationship into Fire. The following link contains the detail predictions for 2009 including monthly cycles.

2009 Chinese Lantern Festival on February 92009 Chinese Horoscopes using 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs by birth Year

I'll close by coming back to some of the essential teachings of the Tao, for this Tao of Trading blogspot. Remember in some of the earliest posts, I referred to the image of Lao Tzu riding a bull (or water buffalo, or ox)? It's the image of the spirit (yang) guiding and riding upon the physical (yin) aspects of one's being. It also fits in very well with the wu wei principle discussed in my post earlier today (below). So here's a nice image evoking this point: