Feng Shui: Q & A

Dear Madwoman,

Your real problem is that you do not know how lucky you are! You are excited about life and all that it offers and that is a wonderful position in which to find yourself! Now the bad news – you can’t do everything! That is a reality that everyone has to learn whether they live in hyper Manhattan or in a little country town. You are spreading yourself so thin that your many commitments are of little value to anyone.

The way to get more hours into your days is by cutting out some of your less important activities. Let’s start with the reading material. Do you really need the newspaper every day? We are so bombarded with information these days that a daily paper seems superfluous. We learn of news and events through TV, radio, word of mouth, and the internet, just to name a few channels. Speaking of channels, some of us even channel information psychically! Imagine the overload! Consider cutting your subscription back to just the weekend issues of your newspaper. This will be difficult at first, but this one adjustment will change your entire life. What will be so terrible if factory workers go on strike in Argentina or a crime wave breaks out in Chicago, and you are not informed? You cannot carry the weight of the world’s problems on your shoulders so don’t even try!

Next, cut your magazine subscriptions down by half! Choose the six magazines that are most important to you and cancel the remaining subscriptions.

Resign from all but the several organizations that are most important to you. Learn to say "no" to others and "yes" to yourself! In most cases, you will find that you can be replaced. If that is not always the case, then so be it! You owe it to yourself to limit your commitments.

Learn to distinguish between what you really want to do and that which you believe you "should" do. Go to the theatre or museum because you really want to go, and not out of a "need" to see that which is "important". You are a person who enjoys giving. You will have so much more to offer others if you take better care of yourself. Life is meant to be fun. When your obligations become stressful, it’s time for a change!

Dear Elaine,

During 2007, and until February 4th, 2008, individuals born in pig or snake years are in conflict with the Grand Duke Jupiter. The Grand Duke Jupiter, known to the Chinese as Tai Sui, represents 60 different "deities" that take turns influencing our world. This year’s Tai Sui can bring all kinds of challenges to people born in pig or snake years.

Snake years were 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 and 2001. Pig years were 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 and 1995. You are in conflict with the Grand Duke Jupiter if you were born between February 4th of a listed year and February 3rd of the following year. For example, for this purpose the year 1977 starts on February 4th, 1977 and goes to February 3rd, 1978.

There are several different ways for pig and snake people to minimize problems caused by the Grand Duke Jupiter this year. One way is to obtain a Tai Sui amulet for 2007. This small red paper amulet is available in some Chinatown shops. You will have to ask for it – it is not likely to be displayed. Place the amulet in a clean quiet spot in your living room until February 3rd, 2008. On that date, take the amulet and ceremoniously burn it in your backyard, knowing that the challenging period is over. Another way to defuse the conflict is to display a pi yao figurine in your home. The pi yao is a winged mythical creature that has the power to deal with the Grand Duke Jupiter. This is available in some Chinese curio shops or on the internet. If you can get a tiny pi yao that you can carry with you, or a pi yao keychain, that is even better.

A third solution is through a simple ritual called "age suppression". To do this, write your birth date and time on a metallic gold sheet of paper or foil. Place this in your living room, cover the birth date and time completely with 49 copper pennies. Leave it there until February 3rd, 2008.