Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology: September 2023
The month of the Metal Rooster begins on September 7 (or September 8 in China time) as the sun crosses 15° Virgo. We’re now in the middle of fall in the Chinese solar calendar, with Metal element at its strongest. It’s the year’s most sensitive month as the Rooster (or the Bird) is the sign opposite the Rabbit. Flying star 1 of victory and wisdom is in the center of the Feng Shui Flying Star chart, bringing new hopes and vibrancy after the heaviness of the previous month’s star 2 of illness.
Double Yin Metal in the month’s heavenly frequency and the Bird in the earthly branch, like a mirror, encourages self-reflection and a higher level of self-awareness. Metal, whether Yin or Yang, is by nature cold and sharp, and Yin Metal is the more delicate, analytical, and calculating of the two. This is an ideal month to assess your strengths and weaknesses. It’s also a good month for treating yourself like royalty. Associated with planet Venus, Metal, especially the Yin, is also the element of beauty, charm, and luxury, which is why I preferred calling this feminine, elegant and fashionable sign the Bird instead of the Rooster to be more energetically aligned with Yin Metal.
In a Yin month, allow yourself to retreat and receive. Be mindful of excess, however, as the Bird is the sign opposite the Rabbit, both highly social Peach Blossom stars in Chinese astrology. Relationships and romance are in the spotlight when Peach Blossoms are involved. Opposites attract!
The second half of the month marks the arrival of the equinox as we reach the height of autumn, celebrated as the Chinese Mid-Autumn / Mooncake Festival. With Metal element, associated with the lungs, at peak, strengthen the body with heartier foods that are cooked slowly to bring energy up to the surface. Nourish the lungs with a regular Qigong practice or breathing exercises such as pranayama. With Yang now in decline after a heated summer, take in the rising Yin to harmonize with the season: return to yourself and schedule time for self-care and self-reflection.
Guidance from the Chinese Five Elements Oracle
The Fire Rat card from my new oracle deck on Chinese astrology, which will be released by Hay House on October 10, brings us messages of guidance this month. Aligned with the month’s theme on oppositions, the Fire Rat pillar is about Light and Shadow.
Like Heaven and Earth, there are two sides of everything. This month, consider the juxtapositions that exist in your life. Can each one exist without its opposite? Where there is love, there is also fear. We each have the freewill to choose one over the other. The Fire Rat pillar invites you to turn fear into love.
Associated with the Sun and summer, the most Yang season, Yang Fire is the element of light, love, hope, and joy. The Rat is a pure Water sign that rules winter, the most Yin season. While this animal’s physical size may be small, its mere presence can bring fear and anxiety, emotions associated with Water. The Fire Rat pillar reminds us that even the slightest hope can help you find your way out of the dark, and the biggest fear can motivate you to shine your best light.
*You can preorder The Chinese Five Elements Oracle here. Thanks to the many of you who preordered! I’m so excited that it will be released soon! I just sent the first preorder gift, a PDF on how to shift the frequency of your being and your space with the five elements, and will send three more gifts on the Success days of the Bird month, which are 9/8, 9/20, 10/2. Mark these Success days in your calendar – they’re the best days of the month to focus on your most important projects.
What’s ahead for the signs
The Bird’s best friend the Dragon and allies the Snake and the Ox can expect a supportive, collaborative month ahead, a good time to make great progress on various endeavors.
As a Peach Blossom star, the Bird brings social and romantic opportunities to those born in year or day of the Monkey, Rat, and Dragon.
The Bird blesses those born in a Fire year or day with Divine Support. If that’s you, September is a good month for personal, medical, or professional consultation as the advice and help you receive will contribute to your healing and growth. *(Fire years are years that end with 6 and 7, such as 1976, 1987, 1996, 2007, 2017, and so on. To find the element of the day you were born, use this chart calculator.)
This Metal Bird month may be the most challenging month of the year for those born in a Rabbit or Bird year because of the Rabbit and Bird opposition. Relationships are usually the most affected – speak your truth from a place of love, and honor the boundaries you set for yourself. If you have a Bird in your chart, this is a month to be conscious of self-sabotaging behaviors. Practice self-forgiveness and be kind to yourself.
Feng Shui for the Metal Bird Month (September 7/8 - October 7)
In the Flying Star Feng Shui chart for September 2023 above, the numbers in green are the annual stars for the current year (good until February 3, 2024), while the numbers in blue refer to September’s monthly stars (good from September 7, 2023 to October 7, 2023).
Just like the prevailing elements of the month, the number in the center of the chart can bring insights into the general moods and themes of the period. This month, monthly star 1 of wisdom, associated with ☵ Kan, the Water trigram, “flies” to the center. The trigram’s one solid Yang line between two broken Yin lines can be seen as a divide, while the broken Yin lines above the solid Yang line represent the fears we acknowledge and the broken Yin lines below, the fears we repress. Recognize your baseline and rise above your fears to level up – letting your fears drag you down will only pull you further down the hole without resources to help you back up. The symbolism of the Water trigram can also be literal: we may deal with heavy rains and stormy weather conditions throughout the month.
The most productive sectors this month are the center and the North. If the center of your home is an open space, you can use it to socialize and entertain as monthly star 1 of victory and annual star 4 of romance invite vibrant Qi. The North, blessed with annual star 9 of joy and prosperity and monthly star 6 of power, is great for work-related matters. The best way to energize the positive stars is to simply do more of your daily activities in these sectors. Auspicious monthly star 8 in the East sector can increase our productivity, but use it sparingly as annual star 2 of illness is also in the sector.
Keep the Northwest and South sectors quiet this month. The Northwest is especially afflicted with annual star 5 of misfortune and monthly star 2 of illness residing here, while the monthly star 5 visits the South. Pay attention to your mental health if your bedroom is in the Northwest as star 5 of misfortune can bring dark thoughts that lower our frequency.
Reinforce all doors and windows located in the Southwest sector, visited by monthly 7 of violence and robberies, and the Northeast sector, where the annual 7 is. Use the Southeast sector mindfully and leave the sector when you notice temper rising, as monthly star 9 amplifies the annual star 3 of arguments.
A version of this post is also published on my other website at Functional Feng Shui.
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*Image © Alain Audet/Pixabay