Chinese New Year 2004 Year of the Monkey (Earth Water Year)

The year of the Monkey is a year that filled with completion of  events.
From the nine star astrology, we have the ruling house of Five, the Earth, centering influence for the whole year.

 
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9
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In using the Nine Star astrology, you have to discover your natal birth stars.  A good resource for this system is the An Anthology of I Ching by W. A Sherrill and W.K. Chu.  For example if a woman is born in 1965, then her natal star would be 7, Seven Red Metal Star but for a man, his natal star would 8, Eight White Earth Star.  This Yin Yang aspect of 9 star astrology is one of the most sublime qaulities of this system.

 
 

The year in the Nine Star Astrology is one of returning to the original cycle.  Every one is returning to their birth star.  This is the time of reaping the result of the previous eight years of karma.  Whatever you have planted those shall you reap.  In this way, if you have worked very hard to cultivate your spiritual practice, you will find the result finally manifesting in your life.  It is also a returning home, coming back to one's nature, essence of being.  You become more of yourself, your real character emerges.  For example, if you are born with the natal star of 9 which is the Li Hexagram, then you have returned back to the 9 House of the South, the Clarity of the Sunlight.  These will be a year for one who is born with the 9 Purple Natal Star of having being discovered by the world and people in one's task--both the good and bad will be exposed.

Another example is the woman who is born on 1965 with the Seven Red star would be returning to her natal house of 7, the Western region of Harvest.  This year for her would be a time of laughter, and harvest.  Yet, in such gaiety, she should take care to be conscious of the undercurrent of danger that always lurks below the lake surface.

As to the Animal totemic sign of the Monkey, the more relevant is the energetic pattern of heaven being in the earthy phase while the Earth is in its watery phase.  This two energetic pattern is in conflict with the Heaven's earthy substance absorbing and conquering the Eath's watery turbulence.  This will be a year fill with natural disasters in the way of hurricane, flood and earthquakes.  But with the monkey's ability to deal with change, the people will find evocative way of resolving the natural and man-made conflicts.  Look forward to a year of conflict resolution in the human realm.