Feng Shui Index

Rat-a-tat-tat

It's a time of beginnings and renewals as the new 12-year astral cycle ushers in the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat. All the metal in its chart bodes well for our favourite Earth Rooster, the Hang Seng Index. Late spring and early summer could be a golden patch, with gains and losses in other months.

Reading our forecast is relatively simple. We adopt Li Chun, 4 February, as the traditional spring start to the year. We use a fortune scale to indicate the relative size of the Hang Seng's likely movement each month.

The year begins well. Early on, there may be legal measures that improve business conditions - perhaps the removal of red tape. That will provide a small incentive which will peter out soon enough, as contradictions in market conditions permeate the wider world. No need to get anyone's mazes in a twist, as the following few months should see the Rat join our Rooster for cocktails on a rooftop bar of their choice. Expect gains in all sectors through to the summer. Over the hotter months, the profits are less impressive, but they are there.

As the days lengthen, the relentless heat has the Rat swooning and our Rooster wilting - a too-rich diet and whiskers clogged with cheese send the pair into a sleep coma. In the last quarter, a few rattles of the cage will reawaken our Rooster to finish the year just below the summer high. Not too ratty, we must say.

A closer look

WOOD  TIGER
4 Feb – 4 Mar
Lean Rat: 25 Feb Tuesday
Lean Rat: 3 Mar Tuesday
The maze door opens and the Rat takes off; its paws make short work of the first inclines; it then climbs more storeys to tuck into some fresh cheese.
WOOD  RABBIT
5 Mar – 3 Apr
King Rat: 5 Mar Thursday
Lean Rat: 18 Mar Wednesday
Fake cheese! Froth and bubbles, the Rat is bloated and its vision blurs. A tumble down back to where it began, some paws down but the body is secure.
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EARTH  DRAGON
4 Apr – 4 May
Lean Rat: 10 Apr Friday
Lean Rat: 16 Apr Thursday
King Rat: 27 Apr Monday
Hangover remedies and a workout at the local park see the Rat try a different staircase. This time it is the scenic route with no whiff of that nasty fake cheese.
FIRE  SNAKE
5 May – 4 Jun
King Rat: 18 May Monday
Lean Rat: 25 May Monday
King Rat: 3 Jun Wednesday
All those workouts pay off as the Rat scurries up the climbing wall; hand grips are well placed, and by the end of the month it has scaled new heights.
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FIRE  HORSE
5 Jun – 5 Jul
Lean Rat: 29 Jun Monday
Scarcely a minute to brush the fur down before the Rat heads to new heights. It's a Y-shaped maze with both arms leading up in one direction and then the other.
EARTH  GOAT
6 Jul – 6 Aug
Lean Rat: 8 Jul Wednesday
Lean Rat: 18 Jul Saturday
Midway through the year, the summer hiatus hits along with a little profit-taking.
METAL  MONKEY
7 Aug – 6 Sep
King Rat: 13 Aug Thursday
Lean Rat: 1 Sep Tuesday
The window to climb Rat Cage Everest is short, and late summer is the season. No headwinds. Cheeses are all laid out, all directions are up.
METAL  ROOSTER
7 Sep – 7 Oct
A slight fall as our Rat heads down to try some delicacies left out on the platform in mid-July, just in case there is another assault on the summit.
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EARTH  DOG
8 Oct – 6 Nov
King Rat: 8 Oct Thursday
Lean Rat: 21 Oct Wednesday
Perhaps the late summer sun, too rich a diet, or whiskers clogged with cheese mean the Rat does not sense the edge. This is the largest loss for the year.
WATER  PIG
7 Nov – 6 Dec
Confused and shaken, our Rat shows great fortitude to prevent a run on the runs. The slide is over and the recovery is just as fast, in an effort to peg back losses.
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WATER  RAT
7 Dec – Jan 4
The Rat does not move, but the ground underneath does. The Hang Seng goes soft, and with its fur all wet, our Rat slips into the quick cheese.
EARTH  OX
Jan 5 – Feb 2
King Rat: 13 Jan Wednesday
Lean Rat: 28 Jan Thursday
Climbing gear on again, crampons and ropes at the ready. The final month of the year caps a successful ascent just below the summer high. Well done Rat!