The grease monkeys have all come out to ensure your smooth slide from the top of the jungle down to the floor, where you will begin another year of climbing ever higher. Dragon years are generally good to you, but with one qualification - they can be dramatic. You might talk yourself into just as much trouble as you talk yourself out of it. Steer clear of monkey business and politely lemur to others whenever possible.

Fire Monkey:
04 Feb 2016 – 02 Feb 2017
05 Feb 1956 – 03 Feb 1957
Wood Monkey:
04 Feb 2004 – 03 Feb 2005
05 Feb 1944 – 03 Feb 1945
Water Monkey:
04 Feb 1992 – 03 Feb 1993
05 Feb 1932 – 03 Feb 1933
Metal Monkey:
05 Feb 1980 – 03 Feb 1981
05 Feb 1920 – 03 Feb 1921
Earth Monkey:
05 Feb 1968 – 03 Feb 1969
05 Feb 1908 – 03 Feb 1909

Fortune direction:

East

Augmenting your fortune:

Cloisonné vases

Lucky number:

Lucky colour:

  Light blue

  Health

When the winter comes, you’ll want to be a woolly monkey and try to avoid occupying the same space on which illness and disease have put a down payment. Do that, and it should be an ideal year to reminisce over the good old days down by the river, with everyone picking the fleas out of everyone else’s hair. These days, just taking time out to enjoy a capuchin-o at your local watering hole will be sufficient.

  Wealth

Your skills with the mechanics of systems will need to run smoothly. Finances are likely to swing like a banana tree in a tropical typhoon. Don’t get caught up in the red t-ape of financial projects, or you will commit the howler of throwing a monkey wrench into the works - something your manual dexterity will unfortunately allow you to do ever so easily.

  Love

The Back Poking Star is sitting here with you. Rather than a single poke, it is more like having an entire troupe of gossips massage your back with a thousand small daggers. Your top defence will be to ignore these slings and arrows; arming yourself against them will only feed the frenzy. Best to be like Admiral Nelson and turn a blind eye to the telescope and carry on regardless.

  Career

In an overall good year, you also have the Triple Terrace Star going off like fireworks: baboon! baboon! baboon! This star is helpful with professional advances. Perhaps a promotion, or control of a project that appeals, or an opportunity to study or learn something that has long been an unscratched itch. Calm your restlessness and let the star work for you.

Guiding hexagram from the Yi-Jing (Book of Changes)

Judgement:
Biting through has success. It is favourable to let justice be administered.
Image:
Thunder and lightning: the image of biting through. This the kings of former times made firm the laws through clearly defined penalties.
The Forest of Changes:
The grandparents are delighted as all their sons and grandsons are present. Honour increases daily, and from this come good fortune and wealth.
Verdict:
All your families: your relatives, your colleagues and those you share an interest with will be around you at some stage this year. Bite through where necessary and others will follow your lead. Faith in a higher justice is warranted.

Feng Shui Index 2024 report

Year of the Wood Dragon

Sorcerer: Dr James Greenbaum
Sorcerer's apprentice: Stella Liu
Wand bearer: Justin SL Chan
Director/Editor: Sandy Chen Dowling; Yukti Vidyarthi
Translation editor: Sandra Tsui
Design/Art: Cecilia Wong; Elva Lau; Lizzie Lau; Patrina Leung; Jon Berkeley
Web development: Paul Ngan; Timothy Wang
Video production: Alexandra Lee; Joy Zhou
Thanks to: Christina Qianna; Ellen Lo; Melanie Ng; Priscilla Man
Producer: Liz Patterson

Launched in 1992 as a Chinese New Year card, the CLSA Feng Shui Index is a light-hearted outlook for the Hong Kong market and a well-loved firm tradition. Please note that this guide is not a research report.