The Grand Duke
This year's Tai Sui manifestation is He E. As a mere mortal he was known to history as He Ben, and remembered as a talented military strategist during the Mongol period. Yet there is so much more to him, and we begin by asking about his name. He notes that the ‘E’ is possibly the result of confusion surrounding claims that he was born near Wuhan, or that he moved to the Hu district in Xian after some battles; both characters share a similarity to his name. More importantly, he notes that on account of his services - both military and pastoral inasmuch as he spent much of his own time and money burying corpses after a battle - he was given the posthumous designation of the Duke for a Harmonious State. There is little doubt that he donated a lot of money towards privately assuaging public wrongs and we put this to him - the state has the final responsibility for the care of the population. He E assented and cited the Family Saying of Confucius, a passage where Tzu-Lu, a disciple of Confucius and a high official, is distributing food and drink to exhausted workers. Confucius orders a stop to this as it would detract from the glory of the ruler. He E approved of this, but noted that the realm of the spirits operated on its own rules. For the year, he suggests hanging a bagua in the northeast, where he will sit, making sure that his beloved Pi Yao is nearby and perhaps turning that area into a small library or reading area; all the wood in the paper will please him.
The Year Breaker
The Grand Duke is the granddaddy of them all, but he can be mollified and even used to advantage. This can be done but it is not so easy with the Year Breaker. He sits opposite the Grand Duke and so remains in the southwest this year. The force of the Tsui Po is to be reckoned at all levels, from your home to the wider world. The basic list of avoidances includes construction, moving house, marriage and long journeys. The misdirection of direction can be the key to keeping it at bay. If you don’t have enemies willing to give up their time to do this, then seek a scapegoat and have it sit opposite you, facing the Tai Sui - the deities will focus any and all malevolence away from you.
Three Killings
Always on a cardinal point and covering 90 degrees of misfortune, this is not a star to neglect when placating. This year, the Three Killings resides in the north, so stay with your back to the south and you'll find that facing it down will help calm it somewhat. North is the direction of water so to lessen the potency of this star, the usual ameliorating trio of the kilin, pi yao and fu dog can be augmented by placing some earth-made materials there, such as yellow terracotta or other similarly coloured items. You don't expressly need the tiles from the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City, but if you have some lying around then this is the year and direction to use them.
Five Yellow
The annoying Wu Wang beast covers the centre this year, and the easiest way to prevent its wicked rays from emanating will be to use five-phase theory. This star is earthen and the centre is also characterised by earth. Using metal objects to draw down its power is a good start. If we can't move the airport back to Kai Tak, then at least getting a few more cruise ships in will help. And if you're passing Kwai Chung, burning a few mental joss sticks in thanks wouldn't hurt. Back on the home front, we would advise against large towers of gold bars sitting freely in the living room for all to see. Instead, we recommend discreetly adding a little metal there: gold teeth from a much-loved uncle or aunty's favourite wok will all work to your benefit.
