As the Chinese New Year of the Dragon is fast approaching, here are my methods to help you have a lucky start in 2024. The point of this article is to give you different methods to welcome the new Chi, get rid of the old one and create a better life in 2024, the year of the Yang Wood Dragon.
The lunar start for this year of the Dragon is on Saturday the 10th of February 2024. The solar star of the Chinese year is however already on the 4th of February 2024. I therefore recommend that you take most of these steps between those two dates. To know more about the two dates and calendar, you can read my article: When does the year of the Dragon year 2024 start?
Pic by https://unsplash.com/@knarfy
Part 1: clean your home
The first thing to do is to clean you home, as much as possible. You know the notion of a spring cleaning? Well same idea here. Clean not only furnitures but also the floor, windows, mirrors etc. Change your bedding and put new ones ideally before the 4th of February.
It can be tiresome to clean everything by yourself. If you have a busy life, you can hire someone to do so. However, if you can do at least part of it, it will be very efficient if you associate visualisation to the house cleaning. When cleaning the windows for example, visualise the dirt that you are removing as what you don’t want in your life anymore: relationship that are not working, scarcity, flaws in your character…By creating this association between the energy you want to get rid of, and the actual cleaning of your living place, you create a greater bound between your home and the life you will now manifest. And this is also the basis of Feng Shui!
Another good aspect is to choose your favourite essential oils and put some drops in the cleaning product. This will greatly help to cleanse the old Chi. On the topic of cleaning products, I recommend that you mostly use baking soda and white vinegar to clean, and natural oil for the wood. It is a good idea to start the year with less sources of chemicals in your lives.
Part 2: cleanse your home.
We move from cleaning to cleansing. What you want to do is renew the air, get rid of the old Chi and welcome the new one. To do so, you can use the classical smudging with sage. There is however a traditional Taoist method associated with Fen Shui. I am sharing a recipe a method that was first given by my Sifu, master GK Ham, in his YinYang journal.
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You will need 3 Chinese herbs. The herbs are Huo Xiang (藿香,also known as Patchouli or Agastache) and Gan Cao (甘草, licorice root) that you mix with some sandalwood powder. You can also use some essential oil of sandalwood, in case you don’t find the powder. If really you cannot find any of this, you can use Church incense or some sage to burn.
Burn the content in a container that withstand the heat, on top of charcoals. Then go from room to room so the smoke and smell get into them; please remember to turn of the smoke detectors first. It can get smoky and pungent so use a small quantity. Visualise what you want to achieve while doing so, and what you don’t need anymore vanishing. You can also burn a piece of paper with your intentions for the year, and one for what you want to get rid of.
Then go for a walk, one hour or more. When you are back, turn on every light, bathroom fans, and then open all possible window and the main door a bit. Focus on the old Chi leaving your place, and invite the new one in, full of opportunities, healing and happiness for you. After 15 min or more, you can now close the openings and turn of the lights: you have done the cleansing. Let’s now see the decluterring.
Part 3: get rid of the old
Try to get rid of what you don’t need anymore before the 4th of February. This method comes directly from the de-cluterring goddess that is Marie Kondo. For clothes especially: hold them for a couple of minutes and see which feeling you have. Do they make you happy or are they a burden? Do two piles, one that you’ll get rid off, one that you’ll keep. You can do this with of course more objects, not just your clothes. I will add that giving your unwanted clothes to a charity rather than simply throwing them out will create good karma. Decluttering and good karma, what’s not to like!
Part 4: cyber-detox
You know about those 137 interesting bookmarks folders that you have created on your computer in 2023? And those 178 important flagged emails to answer? Well time to read them all….Yes that is correct! Take half a day, or every evening of this week if needed, to read those interesting articles that you were meant to. Check all those flagged emails and answer…And finally, once you have done as much as you can, try to go at least for a day into complete cyber-detox. Try to complete this cyber-cleansing before the 4th of February or if not possible before the 10th.
Part 5: finish your business
Aim at closing any loose ends, pay back your debts and ask your clients to pay what they owe you before February the 4th. The logic is still to start afresh and continue with what is good, and left the rest behind. Financial burden and people at a different level of energy are not what you need, if they hold you back.
Part 6: clear you mind
Here you are going to take at least one hour to reflect on what the previous year of the Rabbit 2023 has been for you. What did you learn? What did you loose? Do you feel that you have progressed? If not, why? What don’t you want in your life anymore? Make a first list of what you don’t want. Make a second list of what you want to manifest. We are going to use both soon.
Next stage is to make a realistic plan. Where do you want to be with your life in: 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, one year from and 3 years from now. Then pin those life goals where you will see them at least once a week: fridge, bathroom, or somewhere more discreet if you don’t want others to see them. Of course if you have very practical and material goals – such as getting a new job – now is also the time to think on how you can get it. Do you need to learn a new skill, or learn a new language maybe? Then dedicate the next few weeks to identify where and how you can learn this. You intent is the sparks that start this new fire; you taking steps to achieve your goals is the wood feeding this fire, so it can live and grow.
Part 7: cleanse your body
Well I do hope that you clean it every day, but here we are doing a special Chinese New Year cleaning. We are going to mix taoist methods, shamanism and holistic tips. It’s basically a super-charged bath…So take a bath in which you will put the following :
- Some coarse unrefined sea salt
- Some baking soda
- Some epsom salts
- One or two drop of your favorite essential oil
I usually use ½ a glass of salt, 1 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of epsom salts. This is for the holistic, healthy part : this bath will greatly help you to recharge your energy and fill you with some minerals, mostly magnesium. Take the bath warm, not too hot.
Then add to this baths fresh flowers. You can buy them from a florist, but try to take some that are organic, fair trade, and basically without pesticides. Cut the flowers and put them in the bath. This part is to receive some blessings for this new year, and refresh your personal Chi. Thanks again to my sifu GK Ham and his journal for those advice. And now to cleanse your own energy…
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Part 8: cleanse your aura
When in the bath, I suggest that you also add a shamanic practice.
The principle is to visualise some purifying rain falling on you. This rain covers you and becomes the water from your bath. It washes all negative energy from the previous year : get rid of unwanted relationship or people, your flaws, your lacks, your frustration…The second phase is to focus on your health, same process, with a purifying rain and water in your bath. Third phase : this time you cleanse your abundance. Let go of your limitations, your blockage to receive wealth and abundance in your life. Last phase, this time you cleanse your thoughts of all unwanted fears and limitations, and review the other phases : your life, your body, your health, your abundance, your thoughts.
You can keep doing this meditation as long as you are in this bath. When you are done with this bath, you will have refreshed your body, Chi and mind. Not bad for the start of a new year!
Part 9: Refresh your look
When the hairdresser cuts your hair, try to visualise what you don’t want anymore being “cut out” as your hair get shorter. At the same time, think that your hair growth will represent the growth of your wealth. The custom is to not do it for a month after that, to let the Chi takes and to not “cut your wealth”. So no new haircut before the Rabbit month of March then…Finally if you have very little hair, have short ones or are bold, don’t worry. For men, do the same visualisation while trimming your beard or moustache, or when shaving. It will have an effect on your subconscious mind…Now do this prior to the 4th of February but refrain doing it between the 4th and 10th of February, as cutting hair then would symbolise losing wealth.
Part 10: welcome the new
I think a lot of people are going to like this part; especially some women that I know of. You basically need to buy new clothes and new shoes and wear them on the 4th and on the 10th of February. They will symbolise the new Chi of the year, a Chi that you make yours. Buying new clothes also show your willingness to change, and furthermore that you don’t fear lacking money during this new year. It is customary to buy at least one red garment. If you don’t want to buy too much, the buy simply a new red…underwear or pair of socks!
Part 11 : manifest a better life
There is a new moon on February the 9th and then a full moon on February the 24th. You can use those two powerful dates and the days in between to manifest. Simply take at least one action everyday that gets you closer to your year goals. It can be searching for a new course that you want to learn on the internet, pay for the gym and actually go, review one area of your life everyday to see how you could be more efficient etc. Using those powerful 15 days between the two moon phases will help you manifesting faster. Try also to stay drama free during this period, that should be dedicated to joy.
Part 12: Your Feng Shui & Bazi consultation
The first month of the Chinese New Year is an excellent time to finally treat yourself with this Feng shui consultation you always wanted, and give your life the support and new start that you are looking for. Guess what: I know just the right guy for the job! Contact me now so we can schedule your change of life in 2024. During those challenging times when we are asked to stay confined, using Feng Shui to create a nurturing and safe environment helping you to thrive has now become a necessity. I also recommend that you book your Bazi consultation early on, in order to know your timing and how to navigate the whole year. Contact me now to book your Feng Shui consultation!
Part 13 : Boost your luck
For years now I have created this special membership, in which I combine the power of the Qi Men Dun Jia oracle and Feng Shui to give you 5 Feng Shui activations every month. These activations, done simply with a fan and basin of water, at a specific time and in specific sectors of your home, help you to generate more opportunities, luck and wellbeing in all areas of your life. They build up every month and every year to raise your Chi and boost your luck. Don’t just wait for luck to find you: create it month after month! Here is the link to read the method and join my Feng Shui membership to efficiently boost your luck