Ox turns Heaven and Earth 牛转乾坤

As this is the year of Ox, a new expression appeared in the Chinese websites in the beginning of the year:
"Ox turns Heaven and Earth" - "Niu zhuan qian kun" 牛转乾坤.

This sentence is a word play. It comes from the Chinese idiom: "Niu zhuan qian kun" 扭转乾坤, which means "to bring about a radical change in the situation; reverse a bad situation or unfavorable condition to one’s advantage". This phrase is also translated as “to turn the tables”, because it derived from the ancient Chinese games. The player that is in a disadvantaged and weak position, turns the situation around and wins the game.

So, now in Chinese there are many wishes such as: "Wish you good luck and let the ox turn the Heaven and Earth!", "Ox turns the universe", etc. ;-)
This shows the hope of people for better changes and better times. Like always...

Annie Pecheva

The Winter Solstice and the energy

December 21st is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is at 270 degree on the ecliptic.

The 3-4 days before and after the Winter Solstice are characterized with very powerful positive energy in Nature. This is a good time for receiving energy from Nature, important time for more meditation and relaxation. Even in a non-meditation state one can feel how the energy and the blood circulation in the body are very intensified as if in a meditation state.

Now the qigong meditation is very qualitative, it gets easier and faster to enter into the deep levels of subconsciousness. The taoists, buddhists and the qigong practitioners give a great importance to the meditation during the Winter Solstice and they utilize this period for more intensive cultivation. This is not accidentally. At the Winter Solstice the yang energy starts to increase (and the days start to get larger), while the yin energy gradually starts to diminish (and the nights are becoming smaller). Slowly and almost unnoticeably the heat in Nature and within the human body is increasing from inside towards outside.

To a certain point, this is also related to the lunar month of Rat (zi), in which we are now. It is represented by the “Fu” 24th hexagram in I Ching:



Lao Zi says "Returning is the movement of Dao". Fu hexagram means “Returning, Coming back" and it consists of 1 yang and 5 yin. The past month (hai) was completely yin – with 6 yin, but now a new cycle is beginning, in which the first rays of the Yang energy start to appear. In Chinese, this is called “Yi yang chu” 一阳出 (“the appearance of first yang”). That's why this is considered a great time for cultivation.

During the different 24 solar terms of the Chinese calendar, the qi is concentrated at different energy points (guan 关) of the small heavenly orbit 小周天.



Now, during the 15 days of the Winter Solstice period, the qi is concentrated at hui yin energy point of the body as well as in the lower dantian. Now it starts to activate especially on the du mai (the yang meridian) of the small heavenly orbit. At the same time, the flow of energy can be felt much better and faster throughout the whole body.

In the past times, the Winter Solstice in China was regarded as an official holiday and the New Year's day. The scholars and practitioners of metaphysics have done important forecasts namely during the day of the Winter solstice.

With best wishes to all,

Annie Pecheva

Feng Shui Humor

There was a person who trusted feng shui so much that before doing anything he first asked a feng shui master for consultation. One day, as he was sitting, a wall collapsed above him and he was pressed by it. He anxiously started to shout "Help! Help!" . When his relatives saw him, they said: "Don't worry, be patient, we will now go to the feng shui master to ask whether today is an auspicious day for ground braking."

24 solar term pillars constructed in Beijing

Recently, 24 solar terms pillars 二十四节气柱 appeared on the south moat's bank in Beijing (located near the south gate of Temple of Heaven). The 24 pillars are divided into four groups x 6 pillars - representing the 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

The 24 solar terms are spaced 15° apart along the ecliptic and are used by the Chinese calendar, representing the Sun's motion on the celestial sphere as seen from Earth. For a first time, the 24 solar terms are mentioned in the classic of Huainanzi 《淮南子·天文训》, written in 2nd century BC, during Han dynasty in China.




The solar term pillar "Beginning of Spring" Li chun

Emperor Yongzhen and Astrology

Emperor Yongzhen 雍正 (13.12.1678 – 8.10.1735) from Qing Dynasty in China had a great passion in Four Pillars Chinese Astrology and I Ching divination.



He often checked the Four Pillars astrology chart of his officials and generals, analyzed what is the of situation of their individual 10-year cycles, what was the strength of their day master/personality. When his high officials were sick, the emperor did some calculations to see how will their diseases develop, etc. He did all calculations and horoscopes by himself.

When this emperor had to decide the appointment of new officials and generals to go for important work at the boundaries of the country or do some other special mission, he first checked not their merits, experience or level of knowledge, but their Ba Zi 八字 (the Four Pillars): whether their four pillars chart is suitable for this kind of job, is there a clash or combination of the branches between their chart and the geographical direction of the mission; are there signs in their charts of turning against the emperor; is there a combination and good harmony aspects between the his own horoscope chart and that of the officials.

Emperor Yong Zhen in a Taoist attire


Annie Pecheva
Hanlin Academy

Yin Yang crop circle

Whoever has made this Yin Yang crop circle on 07.07.2007 in Stantonbury Hill, N. Somerset, UK, probably knows Chinese:

the 12 ornaments around the Yin-Yang monad resemble the Chinese character 丰 feng, which means "abundance".

Is this a wish for abundant harvest?

The Mid-Autumn Festival and the energy

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節), celebrated widely in East Asia. It marks the full moon that is nearest to the September Equinox, always occurring on the 15th lunar day of the 8th lunar month.

According to the Chinese tradition, this is supposed to be the biggest and fullest moon of the year. However, in fact this perception comes because of the clear sky view in the Autumn in China and other East-Asian countries, when the humidity particles of the Summer have already disappeared and the moon now looks very clear and bright.

Here is more info about the Mid-Autumn Festival:
Mid-Autumn Festival

In other parts of the world, this specific full moon is known as Harvest Moon. Here is a citation from wikipedia:

"Often, the Harvest Moon seems to be bigger or brighter or more colorful than other moons. These effects have to do with the seasonal tilt of the earth. The warm color of the moon shortly after it rises is caused by light from the moon passing through a greater amount of atmospheric particles than when the moon is overhead. The atmosphere scatters the bluish component of moonlight (which is really reflected white light from the sun), but allows the reddish component of the light to travel a straighter path to one's eyes".

Similar to all other new moons and full moons during the year, as well as the days of moon perigee and apogee, the 1-2 days around the Mid-Autumn Festival are very important time for meditation and receiving energy from the moon, according to qigong.



Annie Pecheva