The Fire Rooster, the governing animal of 2017 in Chinese metaphysics, will bring a weak economic climate in the first half of the year, says Jessie Lee, owner of Soleil Trinity Resource, a boutique Chinese metaphysics consultancy.

“The leader of the five elements this year will be metal, followed by water, fire, wood and earth. The economy was already down in the second half of last year, so it will continue to go down in the first half of this year. But we can expect a recovery in the second half, [according to the Chinese bazi chart],” she says. 

Lee specialises in all aspects of tarot card reading, bazi consultation, palm and face reading, feng shui consultation and auspicious date selections.

As metal and water elements dominate the year, this signals that people will be living in fear in a shaky economic environment. The metal element represents pessimism and grief while the water element represents anxiety and fear. 

“People will get emotional and anxious. They will be affected by speculative news in the market, even if they do not know if it is true or not. This will not help the economy recover,” says Lee.

She adds that it will be a challenging year to accumulate and preserve wealth. The bazi chart shows that people are trying to use a yin metal element, which could be seen as a small knife, to take down the wood element, which represents wealth. The chances are pretty slim that they will be successful.  

“It will be tough for people who are trying to accumulate wealth on their own. The governing energy for this year will be collaboration and innovation. Instead of using your own force, you can work together with other people. As such, the chances of getting wealth is much higher,” says Lee. 

She notes that fire is a crucial element this year as it represents joy, hope and optimism. It also represents the Seven Killing Star in the chart. This means that people who know how to strategise when it comes to their goals will be able to enjoy a good year. 

Moreover, as the Rooster is a sign of self-punishment in Chinese metaphysics, Lee says there will be a lot of self and external destruction this year. It means that people will have to get rid of their old habits before they can adopt new ones. 

“Whether you are prepared or not, there will be new rules and changes this year. Direction-wise, the dominating metal element represents the West while the weakest earth element represents the East. By knowing this, you know that the West, which is the US, will be setting new rules under the new president. It will be difficult to negotiate with the West if you want to cut a good deal,” she says. 

Instead, people should turn to the East, which is China, to look for a bargain as the renminbi will be weaker and the Chinese will be more open to negotiation. 

Lee says these signs can be seen from the tarot reading too. This year’s numbers 2, 0, 1 and 7 add up to 10, which leads to the Wheel of Fortune card. This card represents constant change and movement. 

“When the wheel turns, there are only two possibilities — either you turn up to the top or turn down to the bottom. When you turn up to the top, you are governed by Anubis, an Egyptian God. When you turn down, you are affected by the snake, which represents temptation, greed and insecurity,” she says.

“The Wheel of Fortune shows that everyone has a choice whether to stay on top or the bottom despite the external factors. Even if the economy is not thriving, it does not mean everyone will suffer. In times like these, the most opportunities will arise and this is the best time for people to invest and grow their wealth.”

If people are ready to stay on top of the wheel, they have to be ready to grow their knowledge and analyse the situation as it will be a chaotic year. “When the wheel turns, it means chaos. Most of the time, these chaotic situations are not within your control. But everything surrounding the wheel will be affected. However, there is a point that will stay still no matter how the wheel turns — the centre of the wheel,” says Lee. 

“We have to find the centre point within ourselves. We have to stay calm and secure. If you are easily affected by the environment, it means you will be spinning the wheel for the whole year. This minimises your chances of staying on top of the wheel.”

Clarity is the key for everyone to stay above chaos and stay on top of the wheel, says Lee. This means people should do whatever they can within their own scopes. If it is out of their control, they should stay clear of it and do not spread the fear. 

“In general, the keyword for the year is collaboration and innovation. Of the five elements, water is the only one that constantly changes. It can mitigate the clash between the metal and wood elements,” she says. “This means we should be open to changes so we can enjoy a good year. The people who will suffer this year will be those who are reluctant to change and insist on holding on to old ways of thinking.” 

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