(346) Saju: The New Year's Fortune for 2017

By Janet Shin

The New Year has just begun and all of us are excited to welcome it and wonder how 2017 will turn out. Of course we wish for many good things to happen but at the same time we fear many bad things may happen instead. It is better to know how the New Year will reveal its energy first.

As most of you are already aware, the actual new year will arrive on the date of the onset of spring, ``ipchun,’’ neither on the Solar nor on the Lunar New Year’s Day, as per the saju calendar. So strictly speaking, we are still in the year of the monkey, 2016. However since the New Year’s energy starts to shed as of ``dongji,’’ or winter solstice (Dec. 22), it is worth figuring out what the New Year’s Fortune will look like at this time of the year.

You may have seen many images of a red rooster, which is said to be the symbol of 2017. Not only this year, but each year has its symbolic zodiac animal and color. What is the rationale behind it? 2017 is written as 丁酉 in Chinese characters as per the sexagenary cycle which is a combination of 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches. In regard to the 10 heavenly stems, the colors and their representative elements are as below.

They circulate in order, so the previous year started with 丙, while the coming year will start with 丁, which is this year, and next year will start with 戊. In this way, the colors and their energies are determined for individual stems.

On the other hand, the zodiac signs for the earthly branches are better known to everybody. And once we combine the heavenly stems and earthly branches, we come up with the symbolic color and animal for each year. Since the year’s zodiac sign is rooster for 2017, it becomes a red rooster.

Now, when it comes to the representative five elements of 2017, it is a combination of fire and metal, which portrays metal being melted by the fire. In succession from the past year, it suggests a year of conflict, segmentation and extreme situations.

However, in the second half of this year, it will yield to hope or a driving force for growth and development. Whereas the past year illustrated ``sickness,’’ this year is more associated with a ``new birth.’’ Hope sprouts its energy after pain and suffering. It is like a rebound after hitting the bottom. We may also regard it as the break of dawn as we hear the crowing of the cock.

You may foretell your yearly fortune based on your saju. On top of that it is highly required to start a new year by emptying your mind, home and surrounding environment, including your human network. It doesn’t literally mean vacating all, but taking something unnecessary and unpleasant out of your physical and mental space so you may have some available space to welcome the new and animated energy.