The yi-wei, or yin wood sheep (or goat), year starts on February 4, 2015, not long after midday. This is based on the solar calendar used for feng shui and astrology, not the lunar calendar used for celebrations (which begins the New Year on February 19).

The general belief is that if the lunar New Year is after the solar New Year, then the year tends to be unlucky, or more of a struggle, and the outlook can be less optimistic.

Fire, wood & earth

Yi (yin wood) is the heavenly stem of the year and the sheep/goat is the earthly branch. The branches also have “hidden stems” within them. This year, they are: ding (yin fire), yi (yin wood) and ji (yin earth). This suggests that the stem has “roots” in the earthly branch, making 2015 especially lucky for people who need yin wood to help their chart.

Yin wood is like a shrub or grass — tactful and unyielding but always growing. Yin wood can be stronger than yang wood because yin wood is more graceful and knows how to bend under pressure. Yi also means “the spread of growth”, second in order or second grade, a hook, to twist or twisted, and is the term used for ether. The image from yi for 2015 is to move outwards and grow, to be both flexible and resilient. The “twist” part of that image is to be wary of being manipulated or have things twisted around on you.

If you have the rat or the dog on your chart, then there will be small frustrations and obstacles during 2015.

The sheep is a yin sign but it is considered to be dry and parched earth, which can be suffocated and used for selfish purposes. Sheep people are affectionate, caring, trustworthy and selfless types. The sheep makes friends easily and they can have a quiet but significant impact upon others. There can be another side to the sheep: that of rams butting heads. Sheep can be stubborn and argumentative so the year ahead could bring more quarrels.

It is interesting that the yin nature of the sheep means energy is hidden away. Since people tend to remember them, sheep can make great gains by putting themselves out into the world and making friends. This lesson applies to everyone: even though you may want to hold back or stay away from change, you are better off to embrace it and put yourself out there.

Social skills, luck & doing the right thing

The 12-year life cycle energy for 2015 is yung, or “gestation luck”. Life cycles tell us where the stem (yi wood) is in relation to the cycle of the branches, from birth to death. The sheep has hidden yi, so it is a “bank” or “womb” for yi. Yung isn’t really lucky or unlucky; rather it indicates honesty, good social skills and doesn’t rock the boat. Thus, 2015 is a year to work earnestly and enjoy life. After the frantic fire energy of 2014, this will come as a relief for most people.

The only shen sha for 2015 is ji du virtue. This means doing the right thing no matter the cost. Adhering to a higher set of morals will be the order of the day and those who have avoided justice may need to deal with consequences.

Animal combinations

If you are new to Chinese astrology, you may not know that you have more than just one branch, or animal sign, for the date and time you were born. When you start to explore Chinese astrology, you will learn you actually have four animal branches: one for the hour, day, month and year you were born. If you are curious to discover more about your complete Chinese astrology profile, visit golddragonfengshui.com.au.

The sheep can form a “six combination” with the horse, or a “directional combination” if the horse and snake are together. In either case, the result is fire, though the effects of the directional will be stronger. If you have either of these on your chart, then you will have a lot of fire and it will be déja vu from 2014.

The sheep can combine with the rabbit (or the rabbit and pig) to form wood. Since yi wood is the stem, if you have the rabbit or rabbit and pig together on your chart then the energy of 2015 will be very strong wood for you.

The sheep clashes with the ox. If you were born in the year of the ox, then in general this clash indicates moving house, being relocated or changing jobs. Since both signs are earth, it means that the clashing will tend to come after a period of quiet and be unexpected, like an earthquake. This particular clash also indicates problems in business and career.

If you have the rat or the dog on your chart, then there will be small frustrations and obstacles during 2015. The sheep is a harm and damage respectively and, although it doesn’t mean big problems, there will be constant issues to deal with. If you have the dog and ox together on your chart, then you will have a penalty — called “upper hand bullying” — which means you will attract people that try to outdo you, demean you and try to compete for no apparent reason.

If you have any of the clashing, harm, damage or penalty signs on your Four Pillars chart, then one way to smooth the year out is to “buy” karma points by giving to charity. According to one Buddhist date selection method, the best time to donate is the last day of the lunar cycle, just before the new moon.

Here’s a general look at how the sheep will affect your year branch:

Rat (1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008): The sheep and rat don’t have much liking for each other mainly because of the sheep’s affinity for the horse. Work and kids will keep rats busy during 2015 and health will be getting better. Justice is at the lowest ebb, so try to avoid those parking tickets.

Ox (1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009): As mentioned, the ox and sheep clash, so 2015 will definitely be an up and down kind of year. Oxen will be working hard, but parents and those in senior positions will be the focus. There may be issues to sort through, or you could be getting help from older people. Make sure to look after your appearance this year as it could mean the difference between getting what you want and missing out.

Tiger (1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010): The tiger has family issues with siblings to focus on in 2015. There will be plenty of work, and running around with kids, but your family will need to be top priority. Avoid legal battles and arguments where possible, and make sure to have every document checked before signing or agreeing to anything.

Rabbit (1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011): As mentioned earlier, the rabbit can form a wood combination with the sheep. If your overall chart likes wood qi, then all is good; if not, there may be struggles. In either case, combinations do tend to be lucky so, whatever happens, it should turn out for the best. Affinity with children is not very well aspected for the year, but romance and love look great.

Dragon (1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000): 2015’s yi-wei has the dragon as a “void branch”, also known as an “emptiness period”. This means you may have a feeling of disquiet that’s hard to put your finger on. Voids typically mean there will be aspects of life that require greater effort than usual. Work and matters pertaining to property and possessions are highlighted and you may want to get rid of excess belongings. Health and socialising hit a peak, so get out there and enjoy yourself.

Snake (1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001): The snake is also “void branch” for yi-wei and results will be similar to the dragon. You may have a feeling there is something missing or wrong but no real reason to think that way. The effort for snakes will need to be in the area of justice and legal matters. It is not a good time to be in trouble with the law, or to go into lengthy contracts and agreements. Health is at a high, so is appearance and personality, so, no matter that there is a void, snakes should still feel and look good.

Horse (1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002): The horse combines with the sheep to form fire, but this shouldn’t have too much effect on the horse apart from making it a luckier year, especially when dealing with others (the horse becomes even more attractive!). Focus on your health and on doing the right thing by others and the rest of life should fall nicely into place.

Sheep/goat (1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003): When it is your own year, it is a time of lessons and learning about yourself, like a mirror being held up. These can be easy or difficult, depending on your attitude. Money and income may be the most stressful topic in 2015, even though you may feel like you are working extra hard. Love and romance are very well favoured.

Monkey (1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004): The monkey and sheep don’t have any special interaction, so it should be a relatively straightforward year. Children, money and sex are in focus. Make sure you put effort into getting out and looking after your health, as it’s all too easy to turn into 2015’s sloth.

Rooster (1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005): The rooster is similar to the monkey but your focus is on work and romance; just avoid mixing the two as there may be problems later on. Roosters like to look their best but in 2015 you may be tempted to let things slip — don’t.

Dog (1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006): The sheep and dog “damage” each other. This comes in the form of small annoyances, quarrels and mistakes. Stay focused and just do your best. If you have the ox as well as the dog, then there is a triple penalty as mentioned earlier. These can be especially frustrating for the loyal dog. Most dogs have sex and socialising at the front of their minds in 2015, however, effort would be better spent working hard, or at least getting as much work done as possible.

Pig (1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007): The pig only has an affinity with the sheep if the rabbit is present, otherwise the effects of 2015 are fairly minimal. Children and travel will your focus, and life will be great in these areas. Work will be sporadic, so make extra effort regarding your job. Money is on the way up for you.

Feng shui for 2015

The following interpretations and recommendations are based on two schools of feng shui: San Yuan Flying Stars and San He.

San He is based around calculations between stems and branches (similar to Four Pillars astrology). The main way to use San He is to reduce the impact of any negative formations (in red), then to activate any positive formations that are available (in green).

The good flying stars are 1 water, 4 wood, 6 metal and 8 earth (the best being the 8 because we are in period 8, 2004-2024). The bad ones are 2 earth, 3 wood, 5 earth and 7 metal (the worst being the 5). The annual flying stars are best used in conjunction with the natal flying star chart of your house.

Even though you will get good results from following this advice, it is not a substitute for having a trained feng shui practitioner assess the energy of your house. At a minimum, your practitioner should know Ba Zi astrology and the Flying Star system. Check with the Association of Feng Shui Consultants for a qualified practitioner near you.

Compass directions in 2015

The Luo Pan below has the annual formations from the Flying Star, San Yuan and San He schools of feng shui arranged for 2015 around the degrees of a compass.

The Central Palace has the 3 yang wood star, which stands for arguments and stubbornness. It is one of the negative stars in the current Period 8 and, in the centre, it is wood dominating earth. The centre can be a touchy area to try to fix, so do not overdo any cure. Even though fire is the usual “cure” for the 3 star, don’t use any unless you are certain of your home’s base flying star chart. Some metal would be the best course of action.

The south is home to 7 yin metal, which represents backstabbing, disloyalty and legal problems. The base energy of the south is fire, which controls metal, so the 7 won’t be a particular problem for 2015. Some water and wood together will help create balance between the conflicting qi.

The southwest (SW) has the 9 fire star for 2015. This is very positive, especially for women, as the SW represents the mother and is earth in nature. Yang Nobleman star is in SW3 which, when open or activated, attracts helpful men. It is here along with White Tiger, which in this position is very bad for men, and San Sha 1, which attracts thieves, so the negative outweighs the positive. SW1 is Tai Sui, or the Year God. This brings long-term bad luck when activated by open doors, renovations or constant movement. Try to keep this section closed off or quiet. The usual cure is a dragon-headed tortoise statue pointing in this direction, or a talisman can be obtained from a Taoist temple.

The 5 earth “disaster” star is in the west (W) and W2 (directly West) has San Sha 2 and the Death Gate. Even though Year Virtue and Publicity are in the west as well, the entire sector is tainted with negativity. If your house faces this direction, or your main door is here, you will need metal and/or saltwater cures to drain the 5 star, and a Kuan Kung statue will help to deflect the thieves’ energy from the San Sha. Keep activity in this direction to a minimum.

Last year’s central star, 4 wood, is in the northwest (NW) in 2015. The NW is yang metal and has an affinity for yin wood. It can indicate affairs, like older men with young women, as well as some illness for females. San Sha 3 is here, though this is a lesser problem unless there is a door or window in this exact direction. The Scholar star is also located in the NW for 2015, which is supported in part by the nature of 4 wood. To reduce the negative effects and boost the scholarly energy, add water along with some wood.

The north is home to the lucky 8 earth star, which is controlling to the north’s water nature. This has a dual effect of increasing potential for income and fame, at the cost of trouble with male business partners and/or kidney/bladder problems. The negative energy of Oppression and Robbery Mountain will tend to be outweighed by the positive 8 star and the Peach Blossom (romance/socialising), Year Virtue (attracting helpful, ethical people) and Yin Nobleman (attracting helpful females). A metal water feature (depending on your natal flying stars chart) will reduce the problems of earth controlling water, while at the same time increasing the wealth potential of the 8 star.

The northeast (NE) has the 6 metal star strengthened by the earth of the Lo Shu. This is excellent energy, especially for young men and boys. The 6 star relates to work and career so, if you have a son who needs help, place him in the NE or activate it with crystals and coins. There are negative San He formations including Sui Po the Year Breaker, which brings short-term bad luck, Broken Luck, which when activated brings problems with not doing things properly the first time, and Oppression, which when active can make the person feel like anything they do is doomed to failure. If you can keep the area both quiet and undisturbed whilst adding the cures to boost the 6 star, it should bring more good than bad.

The east has the annual 1 water star and is the home to the Lo Shu 3 wood star. This is the second area that is afflicted by the 3 star (including the centre). The east represents the “eldest son”, so males will gain here but the cost will be aggressive behaviour. Females sleeping in this sector may have liver/gall bladder problems as well. Since the Wealth star is coupled with the Broken Luck star, there could be problems with income for males here along with the aggression. Women affected will see an increase in gossip and backstabbing from others. It would be best to use fire here to reduce the effects of the 3 star, even though the annual star is 1 water.

The southeast (SE) has the 2 Sickness star, which, in 2015, will mainly affect women. It can indicate issues with the stomach or gynaecological problems. Since the SE is yin wood in nature, the 2 star can indicate control issues between young and old women (mother versus daughter-in-law), and poor sexual choices made by women. Anyone sleeping in this sector will have a greater chance of catching the flu and other seasonal diseases. To help, use a calabash (metal gourd) and a jar of water with six coins placed in it.