Chinese New Year Preparations 2019

Are you ready for the year of the Yin Earth Boar – Ji Hai?

In 2019, the Chinese Solar New Year begins Monday February 4 and all Feng Shui and Flying Star yearly adjustments and enhancements should be in place before then. The new year coincides with the period known as Spring Begins’ and all the optimism of fresh, new beginnings. Farmers start their planting season on this day with hopes of a bountiful year. If you have not yet cleared your home and workplace, the coming weeks provide a perfect opportunity to do so since unfinished business carried into the new year will hinder your progress going forward. Remember, the energy all around you is constantly changing and many of the tools that were helpful in 2018 will be obsolete in 2019 so best to make changes in a timely manner.

In Chinese culture it is customary to complete the following projects before the new year in order to start off on the right foot, minus your baggage from the previous year. Here are some ideas to help you on your way.

Before February 4:

  • Clean your home and business thoroughly, including basements, garages, porches, attics and storage rooms
  • Wash windows, touch-up or paint walls, clean filters, vents and drains
  • Open the doors and sweep your home from the front to the back door to remove last year’s energy
  • Clear all clutter by donating, selling or disposing of items that no longer serve you
  • Organize files (including digital), closets, drawers, calendars and schedules
  • Clean out refrigerators and pantries and replace only the freshest and healthiest foods
  • Repair or remove anything that is broken – especially clocks, watches or aged/faulty electronic equipment that keep you stuck in the past
  • Trim or remove any trees or branches that need cutting on your property and thank them for their service. If they leave a gap, plant something young and vibrant in their place
  • Check lighting inside and out to be sure fixtures and bulbs are in working order to illuminate your view of the world
  • Clean every mirror, crystal and glass fixture in your home and business for clarity in 2019
  • If you have an altar or meditation area, clean and restate your hopes, dreams and intentions
  • Service and clean your automobile for safe passage through the year
  • Pay your debts and balance bank accounts so as not to drag obligations with you into 2019
  • Clean and polish your front door then oil the hinges for unencumbered access & opportunities
  • Reconcile any disputes you may have with friends, colleagues or family members for a fresh start to the year
  • Get a haircut now to prevent cutting into your good fortune in the new year
  • Burn sage, sweetgrass and nag champa or ring bells to clear invisible stagnant energy before the beginning of the year
  • Remove your front doormat and replace with a brand new one on Chinese New Year’s eve (February 3) so that last years’s energy won’t find its way into your home or business on this year’s footsteps.

Wishing you a fresh start to a bountiful year,

Diane Gallin, CFSC