LUNAR NEW YEAR
YEAR OF THE PIG
4th February 2019
9.03pm UT
Sun 15 Aquarius
Moon 15 Aquarius
Lunar New Year is best marked with space clearing, energy clearing and decluttering – organising your room or home so that you only have things you love or need around you. Everything else should go to the nearest charity shop or be recycled. Live sweep!
As a Premium Member, you can read more about this in your Astrology Journal, complimentary to download. The Journal is available to download in My Downloads, under Members’ Lounge.
Across Asia, the idea of a new broom sweeping clean, is central to the pre-Lunar New Year period. Let’s have a look at these old ideas about making space/creating space and see what else is going on, here – and how you can use it.
Spark Joy
I’m sure you’ve heard of Marie Kondo and her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her question was, ‘Does this item spark joy?’
She’s very big on folding. And rolling. If you haven’t seen her videos on YouTube, take a look. She does it like a professional, because she is a professional. More than 2 million views can’t be wrong. Marie says she puts love into her hands as she does it. That sounds a lot better than housework.
The Minimalists, two forward-thinking men at theminimalists.com, are another inspiration. And if you think none of this is new, you’re right. It was around two decades ago, but it still works, and even if you’ve done it before – you can never be too motivated and inspired.
Creating New Space for 2019 to Come In
This idea about only having possessions around you which make you feel good – even great – is not new. If you look at Marie Kondo’s Instagram account you’ll immediately get a sense of space, clarity and calm.
This feelgood factor comes from being quite ruthless about everything that you own, have borrowed, or are looking after for other people! What fills your bedroom, or your home fills your head. Clear your head by clearing your space. It’s an effort, but it’s worth it.
Taurus and Scorpio Factors and Energy Clearing
Sometimes you’ll have factors in Taurus and/or Scorpio in your chart (or your partner, relatives or flatmates do) that make it very hard to let go of non-essentials at home.
The issue for you or others with a lot of Taurus/Scorpio chart factors may be that something cost a lot of money, or you have ‘always’ collected it, or that you feel too nervous to throw it out, because you may need it one day. That’s very common. Taurus the bull holds on and hangs on. Scorpions grab on tightly too!
In Scorpio, the patterns are really about the emotional ties that bind, so this is really about your parents, your partner, your former, partner and any family members – locked into all that you earn, own or owe. Feeling guilty about giving something away that they gave you is another common outcome.
If you multiply years of birthday or Christmas presents, though, you’ll end up with a wardrobe which is stuffed full of bags and boxes inside with plastic bags underneath the cavity between wardrobe and floor, with yet more boxes and suitcases piled on top. And you may not even know what’s in there. Yet, space is money. The rich pay a lot of money for space. Roomy seats in First Class. Big spaces to live in! This is a good argument for anyone with a Taurus/Scorpio overload who resists decluttering and energy clearing. More room to move creates instant added value to a room.
Feng Shui and Energy Clearing
I was lucky enough to meet Karen Kingston, the author of Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui and Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, when I was the astrologer at Elle magazine. We did a quick trip to the office to see what was wrong and right with the space. I learned a lot about not just Feng Shui, but decluttering (Karen is a Cancerian so focussed on homes).
I have used those methods for around 20 years and it’s become a way of life. As you go into February and Lunar New Year I strongly recommend you try it. Sweep clean!
I recommend her website karenkingston.com for inspiration. Articles like ‘Don’t let your home become a museum of the past’ speak loud and clear.
I am not an expert on Feng Shui, nor ceremonial space-clearing, but I do want to pass on some information about pre-Lunar New Year home blitzes before you get to February.
21st Century Goddess Guide
What follows is inspired partly by 21st Century Goddess – The Modern Girl’s Guide to the Universe, the book I wrote with my friends (both Leos) Jelena Glisic and Anthea Paul. It was published by Allen and Unwin in Australia, and Corgi in Great Britain in 2002 so we’re coming up to the 20th anniversary now. Anthea wrote a great chapter on energy clearing.
Getting rid of anything you don’t love or use before February will transform your daily environment so that you are no longer reminded consciously, or unconsciously reminded – of what you don’t want. This goes into who you don’t want, too. Never have anything around you that you ‘should’ keep or ‘have to’ possess, because the truth is – you don’t.
Diets, Gyms and Cookbooks
A very common example is the overweight person who has unsuccessful diet books and well-meaning recipe books with good intentions (raw food, for example) which just sit there. So, does she. So, does her gym membership. Everything sits! The weight does not shift.
The trainers which are seldom used, the exercise bike in the junk room or the juicer which was used once are all clutter. If you find it hard to part with something you put an emotional investment into, or a lot of money, remind yourself that in Kensington, London, property value is priced by the square foot of space. It can be quite expensive.
A person who is in chaos – confused about himself and his life – confusing to others – a bit of a Nowhere Man – may have an apartment going nowhere. It doesn’t reflect who he is, because he doesn’t know who he is. He has to ‘find’ stuff all the time and ‘look for it.’ What he has to find is himself. What he is failing to look for, is himself.
I am sure you know someone who is a hoarder, or just messy, whose life is also messy. Even the most organised of us can end up with email accounts oozing with digital clutter, though. Before Lunar New Year, think about your inbox.
Storage – Life on Hold
Quite apart from Karen Kingston, the other person who changed my life around 20 years ago was Body Shop visionary Anita Roddick. She wrote a great autobiography and signed it to me, with the message ‘Jessica, life is not a dress rehearsal.’ It made me realise I was always getting ready for something. I stopped getting ready for it and did something about it! Lunar New Year in February 2019 is your time for that too. A huge rush of energy sweeps the planet then, pouring in from Asia. No more dress rehearsals.
Is your wardrobe a dress rehearsal changing room? Do you have a dress that you’re going to wear on your second honeymoon one day, but a marriage in trouble? Why is it there? Do you have a ‘best’ job interview suit for when you finally get sacked or leave your position? Is there a spider living in the pocket?
February Goals – Who Has Rent-Free Space in Your Head?
I really love this idea, which you may have heard before. Why let people you do not like, rent space in your head at no cost to them? If you think of your head as a house or apartment and imagine that you charge people money to take up residence in your memories, thoughts, worries, hopes, fears and dreams – get real about the men, women or children who reside there. If you are honest with yourself, not everyone really deserves a room up there, do they? What do they do for you? Why are you renting the space out to them?
These kinds of discussions are really appropriate for Lunar New Year on February 4th and February 5th (as with every date in this report, allow the day before/day after rule for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to catch up with each other).
Learning from the Experts
Denise Linn is another great inspiration, and you can find her at deniselinn.com. She uses feathers, drums, bells, gongs, smudge smoke, mantras, water blessings, fire clearings, salt, mudras and essential oils to clear the energy in a home.
My point is, cleaning up and clearing up can have powerful and profound consequences. It makes things very clear in your mind, because your bedroom (even) is one of the biggest influences on how you see yourself and your world. It’s the last thing you see at night. The first thing you see in the morning.
You are virtually hypnotising yourself with what you see around you. It’s constant advertising. Stage designers in the theatre place props very carefully and deliberately to send messages to the audience about the story – the theme – the characters.
What are you designing as your props in the stage set that is your room or home? This also applies to the things you hide. The things you know you have, tucked away, in a kind of ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ way – yet they are never out of your mind at all.
Storage is another classic case of life on hold. How long have you been storing things, why are you storing them, how much is it costing you and when are you going to retrieve those possessions (which you have managed to successfully live without for the last 6 months and counting!)
Ten Facts About Energy Clearing
One of the reasons people don’t clean up and clear out their rooms or homes (or gardens) is the hard work involved but also the confusion of deciding what to remove. Mixed feelings, right?
I travel a great deal and spend half the year in Britain and half the year in Australia, via places like Dubai, Singapore and India. I don’t have a lot of space in my suitcase for equipment to energy-clear with – and I don’t have a lot of time for elaborate rituals. Here are some fast facts and fun tips I can share with you about what works.
Delete Pointless Old Emails
Make your regular New Moon clearing even easier by regularly deleting all e-mails which are not vital; trawling your desktop for non-essentials and popping them onto a memory stick or other storage. Do the same with your telephone. If you’re undecided, just start a folder called Undecided and park it somewhere safe. At least it won’t be cluttering your line of vision online or on the phone! (Years later you will find your Undecided folder on a memory stick and treat it as a quaint time capsule).
Be Honest with Yourself
Get real and be honest with yourself about ideas that are never going to happen; photographs and videos of people who are never going to matter that much to you; clothes you are never going to wear (no matter how expensive) and so on. This is actually part of the miracle. It’s not just the chucking-out, it’s the confrontation with your soul. When you edit your room, home, office drawers, telephone and computer you find out who you are. Just knowing that more clearly helps you direct 2019 better. If you are clearing your computer where particular projects, concepts or ideas are concerned, be ruthless. I am sure you poured a lot of time and energy into your words or images, but if they don’t work – they don’t work. Take a deep breath and delete or trash.
Does Energy Clearing Make You Richer?
You’ll often hear people come into money after they space-clear or energy-clear. It’s said to attract abundance. I don’t believe that for a moment, but I have seen the act of tidying create money, just because people find old gift vouchers down the back of the armchair from last Christmas – or they realise they can sell that Chanel box set they never opened on eBay. It is also true that when you have a more organised space, you think more clearly and function more efficiently. This makes you work smarter and of course you are more likely to earn a bonus or make a profit. It all adds up in the end. If you are really into Feng Shui you will seek out the experts like Lillian Too online.
Spray as You Go
Fill a water-spray bottle with lavender or another essential oil you like and mist the space as you go. If you like crystals you can charge one with the intention of decluttering, energy clearing and cleaning up your life and yourself – and your space – and pop it into the bottle. There is something really satisfying about cleaning out your wardrobe, or just a suitcase which holds off-season clothes, and then folding and spraying everything with a light mist of lavender, rose or lemon.
Use Your Hands
Healers use their hands. You can heal your home or room by using your hands. My favourite old trick is to old things or grab them and ask yourself if your energy has gone up, down or stayed level. If you hold an unpaid bill in your hands, did you just feel a little heart-sink? If you hold a beautiful bar of rose soap in your hands, did your heart twitch upwards? This is the ‘spark’ that Marie Kondo talks about. The sinking feeling is a sure sign that you need to take a deep breath and plough through the unpaid bills. Find out how other people do it. Go online and seek out forums and expert websites.
Clearing out your digital or paper photograph collection is a really good example of ‘energy up or energy down’ and it’s worth a try. I threw out half-a-dozen photographs of a boyfriend from years ago this way. I kept one for the sake of history. If you can’t decide about your digital photographs, put them all onto a memory stick or similar. Tag it and tuck it away. Then begin instinctive trashing!
Why Lunar New Year is Powerful
The Asian community around the world talks about ‘sweeping the dust’ or ‘sweeping away bad luck’ for Lunar New Year. It’s a spring clean even though it’s February. You will notice a massive energy surge of new projects, ideas, sales, purchases and arrangements soon after. On a common-sense level this is because so many Asians (even Crazy Rich Asians) want to get down to business after Lunar New Year and that helps the world go around. On a more mysterious level, the energy is real. And the energy shifts. The Sun and Moon have been powerful symbols for people for thousands of years. The first Australians built a stone circle which marks the solstice. At Stonehenge they created a lunar timekeeping device. This stuff goes back centuries, because it works. New Moons matter.
Pinterest, Vision Boards and Journals
Getting rid of what you don’t want, need, love or use helps you define what you do. This can help you crystallise your intentions, hopes, goals, wishes and dreams for 2019. Now write it down. Start a vision board on Pinterest or use a cork board. Cut out pictures from magazines and glue them into a journal or buy some felt-tip pens and start drawing. Make it real. Get it out of your head and into the world. As a Premium Member you have a complimentary Astrology Journal every quarter you can also use for a Treasure Map by sticking in what you want – or even writing letters to yourself.
Rich Equals Space
To really motivate yourself, remember that the richest people in the world have the most space in their mansions, holiday villas and apartments. They have vast grounds. Space is expensive – it is precious and highly valuable. When you clear space, you ‘buy’ yourself the luxury of more room. A square foot in the London W1 postcode in Mayfair or Soho will cost you £1718.
Whatever the value of the space you own or rent, think of each square foot you clear – in a drawer, on a shelf, on the floor – as priced and valued. Why are you giving it over to magazines you have not looked at in years?
If you are broke, even if you have one bedroom in a shared apartment, you can feel instantly richer by creating space. Move the furniture around. If you clean out your bedside chest of drawers and only end up with the contents for one drawer, give it away and get yourself some space (put the contents into a bag and hang from the bedpost). String bags or recycled cotton bags are a great solution if you want to save space. Put stuff in and hang it in your wardrobe.
Remember, £1718 for every square foot!
See 2019 as Final Draft
Most great albums, books or films go through drafts or versions. Things are thrown out. The Beatles’ White Album is full of edits. See your life as a draft. You are moving to February 2019 – the final cut. What must you also cut out? You have been ‘drafting’ since Lunar New Year 2018. It’s time. Discard and shed, so that whatever you are creating (sewing a dress, mastering a website) is shaped and crafted.
Use the Astrology Oracle
Marie Kondo writes, “When I need to sort out my thoughts, I write out everything on my mind on a blank sheet of paper. I try to figure out any tangled feelings or reasons for worry or anxiety, think of a solution, then write down an action plan on my calendar. I make sure to clarify what issues I can and cannot control.”
My variation on this theme, when you clean up and clear up for Lunar New Year, is to use The Astrology Oracle for fixing issues. Marie thinks of a solution. So, do you – but you have these uncannily accurate oracle cards on my website to help. If you are a Premium Member then pick up your Astrology Journal and start using it, together with your complimentary Astrology Oracle Guide. It’s time to bust some problems.
Problem Solving for Lunar New Year
The Astrology Oracle is a great way into problem-solving so that you can leave behind the issues of 2018 and look forward to a positive 2019 for Lunar New Year.
You don’t need to be exceptionally intuitive, clairaudient or clairvoyant to work with these digital oracle cards on my website. You just need to focus, concentrate and click. If you need rehearsal time first, spend a few weeks getting used to the cards until you trust them. Learn to read the present. If the answer about your present makes you exclaim aloud, you’ll know it’s working!
Here is a ‘pattern’ for a problem solving-reading you can use as you space-clear ahead of Lunar New Year 2019.
- What is the core nature of the main problem now, from all angles?
- What is the best overall solution by (specify your time-frame).
- What results can I expect if I do this? (again, specify your time-frame – by what date?)
Candles, Incense and Tea
Candles, incense and a pot of tea can be your reward for clearing out one chest of drawers, one suitcase, one laptop or one handbag. Take it in stages.
Make no mistake. If you are serious about sorting out old photographs, letters or emails, it can be an emotional business. It’s the same with issues you have been avoiding for years, which are sensitive subjects for you.
When you decide what to keep or throw out of your life you are having a vivid confrontation with yourself and it takes energy. Keep going on your quest to space-clear and give yourself breaks and rewards.
The candle and incense literally clear the air. A cup of tea can work wonders and fresh mint tea, or lemon tea can clear out your system as well.
Premium Members – pick up my new ebook Life Sweep for more insider secrets, tips and tricks.
17 Responses
Hi Jessica
I hate stuff so this resonates with me. I will try some of the rituals this year though. I’m clearing my head in readiness for the pluto saturn Conj to my Sun next year as it feels heavy already. I pulled out of social media and cleaned up my email. I’ve also joined the slow movement which is so beneficial to my wellbeing.
Lovely piece of writing as usual. Thank you.
Thank you! The slow movement is a good one. We live in a non-stop 24 hour, 365 day year – globally – because of the internet. We used to live by the light of the Moon and her 29 phases, now we live by the light of our phone or computer and there are no phases to be seen. Sorting out social media and email is a huge step but I am sure it feels as if you just won yourself more time and space and both of those are £ valuable.
Hi I just got on and tried to log in and it said that my account expired. I am having a problem renewing.
Please help!
BTW, the above article is great…I have been cleaning and clearing out for about a month…feels good to do it.
Thank you,
Joyce Medlin
Thank you Joyce. I am glad you are space clearing and thank you for the compliment – Jodi designs beautiful features. Please do contact Support for help with your renewal.
Thanks for a great article Jessica. I watched Marie Kondos show for the first time
last Friday and after one episode I immediately started on my clothes. What a blitz! Bags of stuff gone without a second thought and a peaceful, calm feeling inside. I’ve got my kids on board now and working through the house bit by bit. Hubby is slow to catch on , Taurus yes, but I can work on him over time! It makes me feel excited and happy. Who knew!
Marie is amazing. I’m really pleased you feel calmer. Taurus does like to hang on and hold on – but show him the facts – space is highly valuable and in First Class it costs thousands to have an extra square foot. Same with real estate. The more space you have, the richer you feel. The less time you waste, the more focussed you are on what you do want, and the easier it becomes to achieve.
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for this inspiring and much needed advice. It is true that stuff weighs you down, both emotionally and psychologically. The scary question for me about decluttering is that I am not sure what will be ushered in when my space is cleared! One obvious answer for me later this year is a move to a new house and area. However, I know the possibilities for change are much wider than that and could range from a small project to a whole new life direction. How do I conquer this apprehension and choose or should I just concentrate on one thing? The Pisces and Sagittarius weather is confusing me (Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Sag) as I don’t know what I can get away with/what’s best for me/my family and am uncomfortable about the focus on my identity/name/image/brand, as I (have no Aries in my chart?) prefer to be out of the spotlight. I feel a bit like a push me pull you thing is going on – a tussle between a need to relax and find equilibrium and a need to act. Angel numbers and psychic matters are also prominent but I don’t know what to do with the message and am going round in circles – a dog chasing it’s tail!
Thank you. Try to ‘sweep clean’ before Lunar New Year, February 4th, for the best results. The fastest and best way is to eyeball what is in each space, or on your computer, telephone, in your email inbox, in every room. Do one thing at a time. One cupboard at a time! It can take a lot of time, energy and effort so give yourself space. Physically look (sweep the room or the cupboard) with your eyes and if anything at all feels wrong to you, throw it into a garbage bag. A big one. You are not throwing anything out, just parking it for a while. You may have many, many bags in the end, from cans of food to cosmetics, from shoes to birthday presents! I will leave it with you to figure out when to throw. Some people go crazy and take six bags to the charity shop the same night. Others want to take 6 months, but that’s the absolute limit. If you have not missed anything nor needed it in six months, why are you storing it? You will be stunned at how much clearer, simpler and easier life becomes if you space clear – Pisces/Neptune can feel as if everything is all over the place, all the time. Space clearing concentrates the mind.
Hi Jessica. I am a Leo sun with sag ascendant. I have sorted like ten bags to throw from my wardrobe cupboard kitchen bedroom cosmetic and still I find there is more I can get away with. Is it crazy or am I being over worked. Not sure I cannot stand clutter at all.
Ten bags is very impressive. Well done. I’ll leave it to you to decide if you want to take them to the charity shop right away, or sit with the bags for a while to see if you actually need anything in them over the next month or so!
Thank you dear Jessica for replying to me. I am a regular follower of your articles, daily astrology reports, special reports, tarots , horoscopes etc. I have been struggling since August 2017 when I had to quit my job of five years due to toxic manager. I have been so perplexed what to do since I have gotten few interviews but failed. My ex employer from my previous company where I worked for seven years until 2013, before the last job that I joined 2013, approached me while I was working for the current one. I was employed then in 2013 so I had to turn him down . I am just not sure whether I must approach him or not. Am getting extremely depressed over the past few months. Terrible relations going haywire with family. Nothing is right since the last November. I really doubt my luck as it is supposed to be sag rising and leo sun, moon aries, where are the good things? Is there anything positive at all. My faith and belief is just not same. I read lots of good things to happen in 2019. As Jupiter helps sag. Entire 2018 especially March 3, June 27, July 26, October 12, dec12 these dates have played major havoc in my life. Family relations, fights with siblings, depression, lower self esteem…since entire year. Is there any light , I feel hopeless. Thanks again.
I am sorry you have had such a miserable time with your job situation and family. You are a Sun Leo who has been living with Saturn, Pluto and the South Node in the Sixth House of work, throughout 2018. Your family situation will have eased up from January 26th with the departure of Ceres from Scorpio in the Fourth House of family. Not every Leo has had family issues – some of their concerns have been with builders, for example, or tenants, or their landlords/landladies – as the Fourth House also rules one’s residence. You will now see the family situation improve, but in the meantime you must get help for depression. Feeling hopeless, having low self-esteem are classic symptoms and you have said it yourself – you are depressed. Please go and see your doctor. You may also want to look at The Black Dog website which is excellent if you have this illness. You are a Sun Leo who has been doing it tough, but from March 2019, Uranus (radical change) enters Taurus (career) and you will be on a totally different path with your ambitions in life. You will experiment and explore in a new way and surprise your old self, with what comes to you. From December 2019, when Jupiter moves to Capricorn (your Sixth House of work and health) real solutions will come and you will find 2020 so much easier than 2018 ever was. The future does look bright. I am not just saying that. In the meantime please see your doctor. You should also be looking at alternative treatments for depression alongside medication – including yoga, cognitive therapy (sounds complicated but is actually simple – you train yourself to reinterpret what is happening to you) and exercise. Do not get in a state about your employment situation please. It is temporary. You will take a new path.
Dear Jessica, you have no idea how much relieved I am to hear from you. Thank you so much for your guidance and love. Happy new year. Love.
What does a sighting of a falcon mean Jessica? One landed on my porch for some minutes last week, unafraid that I’m there. Rather I was not ready to move, lest it peck me or such. Was scared as it seemed like it was eyeing me (as prey?..) Haven’t seen a bird like this up close. Saw it the next day on the small tree in the garden and then never to be seen.
I’ve never seen such a bird around , so was surprised to see this. Had to google to find out it,, looks like it was a peregrine or amur falcon. Does it signify danger? Merci.
A falcon is very important in the Tarot. If you look at the Tarot of Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Waite you will see it pops up a number of times. ‘The falcon cannot hear the falconer’ is in a line of poetry by W.B.Yeats who inducted Pamela into The Golden Dawn. Not danger – usually the question is ‘where is the falconer?’ to call the falcon. It’s about communication. It will have personal meaning for you. If you use Tarot it’s about that!
Fabulous, Jessica! Just fabulous! This article feels such perfect timing to me as I have started a big clean too, though I’ll need months until I’m through. Thank you so much for your inspiring words, some things I know and have done (Karen Kingston – wonderful), and other things are a brilliant new addition, like your idea with the Astrology Journal and combining tarot, astrology – makes me totally excited to see what wonderful changes I can attract into my life!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help you have given me, most especially when I was desperate to find a home last year. Your advice may have seemed odd to some and I couldn’t imagine all of your suggestions either but I just got on with it in good faith, and do you know – you were spot on!!! I have found an adorable little house, have a garden and even free water, not just a well! Thank you xx
Fantastic news about the prediction. I am thrilled for you, that you found your house. And I will pass this feedback onto James, Jodi and Justin too. Make sure you get the major Life Sweep over by February 4th if you can – New Moon in Aquarius and Lunar New Year. That would be the Asian way.