15 Things you can Do at Home for Luck in the Year of the Horse

A new year represents a clean slate, new beginnings, a newfound hope. With Chinese New Year just a few hours away, our friends from the Filipino-Chinese community are once again agog in welcoming the Year of the Wooden Horse, and with it comes an optimistic outlook that it will bring them good luck for the whole year.

We asked Master Hanz Cua, Feng shui expert, what we could expect from the Year of the Wooden Horse. In general, he says, “It’s going to be a good year for business and for love,” as it also brings with it the Romance Star. “The luckiest signs are the Sheep, Monkey, Ox, Dog, Tiger, Snake, and the Pig.”

What about unlucky signs? “Kailangan mag-ingat yung mga born in the year of the Rat,” whom he says are prone to conflict and backstabbing, which a pair of pi yao placed in the home can help cure. “For those born in the year of the Horse, they should put a horse charm at the South corner of their office to be prosperous,” he says. Those born in the Year of the Rabbit are advised to carry a wulu or a medicine Buddha to counter the Illness Star.

Related story: Your 2014 Forecast: What's inStore for you in the New Year?

However, if you’re not keen on spending on lucky charms, there are practical things you can easily do at home to invite luck and improve your personal relationships. Master Hanz gives us these tips:

1. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, place 12 varieties of fruits on the dining table, including a pineapple, to symbolize 12 months of abundance.

2. The center of the house is the wisdom and love sector. Make sure it is always well-lit and free from clutter.

3. For a more abundant year, place a mirror in the dining area that would reflect the dining table.

4. Water elements, like a faucet or a fountain, are not advisable to have if they are located at the front right corner of your home (if you’re inside the house, looking out) as these signify infidelity. If there are such elements, do not use them.  

5. Using a reliable compass, locate the South sector of your house. Don’t begin any home projects like a renovation, or move any elements in this area.

6. Place your (happy) family photos on the west corner of your home “para mas maging masunurin ang mga kids”.


Kids’ room
1. Remove photos or toys that depict violence or sorrow from your kids’s room, as these enhance misfortune.

2. The lighting and color of the kids’ room is also important as these affect their mood. If you are building your home, choose light-colored paint which will evoke ‘yin’ energy.

3. Do not store your kids’ books in their room as these symbolize stress. Doing so would make the kids difficult to handle (in school). Keep the books instead in a cabinet outside of the room.

4. If there is a mirror inside the room, make sure it’s the full-length kind where “kita mo mula ulo hanggang paa”.

Couple’s bedroom
1. The elements in the room should be symmetrical, balanced. “Kung may night table sa kanan, dapat ganun din sa kaliwa ng kama.”

2. Make sure that there is no mirror that reflects the bed, as this may symbolize infidelity.

3. To keep your partner faithful, tie an amethyst stone to the foot of the bed (your partner’s side of the bed) using a red string or ribbon.

4. The couple’s bed should be one, solid piece. Two beds joined together is a no-no, as this signifies a rift between the partners.

5. Refrain from putting nude pictures in the bedroom