Happy Lunar New Year. What Year Is it?

We celebrate the new Lunar New Year. According to Chinese astrology, this is the Year of the Sheep .. or is it The Ram ... or is it the Goat?

According to NBC news coverage, it apparently matters. "This animal sign, which comes once every dozen years, can be said to have an identity crisis. Known variably as the Year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram, the sign's confusion stems from its Chinese character, "yang," which broadly describes any of the ruminating mammals, with or without horns. Many Chinese prefer to translate it as the "Year of the Sheep" because sheep are more cute and cuddly, and large sheep figures have appeared around the capital's shopping areas in recent weeks. The goat, however, is more likely to be the original meaning because it was a popular farm animal among Han Chinese who started the zodiac tradition, Huang Yang, a researcher on the roles of sheep and goats in Chinese culture, was quoted by the official Xinhua News agency as saying."

My overview of the Year of the Sheep makes no distinction:

Some astrology books equate The Sign of The Sheep with the Sign of the Ram or The Sign of the Goat, but it is all the same as far as personality is concerned. Emotional, sentimental and mushy, Sheep correspond to the western sign of Cancer. Sheep are cuddly nurturers who can be sentimental and clingy. “Clingy”? Well perhaps a little overly mothering. But it’s because they care so much.

Some parents delay or induce births to avoid the Year of the Sheep because they think their offspring will be too docile or easily manipulated. But it is the savvy parent who goes right ahead and bears a Sheep Year baby: "One woman attending a prenatal class, and due in late February, said she doesn't pay much attention to the zodiac. 'Lots of people think sheep babies' lives will be very tiring and they have to work hard, so lots of people try to avoid having sheep babies," said the mother-to-be, who would only give her surname, Li. "But that means my baby won't have as much competition, which is great.' "

 

 

Lucky Numbers for the Week of February 20, 2015

Lottery ads tell us you only need a dollar and a dream. But it is also helpful to have a list of lucky numbers to help spur the good fortune ... or fortunes. So with that in mind, here are some lucky numbers that can be used in any helpful way. I gazed into a pool of water, Nostradamus-like, and contemplated the cosmos. Then I mixed the tarot cards and allowed the spirits to guide me to the cards that represent the lucky numbers for this week. Nothing is guaranteed but who knows ....?

I choose eight numbers because 8 is the number of wealth.

Here are the lucky numbers for the week of February 20-26, 2015:

2, 17, 24, 27, 30, 46, 61, 63

There are many ways to delve into your own consciousness to find luck and intuition. Try reading Dream Power/Improve Your Luck (Super Strength Series) and see if your dreams give you any clues and premonitions. Here's a guide to the best books available this month

LoveScope for the Week of February 18, 2015

The planets put more rev in your engine this week. You have more energy, more ardor and more sizzle. Be prepared for more get up and go as your love knows no bounds.

ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)
Be bold this week Aries. If you see someone or something you want, go for it. But surprises are in store if you rush recklessly. Don’t give your heart to just anybody. Be picky and discerning, if you can manage to do that!

TAURUS   (APRIL 21 - MAY 21)
You tear up the landscape and reveal things that have been kept carefully hidden. That can include some secret admirers who were just waiting for a chance to express their feelings towards you. Good news Taurus! Now make your next best move.

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Get out of your comfort zone this week and expand your circle of friends and admirers. Gemini’s are naturally sociable and now you can ramp it up with abundant charisma. Who will you meet and greet? Who will sweep you off your feet?

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)
There is something exciting happening at work and diligent Cancers will grab the opportunity. You attract admirers and maybe even a stray and intense romance. Will some high and mighty executive take a shine to you? Well rubadub!

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)
New love with a stranger awaits you Leo, if you can get off your couch and take a risk. For those Lions who are currently in a relationship, do something totally new, refreshing and out of character. Delight your love with exotic gifts. No not popcorn.

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)
Go on the hunt for love Virgo. You are on fire and manage to turn up the heat on any encounter. That means that you shouldn’t be flippant or simply flirtatious. Be serious and intense. It will separate the light from the fantastic.

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)
Balance and diplomacy have their place in a relationship. But this week you yearn to topple your scales and go head over heels for a certain someone. Go for it whole heartedly Libra! We only have one life to live ... as far as we know.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)
Any extra exertion will have a gale force impact but could have unintended results. So if you are focused on a particular love interest and decide to hotly pursue, don’t be surprised if you wind up asking yourself why later on. Who and why, Scorpio?

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)
A fleeting romance is possible for all Sagittarians who can keep their ardor light and flirtatious. But what if you want more out of a relationship? For that you need to keep a level head and manage expectations .. at least for this week.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)
Your parents or some other relative may have an opinion about your current relationship. Do you want to hear it? If so, weight it in the context of what you know to be true. Let your heart guide your actions, Capricorn. Listen to your inner voice.

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)
Whisper the words of love and see what can happen, Aquarius. Keep the drama for another time. This week you need to relax, recharge and enjoy the small and quiet moments. There is time to take up the banner of revolution and upheaval next week.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)
Splurge on romantic trinkets or experiences and see how you can enhance any stale love relationship. For those Pisces searching for bigger fish, be prepared to spend more to get more. Will you get your money’s worth. Only time will tell.

Never miss your horoscope again -- free sign up here. Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2014 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 8th printing and available as an eBook.

Ghosts Create Bargains in Hong Kong Housing Market

Have an apartment to sell in Hong Kong that may be haunted? Prepare to lower your price according to Business Week.

There’s a grim phenomenon in Hong Kong’s real estate market: discounts of as much as 50 percent for home seekers willing to live in an apartment where a murder has occurred. Unnatural deaths typically result in rental discounts of 10 percent to 20 percent and can be more than double that for killings, says Sammy Po, head of the residential department of realtor Midland Holdings. Chinese believe such places, known as hung jaak, the Cantonese term for haunted apartments, are unlucky, he says, adding that “the Chinese really do care” about living in these places.

This year, Hong Kong had almost 190 apartments or homes where an unnatural death took place, including murders and suicides, according to a database compiled by Square Foot. The website lists the date of the incident, the address, the district, and a brief description of the death. Among recent listings were an apartment where an 18-year-old male student slipped a plastic bag over his head last month and jumped to his death; one where a middle-age couple, plagued by financial troubles, committed suicide by inhaling burning coal smoke; and another where a mother was hacked to death by a mentally unstable neighbor while protecting her two daughters.

Superstition and geomancy beliefs run deep in Hong Kong, where people also shun sites close to cemeteries, hospitals, and churches, which can be considered unlucky. Buildings typically omit the fourth floor because the number is a homonym for the Chinese word for death—much as many U.S. buildings don’t have a 13th floor. Property developers rely on feng shui, the Chinese practice of arranging the physical environment in harmony according to beliefs about energy and design. “For those growing up in Hong Kong, feng shui is hammered into your mind, even if you don’t believe or understand it,” says Ng Wai-pok, a former lecturer in feng shui at the University of Hong Kong. “A large part of it is psychological, but there is also the metaphysical.”

 

Horoscope for the Week of February 16, 2015

Both Venus and Mars enter robust Aries this week and set a fire under all of our careful plans. Will it be a romantic heartbeat or just heartburn? Let your heart be your guide. But pack a good roadmap map just in case....

(George Clooney has Venus in Aries)

 Never miss your horoscope again -- free sign up here. Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2014 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 8th printing and available as an eBook.

ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)
Aries might be called love magnets this week. Opportunities abound to draw people to you from all corners. So get out there and meet as many new people as possible. You are not only charming and welcoming, you are also considered very attractive and sexy. What a nice change of pace! Don’t blow the opportunity. Spread yourself very thin.

TAURUS   (APRIL 21 - MAY 21)
You seem to have a bevy of secret admirers who make themselves known to you this week. Taureans not only divine all sorts of romantic intrigue, you can also get into a bunch of mischief with a range of possible love triangles. Will you mix and match  your dates? Will you double dip? Will you enjoy every savory moment? Probably, possibly and definitely.

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Geminis are able to charm and woo any number of their platonic pals this week. You are a dangerous heartbreaker with the gift of gab. In the heat of the moment however, you may spill a personal secret that has folks looking at you in a new surprising way. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes vulnerability is an aphrodisiac. Sometimes, but not always.

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)
This may be the week that you find love on the job. Bring your best moves to work and see who brings your morning cup of coffee to a boil. And there is more to office life than a quick fling now. Cancers find that a well placed compliment will open up new doors of opportunity and possible advancement. So choose your mark, pour it on and try to look sincere.

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)
Travel and see who might be waiting for you in some far off corner of the world. Getting out of your comfort zone and expanding your horizons can result in an intriguing distant romance. Leos also find that they are true diplomats who can bring any warring parties to the peace table. So make love not war while the world is your oyster.

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)
Virgos are even more seductive than usual. Unleash your sexy beast and see which quarry sparks your interest. Your eyes may be too big for your stomach though. The temptation will be to seek quantity rather than quality but that would be a waste of a unique opportunity. Be discerning. Seek the true apple of your eye and take a big bite.

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)
If you are a Libra on the look out for love, this is the time to set out and hunt for your soulmate. You can catch the eye of anyone you set your sights on. If you are currently in a relationship, use the week to spoil your special someone with an excess of love and attention. Things between the two of you get better and better .... if you want it to.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)
Your work environment is fertile ground for excitement this week. So see if there someone who deserves to receive a love missive through the internal mail system. Scorpios never know who is there to sharpen their pencil or push their paperclip. So keep your eyes open for a certain secret admirer and file it away in your personnel cabinet.

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)
This is not the week to sit at home and contemplate your navel. It is time to pursue anything that is fun, creative or romantic. Or a combination of all three! Sagittarians are encouraged to party hearty and see who boogies along. Move in new circles, try something artistic or open yourself up to new stimuli. There is plenty of time to nap and time waste next week.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)
If you find yourself spending more time at home,  it may be because there is a lot of romantic excitement there. Capricorns  should seize the moment and either invite a stream of potential love interests over or feather their nests for their current chickadee. The mood is good, the company is perfect and you are in top form. Find any excuse to cocoon, cook and coo.

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)
You are eloquent, compelling and charming this week. Why ask why? Don’t be shy while you have all this courage and get-up-and-go. Aquarians seem to know just what to say to get their way and advance their personal cause, whether in love, career or some other endeavor. Will you use this gift for goodness or nastiness? Uh oh. Let’s just guess.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)
Money is honey, Pisces. At least that is what you believe. It can buy lavish gifts that can sway any heart. This week you find that you can use your financial acumen to get anything and anyone you want when it comes to just about anything. Does this mean that you will have to pay for your success? Let’s hope not but be prepared to receive the final bill.