2016 Predictions by 6 Feng Shui Experts and Why They May Happen

Read the latest article: 2017 Feng Shui Predictions by 7 Feng Shui Masters.

Every year, I read dozens of annual forecasts and predictions from “masters”, Feng Shui Experts, and fortune tellers (and sometimes even prophecies).

Looking back, some of their forecasts were quite accurate, perhaps due to their broad or vague statements. Others, however, were quite off target.

But I still read them. Why? Because I want to be informed.

As my uncle once said: if you hear that the year isn’t going to be a good year, you can make a conscious effort not to do certain things.

So if you are interested in what some Feng Shui Experts say about what’s going to happen this year on a global scale, I have gathered them from around the web for you here in this article. The articles are cited at the end of this blog post.

However, being informed by these predictions are not enough. You also need to observe what’s actually happening around you, just in case these experts made the wrong predictions.

That is why I have included current events, history, and my personal opinion in this blog post. I want you to be better informed so you can make smarter judgments and decisions for 2016.

To begin, here’s a summary of what’s coming, according to the experts.

Fire Monkey Brings Turbulence

The experts agree that 2016, the year of the Fire Monkey, will bring lots of up and downs as well as surprises.

This is mostly due to the how fire and metal interact with each other, where the year belongs to fire and the monkey to metal. The two elements don’t mesh well together, because fire has the ability to melt metal.

In a nutshell, experts characterized this as “not a good sign”, where fire is the more destructive element characterizing aggression, self-serving, dominance, and wittiness.

Political Conflicts are Brewing

According to Danny Thorn, this year brings conflict in international affairs. He cites that the presence of Yang fire can easily rouse anger, causing people to be more volatile and impulsive that can potentially lead to sudden and open conflicts.

Joey Yap expects something similar. He expects more political conflicts and even war-related conflicts. He’s expecting to see more news about terror attacks in 2016.

Raymond Lo also pointed out that conflicts are likely to break out. However, he added that because Yang fire also brings optimism and warmth, conflicts are more easily resolved with treaties and agreements.

On a different perspective, Master Hanz Cua stated that politics would be in disarray because individual efforts are rewarded more than group efforts. He also pointed out that national elections in the Philippines should yield some surprises.

Personally, I see imminent conflicts coming to the Middle East. Although I do not see any forthcoming global conflicts, I see scary resemblances in today’s complicated web of global alliance with what we saw back in World War 1. This article by Richard J. Evans does a great job comparing the situation to what had happened nearly 100 years ago.

The article by Richard Evans was written in the first half of 2014, when the conflict in Syria was brewing but has not yet boiled over (like how it did in the end of 2015). For those of you who are interested, here’s a video by Vox that gives you a short history of Syria’s war in 5 minutes:

More recent developments in that region include the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey back in November, 2015, and tensions are still rising as of this day.

On a separate note, in Feb. 2016, Obama Feb. publicly announced his plan to deploy heavy weaponry in Eastern Europe to curb Russian aggression by quadrupling the military spending in that region from $789 million to $3.4 billion. At the same time, China has been challenging USA and neighboring countries in the South China Sea.

History has a tendency to repeat itself. I certainly hope that it will not.

Economy is Volatile

Ma Jun-cheng, a Feng Shui Master with MBA, reasoned that because fire is destructive to metal, stock markets are likely to be volatile this year. And because fire symbolizes ascension, he predicts that major stock indexes in developed markets would end higher as it approaches the Lunar Chinese New Year.

Master Ma also stated that China’s slowing economy will remain in 2016, and that capital will flow to the south and western regions of China while economic growth shift towards the service sector.

Other experts, such as Henry Fong and Raymond Lo, agree that the economic outlook is shaky. However, they do see some hope because Yang fire often boosts people’s confidence in stock markes.

Perhaps people are seeing a bubble coming to China and to the USA in 2016? If you can recall, 2008 was mortgage debts, and this time people are chattering about student loans. Or perhaps the “volatility in stock markets” is brought by confidence in markets but fear of global conflicts?

I don’t think anybody has an answer to where the market is going. According to previous trends, there is a tendency for stocks to tumble out of fear when conflicts spark. But when government begins spending on war efforts, the economy is stimulated (USA), and the peaceful aftermath will bring prosperity to global markets. After all, I believe that’s what happened during and after World War 2.

Some Business Sectors will Perform

Feng Shui Experts have both similar and different opinions on how different business sectors will perform this year.

According to Henry Fong, logistics in the water industry will be better off this year compared to the last. However, industries related to earth, fire, and metal will have a bleak outlook. The earth industries include property and mining, whereas the fire and metal industries include finance, banking, oil, and gas.

Because fire conquers metal, Raymond Lo expects prosperity in the fire industry. He also expects prosperity in the water industries, including those of transport, communication, and shipping, although these industries will not perform as well as the fire industries. Raymond explicitly pointed out that this year is favorable for entertainment because Yang fire generates sentiment of optimism and happiness.

Similarly, Master Hanz Cua expects a good year for entertainers and artists. Because Yang fire creates excitement, creativity, and fun, he expects promotional ventures, arts, and all forms of social media to be at a peak. He also expects growth in manufacturing, real estate, banking, finance, construction, services, and technology to grow. However, because fire destroys the element of wood, industries such as education and farming will face difficulties this coming year.

On the other hand, Joey Yap is positive on industries represented by the earth elements. He sees fire industries having new business opportunities, but will be faced with difficulties in cash-flow. He explicitly predicts a growth in IT and start-up firms.

Here’s what I think. With oil prices at its all-time low, the cost of transporting goods and products are lowered, which is likely to bring extra profits to industries such as aviation and transportation.

Also, with current interest rates at an all-time low, consumers and businesses alike will continue to borrow to secure loans at a low interest rate. These are business for the financial sector if not for the interest rates.

Expect Natural Disasters and Accidents

Because of the strength of Yang fire in this coming year, Henry Fong expects fire-related disasters such as volcanic eruptions, explosions, and power outages. Similarly, Master Hanz Cua predicts disasters involving fire, nuclear energy, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

Separately, Joey Yap expects to see travel-related mishaps or land-based accidents due to the “Horse-Carriage Disaster.” He advised that logistics and transportation companies to take extra precautions.

Danny Thron, on the other hand, goes on a complete different tangent. He warns of airborne diseases and sickness, such as the flu, to trouble 2016.

Before marching into the year of the Fire Monkey, here’s what we already know about the weather.

The strength of El Nino is still strengthening, and scientists have been expecting heavier rainfalls here in southern California. If the rainfall were to come, land-based accidents are bound to happen here in southern California.

I say this because I live here. And whenever it rains, car accidents are EVERYWHERE. Some people even made fun of this phenomenon by making this hilarious video about how southern California residents react when there’s rain in LA:

 

As for diseases, there is a new virus called the Zika Virus that’s going around both South and North America that’s spread by mosquitoes. The disease has little effect on adults. However, it will cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads if the pregnant mother was infected with the disease. What’s depressing is that there is currently no vaccine, and developing one is said to take several years.

Because of this virus, the government of El Salvador even asked women not to conceive until 2018. Further, this virus has now spread to the United States. It is now advised not to travel to Latin American countries until this virus subsides.

A Look Back in History

So the masters spoke, and you now know their forecasts and predictions. How much weight do their words hold? Let’s begin by looking into 1956, which was the last time the year of the Fire Monkey appeared.

Some notable conflicts in 1956 include:

• Suez Crisis, where Egypt was invaded by Israel, followed by the U.K. and France.
• Uprisings in Hungary and Poland was crushed by the Soviet Union.

If you see similarities in 1956 and 2016, please do not panic. The way I see it, conflicts happen all the time, and there’s no need to attribute these conflicts to the Fire Monkey. Even if you do see an ensuing conflict, take note that these past conflicts were resolved rather quickly. At least there were some positivity in those negativities.

Experts also mentioned that this year would be good for entertainment. Here’s what 1956 looked like:

• Elvis Presley had a big hit with “Heartbreak Hotel“.
• Marilyn Monroe gave a critically acclaimed performance in Bus Stop.

My personal opinion? Stars rise and fall all the time. Especially in this digital age, countless individuals can simply upload a YouTube video and rise to fame overnight. Perhaps this year, you may try your luck if you’ve been pursuing a career in entertainment.

Conclusion

But how true are these forecasts and predictions? Well, only time can tell.

As for what you should do with these predictions? That’s for you to decide.

As for me, I would heed to my uncle’s words: be informed and use your judgment.

So if you were thinking about investing, do more research. Or if you were planning that trip to Latin America or somewhere in the Middle East, think twice. I personally think it’s better to be safe than sorry, unless the thrill of adventure is valuable to you.

Over to you: So with the predictions of the masters and with what’s happening around us, what are your forecasts for the year of the Fire Monkey? Please share your thoughts in the comment below!

 

Sources:

Raymond Lo & Henry Fong via Malaysian Digest: 2016 Year of the Fire Monkey

Master Hanz Cua via Manila Bulleton: Feng Shui Forecast for 2016

Ma Jun-cheng via Nikkei Asian Review: Internet Stocks get the Nod in 2016

Joey Yap via The Edge Property: Property and Economic Outlook in the Year of the Fire Monkey

Danny Thorn via New Zealand Herald: Chinese New Year: Fire Monkey Year Heats Up