At the beginning of each year, there is an abundance of content on the internet in the form of articles that issue warnings and make predictions on the “tai sui,” “sui po,” and “three killings” directions that should be avoided. Some individuals use the Chinese astrology and feng shui calendars to get more insight into the things that they need to be mindful of throughout the course of each year. In the yearly update reports that I provide for my customers, I advise them as to which areas of their house or place of business should not be redesigned, as well as which areas of their property may be harmed by excavating or landscaping. What goes on in the neighborhood might have an effect on not just your health but also your well-being. Some of these problematic directions have huge warning flags attached to them, stating that people shouldn’t even sit with their backs to that specific direction in any given year and that they shouldn’t turn their backs to that way while they are approaching their front door. Some people go so far as to recommend that you change your sleeping position if the compass points in an unfavorable direction for the current year. I have seen the manifestations of these construction Sha directions most often when a person is remodeling their own property, and secondly when they are working on the projects of their neighbors. The word “sha” may refer to a variety of different kinds of destructive forces. It is possible for someone to have “sha” in their unpleasant manner of speech or in the unhealthy cuisine that they consume. In contrast, the term “construction sha” is significant and applicable in the context of a feng shui inspection. Some specialists in the field of feng shui are even able to make forecasts about the regions of the globe that are most likely to be affected by natural or man-made catastrophes by combining this information with the position of the five yellow stars for a certain year. Recently, a customer of mine posed the question to me, “Can you be more precise about the repercussions of disrupting any particular direction in a year when the direction is being termed the tai sui direction, as well as the sha directions?” For instance, the Chinese calendar designates 2012 as the year of the dragon, which is traditionally connected with the southeast direction. It is the year of the snake in 2013, which is a different sector of the southeast but is located at an angle of 30 degrees away from the sector of the dragon. The hips, buttocks, thighs, and knees, as well as the whole leg, are all related with the direction of southeast. A hypothetical scenario may go something like this: a homeowner remodels their kitchen in the southeast area of their house during a dragon or snake year, and then they get an injury or develop an issue with their legs either during the rebuild or soon afterward. It’s possible that the builder who’s working in that identical spot is also suffering from an injury. My cautious comments are sometimes more generic, such as when I suggest to a client that they postpone a project without providing a specific explanation of why this is the best course of action. I try not to create unnecessary worry since it appears to be running rampant these days among individuals who are interested in feng shui but do not have enough knowledge to make a choice that is really informed on the subject. I don’t like to generate unnecessary panic. Every year is represented by a different one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, and this cycle repeats itself indefinitely. They are each hinged to a 15-degree sector of one of the eight principal directions. The following is a list of the zodiac signs, along with the primary compass direction that each sign corresponds to and some of the body parts that are connected with that compass direction. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is something that might serve as a point of reference for the most prevalent scenarios that may present themselves. tiger means “ne,” which may refer to bones, muscles, limbs, joints, fingers, and hands. “rabbit” is a homonym for “east,” which refers to the feet, throat, liver, and neurological system. dragon = lower back, hips, and legs hips, low back, and legs are all parts of the snake. rooster = west = teeth, mouth, jaw, breasts dog = nw = head, lungs pig = nw = head, lungs rat = n north = kidneys, blood, circulation, ears ox = ne = bones, muscles, hands, fingers, and joints Since 1992, kartar diamond has provided expert consultation services in all aspects of feng shui, including the design phase, construction timeline, existing properties, and refurbishment projects. She has written a number of books and ebooks, the most notable of which is titled “Feng Shui Tips for Architects: A Mystical Approach to Interior Design.” Go to www.fengshuisolutions.net if you want more information about the qualifications of Kartar Diamond.