Feng Shui Your Life #4

Getting elemental about the economy in the Year of the Wood Dragon.

In Feng Shui and the I Ching there’s a kind of esoteric game of Rock, Paper, Scissors between the five elements of wood, water, fire, earth and metal. The rules of this energetic “game” are as follows:

• Earth nourishes metal by creating minerals in the soil.

• Earth destroys water by drying it.

• Metal nourishes water through condensation.

• Metal destroys wood by chopping into it.

• Water nourishes wood by helping it grow.

• Water destroys fire by putting out flames.

• Wood nourishes fire by helping it to grow and giving it a path.

• Wood destroys earth by draining it of it’s minerals.

• Fire nourishes earth by turning into ashes and feeding into the ground.

• Fire destroys metal by melting it.

And, while all of this comes into play in every room of your home or office during a Feng Shui consultation, there are bigger and more macro-level impacts of these dynamics. Certain elements are associated with certain industries, professions and even individual job titles and functions, and this is going to come to the fore in dramatic ways in the Wood Dragon Year:

Wood > Earth

Our current year is ruled by the Wood Dragon, an energy that is represented by a tall, towering tree. This means that the wood element will be in a serious power position over its primary elemental nemesis, the earth:

• Earth is controlled by Wood. Too much earth energy in a space (or industry) can cause too much stability and hinder change. Wood element dishevels the earth element and helps to bring a more active and transformative energy.

• Earth is extinguished by Wood. Wood energy depletes the earth energy by taking away its resources and stability to create new life, much like a tree’s roots drink up the nutrients in the earth’s soil.

In simple terms, the wood element is generally representative of new growth, change, innovation, confrontation, and spiritual expansion— particularly in a Dragon Year.

The earth element, in contrast, is all about stability, security, stasis, conformity, and authority, all of which gets steamrolled by the attributes of the wood element.

These elements are at existential odds with one another, a dynamic reflected in other, Western astrology trends— most notably that of Pluto moving from stable-minded Capricorn to revolutionary Aquarius, reflecting the same shift from a material, top-down authority to one of rebellious new ideas and spiritual growth.

Oh, and political revolutions.

We’re already seeing the impacts of these energies on various industries, professions, and the workforce as a whole with unprecedented churn, disruption, and an unrelenting rate of change:

Wood industries will thrive

With this year’s wood element, new ideas and businesses and beliefs and ways of doing things want to be born. Given this, the following industries, professions, jobs and/or investments are considered lucky and desirable in the Year of the Wood Dragon:

Spirituality and personal growth

Finally! Psychics, shamans and energy workers are going to have the wind at their backs for a change, enjoying the benefits of being in the countercyclical Business of Woo. In the Wood Dragon Year, disruptions in the “stable”, materialistic systems of business, government and society will urge people to reevaluate the meaning of life, sparking large-scale spiritual awakenings and generating demand for aligned, ethical practitioners that can help them along the way.

The best part? Those that seek only to exploit, commoditize and productize in the realm of spirit purely for financial gain— a very earth element approach— are going to suffer instant karmic consequences of their foolhardy schemes. The Wood Dragon hates reductionist, race-to-the-bottom conformity and exploitative bullshit, and will instead celebrate (and reward) authenticity, meritocracy, and genuine spiritual exploration.

In other words: spiritual grifts and cons will self-implode in fantastic fashion this year.

At TOTEM, we’re leaning into this energy and actively creating two more decks we’re aiming to self-publish during this Wood Dragon Year: the TOTEM Flower Essence Deck and the TOTEM I Ching Deck. Like the TOTEM Tarot Deck, these spiritual tools are designed to empower the individual to self-serve their own spiritual insights and build their muscles of intuition— a perfect alignment for this year’s energy!

What’s more: as the tall tree grows upwards to the sky, we humans may just have contact with ultraterrestrial, interdimensional, and/or extraterrestrial beings this year, which would be a big, paradigm-shifting event in the World of Woo! Congress is actively investigating the UAP phenomenon, and I have a feeling the Overton Window has shifted enough to enable this high strangeness to break on through to the mainstream!

Innovation and invention

As a former Head of Innovation and a lover of all things iconoclastic, I’m pumped to see what fresh takes and game-changing solutions emerge with this year’s creative, out-of-the-box mindset. At my last company (which is having a tough time in the Wood Dragon year— scroll down for more details), I created a global Innovation Program that defined a true innovation as an answer to a question no one is asking yet— and something that is hard to do but inherently doable. This is what separates innovations from best practices or standard operating procedures, and it’s frankly the real life blood of any healthy industry, pushing the energy out towards the new discoveries hidden at the horizon line.

I think we can all agree that the old ways of doing things just aren’t working for most of us anymore. Have you had a recent “customer service” experience that made you want to put your fist through a wall? Experienced sticker shock looking at the price of a dozen eggs at the grocery store? Been on the receiving end of a corporate “right-sizing”? This is the death rattle of the old paradigm, and I for one am welcoming a fresh and rebellious attitude towards monetary policy, politics, science, medicine, and business, viewing this disruption as fresh air sweeping through stagnant, low-vibrational energies.

What’s more: with the pace and transparency of the Wood Dragon Year, copycats and con artists aren’t going to be able to keep up with the big dogs (or, in this case, the big dragons). This year, fortune really does favor the bold— and the genuinely innovative.

Decentralized currencies and agorism

Open sourced, decentralized systems and currencies— like cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology— are likely going to gain major traction in the Year of the Wood Dragon. These systems are presenting a legitimate threat to the centralized control (and manipulation) of our fiat currencies, forcing meritocracy through radical transparency. What’s more: they encourage parallel markets and doing business directly with people in our local markets and geographies outside of traditional pathways.

And it’s not all about the high tech stuff: bartering, trading, agorism, homesteading and conducting business in off-the-grid grey markets are also going to be great options in this Wood Dragon Year. Want to start growing your own food? Shifting your financial portfolio from paper to reality? Start your side hustle? This. Is. The. Year.

For example, I have recently added three chickens to our TOTEM Flower Essence garden to provide us with fresh, healthy eggs from legitimately pasture-raised birds. Not only will these birds meander around our organic garden, eating the bugs that consume some of our product, but they’ll produce natural fertilizer via our composting system, literally supporting our garden’s life cycle from top to bottom.

This year, our hens should produce roughly 1,200 eggs. We’ve also planted collard greens, black-eyed pees, zucchini, snap peas, potatoes, cabbage, asparagus, squash, onions, leeks and lots of other fresh vegetables and edible flowers like nasturtium and borage. With the help of our hens, we expect high yields and plan to self-supply 50% of our own groceries— all from our backyard. And, if things go really good, we’re all set up to start selling at our local Austin farmer’s market, generating energy and revenue from a few planter boxes and a small chicken coup— the ultimate in local, decentralized, voluntary business exchanges.

The farmers’ protests across Europe and India have been an early sign of this revolutionary push to decentralize, with local populations taking back control of their most valuable resource: their food!

Independent journalism

All signs point to the inevitable death rattle of the corporate media, as reported recently by Bloomberg and Axios. But I don’t think this is an extinction-level event for journalism as a whole. Rather, I think independent journalism is going to have a major renaissance, taking up the corporate media’s market share in this Wood Dragon Year.

I’ve effectively already pivoted from watching the “news” (which is totally captured by corporate advertisers) to following a handful of excellent independent journalists that left big gigs at The New Year Times, Rolling Stone and the Intercept to do their thing on Substack. These journalists are directly funded by their readers— in a transparent, decentralized model— and this makes them accountable to the people and not to publicly-traded companies that want war, illness, ignorance and desperation in order to sell their products.

With independent media and long-form interviews (courtesy of podcasting) gobbling up new audiences, the disruption to the status quo will hit a new, fever pitch. The internet has democratized information to the masses, and many of us are seeking out objective, independent voices and sources to spark our curiosity and guide our awakening.

If you are a writer, journalist or fellow Substacker and want some help getting the word out, just reach out to me! A rising tide lifts all ships this year, and I’m more than willing to recommend your Substack or cross-share your posts!

War and military contracting

Yah, this one’s unfortunate, but if you’re amoral and totally focused on the money, it is a good year to invest in the war machine. War is a hallmark of Dragon years, and while the Wood Dragon is a more constructive category of this combative energy, it is still combative.

That said, odds are any conflicts that arise this year will be about breaking out of the chains of oppressive authoritarianism and overtly unfair— if not downright exploitative— systems of control, so there is that silver lining. That said, military contractors and banks don’t really care who’s fighting or what they’re fighting about as long as they can arm both sides of a conflict and make bank.

Blerg.

Earth industries will get squeezed

The Wood Dragon energy has already made its mark squeezing the energies of the earth, resulting in more-than-usual earthquakes, volcanos, floods, fires, and related natural disasters.

This squeeze is going to hit earth element industries as well, destabilizing spaces previously considered the very definition of stable:

Corporate and Residential Real Estate

Real estate is the ultimate earth energy industry, essentially commoditizing, productizing and selling the land itself. You know— it’s all “location, location, location!”. And, as someone that spent more than two decades in that industry, I can tell you: it’s in desperate need of transformation.

I was stunned by how little seemed to be learned by the 2008 Real Estate + Financial Crisis, despite all of the fallout across the world— including the financial collapse of several nations, like Greece! In this Wood Dragon Year, several factors are amassing to kick off an unprecedented industry-wide disruption that will likely dwarf that of 2008:

• Interest rates: Interest rates were never going to say at 0%, but the real estate industry sure did act like nonexistent interest rates were “forever”. Current interest rates are now around 7%, more so for high-risk commercial products, and anyone that secured an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is already feeling the squeeze.

• Layoffs: Commercial real estate makes money from growing offices full of workers. Residential real estate makes money from folks ready to purchase homes, usually because they’re gainfully employed and earning. Both of these legs of the stool are gone due to unprecedented layoffs, and with more layoffs expected the real estate space is almost at a complete standstill.

• Shareholder exodus: Venture capital firms, investors and major shareholders have started to dump their real estate stocks, taking a loss to simply stop the bleeding. This, in turn, is driving down stock prices and further crushing publicly-traded real estate companies.

• Material costs: Inflation is a real bitch, and it’s hitting material costs for new buildings, renovations, and land development in an exponential way.

• Hybrid and remote work: Workers have options, and they’re taking advantage of them. The number one factor in whether a new hire accepts a new job is hybrid and/or remote work flexibility, enabling them to reduce their commuting, babysitting and related costs and spend more time doing what they love outside of work. Because of this, people aren’t going into offices— and employers are reducing their footprint or breaking their leases to get out of expensive spaces.

• The Donut Effect: City downtown areas have become exponentially more dangerous in the years since Covid, and the exodus of businesses from these locations is staggering. As a result, most major downtown city corridors are now mostly empty of retailers and busy commercial offices, resulting in what real estate experts are calling “The Donut Effect”.

So, yah, it’s going to be a rough one for real estate in the Year of the Wood Dragon, but individuals and businesses that can embrace an expansive and innovative approach to problem-solving will endure and excel. My two cents? Being human-centered is going to pay off, and doubling down on AI, layoffs and a race to the bottom is only going to accelerate commercial extinction.

And, if you want to read more about what’s going on, The Real Deal just published this article about my former CRE employer and their current challenges HERE, typifying industry-wide trends.

Banking and REITs

Fun fact: those big, tall expensive office buildings in city downtown corridors are not owned outright by wealthy individuals. Rather, they are underwritten by large bank loans which get paid, in part, from the rents collected from the building’s corporate tenants. With corporations laying off their workforces, breaking leases and exiting expensive city corridors, many of these loans are already in default resulting in what analysts are calling the “$1.5 Trillion Debt Bomb”.

When debts aren’t paid, banks and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) go under, igniting a chain reaction of financial fuckery across the land. Fun fact: many retirement funds are heavily invested in real estate trusts and portfolios, so it’s a good time to revisit what’s actually in your fund before the getting gets “good”.

Banks are already laying workers off in anticipating of this storm making landfall, and some banks— like Silicon Valley Bank— have already gone under as a result of issues with liquidity.

Fiat currencies

Adding to this perfect storm, our modern currencies, like the U.S. Dollar and the Euro, might get hit as well this year. In fact, inflation is already draining our money’s value on a constant basis, reducing the inherent spending power and requiring us to work harder for less.

Fiat currencies are hypothetically based on earth element resources like gold, silver and oil, so this isn’t a surprise in a wood element year geared to pummel the earth’s energy. I expect the commodities market will also reflect this dimming of the earth element’s glow.

Human Resources

I’m currently working with several clients that are leaders in Human Resources, and it’s no surprise they’re looking to other professions and/or income sources in the midst of this mishigas. Not only do Human Resource professionals have to drop the boom when it comes time for layoffs, but they have the added stress of managing the remaining demoralized (and overworked) workforce.

A great solution for any HR professional this year? Start your own Executive Coaching or Staffing company, or start building your side hustle. Dig into continued education and learning and development to diversify your skills and enjoy new, dynamic hobbies that take your brain out of the daily grind of HR.

Data storage

Oddly enough, data storage and related critical facilities are also considered earth element industries and assets. In this Wood Dragon Year, there may be system hacks or natural disasters that directly impact data servers, potentially disrupting mission critical functions like the stock market, telecommunications, and even air traffic control!

Back up everything that matters to you on external hard drives, and come up with some back-up plans should shit hit the data storage fan. Do you know your neighbors? Does anyone have a land line? Have you diversified your banking, or do you bank with only one provider? Do you have any cash on hand?

Take a look at what you can do to hedge your bets in the event of a data disruption, and if you work in data centers and/or storage, buckle up for a wild ride!

Tips and tricks for the home or office

Outside of these larger trends, there are smaller things we can be mindful of in the midst of this dynamic Wood Dragon Year, making intentional adjustments to our home and office:

Lean into growth with wood

If things have been a bit of a standstill or grind for you at work, using a bit of wood element in your home or office in the Wood Dragon Year can drastically shift stagnant energy and help you have a break out moment:

• Replace flowers with branches: Tree branches with cherry, crab apple and honeysuckle blossoms offer beautiful replacements for any cut flower arrangements in your home or office. My personal favorite is olive branches, offering a beautiful grey/ green sculptural arrangement in lieu of roses;)

• Bring in jade trees or bamboo: I have placed two potted jade trees in a window that I face while working at my desk to help facilitate new growth and fresh ideas. Bamboo can be used in the same way, bringing luck and good fortune in a Wood Dragon year.

• Decorate with images of trees or forests: My home office desk sits facing two pieces of art: a Japanese dragon and a tall redwood tree. I put these up on the Lunar New Year to help me refresh my perspective, align with the Wood Dragon Energy, and remind myself of the year’s dynamic demand for innovation and asymmetric action. The color green can also be used to spark the Wood Dragon energy.

• Go vertical: Tree branches, vertical art, or high storage cabinets can all add to the Wood Dragon energy, supporting you (and your business) as you reach up to the sky and gain exponential ground.

If you lean into this wood energy, just bear in mind: it will be dynamic and keep you very, very busy. If you’re already overwhelmed or in a business that benefits from anonymous, behind-the-scenes status, you may want to chill out on adding more wood to the space.

Hedge your bets with earth

If you’ve been reading this post already feeling exhausted, stressed at the thought of yet another year of disruption or chaos, it might help you to hedge against the Wood Dragon Energy a bit by bringing more of the earth element into your space:

• Show off your crystal collection: Crystals and stones are prime earth energy, so putting more of your crystals out in view or featuring them prominently in your office can help to mitigate change or disruption, offering optimal stability.

• Bring in a bit of marble: Marble is beautiful and functional, and I love my marble shelves from CB2. Consider adding a bit of marble to your space to enhance the earth element this year.

• Feature images of the earth: If you’ve been in the churn of rapid workforce or business changes and challenges in the last few years, consider framing an image of a mountain or the earth and mounting it on a wall you face while you work. Mountains are particularly powerful totems of stabilizing earth energy, and can help keep things chill at the home office.

• Decorate in yellows and earth tones: Browns, tans, golds and shades of yellow are all associated with the earth element and can help offer a grounding reprieve in this dynamic Wood Dragon year.

Bringing earth energy into your home or office is a great way to mitigate relentless demand, communication or changes. But, if you’re a small business owner, spiritual practitioner or innovation-minded professional, the earth is not on your side this year.

Choose (and decorate) wisely.

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2025 Preview: The Year of the Wood Snake

All of these trends are actually going to hold for at least the next two years, as the year after the Wood Dragon Year is none other than the Year of the Wood Snake. Considered a smaller and more subtle form of dragon energy, this serpent-oriented year will effectively usher in a more muted continuation of the Year of the Wood Dragon.

So, if you’re looking to make some professional or decorating moves, this is a great year to do it. Any adjustments you make now will likely produce dividends long into the future, putting you in prime position to harness the available energies to win this metaphysical game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Happy Year of the Wood Dragon!

-Rachel