The Water Rooster month begins today, September 8th. As I write this the feeling of relief is palpable. The Rooster brings order and not just of the pecking variety. There was a huge thunderstorm in Seattle last night: 200 strikes in less than an hour in my area. That’s a pretty unusual occurrence and it was spectacular. Talk about space clearing. Something that was stuck has loosened and is being swept away. The rule of the Pig is weakening. It feels as if events have speeded up.

Preparing for winter is the theme of fall. Crops are harvested, animals are slaughtered, things are counted up and stored away. It’s a time to go over the successes and failures of the year and think about what you might want to change for next year’s plan.

The hexagram for the Rooster month is Hexagram 20, the Watchtower. Keep an eye on flying birds if you want the divination. That method is called augury in case you were wondering. This is a time for watching and observation. What else would you expect from the month that brings the first day of school and the all important first impression requiring new haircuts, new clothes and new shoes? Your status may be judged by appearance. Spruce up if that’s important to you.

If there’s an audience of watchers then it’s a good month to show off a little. Even better if you’ve got a reason. For those who have been consistently showing up it’s time to acknowledge the sacrifices presence demands: the blood, sweat and tears you put into your work. Only you can hold yourself accountable. Attention is the only cost.

And so, I ask for the payment of your attention while I crow. It’s been a year of many firsts for me as a business person. I hope you will share in my good fortune.

At the turn of the year I was honored to be invited by my teacher Richard Ashworth to write the Animal fortunes to pair with his Animal natures for 2019.

I’ll have completed my first year of the Serious Dailies as of October 3rd. I write them a month ahead so, in a sense, that is already done.

It’s been over a year since I worked for free.

I’ve developed my newsletter into a valuable educational resource and have paying subscribers.

I learned Qi Men Dun Jia which is my new favorite method of divination.

I have more clients than I’ve ever had and they are finding new relationships, new jobs, new homes and promotions.

My forecasting has improved due to my continuing work on date selection.

This month I’ll be launching my new site with a new logo and beautiful illustrations to showcase my Feng Shui work and my writing. Stay tuned. I’ll be announcing the date for that soon.

I want you to know that behind this list of achievements are the blood, sweat and tears of many years.

I’ve been studying, practicing, writing – working toward this point since 2002. There have been many moments where I thought the universe was saying no to my dream of having a Feng Shui business. It’s not fun when your own divination tells you your timing is off and pursuing a career in Chinese Metaphysics, as with other scholarly pursuits, can be lonely. I can’t tell you how many conversations with acquaintances ended awkwardly when I said my business is Feng Shui. At low points I would just say “I’m a homemaker” and leave it at that. I haven’t done that in years.

Expressing our own creativity is scary because we are afraid to fail and we are afraid to succeed. Failing feels safer because we think it lets us stay hidden. I don’t think so. I have seen people choose to give up on their creative purpose by means of physical/mental illness or even some kind of death. I know some of you may disagree with that but personally I understand the temptation.

Oddly (or not) I have found the most encouragement in recalling some of my failures. Failure is just one moment in the path of commitment. It doesn’t last unless you let it. I’ve learned that impostor syndrome is just me questioning my own sincerity.

In 2009 I stepped back from Feng Shui altogether because I thought that everything I had learned so far was invalidated by my studies of Traditional Chinese methods. I was wrong about that. All that was required was reassessment and new training. I had to change my perspective.

That wasn’t the first time I was meant to learn that lesson. Before my daughter was born I had multiple miscarriages. I remember thinking the universe was telling me I wasn’t meant to be a mother. Now I’m a mother of two. The great thing about childbirth is there is no backing out of the creativity. That’s a lesson in itself because there is a point during labor where you think giving birth is an impossible proposition and yet…

It’s good to be wrong if only to prevent getting hung up on being right. Every day I still remind myself that most everything can be solved with persistence and timing. We only lose when we quit. Doubt and fear will never prevent me from showing up.

Now, back to work. I’m asking a little more from myself.