How to safely get through the Year of the Red Horse in Bing Wu? Understand the Eight Characters Feng Shui through the symbolic logic of Zhou Gong's dream interpretation.

Spring has arrived, and the Year of Bing Wu officially begins. In this cycle called the “Red Horse Year,” some people go smoothly, while others encounter setbacks. What exactly accounts for the difference? It all comes down to whether you truly understand your destiny’s trajectory and how to improve your situation through home adjustments. The “symbolic law” in Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation can help us understand the deeper logic behind feng shui arrangements.

First assess, then arrange: Are you truly offending Tai Sui?

Many people get nervous when they hear “Bing Wu Year Offends Tai Sui,” but there’s no need for everyone to panic. To determine if you are truly offending Tai Sui, you need to consider your Ba Zi (Four Pillars) combined with your luck cycles, not just your birth year.

Ba Zi consists of four pillars: year, month, day, and hour, each representing different aspects of life. The year pillar relates to parents and early years (ages 1-16), while the month, day, and hour pillars reflect different developmental stages. Tai Sui’s influence not only affects the year pillar but also impacts the month, day, and hour pillars, especially when combined with your luck cycle.

Specifically, if your Ba Zi or luck cycle contains any of the following zodiac signs—Horse, Ox, Rat, or Rabbit—you should pay extra attention. Rat and Horse form a “conflict” relationship, meaning north-south opposition, water and fire incompatible. This conflict isn’t just simple disagreement; it’s “encountering conflict leads to movement”—which can cause job changes, relocations, relationship upheavals, or financial shifts.

At this point, the wisdom of ancient China comes into play. They found that placing symbols associated with the “close” zodiac sign around Tai Sui can resolve conflicts. For example, Horse and Goat have a “六合” (harmonious combination) relationship, while Tiger, Horse, and Dog form a “三合” (triple harmony). Just as Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation uses symbols to understand subconscious depths, feng shui also employs symbolic objects to communicate with the “invisible forces”—these symbols are your auspicious charms or zodiac tokens.

The three major auspicious directions in the home are the key to Bing Wu Year’s fortune

If we compare a house to a person, then directions are like acupoints. According to the flying star theory, the three directions most worth paying attention to in 2026 are:

Due South: Tai Sui’s position, governed by the Five Yellow Star

Due south is both Tai Sui’s location and the position of the Five Yellow star. The Five Yellow is the most mysterious of the nine stars—very inauspicious yet powerful, like an emperor. In Chinese culture, only the emperor occupies the central palace, symbolizing “the nine-five supreme.” The Five Yellow star represents power, turning points, and unexpected events.

The key is how you treat this position. If you neglect or clutter it, it’s like disrespecting the emperor. But if you maintain it carefully, you can gain the star’s protection. This aligns with Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation—your subconscious (the original spirit) reads your attitude from the environment’s “images.”

Practical steps:

1. On the day of the Start of Spring, thoroughly clean the due south area, ensuring it’s tidy
2. Place fresh flowers and seasonal fruits there, but remember—since Five Yellow is associated with earth, avoid large plants (which are wood that can weaken earth); opt for small flowers
3. Hang some auspicious red or yellow decorations, but don’t overdo it (2026’s fire energy is strong; balancing with yellow is better)
4. If due south is a bathroom, hang a lotus picture—symbolizing “rising above filth without stain”

Maintaining this position well is like pleasing the “ruler” of the year, and other risks will naturally diminish.

Northwest: The Black Giant Door Star, source of illness and disputes

In 2026, the northwest is dominated by the Black Giant Door star, which governs illness, verbal disputes, and conflicts. If your main door, bedroom, or kitchen is in the northwest, extra caution is needed.

Why is this so important? The “three essentials” of a good residence are the main door (external interaction), bedroom (family center), and kitchen (career and wealth). If these key areas are affected by the Black Star, it can trigger health issues, marital discord, or career disputes.

Remedies: The most common is placing a gourd. In traditional Chinese medicine and folk culture, gourds symbolize absorption and healing—like in Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation, where certain dream images represent healing. Placing a pair of gourds (one yin, one yang) can effectively absorb negative energies. Choose a wealth-attracting gourd or a protective one based on your needs.

Southeast: The Nine Purple Fire Star, gathering place for wealth and opportunities

If due south is the “power center,” then southeast is the “wealth center.” The Nine Purple star represents fire, the Li trigram, and summer—the most vibrant and lively season. This star governs wealth, opportunities, and social connections.

People in Guangdong understand this well—they like placing kumquat trees in the southeast, symbolizing “auspiciousness” and “bountiful harvest.” This is a way to communicate with the subconscious—using vivid symbols to align your conscious and subconscious mind: I want to get rich, and I create abundant “images” for it.

Practical tips:

1. The simplest method: place a small container filled with grains (rice, soybeans, red beans, mixed)
2. Or display a real kumquat tree or peach blossoms
3. If your area differs, like in the northeast or northwest, you can use “flower-shaped bread” (decorative baked goods) as substitutes—since collective subconscious varies
4. If southeast is a bathroom, replace real objects with a picture or ornament of flowers, ensuring it’s a genuine artwork, not a fake decoration

Using symbols and signs to communicate with the original spirit—this is the true logic of feng shui

You might ask: why can placing these objects change your luck? It’s not superstition but involves deeper psychology and energy principles.

In traditional Chinese culture, there’s a saying: “Yang transforms qi, yin takes shape.” What we see and touch are yin, tangible things—this is the material world. But the invisible “qi” and “spirit” are the true controllers. These intangible forces are expressed and transmitted through tangible images.

Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation is a prime example. Why does dreaming of water symbolize wealth? Because in the language of the original spirit, water’s flow represents the flow of wealth. Why do dreams of feces also symbolize income? Because in agricultural societies, feces represent fertilizer—nourishing growth and harvest. The original spirit doesn’t communicate in rational language but through images, symbols, and signs.

The essence of feng shui arrangement is creating such symbolic exchanges: your careful placement in a direction is an action influencing invisible qi. Your consciousness acts, your subconscious responds, and the result is changes in fortune.

This also explains why different regions’ placements work—because collective subconscious varies. Guangdong people grow up seeing kumquat trees and associate them with “auspiciousness,” so the effect is strong. Northern people may never have seen kumquat trees, so it doesn’t resonate as deeply with their subconscious.

Practical checklist after the Start of Spring to make you the favored one in Tai Sui’s eyes in 2026

Once you understand the theory, it’s time for action. This prioritized checklist should be done, especially the first two items if time is tight:

First priority: Clean the due south

• No matter how messy other parts are, the due south must be tidied
• Place fresh small flowers and seasonal fruits
• Prepare some red or yellow auspicious decorations
• If possible, choose an auspicious time to bow or pay respect to the due south, showing reverence

Second priority: Place gourds in the northwest

• If your main door, bedroom, or kitchen is in the northwest, this is essential
• Use a pair of gourds, not expensive—just meaningful symbols
• Keep the area clean regularly

Third priority: Activate wealth in the southeast

• Place a grain container or real ornaments
• Regularly replace fruits (avoid rotten ones)
• If using virtual decorations (pictures or photos), ensure they are beautiful and authentic

Ongoing actions:

• Avoid large plants or clutter in the due south
• Avoid conflicts or noise in the northwest
• When cooking in the kitchen, consciously put in enthusiasm (fire represents passion for career)
• Keep the home atmosphere peaceful on New Year’s Eve—your subconscious’s first impression of the new year influences the whole year

The highest wisdom of the Bing Wu Year: humility is auspicious, overconfidence invites loss

Finally, a key insight for 2026—Humble is the most auspicious hexagram. When you feel invincible, disaster often strikes. The world is balanced; overexpansion leads to correction.

Conversely, as long as you remain humble, diligently maintain your feng shui, and actively improve yourself, even offending Tai Sui can be navigated smoothly. Because the universe’s operation is governed by unseen “metaphysical” forces—your attitude, choices, and respect for details are all seen and valued by these invisible energies.

This is also what Zhou Gong’s Dream Interpretation teaches: the subconscious sees clearly but communicates through symbols, not words. Learning to interpret this language, 2026—the Year of Bing Wu—can become your year of harvest.