by Uncle Lim 

A common element shared by all the schools of feng shui is the concept of the 12 zodiac animals. Depending on the year you were born in, you will belong to one of these zodiac animals. They are the Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse and the Sheep. These 12 animals are also associated with one of the five elements, which is Fire (Horse and Snake), Earth (Dog, Dragon, Ox and Sheep), Metal (Monkey and Rooster), Water (Pig and Rat), and Wood (Tiger and Rabbit). It is believed that some of these animals have one of two kinds of affinity towards each other. Your allies are those animal signs that get along very well with you, and your secret friend is one that will always be there by your side no matter comes what may.

 

Your Animal Sign	Ally	Secret Friend
Monkey	Rat, Dragon	Snake
Rooster	Ox, Snake	Dragon
Dog	Tiger, Horse	Rabbit
Pig	Rabbit, Sheep	Tiger
Rat	Dragon, Monkey	Ox
Ox	Rooster, Snake	Rat
Tiger	Horse, Dog	Pig
Rabbit	Sheep, Pig	Dog
Dragon	Rat, Monkey	Rooster
Snake	Ox, Rooster	Monkey
Horse	Tiger, Dog	Sheep
Sheep	Rabbit, Pig	Horse

It is strongly believed that in the years before and after the change of periods, such as 2003 and 2004, the world goes thru many changes and thus it is often a time of much conflict among the elements and energies of the world. Most Feng Shui masters recommend you carrying a symbol of your allies and friend. The simplest method of doing this would be to carry your "Allies Amulet" with you all the time. If your horoscope reading indicates a tough year ahead, what you may one to do is to also place a set of your animal sign, your Allies and Secret friend in the living area of your home to tap into lots of support and goodwill towards yourself. I have tried out this practice in the past year 2003, and can attest to its great effectiveness.