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Jakarta Post

Time to tie the knot in the Year of the Water Dragon

Wedding organizers, be prepared

Novia D. Rulistia (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, January 22, 2012

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Time to tie the knot in the Year of the Water Dragon

W

edding organizers, be prepared. And those who have been waiting for soul mates for so long, go and grab the chance, because any time this year is the perfect moment to tie the knot.

“The aura [of 2012] is saying so. This year we will see many couples getting married. For those who have been waiting to get married for so long, this is a good time to get the ideal partner,” said Master Benny, head of Avalokitesvara Temple and Principle of Dutavira Buddha Institute in Mangga Besar, Central Jakarta.

This year is the turn of the dragon, the only mythical animal of the Chinese 12-animal zodiac cycle. Considered the mightiest of the signs, the wise, benevolent dragon of Chinese mythology is expected to descend from the skies, bringing good fortune, opportunity and romance.

“The dragon is polygamous. It is focused on marriage, so the foretell is that there would be many newlyweds.

“So wedding organizers, please stand by, you will be overwhelmed with orders starting in April,” the foreteller said.

The Year of the Rabbit will soon come to an end and people are welcoming the Year of Dragon. What makes the year special is that this is the year of the Water Dragon, which comes in a cycle of 60 years. The Water Dragon usually signifies a calmer animal.

Although Chinese New Year itself will fall on Jan. 23, the influence of the Water Dragon would only begin on Feb. 4 and last until Feb. 4 next year, Master Benny said.

Many couples had also planned to have a child born within the year in the hope that the baby would bear the leadership character of the dragon.

But the signs remain mixed, according to Master Benny.

To determine the zodiac of the year, he said, Chinese ancient calculations used two main symbols, the sky and earth. The two symbols were influenced by five elements, water, wood, land, metal and fire.

“Based on the Chinese calculation, the sky number for this year falls on water, while the earth number is the land, and that’s the dragon. The combination of both will result in a huge water movement, leading to several characteristics,” he said.

The first characteristic, he said, was that nature would not be so kind, as many extreme anomalies in the weather would be recorded this year, including flooding and landslides across the archipelago. However, he personally did not believe that the capital would experience another massive flooding.

“Floods will still occur in Jakarta, but I believe that we won’t experience the type of flood that forced people to use dinghies like before,” he said.  

The second characteristic, the water element, was often associated with wealth and luck, but it did not mean that every start-up business would succeed. “There will be so many opportunities open for business starters, but if they want to succeed this year, they should invest in things they’re really good at and not experiment,” he said.

Another Feng Shui expert, Master Yo, predicted that in business, the sectors that would experience good fortune were those related with the soil symbol.

“Water and land will make a good combination, the soil will be fertile. So, all products produced from the soil, or earth would make a good profit, such as agriculture, coffee and coal,” he said.

While these businesses had elements of metal and fire, Master Yo predicted they would not perform as well as those influenced by the land element.

This year, Jakarta will hold a gubernatorial election.

Master Benny said that it would become very exciting, with the water element playing a great role in the event. “Those with much water, or money, will benefit a lot from this political event,” he said.

Diah Kusumawardani, a resident living in East Java, said she hoped the water dragon year would bring her luck. “The dragon is also my Chinese zodiac. I have a good feeling that this year will be a good time for my business,” she said.

Diah, a photographer, plans to run her own business in photography this year. “Even at the beginning of this year, I have an unexpected opportunity in my business plan,” the mother of two said.

Diah said that she believed in Chinese prophecy even though she was not Chinese.

“Sometimes, Chinese prophecy comes right to me. It helps me raise my positive feeling, which is good for me,” she said.

Diah said that the lucky year would mean more if one shared the prosperity with unlucky ones.

“I want to organize a charity event this year,” she said. (lfr)

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