Next month I will be giving predictions for each sign of the Chinese Zodiac. But this month I wanted to give you a more general view of the energy of the coming year.

Each Chinese Year has a theme. This year's theme is represented by a Fire Dog sitting on the Earth. Here is a picture from my own experience. I once owned a Fire Dog; a red Chow Chow. On warm days she would sit ever so quietly looking out my front screen door...until my neighbor, laden down with groceries passed by. Then came the explosion of barking, growling, panting and banging on the door, an explosion strong enough to send those groceries (and accompanying expletives) flying in every direction. Then, satisfied, my auburn dog would return to her quiet position, Fire Dog sitting on Earth.

Dog years provide opportunities to get back to basics, do the things you really enjoy, or complete projects that are really important to you. If anything has gone wrong in previous years this is a year when you can make them right. It's a year filled with the energy of creativity and is said to be a good one for marriage. Dogs years support expansion in the area of friendship, fun and new experiences. But, of course, as with every good thing, there is a down side to the Dog Year. This particular dog year hides a powerful secret energy. On the surface everything may seem to be calm. We will have the feeling that if we are sufficiently patient, everything will work out the way we hope it will. However, underneath this seemingly placid surface, feelings, secrets and troubled emotions simmer like molten earth and just as we assume that life is stable and our way is clear, the volcano erupts.

In Feng Shui energies shift and move each year and a particularly bad energy called the Five Yellows moves each year as well. This year it is in the West which means it weakens relationships with children and mucks up creative projects. If you have an important room of your house in the West such as a bedroom, kitchen or home office then it is wise to hang a metal wind chime outside the room (on the outside of the house) to protect yourself from this draining, unlucky energy. The most difficult months for this energy will be April, July and September.

If you are recovering from illness, Flying Star #2: the star of illness, will move to the Southeast in 2006. To dispel this negative energy the traditional cure is to hang a string of 8 coins in the Southeast outside the house.

If you are planning home construction, The Grand Duke (who does not like change or earth to be moved) will sit in the Northwest, so big changes to the Northwest of the house are not recommended this year. You can do small cosmetic things but try not to do major construction, like adding on a room or digging a pool, otherwise you risk making the Grand Duke angry.

While Grand Dukes and Unlucky Stars sound challenging the Dog Year also promises lots of hope for happy relationships and financial opportunities.