Dear all, the first newsletter of the year brings with it a special time in the Chinese calendar. On 22 February, the year of the Monkey begins, and this time round Gary brings us a fascinating article about what it all means. As we mentioned last month, Gary has started re-writing some of the early taichido articles, mainly those where their age brings into doubt their authorship (copyright rules!) so more in-depth,up-to-date and original essays are on the boiler. Last month, we saw 'Chi Pathways' and this month comes "The Theory of the Five Elements". The first part of the newsletter introduces us to that article.

We've had some great feedback about the site and its new look - thanks very much all those who liked it! (did we get mail from those who didn't? would I tell you....) and the feedback has been good from those who've bought the Tai Chi mulitmedia instruction CD-ROM too (phew!). To find out more about this, look to the bottom of the newsletter. Sadly, we stopped publishing the newsletter in french, portugese, spanish, german and italian as we had piloted for about eight months. These were translated using translation software and the feedback was that sometimes the translation hit the spot, and other times it was non-sensical! I apologise to all those who now have to read it in English instead, but it really wasn't worth it in the end. The Tai Chi Netguide at taichido is still in its various languages - we decided to keep these going, but I can't vouch for some of the translations...

all the best, Mark

Gary writes:
Website Rewrites

In the last newsletter I spoke of my current major project for taichido.com which is, to pick my way word by word through certain articles on the website and do my own research on those particular subject matters and, when necessary or prudent, rewrite them all over again with 'my own words' replacing all but the title. The ground rules are simple. A rewrite is 'necessary' when authorship or popper credit may be in any doubt whatsoever, or when facts or theories are not properly substantiated or researched. This job has become far more complicated than I first expected and so far I have managed to complete work on just two of these pieces. This first was "Chi Pathways" and the second, "The Theory of the Five Elements" was posted to the site just a
      few days ago.

Since forming my partnership with webmaster Mark I have become accustomed to his "why don't we ..?" do this, that or the other suggested projects assuming epic proportions, and therefor it should really be off no surprise to me now that this new work, due to the amount of research involved in checking the facts and assumptions made in the originals, has become equally gargantuan!

The first net guide to the whole of the Yang Long Form that we did for the site for its launch in 1998 was the first of our 'epics' and its still there free to view online at taichido.com. But even this has since been enormously improved upon by the series of interactive CD's released last year.These covers all of the angles that the mk.1 was unable to and these CD's, particularly #4 the omnibus edition, are encyclopedic and ... if I say so myself they are at the very least, well researched and professionally presented. So it was worth the effort; yet I always knew it would be because I also remember Mark once saying "why don't we do a newsletter?" and me at first thinking 'that sounds like a lot of work a quite a commitment'. But Mark convinced me that it would be worth it ... and he was right!

This newsletter now enters its third year of uninterrupted monthly publication and never been more 'worth it' than it is right now being used as it is, as a near personal link between myself and yourself; my practice and your practice, my Tai Chi and your Tai Chi. Our Tai Chi.

I am therefore delighted to use the facility of this medium right now to inform you, free subscribers to this newsletter whom I assume are quite regular visitors to the taichido site, that whilst titles and links on the site remain the same, the text beneath some of the tiles on the site either already have been or soon will be amended. Thus I refer once again to my rewrite of "Chi Pathways" that was slipped on to the site early last month and "The Theory of the Five Elements" that was posted to the site just a few days ago. I am pleased to present here now as a short preview the first few paragraphs of this piece.

"The Five Elements" @taichido.com

Look around and you will always "see" at least one of the five elements that are (according to TCM and eastern philosophy) the fundamental components of the Universe. The five are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

The English word "element" has a somewhat fixed connotation that is not present with the Chinese. Hence the theory is often known, more accurately, as the Five Transformations or Five Phases.

The Five Element theory views the Universe and its functioning as being cyclical and interactive. Accordingly, all of the 'ten thousand things' within and indeed without it are interdependent or of "dependent origination". This Taoist theory that 'all phenomena are connected' bears comparison to the Buddhist ideas of 'karma' and some Indian sub continent and other eastern ideas on reincarnation.

Associations

Everything in existence (a.k.a. 'matter' or 'the ten thousand things') contains some quantity of all five elements, however, according to the theory, one of the five (elements) particularly predominates or manifests itself in each thing and may thus be categorized accordingly.

Taoist physicians and sages further determined that each element has special associations with particular organs in the human body as well as to other things such as colours, flavors, the time of day, the season of the year, and the way we respond physically and emotionally to external influences and all of the forces of nature.

The Five Elements theory identifies the five different modes (elements) in which chi energy may manifest itself. The five (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Air) are arranged into a cyclical sequence that represents the flow of energy between these elements as 'phases'.

Each phase of an element characterises a stage in a cyclical process. The characteristic of each phase is determined by the 'energy dynamic' personified as the never ending round of the seasons in the natural world.

It is not per say the passage of time that changes things; everything changes anyway.
Thus the 5 element theory is simply an observation on natural, creative change; and it is the natural world that confirms that throughout that all the forces and energies in nature can be in constant smooth and harmonious transition from one phase to another - just as one season 'becomes' the next.

WOOD
Wood is the most human of the elements. It is the element of spring; the creative urge to achieve - which can turn to anger when frustrated. It is associated with the capacity to look forward, plan and make decisions.
Wood energy is rising, expanding, and is the force of growth and flexibility.
This element represents all the activities of the body that are self regulating and/or function without conscious thought; i.e. digestion, respiration, heart beat and basic metabolism.
The liver (which converts food into fuel which is then supplied to the muscles, tendons and ligaments) is associated to the Wood element.

Go to the full article at www.taichido.com

Chinese New Year

And now, whilst on the subject of the Wood element, I would like to end the preview above and introduce the second subject of this newsletter - that being Chinese New Year which occurs this year on Thursday 22nd January - and as always, on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. Thus, on that moon, the year of the WOOD MONKEY begins.

Most of us are aware of the sequence of twelve years as represented by the animals of the Chinese horoscope. These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon (the only mythical animal), Snake, Horse, Sheep or Goat, Monkey, Cock, Dog and Pig. These are commonly regarded as equivalent of the twelve western horoscope signs. However, just as the western signs are said to be subject to the influence of 'rising sings', the twelve symbolic animals of the Chinese horoscope are subject to the Five Element theory, therefore the 'character' of each also passes through the 5 phases of of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Air.

The Chinese calendar is 60 years long!

Thus, according to the 5 elements theory, the second new moon after winter solstice on the 22nd of January happens to herald the commencement of the Year of the WOOD Monkey. When the Monkey comes around again in twelve years time it will be a Fire Monkey. Another dozen and it will be an Earth Monkey ... and so on through the five.

So ... 12X5=60. The Chinese calendar is 60 years long! 60 of these consecutive sexagenary (60 in number) cycles (60X60=3,600 years) is called (according to this theory/culture) an epoch. For the record: 2004 is the 21st year of the 78th Sexagenary Cycle of the Chinese calendar. But ...

Sexagenary Cycle

The current 60-year cycle started on 2nd Feb. 1984. This means that the 15th year in the 78th cycle occurred in 1999 and the 20th in 2004. However, in at least one respect this calendar is as arbitrary as our own and over the years various changes in the count have been made - as follows:

Before the 1911 revolution, Sun Yat-sen wanted to establish a republican alternative to the imperial reign cycles. According to Chinese tradition, the first year of the Yellow Emperor was 2698 BCE, so he introduced a counting system based on this. Under this system, 2000 was year 4697 and therefor 2004 is 4701. This is the system adhered to today in China; and so under the system currently in use in China today the year that begins on 22nd January - this year is which is, according to the Chinese calendar, 4701.

An alternative system is to start with the first historical record of the 60-day cycle which was on the 8th of March 2637 BCE. Based on this system, 2000 was the year 4637 and 2004 is 4641.

The traditional calendar based upon the lunar cycle (twelve new moons per year) is used to plot dates of festivals whereas the western "Gregorian" calendar is now also in common use in China for legal and civil administration of the country and government.

Being based upon the verifiable constancy of the astronomical lunar cycle, the tradition calendar actually therefor numerates one out of every twelve lunar cycles since March 8th 2637 BCE. This number is (according to my calculations) 3,341,520. That number X12= 40,098,240 - gives us the number of lunar cycles since that start date - and that number X28 (which is the average number of days in a lunar cycle) gives us the figure: one billion, one hundred and twenty two million, seven hundred and fifty thousand moons - or days! (fun - but pointless! GR)

Elements and Characteristics of the of the twelve symbolic animals

Of the twelve symbolic animals in the Chinese tradition, five are predominantly Yin and five predominantly Yang. Two are both Yin and Yang. These two are the Pig and the Monkey.

The positive side of the Monkey character is that it is witty, clever, entertaining, intelligent, self confident, resourceful, independent, enthusiastic, nimble, lucid and passionate. The negative aspects are that it is cunning, vain, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, temperamental, selfish and unfaithful.
The Chinese further classify the characteristics of Monkey as those generally of an adolescent.

Kung Hoy Fat Choy

The second new moon after winter solstice is a time of great significance to the Chinese because everyone, regardless of the month in which he or she was actually born celebrates his/her birthday on New Year.

There is a public holiday for New Year that lasts 3 days in China, but the festival traditionally lasts till the 15th day of that lunar month and ends with the 'Lantern Festival' - which therefor occurs in 2004/4701 on the 6th of Februar. Detail of all 15 days of celebration may be found @ http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/15-day_celebration.html

Gung Hay (or Kung Hoy) Fat Choy or Gong Xi Fa Chi.
The spelling of Chinese words/phrases is fundamentally arbitary to us westerners because the spoken language is toneall. For us therefore, how it is said is more important than how it is spelt in English.
So ... "Kung Hoy Fat Choy" is the traditional Chinese New Year greeting. The transliteration and meaning of this statement is to wish "good fortune and prosperity" on one another at the start of a new year. (Not at all dissimilar to the Vulcan (as in 'Startreck') greeting of "live long and prosper".)

Preparations for the New Year festival start during the last few days of the last moon. Houses are thoroughly cleaned, debts repaid, hair cut and new clothes bought.
Doors are decorated with vertical scrolls of characters on red paper whose texts seek good luck and praise nature, this practice stemming from the hanging of peach-wood charms to keep away ghosts and evil spirits. In many homes and in temples incense is burned as a mark of respect to ancestors.

Taboos and Superstitions of Chinese New Year

The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away.

Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away.

After New Year's Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of a room in the centre of the house, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon.

In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; so it must always be swept inwards and then carried out to prevent any harm. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.

On New Year's Eve houses are brightly lit, a large family dinner is served and firecrackers are lit to frighten away evil spirits.

On the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, every door and window in the house should be opened wide to allow the old year to get out.

All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year. Back when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word "four" (Ssu), which sounds like the word for death, are not to be uttered.

Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo.

References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even if they are mischievous.

New Years day is often spent visiting neighbours, family and friends.

On New Year's Day, we are not suppose to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year.

Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year's sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given "lai see", little red envelopes with crisp new paper money (low denomination ... but real money) bills inserted, for good fortune.

More New Year Superstitions
For those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the I Ching is consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction which is most auspicious to head out.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year.

It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-colored birds or swallows.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune. While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do's and don'ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced because most families realize that it is traditions, whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity.

Back to this reality

The Japanese for "New Year's Greetings" is, by the way, "Kinga Shinnen", however the Japanese are more inclined to observe this with "Shusho-e" ceremonies on the regular New Years Eve of the Gregorian calendar. On this occasion participants partake in a few drops of Sake as "Otoso" offering and give respect to thier ancestors.

The Lantern Festival is however celebrated in each of these countries on the same lunar date, that being 15th day of the first lunar month of the year. But whilst the Chinese have specific rituals for everyday of the 15 day festival leading up to the day, most Japanese celebrate only the Lantern Festival on the appropriate day (this year on the 6th Feb.).

Kuan Yin

One of the main figures of veneration during the Lantern Festival is that of Kuan Yin. It is she who is regarded by Taoists as the Goddess of Compassion. In Japan, Shinto's and Buddhist accept this same figure as Kannon, or as a female manifestation of Amida Buddha - who is also known as "The Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life".

For more information on Kuan Yin and the customs and rituals of the Lantern Festival please go to: http://www.soton.ac.uk/~maa1/chi/kuon/kuanintro.htm. Follow these pages through a few links and you will come to the interactive 'Kuan Yin Prophecies' page where you may (just for fun) obtain a unique reading of your own past, present and future.

The Lantern Festival or Kuan Yin's Day as the Dojo's birthday

Southampton City Dojo, the forerunner of Taichido.com was founded on 14th February 1996. This date is memorable to many of us as Valentine Day. However, the red roses and anonymous messages of love that mark this day here in the west are for me just a happy coincidence, and I prefer to remember this first day of the Dojo as Kuan Yin's Day and the Lantern Festival as the Dojo's birthday.

The site went online in '98 and its first major addition following the net guide to the Yang Form was "The Kuan Yin Prophecies". This feature was added on 2nd March '99 - the evening of that years Lantern Festival. For more of my personal views on this subject please go to myhomedojo @http://www.wheels.taichido.comdtext/dojonotes.htm and see "Times Seen" and "First Full".

Please note that I have recently given Pure Land Notes Online a rebuild and the figure of Kuan Yin now appears on the splash page of that site.

So, it is documented on the pages of "Times Seen" and "First Full" @ myhomedojo that the first day of the Dojo was was Valentines Day 1996. More specifically this was the first day of the 12th year in the 78th Sexagenary Cycle of the Chinese calendar. That year was a Fire Ox year.

The Ox is said to be methodical and dependable; good leaders and proud, strong hard workers. On the negative side they can be stubborn and sore loser's. They can also be rigid and vindictive.
As the name implies, the Fire element is inclined to intensify all of these characteristics. My personal experience (I am not a Shaman!) is that an Ox year is a good time to begin on an endeavor that might one day assume epic proportions!

And now, just one more time for the record: This the 78th Sexagenary Cycle of the Chinese calendar becomes the 79th on the second full moon following the winter solstice in 2034 - a Tiger year ... a WOOD Tiger year. But ... in the meantime, this Dojo has yet to experience the years of four more characters to complete just one of its own cycles of the twelve symbolic animals, those being Cock, Dog Pig and Rat. And after that ... it will complete its own sexaganary cycle through the five element phases of each animal in 2046! Later that year, if I live that long, I will be 94 years old!

So in the meantime may I take this opportunity now to wish you all "Kung Hoy Fat Choy" or "good fortune and prosperity" (or, 'live long and prosper') and hope that you enjoyed this months epic - A Chinese New Year Special.

Gassho, Gary