Calculating favorability of the coming year
To predict how favorable the coming year will be, Tibetans compare Elements for the coming year with natal Elements. There are six degrees of favorability of the interaction of Elements:
If the Element for the year produces the natal Element (for example, Metal Water), it is excellent, it is (three white stones).
If the natal Element controls the Element for the year (for example, Fire Metal), it is very good, it is (two white stones).
If the natal Element (Earth or Water) coincides with the Element for the year, it is good, it is (one white stone).
If the natal Element produces the Element for the year (for example, Earth Metal), it is neutral, it is (one white stone and one black stone).
If the natal Element (Wood, Fire, or Metal) coincides with the Element for the year, it is not good, it is (one black stone).
If the Element for the year controls the natal Element (for example, Metal Wood), it is bad, it is (two black stones).
Example of calculating white and black stones for 2024
Let's say a person was born on October 7, 1952. The natal picture of forces and Elements for this person will be as follows:
Year of birth: 1952. Animal: Dragon. Element of the year: Water.
Vitality Element: Earth,
Body Element: Water,
Strength Element: Water,
Fortune Element: Wood,
Life-soul Element: Fire.
Knowing the natal Elements you can compare them with the Elements of the coming year and find out how favorable the year will be. For example, in 2024 (Wood Dragon) the forces and Elements will be as follows:
Vitality Element: Earth,
Body Element: Fire,
Strength Element: Wood,
Fortune Element: Wood,
Life-soul Element: Fire.
Now let's compare the Elements of 1952 with the Elements of 2024. The degree of favorability is estimated with the help of black and white stones:
Vitality Element (Earth matches Earth): one white stone,
Body Element (Water controls Fire): two white stones,
Strength Element (Water produces Wood): one white stone and one black stone,
Fortune Element (Wood matches Wood): one black stone,
Life-soul Element (Fire matches Fire): one black stone.
Two white stones in the Body field indicate that the Element of 1952 (Water) controls the Element of 2024 (Fire). This means that the year 2024 gives an opportunity to those who were born in 1952 to strengthen their bodily "vessel".
If the Body had two black stones (as, for example, those born in the year of the Water Tiger), then this would indicate an increased health hazard in 2024.
The interpretation of all black and white stones for each pair Element-Animal and recommendations for 2024 can be found in the corresponding chapters of this book.
How to identify your Animal and your Element
The Tibetan calendar is lunar-solar. The Tibetan new year does not start on January 1, but on one of the days of January, February, or March.
Each new month of the Tibetan calendar begins with the new moon. The first day of each new month starts when it begins to dawn, in Tibet, it's around 5 a.m.
In popular literature, on Tibetan astrology, you may find the opinion that the year changes its quality (Animal and Element of the year) exactly at the time of the new moon. But this opinion contradicts the fact that the new moon always falls on the 30th day of the month of the Tibetan calendar (as the full moon falls on the 15th), and therefore refers to the previous year. Losar (Tibetan New Year holiday) gives the official start to the new year at dawn.
In the list below you will find information about the start dates of each year in the Tibetan calendar. Once you know your Animal and your Element, you can go to the appropriate Chapter and read your forecast for 2024.
1927 March 4 Hare-Fire
1928 February 22 Dragon-Earth
1929 February 10 Snake-Earth
1930 March 1 Horse-Metal
1931 February 18 Sheep-Metal
1932 February 7 Monkey-Water
1933 February 25 Bird-Water
1934 February 14 Dog-Wood
1935 February 4 Pig-Wood
1936 February 23 Rat-Fire
1937 February 12 Ox-Fire
1938 March 3 Tiger-Earth
1939 February 20 Hare-Earth
1940 February 9 Dragon-Metal
1941 February 27 Snake-Metal
1942 February 16 Horse-Water
1943 February 5 Sheep-Water
1944 February 24 Monkey-Wood
1945 February 13 Bird-Wood
1946 March 4 Dog-Fire
1947 February 21 Pig-Fire
1948 February 10 Rat-Earth
1949 February 28 Ox-Earth
1950 February 17 Tiger-Metal
1951 February 7 Hare-Metal
1952 February 26 Dragon-Water
1953 February 14 Snake-Water
1954 February 4 Horse-Wood
1955 February 23 Sheep-Wood
1956 February 12 Monkey-Fire
1957 March 2 Bird-Fire
1958 February 19 Dog-Earth
1959 February 8 Pig-Earth
1960 February 27 Rat-Metal
1961 February 16 Ox-Metal
1962 February 5 Tiger-Water
1963 February 24 Hare-Water
1964 February 14 Dragon-Wood
1965 March 4 Snake-Wood
1966 February 21 Horse-Fire
1967 February 10 Sheep-Fire
1968 February 29 Monkey-Earth
1969 February 17 Bird-Earth
1970 February 7 Dog-Metal
1971 February 26 Pig-Metal
1972 February 15 Rat-Water
1973 March 5 Ox-Water
1974 February 23 Tiger-Wood
1975 February 12 Hare-Wood
1976 March 1 Dragon-Fire
1977 February 19 Snake-Fire
1978 February 8 Horse-Earth
1979 February 27 Sheep-Earth
1980 February 17 Monkey-Metal
1981 February 5 Bird-Metal
1982 February 24 Dog-Water
1983 February 13 Pig-Water
1984 March 3 Rat-Wood
1985 February 20 Ox-Wood
1986 February 9 Tiger-Fire
1987 February 28 Hare-Fire
1988 February 18 Dragon-Earth
1989 February 7 Snake-Earth
1990 February 26 Horse-Metal
1991 February 15 Sheep-Metal
1992 March 5 Monkey-Water
1993 February 22 Bird-Water
1994 February 11 Dog-Wood
1995 March 2 Pig-Wood
1996 February 19 Rat-Fire
1997 February 8 Ox-Fire
1998 February 27 Tiger-Earth
1999 February 17 Hare-Earth
2000 February 6 Dragon-Metal
2001 February 24 Snake-Metal
2002 February 13 Horse-Water
2003 March 3 Sheep-Water
2004 February 21 Monkey-Wood
2005 February 9 Bird-Wood
2006 February 28 Dog-Fire
2007 February 18 Pig-Fire
2008 February 7 Rat-Earth
2009 February 25 Ox-Earth
2010 February 14 Tiger-Metal
2011 March 5 Hare-Metal
2012 February 22 Dragon-Water
2013 February 11 Snake-Water
2014 March 2 Horse-Wood
2015 February 19 Sheep-Wood
2016 February 9 Monkey-Fire
2017 February 27 Bird-Fire
2018 February 16 Dog-Earth
2019 February 5 Pig-Earth
2020 February 24 Rat-Metal
2021 February 12 Ox-Metal
2022 March 3 Tiger-Water
2023 February 22 Hare-Water
Forecast for 2024
The year of the Dragon begins on February 10, 2024, and ends on February 27, 2025. Wood is the Element of the year. The year of the Wood Dragon is the 38th year in the 60-year cycle of the Tibetan calendar. In Tibetan, this year is called Tromo, which translates as "Terrible".
The standard description of the year of the Dragon is as follows:
The Year of the Dragon is energetic, giving rise to celebrations and grandiose projects. It is auspicious for marriage, birth, and new beginnings. It is a year of surprises, when an opportunity can be grasped or lost. There are also natural disturbances.
Wood years have the following standard characteristic:
"Wood gives an animal mobility and vitality, a supple and balanced creative power, and a quality of softness. Wood years are years of transformation."
The year of Wood Dragon has the following combination of Elements:
Vitality Earth,
Body Fire,
Strength Wood,
Fortune Wood,
Life-soul Fire.
A similar combination of Elements was in 1964, 1904, 1844, 1784 1064. Those years were years of Wood Dragon.
General Recommendations and Tips
Do not worry about the black stones. Everyone has them and the set of stones changes from year to year. Black stones require greater awareness and help people to engage in self-development. If you have black stones in any of the fields, then try to distribute your energy correctly and harmonize your overall condition.