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THERE is
no magic, no unexplained ESP powers, no spiritual
mediums involved. For the Taoists, to know your future,
one must look to the stars. These heavenly bodies wheel
through the universe in an ancient rhythm, constant and
exact like celestial clockwork. Just as the Earth
circles the Sun every year, fortunes rise and fall in
time with astrological cycles. Founded on this premise
is the yearly almanac published by the World Taoism
Association in Taiwan, its counterpart to the Roman
Catholics’
Vatican.
With the
2008 Almanac on hand, geomancer Nelson Eucariza sits
down with the BusinessMirror to reveal what lies ahead
for Filipinos and the 12 zodiac signs in the Year of the
Rat. Both he and his renowned father, Fermin, are
ministers at the Taoist Temple International in Malate
and regular advisors to politicians and famous
personalities.
Eucariza
opens the tome and points at a crude drawing of a water
buffalo and a farmer. “Do you see that the man is
barefoot?” he asks in Pilipino. “That means it’s going
to be a dry year. La Niña.”
“Countries and cities in the East and the West, or lying
in the east or west coast, such as New York, California,
the Middle East and Shanghai will enjoy an abundant
year,” he continues. Conversely, those in the Southern
Hemisphere will generally experience turbulent periods,
in the form of natural calamities, political unrest, or
economic decline.
“Because
the
Philippines is
in the southeast, it is not so bad,” he says. But due to
the extreme climate change, the government needs to find
alternative sources of water before the impending
drought—the geomancer fears—would force farmers into a
riot. He foresees fires, tidal waves, and even
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that might inflict
destruction the scale of the Mount Pinatubo disaster.
The hot spot lies in the southern areas. “So the
government should focus on regions like
Mindanao and Visayas,” he concludes.
On the
economic front, the country won’t be achieving
milestones nor will it flounder. “The peso will not be
so stable and may weaken a bit against the dollar,” he
adds.
Eucariza
is reluctant to go in-depth on local politics, since
many public officials seek his counsel. What he is
willing to divulge is his predictions for President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: “It’s a good year for GMA. She
will have many supporters and fewer enemies. This, in
turn, will mean less political turmoil and a better
management of the country. And since GMA belongs to the
pig sign, she should be wary of men who are plying her
with romantic flatteries.” He explains that pigs are
inclined to engage in extramarital affairs this year,
which only bodes ill for them and their families.
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