In my next three articles, I'm going to answer three questions sent by readers about what’s coming in 2025 and beyond. If you have a question you may send it to me and I might be able to use it for one of these Q&A articles.
[Note: This article is offered for entertainment purposes only. I do not offer medical advice, make financial recommendations, or do psychological counseling. Please consult professionals in those fields for your related concerns.]
These three questions are all related so I will send out the second and third ones as soon as I can, within the week if possible. The first one comes from a subscriber in London who says:
“Is there anything in the Feng Shui of 2025 and also the new Period we're in that will tell us what to expect from our investments and the stock market? I want to protect what I've already got invested and ideally see it grow more. I'm nervous, being so close to retirement, and above all I do not want to lose everything! I'm concerned and have been doing research, would love to add your take to the mix. Sincerely, R.H.”
Thanks for the question, R.H. I understand your concern and believe me, you are not alone. Disclaimer: I'm not a financial advisor, and while I use classical Feng Shui to optimize your home or business to help you achieve your financial goals, I don't give investment advice; please consult with a professional and do all of your own due diligence before making new investments or changing your current accounts and investments in any way. Everything you read here is just my opinion based on what I know of classical Feng Shui with regard to the subject.
I promise to answer the question but it needs some context. Let’s begin with a quickie backstory for those new to this. In classical Feng Shui, time is divided into 180-year Great Periods, and each of these is further divided into nine periods of 20 years each, simply called a Period. They're numbered 1 – 9 and the Period we are in new is quite new, it's Period 9 and it began on February 4, 2024. It will end on February 3, 2044. Because Period 9 is also the last 20-year-section of a Great Period, it packs a big punch. It’s safe to say that “a lot happens” in any Period 9, and it happens Big. The last one came around before any of us were born. Strap in and make sure your protective headgear is in place. All systems are go and you’ve already been launched.
Each year’s Feng Shui is different and brings many changes; in years like 2024 which also usher in a new Period, the changes are huge and important. With most of 2024 in the rear view mirror, we can see this confirmed; huge changes: check. Important changes: check. What they bring about will be life-altering, but not always in the ways you’d assume. More about that later in another article, or please read my Substack of December 28, 2023, Nine Things to Know about Classical Feng Shui’s New Period 9 for more information.
2024's shift from Period 8/2023 into Period 9/2024 is a big deal. The potential exists for us to see spectacular positive changes in our lives but also to crash and burn. Which of these you experience won’t be a case of random chance (most likely), because your ability to adapt and change and adopt new ways is going to be key. News headlines this year already reflect the dramatic and often shocking (think of lightning and thunder) changes Period 9 is brining. Your personal life will, even if it hasn't just yet, begin to show similar changes as you look for a new path forward. Period 8 was Earth-ruled, things moved more slowly, took more effort, and success came from doing one thing steadily and persistently over time. Period 9 is Fire-ruled, things move at warp speed, they take less effort sometimes and more at other times – and sometimes things just happen out of our control! Success now will come from how we adjust to changing circumstances, and a key part of this is going to be switching from doing just one thing to doing two or more, or maybe from expanding but not too much or too fast, and in all cases from becoming more versatile, flexible, and being willing to make major geographic changes. This could mean moving your home or business, or both.
Now back to R.H's question about investing. Yes, I do foresee much volatility in the realm of investing, banking, the markets worldwide and all things related to them, not just in 2025 but for about 3 years into the future. Roughly, it looks like this: 2025 – 2027 is peak volatility with the potential for crashes, bank failures, the elimination of the FDIC and NCUA, some surprise events that mess up world markets (could be climate-created weather events and disasters) and more troubles; then somehow things are getting pulled together again starting in 2028 but maybe not until the second half of the year. From that year forward, there’s a real chance that things will not only recover, but that they’ll be re-structured (re-created?). This would mean our accounts again are going to be insured, protected, and that we can breathe a sigh of relief about our financial futures. Agencies like the FDIC-NCUA or the creation of new versions of same to protect consumers, and many other beneficial policies and programs to benefit consumers and investors. (For those who don't know, the FDIC and NCUA are the national agencies in the USA that ensure the protection of many consumer's bank deposits and certain investments in case banks and credit unions should fail).
These things do not hold true just for the USA, most of the world will be breathlessly watching this high-wire act being performed as our financial institutions and maybe even our personal wealth teeters on the brink of disaster. We can't stop this from happening, but we can do our best to be as protected from it by becoming as aware and prepared as possible.
Why do I say this? Because fiery Period 9 works this way, and because of the way the Flying Stars look for the next few years. Also, Snake years are infamous for hosting the biggest stock market crashes the world has ever known. To name just one, October 1929 kicked-off the Great Depression when the stock market crashed and bankers were jumping off of skyscrapers.
The very wealthy usually get more wealthy during a crash because they swoop in and scoop up the remains at a low price and profit as the price rises later. In any case if you are in the 1% already you’re likely to remain there no matter what happens. But for most people, a capitalist crash spells disaster and you want to make sure you have considered this Feng Shui aspect of investing as you make decisions about what to change (or not) with your money now. Don’t wait on this. Take action immediately.
Generally speaking, most of us will want to diversify. Do not have all your eggs in one basket. Even down details like opening more than one savings account – I know it's a hassle but you want to be protected in case your financial institution fails. For instance if you have $200,000 in money market accounts that draw interest in two different banks, consider having $100,000 in four institutions (preferably credit unions) instead. It might mean drawing a little bit less interest, but this won’t be forever. I’m being conservative here, I don’t want to see any of you lose money. Better safe than sorry is the way to go, especially considering that part of our new government's agenda, called Project 2025, is to eliminate the FDIC and NCUA. This means that your bank account will no longer be protected in the case of the bank’s failure. I have a sense that credit unions may be safer overall for some reason during this turbulent time than banks but that's no guarantee – just a sense I have. Do your own research, please.
The stock market is going to be wild in 2025. If you are in it for fun and the profits are secondary, and if you can afford to lose a lot because you’ll have many years to make it up later, it might be ok for you to stay invested there; but if not, consider getting out now, because when trouble hits, if it hits, it will be sudden. Think of a cobra striking, it’s the year of the Snake, after all! You will probably not have time to regroup for a month (or even a week?) and figure it out. Again, unless you are ok with losing an investment or bank account, make a plan today and get busy implementing without delay to make your investments more secure, safe and stable.
Snake years often feature big, important events that come out of nowhere. They hit the reset button worldwide. They reshuffle the deck. In 1929 it was the big crash; in 1941 it was the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor; in 2001 it was planes flying into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, after which the stock market was closed for days, throwing investments into turmoil again (the 2001 stock market crisis overlapped with the 2000 dot-com crash, too). We might get lucky in 2025, I hope so. But just in case . . .
Diversification is a main feature of all 20 years of Period 9. When I say "diversify," I mean there will be things you can do even as a medium or small account-holder or investor, like switching to a credit union. If you're already in a credit union, divide your savings among two of them. If you're a bigger investor, buy more real property that you can hang on to for a while if necessary while things sort themselves out, and yes, you should also consider moving to a credit union. I like credit unions more than banks going forward because doing things with a group-collective, which is what a credit union is by definition, is another tenet of Period 9 and is now favored over other ways of investing and banking. Co-ops, collectives, and labor unions are going to thrive under Period 9 — but that’s a topic for another day as well.
You'll need to watch your finances and investments like a hawk in 2025. Be nimble and alert, ready to change on a dime if necessary. Remember that 2025 is part of a Fire Period. Think about fire and how it moves and spreads, fast and big like wildfire, right? One stray spark and suddenly you have two fires and they're now merging into one, mega-fire that that's racing over the hillsides. Think of the power of the wildfires in California in recent years. Burning so big and hot that they create their own weather and fire tornadoes. Changes in 2025 can take on this personality.
What is bad about that is obvious. Catastrophic results are a real possibility; however, there's an upside to fire and it’s just as likely to manifest, if not more likely, than the downside if you are prepared and flowing with it (not resisting it or ignoring it, in other words). Sometimes change is exactly what's needed, so positive, productive changes that come alive in 2025 can spread and take over in this same overwhelming way. A personality out of nowhere can rise to prominence and really catch on. New ideas and inspirations, new creative solutions, will move from person to person like chain lightning and not take forever to manifest or fizzle out before they could do so, as we saw in Period 8. Between 2004 – 2024 many great ideas and promising movements were smashed and smothered by, in most cases, big-moneyed interests or those individuals who want to hoard all the goodies and power for themselves. They don't know it yet, but that's not going to fly anymore in 2025 and beyond.
Katarina Lang, MArch, MA, advises clients on classical Feng Shui projects for residential, investment, commercial, and corporate properties. She works with individuals, businesses, and corporations from all over the world in person and virtually to improve their well-being, encompassing career, relationships, health, creativity, and wealth. In addition to holding master’s degrees in both Architecture and Anthropology and being a master of classical Feng Shui, Katarina graduated from culinary school and is a professional Dowser.
Visit Lang, Barisoni & Song for more information or to schedule your complimentary consultation.