WITH the Chinese New Year happening next week, several forecasts of what the Year of the Ox would bring have come out on the internet. The Chinese New Year will be on Feb. 12 this year and it is expected to see at this time news on preparations, celebrations and feng shui forecasts of what is in store for those belonging to the Year of the Ox.
The Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese Zodiac forecast, will be a generally good year in terms of wealth and love for those belonging to this animal sign. Those in this sign were born in the years 1925 and 1985 (wood ox), 1937 and 1997 (fire ox), 1961 (metal ox), 1949 and 2009 (earth ox) and 1913 and 1973 (water ox).
One online prediction said Ox people can have a rich harvest and significant achievements in money and finance largely because of their hard work and calm and patient nature. Another website said, however, that wealth will be barely satisfactory and a hard time at work will lead to a decrease in earnings. Yet another forecast said there will be frequent career changes and there will be a need to quickly adapt.
As to health, one said Ox people have “iron health” but still need to have regular medical checkups and must be careful about falling into depression and other deep emotional states. It added that these people should take care of their respiratory system, throat and stomach. Two other websites gave similar predictions that included advice to the aging to expect a decline in their physical condition and to seek medical attention promptly to avoid major problems.
There is nothing categorical in their forecasts, but then predictions are mostly like that, written in a manner where you could interpret it one way or another, where you can have both good and bad. It is up to you to accept the prediction or not.
One thing these Year of the Ox forecasts do not have is mention about the pandemic or the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Everything — way of life, career, finance, health and love — has been affected by Covid-19 that any talk about the future should include the threat of infection as context. How could anyone exclude the new normal from the new year?
But then a forecaster will find it risky to specify Covid-19 in the prediction as he or she will be better off leaving some room for interpretation.
Take the case of one feng shui master in Manila who in 2019 predicted that the year 2020 would be a good year. He obviously got it wrong. He took some flak for it at the start of lockdown in March last year. Some netizens accused him of being a fraud and told him to take back his words.
The year 2020 proved that forecasters cannot predict what will really happen. During these uncertain times, to venture a prediction based on one’s zodiac sign can be extra difficult because of Covid-19.