Undoing rituals for good fortune
A geomancer slash astrologer slash Feng Shui expert fearlessly predicts on TV that the year 2010 will be marred by fiercer calamities and more political controversy!
I wonder why Feng Shui fanatics pay this guy so much for a forecast that one with half a brain and not a streak of psychic talent can equally, ably and bravely dish out? If I didn’t know global warming from Adam and if I missed the fact that 2010 is an election year, I might have been slightly alarmed by warnings of upcoming natural calamities or political misdeeds that would further stunt this nation’s growth.
Sadly this is the time of the year when fortune tellers get their 15 minutes of fame as they take stock of (or grab credit for) the apocalyptic events that happened in the year that came—- as they make their annual litany of scarier prophecies in the year to come: A greater flood, a raging inferno or a killer quake with tsunami to match? How productive and wise to greet the New Year with fear, anxiety and uncertainty!
Fortune tellers would also most likely warn of a famous actor, perhaps a politician, or someone really popular meeting an untimely demise in an accident that would send the entire nation into inconsolable grief? What about that overly predicted political scandal or the long overdue coup that will hound the presidency?
These are just some of the largely generic storylines we can expect from a lot of them this year, especially the flukes.
In most cases, these predictions of individual or collective misfortune usually befall those unfortunately ignorant about the special rocks, stones, potions, home adornments, weird plants, animal sacrifices and a host of other activities that can help reverse bad luck. Like everything else in life, investing on good luck is as highly encouraged as investing on something more tangible like a real business that brings in actual money.
A multi million peso industry awaits those whose sensitivities (and sensibilities) are rocked by fearless forecasts of these self-proclaimed, Nostradamuses. There are coin-eating frogs made of genuine or fake jade for good luck (or just a bit of good luck for the fake ones?) or a golden kitty cat that ushers in fortune into home or office by waving its mechanical paw. If a bigger cat can bring in bigger money, I’d get a fortune-waving adult tiger standing by my door in a jiffy!
There’s also an array of charms, crystals, mutant orange shrubs and other genetically-altered indoor plants for the every conceivable and equally impossible dream such as winning the lottery ASAP, finding the ideal Mills and Boon-type lover, catching a philandering husband or finding overseas work that pays well for one and all to live happily ever after.
Of course these charms don’t come cheap. Semi precious stones and a fortune teller’s reputation come at a price. And over and above these esoteric, good luck purchases are the professional fees these prophets would charge. And not to complain about being highway robbed—- a good vibe and a crystal ball reading are priceless!
There are a lot of other traditional, luck-generating activities that pressure people into a stressful New Year and take away the fun in the celebration. The 12 (or is it 13?) fruit collection for instance, has
been sending many scrambling to search for 12 round, sweet fruits and buying that outrageously expensive Chico, or a few pieces of that off-season Lanzones or an almost inedible Atis as if completing the set is the only way towards a fruitful year.
Of course there are fireworks, which is a must in every Filipino home, whether well-fed or starving. Firecrackers are believed to be effective in driving away evil spirits so many shell out what could
have been money for survival (into the long wait for that January 15 payday) and buy fireworks to ban evil and misfortune in the New Year.
The Philippines should be devil-proof with the sheer number of fireworks we light off every year!
There are many other New Year rituals that we may have adapted in our homes all to circumvent bad luck and assure us of good fortune. But really who’s to know what the future holds?
Perhaps we can just hope for the best in 2010. Let’s just work hard, love harder and pray hardest for a bigger chance of real good fortune to come rolling. Happy New Year, cheers and peace everyone!
