Year of the Dragon 2024: are you predicted bad luck? 5 ways to increase your good vibes, from wearing red underwear to getting married
- Every lunar year, certain Chinese zodiac animals offend the ruling deity and are at risk of bad luck – for 2024, Dragons, Dogs, Rabbit and Oxen must be careful
- Fortunately, according to tradition, there are ways to appease the ruling deity – known as the Grand Duke of Jupiter – to chase away bad luck
Have you ever been warned that a certain year means bad luck for your Chinese zodiac?
Underscoring such warnings is the concept of fan tai sui, or offending the Grand Duke of Jupiter, a concept rooted in Chinese astrology where deities are linked to stars and constellations.
There are 60 deities in Chinese astrology – one for each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (which correspond to Jupiter’s roughly 12-year orbital cycle) combined with the five elements of Chinese astrology (metal, wood, earth, fire and water).
These deities reign one by one over a 60-year cycle, replaced with the passing of each year. The current reigning deity is known as the Grand Duke of Jupiter, or tai sui, for that year.
A birth sign clashing with that year’s tai sui signifies potential adversity – usually around four of the zodiac animals fan tai sui every year. For the Year of the Dragon, those are the Dragon itself, Dog, Rabbit and Ox.
