Chinese dragon dances into 2012, Indian astrologers warn earthquakes

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NEW DELHI:  As the unpredictable but volatile rabbit hopped into the sunset, the water dragon enters 2012, in what astrologers predict to be a “smooth” but potential year for natural disasters.

Steeped in Chinese mythology, the dragon would dominate 2012, beginning Feb 4, and arrive with a ‘mixed bag’, said Indian experts in Chinese astrology which is touted as the world’s oldest horoscope system, besides the Indian Vedic astrology.

“The Year of the Dragon is usually associated with new good beginnings and good fortune. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit and into business shall see success.

“It is also a good time to get married, have lots of children and start a new business. Dragon is good for the real estate industry,” says Nirmala Stanley, who runs the online portal findyourfate.com, based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The mightiest of creatures representing a powerful sign in the 12-zodiac Chinese astrology comes after a 12-year-cycle. Since it is related to water, the expert warns of water-related troubles.

“The dragon, once settled, will cool its fiery nature, though 2012 might see some major disasters.

“Illnesses and epidemics would be much more rampant than in the previous years,” cautioned Stanley.

“It will be a better year than 2011, many of the problems of last year will also be seen this year, but many changes will be happening later this year, like in the financial market,” says Sharmila Mohanan, a Mumbai-based feng shui consultant and Chinese astrologer.

“But since it’s heavily related to water, we can see some water-related natural calamities like tsunami, earthquakes and even water-borne diseases,” she said.

She also owns her very own astrology web portal.

The water dragon has already signalled its entry with an earthquake in East Java, Indonesia today, with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale.

On this same day (Jan 23, 1556), a massive earthquake struck Central China, killing over 800,000 people, coincidently a dragon year! – Bernama