Everybody probably knows the Year of the Tiger begins February 14th, but most people probably do not know the person who rides the lucky Tiger. It is none other than Tsai Shen, Chinese god of wealth and prosperity!

This is good news given the many economic difficulties around the world in recent years. Of course you are most interested in how this affects you personally. The short answer is you are likely to have better luck this year---unless you are a Monkey, the Tiger’s nemesis.

You don’t, however, want to just trust your financial affairs to luck, especially since there are several Chinese customs that offer to give luck a push. It is said on Chinese New Year (Tet for Vietnamese) Tsai Shen comes around to check on the loyalty of his followers. The prudent thing to do is to burn some incense in the morning while calling out his name. And, take a picture of the event. It also doesn’t hurt to have his bronze statue in front of the entrance to your main door or in the Northwest corner of your house. After all, many successful Chinese businessmen have them in their shops and offices. On the second day of the lunar year Tsai Shen returns to heaven. As you make your wish for prosperity in 2010 give him a rousing send off by burning the picture you took commemorating his arrival.

So the Tiger and Tsai Shen bring us all luck, but there is more than that to making money. Timing and approach are also critical. The first is a bit easier to gauge. Just use the Chinese Almanac to determine your lucky months and days. You might not realize it, but your style also depends on astrological factors.

The Tiger is all about making bold moves and taking risks. You might, however, want to think twice about getting too caught up in the excitement of the moment this year. You see 2010 is a Metal year. Great, you say, Metal is the element most closely associated with making money! True. Unfortunately Metal has a destructive relationship with the Tiger’s fixed element, Wood.  This year’s abundance of luck, therefore, is likely to include the bad as well as the good kind.
Bad luck can appear in at least two ways. The first could result from too much speculation and eagerness to jump into risky ventures. The second is later setbacks after initial success.

So, even though it is a Tiger year, you want to continue to be more like the Ox. In other words, stay with more conservative investments. Don’t rush into new ventures or change jobs on a whim. Take only calculated risks. Usually your emotions work for you in a Tiger year, but not in a Metal one, so keep them under control.

Actually success itself could provide your biggest threat to being in a better financial position at year end. The Tiger-Metal combination reminds me of the message of the Peacock in Mah Jong card readings, success but….  Like the Metal Tiger, the Peacock promises success at first. It is then often followed by setbacks. You can, however, avoid them. Be cautious about becoming overconfident, avoid extravagance, and don’t let yourself be tempted into overextending yourself.

The Year of the Metal Tiger can thus be a prosperous one for you. It’s up to you to do those things that enhance your luck and avoid those that can reduce it or even bring on the bad kind.

May good fortune and prosperity be yours in 2010.