Fortune by design

When a baby was born in ancient China, the parents immediately went to a fortune-teller to ask for a suitable name for the newborn child. The Chinese characters depended on what the astronomical encyclopedia of the fortune-teller prescribed. This book of wisdom asserted that a human being needed five elements which were indispensable.

These are earth, in which a dead person must be buried; wood from which the coffin is made; water without which a person could not live; fire with which people cook their meals, and gold as a token of wealth or as a medium of payment because in ancient times there were no banknotes or coins.

Gold is used today to bribe people whenever corruption, collusion and nepotism are rampant. Each of the Chinese characters should have the token of the five elements. For instance, the Chinese character for ocean/sea has the token of water; table has the token of wood; an oven/hearth has the token of fire and so on. If the newborn lacks in wood according to the astronomical book, then Chinese characters, except the surname, must use the token of wood, for example pine trees or oak trees. This tradition is still followed until now among Chinese- Indonesians.

Based on the data of the offspring (hour, year, etc.) the fortune-teller can inform the parents what elements of the five are lacking. When the baby has grown to adulthood, his fate depends on this insight. This belief resembles more or less that of geomancy (feng shui meaning wind-water).

Strange as it may sound, rich men in the United States consult a geomancer when they want to build a high-rise building or a mansion. Believe it or not, a relative of mine made a fortune by following a geomancer's advice on the design of a house plan. It seems that geomancy, despite its ancient value, is not completely out of fashion.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta