The autumn equinox has passed, but frost descent has not yet arrived. This year, the fire energy is strong, and with the current period of fire dominance, it's even more intense. Open the news, and tech industry stories come one after another: model iterations, computing power races, layoffs and expansions happening simultaneously. Some say tech workers are especially 'burning' this year.
Tech hardware and artificial intelligence belong to metal in the five elements. Fire overcomes metal in a fire year—this is a relationship often cited in ancient texts. But what I want to say is not 'so tech workers will definitely have a bad year'—that's not how destiny analysis works. What I want to say is: when an industry is pushed by fire energy, those within it are often the last to realize they've already overheated.
'Adding water' has become popular in spiritual circles in recent years. Drinking water, taking baths, being near water, wearing blue—people do these things. They're not bad, but they all presuppose one thing: you know you're lacking water.
The problem is, many people don't know.
The rhythm of the tech industry treats 'still able to endure' as a virtue. Staying up late to meet deadlines, replying to messages on weekends, treating anxiety as motivation. When the fire burns bright, people feel bright, hot, productive. Until one day, they suddenly don't want to do anything, and realize it's not laziness—it's burning out.
So before adding water, you must be willing to take your temperature. Admitting you're burning is not a sign of weakness, but a form of self-awareness.
If fire energy is strong this year, and your industry belongs to metal, what you might watch for is not 'how to put out the fire,' but 'how to know you're hot.'
A few signals to check yourself: Have you been sleeping less than before but not feeling tired? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Do you feel uneasy when you stop? These aren't necessarily bad, but they might be marks on the thermometer.
As for water, it may not be water in a mystical sense. It could be a regular routine, a purposeless walk, or the willingness to tell someone, 'I'm having a hard time lately.' These are small, but they are water.
Adding water to a fire year is never about rituals—it's about self-awareness.
The mirror shows you as you are; the path is yours to walk. May you, even at your brightest, remember to take your temperature.