Wine & Destiny

Does destiny really exist? Is it really possible to determine a person’s character traits just by knowing the date and time of birth? Many people have asked me this question, and I have always sought the most compelling explanation or analogy to help people understand and accept the logic and dynamics of this method.

First, let us not call it destiny; in one sense, it is misleading, and people are often disturbed by the idea that their life path is fixed. They are right: it’s not. The more accurate approach is to regard our birth charts as a set of tools and qualities with which we are equipped. These tools and traits have both benefits and drawbacks, depending on how they are used and the context. We still have a fair share of free will to shape and polish these tools and character traits, to a certain extent. No matter how good or bad our birth BaZi Chart is, our actions matter significantly.

Winemaking, a highly respected science, can help us draw some parallels

When I was young, my family owned a small vineyard in Croatia. I was never much into it, and as an arrogant teenager, I would rather spend time with my friends than tend the boring vineyard. But it was essential to my family, especially my father, who couldn’t imagine a day without a good glass of wine or two. So I was regularly and unwillingly involved in the process.

During production, I would hear various theories explaining why one year the wine was good and not another. In most cases, the most significant factor influencing wine quality is weather. In some years, the grapes would be too hot; in others, too cold; and in still others, frozen soil and ice would disrupt the growing process.

Certain years are well known for good wines, and what is even more interesting is that different types of wine require different conditions. It might be a good year for a particular type of wine, but terrible for others.

The time of the harvest is also of utmost importance. If you cut the grapes one week too early, or one week too late, you might ruin the whole batch. Once you cut the grape from the plant, the character of that wine would be determined.

You might be able to fix it to some extent in the production process and during storage, but it is pretty hard to turn a bad batch into a great wine.

This principle applies to all plants on Earth, with slight variations. All scientists agree that the quality, specific characteristics, and performance of organic products depend primarily on the season, climate, and soil.

So what about human beings?

Are we somehow above the climate dynamic? Is personality determined solely by genetics, upbringing, and environment? Or is there something else in play?

In ancient China, human beings were understood to be part of nature and subject to natural law.

The chinese developed a method which helped them decipher the influence of the seasons and Five Elements on human character and performance. This method was relying on their famous farmer calendar, which they use, even today, to plan their agriculture activities.

So, for example, if a person is born in the middle of summer, they would naturally inherit a lot of Fire Element. This person would do well in life, generally speaking, every time he encounters Water and Metal Element, either through seasons or simply through the type of work or type of people he spends time with.

The Master Elements can be applied to various wine styles, as illustrated in the example above. For instance, if a person is born as intense Yang Metal in the middle of Autumn, they would naturally seek the Fire and Wood Element. If the person is a weak Yin Wood, born in the middle of summer, they would look for Water and wet Earth for support and balance.

The exact time of birth is of utmost importance, just as with wine. The moment we cut the umbilical cord, most of our character traits are set, I would say probably more than 50%. The other 50% will be inherited through parents’ genetics, upbringing, education, and general surroundings.

Wine experts often talk about wine’s character, as if it were a human being. Typically, they would use attributes such as aggressive, mild, romantic, subtle, and passionate. These character traits are determined by nature, the seasons, and the Five Elements.

So, for comparison, if a Yang Fire person has a lot of Earth Element and weak Water, we would say that his Output Component is strong and Power Component is weak. This person would exhibit many rebellious, outspoken characteristics; they would not tolerate authority well and would consistently seek freedom of expression.

If a weak Yang Wood person had a lot of Metal Element, which represents the Power Component, they would be very submissive toward authorities, in some cases, even terrified to interact with them.

These character traits are inherited by nature, through the season and Five Elements, in the same way as the wine inherits its own unique character traits.

Natural cycles work for wine, but not for humans?

Modern science doesn’t recognize astrology as a legitimate science; it is often dismissed as pseudoscience, yet the same principles are validated in other aspects of life.

Why is that? It’s hard to say. All I know is that Five Element is a highly accurate method, and no amount of skepticism will ever change that for me. After reviewing thousands of charts and case studies, my belief is firm, and it’s up to others to catch up with this knowledge.

With skepticism, we are wasting valuable time that could be spent on research. This knowledge could improve the lives of every single person on the planet if understood and applied correctly. Most of our suffering comes from the notion that we don’t understand ourselves, our strengths, and our weaknesses. Once you become clearer about your original blueprint, things get much easier; we spend less time blaming ourselves or others and put more effort into practical solutions to overcome the newly visible obstacles.

The enemy that we don’t know is far more dangerous than the enemy we know, and Five Element gives us a tool to turn all our invisible enemies into allies.