Back from holidays and wondering what's really in stall during this newly begun Year of Rat? Official Royal Palace Astrologer Im Borin says tighten your belts, update your insurance, don't be too nice to anyone and watch out for angry women.
"Because the first day of New Year fell on Sunday, rice and agriculture is not so good for this year, with crop loss of vegetables and fruit about half and the other half destroyed," he says in an interview for EAS.
There will be good rain in the beginning of the year, he says, but this will dry up in the middle of the year only to be followed with excessive rains at the end of the year, indicating both famines and floods. Climate change is also predicted, with the weather "becoming hotter and hotter and never cold".
"Highlands and lowlands, neither will have good rice," he says. "There will be many, many people killing each other. The good deed people and the kind people will be looked down on by society. The kind people will become weaker and weaker this year.
"The second day of New Year was a Monday, which means the price of salt will rise, and the wives of high ranking officials will be stewing in a bad temper all year."
Given the rash of shootings of glamorous young starlets rumored to be involved with powerful men and the habit of Cambodian women to trump competitors by throwing acid rather than just getting a divorce, that prediction is ominous - especially since the august Im Borin says this bad mood will not spill over to their husbands, so the hot tempered women will apparently vent their fury on other subjects.
"The last day was on a Tuesday which means all kinds of government officials will be living in peace, and even if they fight against enemies in all directions, they will get success every time," he says.
With Cambodia gearing up for national elections in July, that comes as a reassuring prediction for many officials.
THE FUTURE FOR RATS BORN THIS YEAR
Born in Year of Rat? Venerable Im Borin has two warnings for you. The first is, whatever you do, don't get married this year.
"People born in rat year should under no circumstances join a traditional wedding this year," he says. "Postpone it until the next year, because it will never be lucky."
And don't look into people too deeply, either, he says – whether they be alive or dead.
"Do not look into people's bodies too deeply this year if you are born in the Rat Year. You should especially avoid looking at people who have died or are lying in a coffin," he says.
FACTBOX
People born in the Khmer Year of Rat are born after this country's April New Year in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 and 2008. This Year of Rat is an Earth Rat, and this element can sometimes cause irregular weather patterns as it clashes with water elements.
Rats are often charming and intelligent, hardworking and, like their animal, love to hoard things away, especially money. They are the first animal in the 12-sign zodiac, and so are often leaders who respect order and take their duties very seriously. The rats' faults are that they may be controlling and overly ambitious, but despite this, they are most compatible with the other highly ambitious sign of dragon, as well as monkey and ox. Rats are loyal and loving by nature.
Famous Cambodians born in Year of Rat include Princess Marie Norodom, Queen Mother Norodom Monineath and Sam Rainsy (who just sneaks in, being born in March, 1949).
Other famous people born rats are an eclectic mix including Charlotte Bronte, Truman Capote, Catherine I, Prince Charles, Sasha Cohen, Eminem, Peter the Great, Mata Hari, Scarlett Johansson, Wolfgang Mozart, Plato, William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy and George Washington