Happy Chinese New Year! What to Expect in the Year of the Horse…

Happy Chinese New Year – the Year of the Horse!

Today is Chinese New Year’s Day, ushering in the year of the horse, and it’s going to be a powerful shift! We are coming out of two consecutive “water” years in the Chinese calendar, which means years associated with the yin, with quiet, introspection, contemplation and sometimes confusion. But get ready because the starting gates have opened and the yang horse has taken off! The wood element is one of growth, strength, energy and activity. Having been fed by the water, now the wood emerges and springs forth. The year of the wood horse is associated with action, travel, movement, competition and prosperity. Hard work and decisiveness will lead to success this year. But it’s a past faced energy so only act if you’re sure of your decision, otherwise you may find yourself galloping down a road you don’t want to be on.  All this energy is a good thing, though, as the horse is a symbol of success and is even considered sacred in China. So hold onto the reins and enjoy the wild ride ahead in 2014!

 

The Year of the Snake is Ending. Time to Shed Your Skin…

     The Year of the Snake is ending. Soon we will enter the exciting year of the Yang/Wood Horse which I will write about at Chinese New Year at the end of the month. Was your year of the snake a complicated one? Snake years are an interesting combination of things. Snakes are seen as symbols of wealth in China as snakes seem always able to find a meal. Images of snakes wrapped around a rabbit are often hung on doors and windows during spring festival to indicate prosperity. But the snake is also considered jealous and suspicious, even malevolent. So if you have had a year that was confusing or particularly full of ups and downs, you may be glad to see the snake slither away at the end of the month.

But as with all years, we have gathered information and experiences, good and bad, that help us grow. And as we grow it’s important to shed our old skins. Let go of things that held you back, inhibited your growth or got in your way. The things you no longer need will only weigh you down as we gallop into the year of the horse so take a moment to let those things fall off you like the snake does and be ready to begin a new year newly emerged, fresh and just a little bit older and wiser.

More on the year of the horse coming soon…!