Lunar New Year: The Next Gateway Opens
Wednesday, January 29th introduces the next lunar or Chinese New Year which has a 12-year cycle of Animals with specific characteristics, traits, lessons and components at the base and then an element that can add deeper meaning. It can play a part for us whether on an emotional, mental, physical and/or experiential level of life.
The 12 Animals and The Elements
The 12 animals in chronological order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The animals also are known to be associated with one of the four directions. Each animal cycles through each element over a period of 60 years.
The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Based on your personal element for the year you were born and that of the current year’s animal determines whether there may be challenges or easier flow in one’s personal current life experience. Finding harmony is often key especially when the element of the year has a adverse effect on your own element.
For instance if one was born in a year with an earth element and the current year is a fire element then there needs to be a balance so that fire doesn’t burn earth or earth doesn’t smother fire – if we think of fire as energy and earth as rest…having a year that is so busy that one drains their energy and body isn’t good. Likewise if one has too much rest, it can be difficult to make headway on projects, business and life. Earth sees the grounded and methodical steps toward the destination whereas fire creates a fast-moving energy.
2025 is Year of the Wood Snake.
Wood fuels fire yet can break down earth. It is known for its adaptability, flexibility, and steady growth along with existing on both land and in the sky. For instance, as a tree, its roots are grounded in the earth or soil while its branches and canopy are very much in the sky. So seeing experiences from many perspectives such as the surface and a higher level as well as the details and the bigger picture can be enlightening this year and open doorways that were previously blocked or misunderstood.
Snake is known for wisdom, transformation and can have us shedding old versions of ourselves, the way we do things, how we nourish and take care of our bodies, renew or revitalize the foundation of a project, business, or our health to transform it for the next 12 years. With Snake how might you need to charm it or transform it to proceed through the year?
60 Years of the Snake
If you reflect on the most recent year of the Snake that occurred in 2013 and review your personal experiences that may offer some insights as to the type of encounters that could enter your life starting January 29, 2025 - February 16, 2026. Now as far as the last prior wood snake that was 1965. Other recent Snake years:
1965 – Wood
1977 – Fire
1989 – Earth
2001 – Metal
2013 – Water
Seen as shown above, this is considered a beneficial pattern for wood feeds fire, fire creates ash which becomes earth, earth creates metal in the form of ore, gold, etc., metal holds water and water nourishes wood.
Reflecting on Some Personal Experiences with Snake Years
In 2013 the water Snake influenced my experiences through various types of key relationships and aspects of my foundation through shedding who I thought I was and where I thought I be via both physical and emotional changes:
Sold my house in February: Went from owning a house to renting a place (in addition to releasing the physical structure, I also released 60% of the contents to downsize to a smaller footprint)
Entered a new subdivision, new people, new relationships in March and the new experience with having a landlord
The position I held for 13 years was restructured out as the college went through its own downsizing in June: Taking me from being employed to unemployed and going from knowing where I was going the next day to having no clue
·My maternal grandmother passed in July: I physically and emotional felt this loss along with went through a re-grieving process of those that passed before as a generation ended
Whereas the 1989 Snake year was one of putting down roots. This was an earth snake, and I was born in an earth element year meaning there was a lot of synergy, transformation/graduation type energy resulting in new experiences that were uplifting.
Starting a new full-time job,
Creating work relationships,
Learning new computer software programs and protocols,
Finding my way at 19 in a brand-new environment shifting from taking classes to working in higher education
You can learn more about Year of the Snake, Chinese New Year and your specific animal by checking out https://chinesenewyear.net/ Dig deeper by looking into the animal that reigns over your month and hour of birth if known. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/chinese-zodiac-time.htm
