Tiger's Play Astrology (2025)

Minding the Gap - Qì in the Year of the Yīn Wood Snake, Yǐ Sì, 乙巳 - Year 2025/4723

1/27/2025

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道 – Dào/View

色即是空，空即是色,

sè jì shì kōng, kōng jì shì sè

"form is emptiness, emptiness is form"
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- the Heart Sutra

Yǐ Sì, 乙巳, Qì in the Year of the Yīn Wood Snake

As of Wednesday, January 29th, 2025, we officially move back into Yǐ Sì, 乙巳, the Year of the Yīn Wood Snake, the Emerging Snake. By now, I probably sound like a broken record, but I must again remind you that Astrology is not Fortunetelling – we are not here to predict but to play, and, in the case of the Wood Snake, we are here to wake up and see through the veils!

We now enter a strange “gap” in the Chinese Zodiac, a kind of “non-year.” The astrological influence of the Wood Snake is so minimal, docile, and hidden that it defies commentary. We therefore enter an unusual challenge and opportunity in the sexagenary cycle. We are left in an in-between at a crossroads, an eye in the storm, a still point in the flowing river. What we do during this “non-year” is up to us; it is open and malleable, and the Wood Snake presents us with the question—what do we do when we are not struck by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? What happens when the dual world becomes transparent, gentle, and still? How do we mind this gap in the flux of yearly Qì?

Yáng Wood Dragon Reflections

As we emerge from the flash bang discombobulation of the Yáng Wood Dragon, we have a lot to reflect on. It has been a Dragon of a year, indeed. A lot has happened, and big changes are happening throughout the world. As always, I encourage you to re-read my blog from last year and reflect…how’d it go? Due to our unique Character and Fate, we are each predisposed to digest the Year differently, so experiences will vary widely, but I am deeply curious about your experience of the Yáng Wood Dragon and how it unfolded for you…so please share!

If I can summarize the essence of the Year – the Wood Dragon was a joker, a wild card, full of sound and fury, but perhaps signifying nothing. It was an overall playful, positive, and renewing energy. No matter what you think of what happened, in the big picture, it was a positive, generative, and transformative force, but it was a bit clumsy, startling, and destructive, and it may have seemed like a slap in the face.

Wood Dragon Qì is like using explosives to clear a path through rubble – big, hard, and fast; perhaps more effective albeit messier than sifting through stone by stone. The Wood Snake is, then, like the moment after the bang. Your ears are ringing; you may feel disoriented, but hopefully now after the explosion, you can see a clear path through the rubble. And I will leave it at that. There is, of course, so much to say. Dragon years come to shake things up, but they follow the movements of Heaven. We may never know what they are all about, and the consequences are beyond us.

As always, I present the following symbols as a playful mirror – these are my reflections, but I am not an expert, prophet, or soothsayer. You must study these symbols, reflect, and apply them to your life and the world. And this year, in true Wood Snake fashion, I have decided to leave the social commentary to a minimum, so I’m afraid this blog may be a bit boring, but that is the Wood Snake. In previous years, I have offered my interpretation of world events, culture, and politics through the lens of these Chinese Astrological symbols. I could talk about the US election and the renewal of leadership worldwide, the massive shifts in global politics and culture, the various wars and the transformation of the Middle East, the drone invasions, and so on, but this year I have decided to leave all that out for the following reasons...

Upcoming Book!

The first is my upcoming book! I am happy to announce that I have completed the first manuscript of my book on Polestar Astrology, which is soon to be published by Shambhala Books. I have submitted the manuscript to my editor and am awaiting feedback as to the next steps in the process. I worked furiously on it all year, and the final manuscript was about 1100 pages, so it has been quite an undertaking, fully suited to the Dragon Year.

The second, and more exciting reason, is that I got married this year! It was perfect and everything I could have ever dreamed of. But it took a lot of time, energy, and resources. So, between writing a massive book, planning and executing a wedding and honeymoon, and working full time, I am exhausted, and my energy for creative writing is kaput and must recharge. So, apologize if this year’s blog is not as in-depth. I simply don’t have the energy or desire to write social-political commentary, and I have decided to do myself a favor and write a more minimal blog this year, which happens to align perfectly with the vibe of the Wood Snake!

The Wood Snake is the ultimate minimalist energy with little interest in intellectual indulgence. I have challenged myself to rest my mind, and I encourage you to do the same. Let the mind rest. This may be the best advice I can give you in the following year.

My upcoming book is an introductory guide on how to practice Polestar Astrology through the lens of Character, Nature, and Fate as I learned from the legacy teachings of Liu Ming through my own unique experience. I am very proud of what I have created and look forward to sharing it with you.

Please stay tuned for further announcements and details. When the time comes, I will be redoing my website and updating my internet presence, which will be absent from social media. Wood Snake is a perfect year to disappear from these toxic platforms. I will be combining Chinese Astrology, Buddhism, and Classical Chinese Medicine and working to forge a syncretic vision of how I want to contribute to the world moving forward. The truth is that this form of Chinese Astrology is not mine and never was. It was Ming’s, and I now need to find my own path forward.

On Bias and Echo Chambers

The third reason is simply to avoid bias and let the symbols speak for themselves. I will give you the tools, so you can think for yourself without my bias. This was, in part, my motivation for writing the book – to teach you to fish rather than hand you a fish.

If there is one thing tearing our world apart, it is media bias and the echo chambers they produce. Our cultures have swung too far into extreme views, and we need to come back to the center with opposition just to the left and right to balance each other out. We need healthy opposition rather than pathological resistance.
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With that in mind, let’s jump into the symbolism of the Snake.

象 Symbolism

In last Year’s Blog, I tried to communicate the ineffable nature of the Dragon, which may have been confusing, and I’m afraid the Snake may be worse. The Dragon may be ineffable due to its unlimited potential. Still, it is the Yáng version of potential, meaning it is the result of full manifestation, EXTREME YÁNG, and is therefore more accessible for us to understand in this Yáng culture. As a culture, we get “doing,” but “being,” on the other hand, is a mystery. The Snake represents this Mystery, the Yīn to the Dragon’s Yáng.

Yīn is manifestation, the condensation of everything into apparent form, which turns into Yáng, the expression of form through movement and dynamism. As Yīn expresses into Yáng, it opens, expands, and rises to Heaven, becoming more and more transparent, heading back towards the unmanifest. Dragon Qì symbolizes the height of this expression and movement—all manifestations integrated, directed, and flying free, Yīn going all the way to Extreme Yáng.

Yīnyáng Theory teaches that Yīn and Yáng turn into one another and that Extreme Yáng gives way and turns into Extreme Yīn, which is symbolized in the Chinese Zodiac by the Snake. The Snake is Extreme Yīn, the flipside of the Dragon.

In the Dragon, the entire Zodiac is manifest and expressed. In the Snake, the entire Zodiac is in seed/potential form, having been expressed fully and then disappearing, leaving behind a complete, open, and transparent vacuum. Snake is the emptiness, potential, and openness that hosts all forms. Snake Qì is the empty spoke in the center of the turning wheel. It represents the paradox that form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.

Pig Qì, while similar, is Snake’s opposite. Pig Qì expresses Yīn Water, the dissolution of everything at the end of the cycle. Snake is not a dissolution, for dissolution is a gradual process. Snake is not gradual. Snake is the sudden and extreme flip from Yáng to Yīn, like the popping of a bubble or a Snake striking its prey. Dragon Qì expands until…pop! This sudden flip from everything to nothing represents Yīn Fire, the native element of the Snake.

Even in complete emptiness, total vacuity, there is Yáng, a spark, an ember, a warmth pulsating, undulating in the Void. For all Emptiness is pregnant with unlimited potential. Emptiness is said to contain all potential. Every possibility is inherent in Emptiness; the entire universe resides in and emerges from space. In Tantra, Space is called the Inexhaustible Treasury, the Dharmadhātu. Everything comes from Space, yet Space is never altered, stained, harmed, or destroyed. It is Indestructible, or “Vajra,” immaculate and pristine. Of all the Twelve Animals, Snake is said to be closest to this pristine, open, spacious quality of life. Snake, Yīn Fire, is the warm and radiant nature of Life in the Void.

Yīn Fire also represents the nature of Snake Hour, from 9 am to 11 am, the time of day after the sun has appeared and begins to warm the Earth slowly. Snake Hour is bright and transparent; it is the gap between the great manifestation of sunrise (the Dragon) and the productivity of midday (the Horse). Snake Hour is a time of revelation, transparency, and reflection, where we process and gather ourselves before being productive.

Yīn Fire is the slow smoldering transformation of a simmering fire, like a crockpot rather than a BBQ. It is the catalytic force of alchemy and cooking - stimulating, energizing, yet still, pulsating, warming, consuming, mesmerizing; it is internal rather than external vigor. The Snake symbolizes the Heart, the Shén, the still, warm beating center of things, awake and alive, yet passive/Yīn, for the heart beats without effort.

The Snake symbol is immensely old and traces back to China’s “Shamanic” roots. The Snake symbol is universal, and its expression is similar across cultures. Unlike some cultures, the Chinese conception of the Snake is not evil or sinister - it is Yīn. It represents the unknown/unknowable world, the subterranean, the submerged, the unconscious.

There is no “evil” in the Chinese view of Life, but Yīn has a dark side, and the Snake can symbolize darkness. This darkness, however, is the basis for transformation. We cannot truly transform unless we consider all our dark places; we must turn up all the rocks and look at the creepy crawlies beneath the surface. Snake is what lies beneath the surface.

In this sense, the Snake is like the Rabbit but taken to another level. The Rabbit is submerged in the unconscious subterranean world, but the Snake is that world; it sees through it unattached, where the Rabbit's innocence is potentially lost in the static of the ethers. Snake Qì sees through the nature of appearances, so Snake Characters are said to lead uniquely self-reflective and insightful lives. It is in the Character of Snake to reflect, mirror, question, and peak behind the curtains.

Snake Qì, Big Yīn's impulse, is sinking, gathering, descending, internalizing, seeking stillness and silence. Like snakes in the wild, Snake Qì seeks to be hidden, unseen, to blend in with the environment. Therefore, Snakes have a natural inclination to “disappear,” to hide, to renounce, and to recede from the world by blending in with the surroundings. A snake might look like a vine on the tree, so it is there, present in the world, but it is not the vine, not what it appears to be.

Snake Qì is not what it appears to be; it is unknowable and ineffable. Big Yīn defines all labels and definitions. Emptiness, by “definition,” is beyond conceptual elaboration, as the Buddhists say. The Snake represents the inner open capacity at the heart of the Zodiac to become any of the other 11 Characters without being defined by them. In comparison, the Dragon embodies all 11 characters.

This unknowable quality is said to be the source of an unmatched charm. Snakes can become anything and anybody without being attached, representing all potential. They have the capacity of all 11 Characters available, like the Dragon, but they are not defined by, nor do they take pride in what they display. They are a mystery even to themselves.

Their instinct is to hide, but they can hide in a crowded room because they are inwardly unknowable. You can “know” a Snake for years and still not know who they are. And this is not deceptive because they aren’t anybody (no one is really), and this is their power.

Snakes are a mystery to themselves and other people. They cannot be known. Remember this as I get into the Key Words. We may use words to describe Snake Qì, but Snakes are not these words. The Snake symbolizes the reality that no one is what they think they are, nor are we how others perceive us. We are all a mystery. You can never really know another person—not really. We are all symbols to each other.
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In China, the Snake is the Sorcerer Philosopher and symbolizes the process of Alchemy and inner transformation, for the Snake sheds its skin. It is always in the process of becoming something else. They also represent what Liu Ming called the “striking force,” like Muhammad Ali (born in the year of the Snake), an aspect of the Fire Element, the ability to remain perfectly still and then strike, act, seemingly out of nowhere like a snake paralyzing its prey.

氣 Qì Dynamics

The Outer Element of this year, however, is Yīn Wood in relation to the Inner or Natural Element of the Snake which is Yīn Fire. Wood is the Mother of Fire, so the generative direction of the Wood Snake flows backwards/inward, making this a deeply introspective Qì. The Wood Snake flows inward and rests or hides at the origin of all movement. Yīn Wood is the soft, weak, and vulnerable Qì that simmers just after the initial explosion of Yáng Wood, which is like the Big Bang.

Yīn Wood represents innocence, spontaneity, flexibility, renewal, humility, gentleness, sensitivity, subordination, and potentiality. While Yáng Wood represents birth, the naïve impulsive force of coming into being, Yīn Wood demonstrates the outcome of that birthing force, which is exposed, raw, and tender, but with great creative potential, like a sprout emerging from the earth, ready to grow into a mighty oak, or a baby chick bursting through the shell only to then be vulnerable to predators. Both need protection, nurturing, and time to thrive. The Wood Snake is a baby Snake and therefore the gentlest form of Snake Qì, which is already hidden, secret, and still. The Qì dynamic is light and airy, and there is nothing anywhere to stick to.

形 Manifestation/Character

Now that we have covered the symbolism and energetic dynamics, let’s get into keywords for the Snake and talk about how this symbol manifests in/as people. As we go, keep in mind this gentle dynamic of Yīn Wood and think about how this can then be applied to the Character of the whole year.
The Key Terms for the Snake are, again, how they appear, but not actually how they are. You may know or be a Snake and not identify with these labels, and that’s fine. No person is really their Character; it is merely a pattern, a tendency of our Qì to display a certain way. Snake Qì symbolizes the idea that we can all transcend our limitations through nonattachment.

The first Key Term, then, is deeply reflective. In many ways, it is not easy to be a Snake. Snakes are natural mystics in a non-mystic world. Snake Qì can be called penetrating insight. Without trying, Snakes tend to see through things, from the nature of appearance to essential qualities. Since Snake Qì is naturally open and empty, it is natural for Snakes to reflect on life and their situation, for their Qì display is in direct contrast with what society tells us. With training, this can lead to insight. But if Snakes are told from an early age that the world is solid, that people are real, that situations are concrete, and that they must “be somebody,” then they will fake it and pretend, while internally, they may experience deep depression, resentment, and even fear.

As it turns out, Reality can be frightening to glimpse. Imagine finding out that up and down are meaningless; this is called vertigo. My teacher calls this the “round world,” as opposed to the “square world.” In the round world, i.e., in Reality, we don’t have a leg to stand on; all concepts are relative, and nothing has any inherent meaning. If you do not grasp at solidity, this realization liberates you, and emptiness becomes the source of much giggling. If you grasp, emptiness inspires terror, nihilism, and possibly suicidal tendencies. Snakes may feel that the world is meaningless, that everyone is a fake, that everything is nonsense. They may feel crazy because they see this and no one else does.

Depleted, Snake Qì can turn to paranoia. They can get into trouble if they are not taught to trust their insight and vision into what lies beneath the surface. Seeing signs, hearing voices - all very Snakey, like Rabbit Qì in this sense. The truth is that there are voices; the universe is full of psychic static, and people project their thoughts and emotions all over the place with little discretion. While Rabbits tend to feel the emotional, energetic, embodied quality of this static, Snakes tend to see into the more “psychic” mental dimension of things.

Snake Qì is transparent and clear, and Snakes are probably the most distant from the rich direct experience of the senses, embodied in Snake’s opposite, the Pig. Snakes can easily be disembodied and live in a flat mental world, which can turn to nihilism. They may mistrust the display of the world. On the other hand, this transparency offers insight.

If Snakes go with their insight, they become wise. The Snake is synonymous with wisdom. On the surface, this wisdom comes from a natural observant quality, which comes from the Snake's impulse to lie still, wait, and watch. Snakes tend to observe and attend very closely to details, which lends them profound intelligence. On a deeper level, Snake's wisdom is both visionary and philosophical, which I’ll get to later. In Buddhism, wisdom is identical to śūnyatā, emptiness; they are synonymous. Emptiness is a complex idea, but at the deepest level, Snake Qì represents this side of reality.

Snakes can be too smart for their own good and capable of immense calculation and planning. Of course, everyone can be intelligent, but Snake intelligence encapsulates the concept of genius. This kind of intelligence often goes hand in hand with depression. Snakes have the opposite of “ignorance is bliss.” Instead, Snake intelligence tends to obsess about how messed up the world is and about how messed up they are themselves, leading to cynicism/skepticism and, very often, depression. This depression does not need a cause, for Snake Qì is by nature depressed, sinking, and dark, energetically speaking. So, Snakes can appear moody and brooding.

The Snake's tendency towards depression can turn to self-loathing, however, especially if their intelligence is not put to more creative outlets. Intelligence can quickly turn to hatred either at the world or at themselves. When Snakes are unsuccessful and do not find an outlet for their vision, they can turn bitter and hostile, criticizing everything and everyone and picking apart their faults.

Because of their visionary and creative qualities, Snakes make natural artists. Snakes want to leave the world behind, follow their vision, and lose themselves beyond the horizon. They want to disappear. Snake Qì is a vision quest, a spirit journey into the unknown, the underworld. In their imagination, Snakes see through this world to others and realms beyond. They may even have tangible visions in their waking lives.

So, Snakes can be a bit weird, although others may never know, for Snakes are the best at hiding. Snakes must find a way to express this weirdness, primarily through art/creativity. The challenge for the Snake is to go out beyond and come back. They must return their vision to the ordinary world and share it with others. Snakes are often inventive innovators, and Snake years usually produce societal breakthroughs. Without art, the Snake has no way of communicating Reality as they experience it; whether through painting, poetry, or film, Snakes communicate the dreamlike nature of reality, such as Pablo Picasso or Edgar Allen Poe (both born in the Year of the Snake).

Snakes tend to be solitary and reclusive. All the Snakes I know, either by year or hour, tend to seek and enjoy time alone (of course, everyone can), and some even dream of being hermits. Snakes take great pleasure when no one knows where they are or what they’re up to. Furthermore, they tend to be somewhat evasive, which is both positive and negative. The Snake's tendency towards evasiveness can be a skill, knowing when to duck, avoid, and do nothing. This evasive quality can appear distant, aloof, avoidant, and secretive to others. You’re never quite sure about them; think Snape from Harry Potter. Snake Qì is also very discrete, which can appear positive and negative again.

Spiritually, being discreet and humble is an excellent idea; showing off and making a big flap about yourself can create many challenges. Snakes tend towards the opposite; they tend to be quiet, never revealing their actual experience to anyone, even when that experience is profound. Being discrete is the Snake's form of camouflage, hiding in plain sight.

Since Snake Qì is Big Yīn, and because its impulse is to disappear towards stillness and silence, Snakes are naturally calm, patient, and slow in their display. Chill is the word. Snake Qì is the opposite of scattered, and its depleted state can turn to laziness and lethargy. But in general, Snakes are relaxed and calm; they have a big open capacity to host other people’s craziness. This peaceful nature can be called meditative. Many Snakes I know have a natural inclination towards meditation as an expression of their Qì, which also has an immense capacity for trance.

The Yīn Fire nature of the Snake is also hypnotizing and trance-inducing. Think Snake Charmers. Snakes have an alluring charm because of their mysteriousness. People want to figure them out, and Snakes love this because they love avoiding and evading people’s attempts to figure them out and pin them down.

Snakes can play with this, so they have a specific social capacity. They make great actors and can become anyone, like method acting. They can use this capacity for social advantage, which we call “Yīn Power.” Yīn Power is essentially manipulation, which is not inherently wrong, although it can be used that way. It can be used for good, too; like many Snake qualities, manipulation evades judgment…we’re just not sure about it.

Ming once told a story of a friend who learned to speak Chinese by simply becoming the teacher, imitating his mannerisms, dress, body language, etc. Monkeys have this capacity, too. Rather than learn the language, this person just became someone who already knew it, very Snakey.

Snakes can embody a social role for years, at work, for example, even if it is not who they are. They can work for years as salespeople and then one day become carpenters. This changeability may sound bad, but not for Snakes necessarily, for they are unattached. Snakes can love and be fascinated by material things and then sell everything they own without a second thought. Snake Qì loves to shed its skin, change appearances, transform, drop attachments, and move on. In the Chinese Tradition, the Snake, like the Rabbit, is associated with the practice of Inner Alchemy, refining our experience backward to the Source.

When depleted, the ability to become anything and take on any form can turn helpless. Depleted, snakes can feel empty, without inner and outer resources, and unable to manifest things in the world. The tendency to not take the “real world” seriously can appear to others as a lack of ambition, but Snakes don’t have ordinary worldly ambition; their aspirations in life tend to reflect a more profound impulse, which is most often to understand this strange world of appearances, this ephemeral dance we’re all born into; Snakes are perplexed as to why everyone takes the life game so seriously.

I mean, why bother? Why bother constructing wealth and systems of value when everything falls apart? Of course, if a Fire Snake chooses to be successful, they can outdo everyone and make us all look like fools, but they would never believe in their actions.

Hopefully, this does not sound too negative. But negativity must be available in the cycle of time. We must remember that there is no absolute negativity/evil in the Chinese View, but there is Yīn. And all Yīn Characters represent the necessity of darkness in the cycle of time. Darkness, depression, destruction, and so on must be available in Time. Otherwise, everything would grind to a halt. Of course, not all Snakes are depressed, but they do represent that tendency.

The Snake symbol is rich and deep. In the collective imagination, Snakes conjure up primal, primordial, shamanic images, like Ouroboros, the Serpent eating its tail. If you want to understand Snake Qì, look at these images, for they all speak to the wisdom of the Snake.
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In terms of the Five Snakes, each has unique characteristics that contribute to the understanding of the Snake zodiac sign. The Wood or Emerging Snake, which we will discuss more next, is the most honest, shy, and calm of the Snakes. The Fire or Fishpond Snake is the most natural of the Snakes, and they are the most mesmerizing, ambitious, and disciplined. The Earth or Golden Snake is the worldliest and, therefore, the most determined, fortunate, and often successful Snake. The Metal or Hibernating Snake is the most bright, sensitive, and insightful, but the Metal Element makes them the most restrained and aloof. And the Water or Hidden Snake is the most mystical, secretive, and elusive of Snakes, and their potential for wisdom is excellent (as the Buddha is said to have been a Water Snake). Understanding these different characteristics provides a comprehensive view of the Snake Zodiac sign.

器 Synthesis, Application, and “Predictions"

Now we get to the fun part…what is going to happen!? As always, I have no idea, and as I said in the beginning, I am going to leave my social/political commentary here to a minimum. I will instead try to summarize and give a pith interpretation of the Qì of the Year and what that could mean overall.

If we put all the symbolism and Qì dynamics together, we see that the Wood Snake is, perhaps, the most delicate, minimalist, and, for lack of a better word, “weak” animal in the Chinese Zodiac. And sorry to say, it may be the most "boring" to talk about. There’s really nothing to get excited or worried about when it comes to the influence of this year.

If we were to characterize the five Snakes, the Fire Snake would be like a cobra, the Earth Snake would be like a boa constrictor, the Metal Snake would be like an asp, the Water Snake would be like an anaconda, and the Wood Snake would be like a small green snake. Green snakes are small, non-venomous, and docile. The Wood Snake does not have the venom or striking force of the other snakes, so it hides and becomes invisible. The Qì, then, is just that – docile and invisible. Yīn Wood is unformed, so the Wood Snake is a baby and does not have the strong transformative “skin shedding” quality of the Earth or Metal Snake; nor does it have the deep profundity of the mystical Fire and Water Snakes. So where does that leave us? With almost nothing to say.

In other Snake Years, things are much more hidden or secret, and venomous unexcepted things are more likely strike out of nowhere, like 9/11 (Metal Snake Year), or we may collectively experience huge skin shedding transformations like the fall of the Berlin Wall (Earth Snake Year). But not as much when it comes to the Wood Snake.

This is why I am calling it a “non-year.” The Qì of the Wood Snake is so soft, flexible, and still that it can hardly be seen or felt, which in a way makes it even sneakier. It may as well not even be there, and that is how we can define it. The 60 Animals of the Zodiac cover every kind of Qì conceivable, and somewhere there needs to be a gap, a lull, an energy characterized by its lack of presence and “weakness.” This is the Wood Snake. There are other soft and gentle points in the cycle, like the Wood Rabbit, but this may be the most transparent and non-interfering, which makes it a kind of “gap.”

We can, of course, consider all the profound symbolic qualities of the Snake, which all apply and define the Qì of the year to some extent. But the Wood Snake is the least dramatic, and all these Snake qualities are dialed down to almost zero, which gives the Wood Snake year unique challenges but also makes it a unique opportunity.

The challenge is that there is little striking force or mystical, transformative, insightful strength available. Wood Snakes, as people, must often work extremely hard to overcome this inner sense of weakness or “lack.” If this lack is not understood or worked with correctly, it can lead to boredom, indolence, laziness, and sloth, and at worst, it can create nihilism, despair, and depression. The desire to give up and feel “what’s the point?” can seem very easy in a Wood Snake year. The world seems to stop and become see-through, and if this is mistaken for meaninglessness, then we may become confused and lose track of our “momentum” in life.

We may feel lost, unsure, or uncertain. It may cause us to question things with no answers readily available. If this sounds depressing, remember that the Wood Snake is not as dark as the other Snakes. The recent Water Rabbit year was a dark subterranean energy full of ghosts and specters, but the Wood Snake is a fresh shimmering radiance, like the calm after sunrise. It is the Qì of small woodland sprouts or mycelium hidden just beneath the soil.

So, this all begs the question, what do we do when the Qì of the year is almost non-existent?

This is paradoxically the opportunity. What happens when the wind stops blowing and when we are not being pushed or pulled by the cycles of Time? What happens when we pause and enter a gap of stillness and silence that is flexible, non-resistant, docile, and weak? Well, we can do whatever we want, I suppose, or nothing at all. We can be like the small, hidden Wood Snake and slither unseen between the cracks, disappearing unnoticed. We can rest and do nothing. Or we can simply get to work without interference…but also without much wind in our sails.

The lack of influence may bring out or exaggerate everyone’s innate Character qualities because everyone is free to be themselves, for we are neither bolstered nor inhibited. We have the unique opportunity to find out what we truly are. For some, this may be empowering and healing, and for others, it may be confusing and disappointing. But overall, this can be a very insightful year for all of us.

​The stillness of this gap will hopefully be a welcome relief. This is a peaceful, restful, and non-venomous year, without the venomous hidden surprises of other Snake years, and we can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief…that is if we can “mind the gap.” Can we recognize this and pause personally and collectively? This is a time to slow down and get our bearings before we launch forward again, rather violently I might add, with the Yáng Fire Horse in 2026, which is the true wild stallion.

Of course, the world will go on as it does. Dramatic things can happen as the momentum of the past unfolds, but circumstances, responses, solutions, and so on, may lack strength, as if the wind has been taken out of our sails or the rug pulled out from under us. This makes “prediction” challenging, but we can simply apply this lack of wind power and non-interference to everything.

Culture, politics, entertainment, religion, art, music, relationships, health, personal development, and so on, are all in an open and malleable gap. This is neither good nor bad. It is what we make of it. The Qì of the year is transparent and flexible, and we can mold it how we like, or we can take the opportunity to simply see through everything.

The Qì of the Wood Snake can be visionary, and it offers us a chance to see through the veils, minding the gap between thoughts, to look beyond. We can grasp the emptiness of things in a very plain and simple way. To use a cliché, it is very “Zen.” Or, as Daoists might say, it is very Wúwéi, non-striving. The Wood Snake is plain, simple, minimal, and hidden from sight. It is the unbearable lightness of being. It is very easy to simply wake up and let go in a year like this because all the heavy burdens and complexity of life can seem like nothing at all. Everything falls away. Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. This is what the Wood Snake comes to show us.

It takes nothing and leaves nothing. Everything is left as it is, and yet life goes on. So, what will you do—how will you mind the gap?

“Delusion is like becoming possessed by a spirit during a seance, when someone starts to suddenly hop around and do all kinds of crazy things. This is exactly what has happened to all of us.

Sentient beings are possessed by the ‘spirit’ of ignorance and the 84,000 disturbing emotions, and they are all dancing around doing incredible things. They have undergone all different kinds of pain and misery for so long, aeons upon aeons. But it is a self-created possession. It is not really something from outside.

Buddha Nature has lost track of itself and created samsara, but it is also Buddha Nature, recognizing itself, which clears up the delusion of samsaric existence. The moment of recognition is like the spirit leaving. All of a sudden the possession vanishes. We can’t even say where it went. This is called the ‘collapse of confusion.’”

-Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

12 Animal Forecast

Now, let’s go through the 12 Animals and offer a map for the upcoming year – how do we each mind the gap?

Outer Elements:

Wood Signs (+): your outer element matches the year; you flow and adapt more easily but tend to go toward internal frustration

Fire Signs (+) child of Wood: generative/supportive relationship; you are empowered and bolstered, and the generative direction of Wood feeding Fire nourishes you

Earth Signs (–/+) Wood controls/eats Earth: you may feel ungrounded, but this helps to aerate and keeps things light

Metal Signs (+/–) Metal controls/cuts Wood: contrasting energetically, but you are kept in check and restrained from too much indolence

Water Signs (+) Water is the mother of Wood: you support and uphold the dynamic of the year; this could be draining but more likely it will be generative and result in wisdom

Please take these lightly and remember that we all contain each of the 12 animals within our experience! Your Year and Hour are the most prominent, but the following applies to everyone!

These predictions all come with a caveat, as you will notice that for all Characters, this is a neutral year, as that is the nature of the Wood Snake. So don’t take these too seriously.

Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 – Inauspicious/Neutral (-)

Possibly a tough year for Rats. The transparent open quality may bring out feelings of fear, paranoia, or survival if you do not self-reflect, and the Qì of the Year does not cooperate well with any sense of the organization, accumulation, or outer stability that you may need to feel secure. This Year does not work to bring people or communities together, but rather it turns us more inward toward solitude, which may bring out your more negative qualities and make you feel isolated and uneasy. But remember, the Wood Snake is gentle and subtle. This feeling is not a threat this year but rather it is an invitation. Rat Qì is a deconstructive energy that seeks to take things apart to manage and control; this you have in common with the Snake who sees through to the compound and impermanent nature to the emptiness of things. If you can be comfortable with uncertainty, impermanence, and emptiness, then this Year will be profound for rest and spiritual growth. Let go of planning and scheming; drop busyness and task management; don’t take anything personally and be comfortable with stillness. Bring out your social networking skills and help bring people together because we will all need it this year.

Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973,1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 – Neutral/Auspicious (-/+)

The Ox is in a trine of compatibility with the Snake and Rooster, so this affinity makes this a potentially good year for the Ox. This auspiciousness is quite easy to understand; the lack of influence for the Ox will equate to a lack of nonsense and interference with routine business as usual. So, the Yīn strength of the Ox can simply allow you to plow forward as you always do, but in this year, you will find little resistance, and little pushback, and that the earth is easy to plow. Everything can go well. Ox is generally impervious to the potential darkness of the Snake, but you can tend toward stagnation if you lack motivation or inspiration. Overall, then it can be a great year for both rest and productivity, and the Ox is a champion of both. Introspect and discover your motive, and then act accordingly.

Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 – Neutral/Auspicious (-/+)

The dark stripe of the Tiger is very Snake-like, as the Tiger is also comfortable being hidden and still, for the time being. Tigers can be dark and moody, so watch out and don’t go to the dark side. But remember, this is the least dark and moody of the Snake years, which makes it ideal for rest and personal growth. You can let go and drop whatever is holding you back, so when you get a massive boost in the Fire Horse year, you can leap forward and truly shine. So shed inessentials and let go of the past. This year is excellent for healing, waiting, planning, introspecting, and taking stock. But it is not conducive to excess scheming, overwork, or goal setting. The upheaval and intensity of the past year should dissipate, and the pressure should ease. Don’t expect big change or put too much hope into outward or worldly progress. Simply relax and let things be as they are. Things will naturally unfold, and if you can let things be, then the Fire Horse Year will go very well and may be the best in a long time.

Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 – Neutral (-)

The Rabbit and Snake are both symbols of the subterranean/underworld. The Rabbit goes there to hide and find safety, but the Snake is born there. It is the underworld. The Rabbit can relax and will find that the Qì of the year is non-threatening/venomous, and the sense of stillness should bring ease, for the drama and pressure of Dragon year is over. The Native Element of the Rabbit is Yīn Wood, which matches the Outer Element of the year, so this may be the best Snake Year overall for Rabbits. However, the Rabbit craves protection, security, and strength, and there is little available. You are left to fend for yourself, and so you may feel a heightened sense of vulnerability and danger. If you have your house in order, then things can go very well, and this is an excellent year to hide, rest, and recuperate, and the spiritual power and potential for insight and creativity is off the charts and will allow you to peer into the underworld without fear or confusion. If your life is not in order, then the year can go poorly, as you may find that help is challenging and that things are difficult to secure. So, it’s a wash and balances out to be neutral. The Fire Horse year may be rough, so use this year to plan accordingly.

Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 – Neutral/Auspicious (-/+)

The Dragon and Snake are a Yīn Yáng pair and natural complementary opposites. Their Qì shares a lot in common as the mystical, otherworldly center of the Zodiac, representing Heaven and the Underworld. Dragons in a Snake Year are therefore apt to ride through Snake year with ease, but it may be disorienting, as the explosive Yáng energy is gone and replaced with a vacuum. Coming out of your year, you may feel either empowered or drained. Last Year was probably a big one. You may be tempted to keep the momentum going, but it isn’t there. Snake year, then, becomes a mirror and potentially an open canvas. You are asked to reflect and paint the picture you want to see. If you can reign in your bigness and deeply reflect, then the Wood Snake offers a relaxed and limitless sea of potential. No obstructions. So, what kind of life do you want? Make it happen but remember that it is up to you. Watch out for boredom, distraction, and a lack of focus. You may be tempted to go astray and wander too far into your indulgences. If you can deal with the boredom, then this year will be excellent for spiritual and personal growth.

Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 – Neutral/Auspicious (-/+)

This is your Year, so naturally, it can be auspicious and go very well. The danger of being in your year is that it can highlight or exacerbate your negative qualities if you have not come to terms with them. This year has the potential to bring out your inner sense of helplessness, nihilism, morbidity, cynicism, and sarcasm. You may find yourself saying—screw you guys, I’m going home. The world may seem extra pointless, so you may get depressed. Self-acceptance is key. If you are at home and embrace your inner emptiness, then you are free. You can float through life and be uninhibited and light like a feather in the breeze. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. You can be in the world but not of it. Life is but a dream, and you can go merrily down the stream. This year is profound for spiritual awakening, insight, and shedding your skin, but not in any kind of dramatic or obvious way. It is not auspicious for worldly goals or productivity, but you’re probably not that interested in that anyway. So, if you have been faking that you are interested, this is a good year for you to laugh and admit it’s all silly. If you can do that, then you may find that things align and happen naturally. Bring out your visionary quality and do art.

Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2026 – Inauspicious/ Neutral (-)

Could be a tough year for Horses, but it is the least difficult of Snake years. The Snake turns into the Horse in the natural progression of the Zodiac, so they have something in common, but the Horse is in many ways the antithesis of the Snake. The Horse represents a dramatic shift from extreme otherworldly Yīn back to Yáng, which in the form of the Horse is completely worldly in the most basic sense. The Snake is the most removed from the dual world, and the Horse is right at home in the world and ready to get to work. The Horse is wild but disciplined, sociable, gregarious, and engaged; they want to work, create, build, and then ride off free into the sunset on wild adventures. Snake Qì is the opposite of all those qualities. So, the Qì of the year is not conducive to anything that feels natural to you, and you may feel stunted, frustrated, and out of sorts. Projects may get delayed. The strange, mystical qualities of the Snake may be discombobulating this year but remember that the Wood Snake is the gentlest and the least intense of this weirdness. Let it inspire what you do have in common with the Snake—art. The Snake is visionary, innovative, inventive, and imaginary—bring these qualities out in your life, projects, and practices. The neutral quality is also non-obstructive, so although there is no wind in your sails, there are also no barriers to jump over. Productivity can go well if you are self-motivated and self-reliant. Help to bring others together and smile. Make people laugh. Point out the ordinariness of things and live in the moment.

Goat: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 – Inauspicious/Neutral (-)

This may also be a tough year for Goats, but again, it is the least challenging of the Snake years. Like the Horse, the Goat and Snake are very different. The Goat is the quintessential herd animal, and they operate based on feelings of interconnectedness and collective. The Snake, on the other hand, is the quintessential loner, and they operate based on feelings of emptiness and solitude. So, the social, political, and altruistic ambitions of the Goat are not supported this year. You may feel stunted, frustrated, and disheartened. But this is why we need you; bring out these altruistic and social qualities, and don’t give up on people! But remember the Wood Snake is soft and non-venomous – no hard feelings and nothing personal. And nothing is getting in the way. Both the Snake and the Goat share deep spiritual values; the Goat sees the principles of Qì harmony and transformation, while the Snake sees deeper to the truth that space is the fundamental medium that binds us and hosts all Qì transformation. So, relax into space. Let this be a year of rest and stillness. Focus on expressing your deeper truths and seeing through the complex webs that inform your motives in the world. This will help to free you and release the frustrations of a world out of control that may be going against your values. Express yourself through creative and artistic means; focus on self-care, healing, and close relationships. Watch out for anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. If you can relax and just be, then this year will be deeply revelatory.

Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 – Neutral /Auspicious (++)

The Monkey and Snake are a special Confucian pair of compatibility, so this is an excellent year for Monkeys. Both the Monkey and Snake see through the world but in different and often complementary ways. The Monkey sees the world as a kind of joke, but they find it funny and see it as a challenge to play with. However, Monkeys can lack the deeper wisdom that the Snake provides. The Snake sees through the world with deep wisdom but lacks the playful and humorous outlook of the Monkey, so they balance each other out well. Your Monkey mischief and risk-taking can go well this year, as it finds no obstruction and produces wiser and more thoughtful outcomes that can benefit all aspects of your life. Watch out for heightened anxiety and mental agitation, as this is a very “mental” year, but let the Snake Qì help you to pierce through fantasy, fear, and projection. This is an excellent year for personal growth, self-reflection, and shedding limitations. It is also an excellent year for innovation, creativity, and invention. You can reinvent yourself and your life. Pay attention to friendships and family and watch out for isolation and feelings of nihilism.

Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 – Neutral /Auspicious (+)

The Rooster is in a trine of compatibility with the Snake and Ox, so this affinity makes this a potentially good year for Roosters as well. The Rooster and Snake complement and support each other, as they are both piercing, intelligent, sharp, and striking energies. However, the Wood Snake is the least of these qualities, so it may not be as auspicious as other Snake years. Like the Monkey, the Snake helps the Rooster to pierce through attachment, anger, and delusion, so that all your endeavors can go well this year. This can be a great year for personal and professional development, but you must be self-reliant and self-motivated, as there is little Qì available for productivity and production. Let the Snake bring out your deeper mental, spiritual, and philosophical resources, and let that infuse everything in your life for the better. Personal, familial, and relational problems can arise if you do not tend to them with care, as you may be driven overboard into mental realms that disconnect you from your feelings. Learn to relax and be spacious without fixating or obsessing.

Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 – Neutral/Auspicious (-/+)

​This is a mixed and mostly neutral year for Dogs that can end up going very well if you embrace it. All Dogs have a touch of the lone wolf and can be artistic, individualistic loners, (think Prince) just like the Snake. So, this is a year to embrace and celebrate those qualities. However, Dogs crave deep connection and loyalty, and the Snake shies away from this. Watch out for feelings of suspicion, judgment, and mistrust in your close relationships. If you do not have strong close relationships and are looking or dealing with issues of betrayal or mistrust, then it may be a frustrating and sad year. However, this makes it ideal for personal and spiritual growth and for embracing your lone wolf. Bring out your inner weirdo and let yourself escape. This may be a year for boundaries, self-care, and getting to know yourself on a deep level. Turn inward. Dogs can lose themselves taking care of and serving others, and you may derive your identity from being a parent, protector, or provider. Find out who you are outside all these roles. Work on your hobbies and passions and discover your hidden dreams. If you can embrace the lone wolf and let loose the inner weirdo, then this year will be an excellent springboard for the Fire Horse, which will be a great year overall.

Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 – Neutral/Very Inauspicious (-/-)
​
The Pig is the Snake’s opposite, so naturally, this may be a challenging year for Pigs. The Pig embodies everything the Snake is not, but oddly, this makes them very close to each other, for the opposite animals are mirrors. I always say that your opposite year is not inherently bad or something to be feared, but rather it is a spiritual opportunity to look in the mirror. Of course, Snake Qì goes against your instincts, so outwardly, things may be challenging and disorienting, and you may struggle all year as your honesty, integrity, and kindness could be challenged. You may feel disheartened and that the Qì of the year is cruel or critical. Personal relationships may be challenged, as people may be less inclined to connect with and indulge you. The Pig is the most fully in the world and engaged with the senses, and the Snake is the most disconnected and detached from the senses. So, for Pigs, this year may feel like the least enjoyable, sensual, and fun, but as I have said many times, the Wood Snake is a kind of non-year. It is so docile and non-interfering that you may not notice anything at all. Hopefully, this can balance out to being a kind of neutral indifferent year, and at best, it will serve as a mirror and springboard for personal growth. It may be sobering and clarifying and allow you to clean house and mature. That being said, we will all need and appreciate your fun-loving warmth and generosity, so throw some parties, bring people snacks, give some hugs, and remind everyone to enjoy themselves.

I wish you all the best this New Year!
​
This life passes as quickly as autumn clouds;
Family and friends are like passers-by in a market;
The demon of death approaches like twilight’s shadows;
What the future holds is like a translucent fish in cloudy waters;
Life’s experiences are like last night’s dreams;
The pleasures of the senses, like an imaginary party.
Meaningless activities are like waves
lapping on the surface of the water.
Every harmful action I have done
With my body, speech, and mind
Overwhelmed by attachment, anger and confusion,
All these I openly lay bare before you.
While circling through all states of existence,
May I become an endless treasure of good qualities--
Gathering limitless pristine wisdom and positive potential.
May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.
May all beings remain in boundless equanimity, free from attachment and aversion!

Sarva Mangalam!!!

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The Laughter of the Universe - Qì in the Year of the Yáng Wood Dragon, Jiǎ Chén, 甲辰 - Year 2024/4722

2/4/2024

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道 – Dào/View

Jiǎ Chén, 甲辰, Year of the Yáng Wood Dragon

Water Rabbit Reflections and Transition ​

As we emerge from the deep and watery depths of the Yīn Water Rabbit, we have a lot to reflect on. It has been a strange year indeed. As always, I encourage you to re-read my blog on last year and reflect…how’d it go? We are each predisposed because of our Character and Fate to digest the Year differently, so experience will vary widely, but I am deeply curious about your experience of the Water Rabbit and how it unfolded for you…so please share!

As I suggested, the past two years were a potent Yīnyáng pair - Water in the form of the Tiger and Rabbit, predator and prey - a journey of inner alchemy through the bardoes of dying and death, Yáng Water, in the form of the Tiger as the tempest of dying, and Yīn Water, in the form of the Rabbit as the state of being dead, which is paradoxically full of strange echoes of life that we call Guǐ, 鬼, ghosts.

The Water Rabbit represented Yīn Wood - innocence, spontaneity, flexibility, renewal, humility, gentleness, sensitivity, subordination, and potentiality, within Yīn Water - the most mysterious and complete resolution - darkness, death, return, completion, memory, synthesis, and fluidity. The positive key terms for the Rabbit were - gentle, quiet, peace loving, intuitive, intelligent, aesthetic, domestic, social, dependent, diverse, supportive, loving, and authoritative, and the more negative or depleted expression was - gossipy, snobby, superficial, paranoid, greedy, scattered, vain, promiscuous, opportunistic, deceptive, conservative, stubborn, and lazy. If you put all this together, the image of the Water Rabbit was a deep dark portal, a threshold to a great liminal space, what “happens” between things, the limbo, the bardo between death and rebirth, a year of secrets, alchemy, and mystery - deeply social, deeply felt, deeply (inter)connected. I have heard from many that this was one of the darkest years of their life, despite being peaceful.

So take a moment, and reflect on your life over the past year - personally, professionally, socially, and so on; take a look at the world as you perceive it through the media, news, internet, and so on. Reflect on these key terms - how have they come up for you? How have they manifested in the world?

Personally, this Year was very Rabbity for me. I took my own advice, dug in my heels, and stayed put. I poured myself into my medical practice, into writing, and I “nested” to the best of my ability. The Rabbit is considered a “Peach Blossom Star,” which means romantic relationships were big last year, and for me this came true! I met an amazing woman and got engaged!

My life has led me down a lot of side roads in search of home. And while my life now is not what I imagined ten years ago, I simply can’t start over anymore. Rabbit Year pushed me into domestication and inspired me to put down some roots. While it has been very challenging, it has been one of the most rewarding and fruitful years of my life, and I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life, and the Wood Dragon is a great energy to renew and initiate change.

In my previous New Year's Blog, I said that the Water Rabbit Year would be as weird as it gets, but I really had no idea how this would manifest. While there are innumerable small examples we can point to in our everyday lives, on the public scale, two of the most profound Water Rabbit Manifestations that have blown my mind this year have most certainly been the sudden arrival of AI/Artificial Intelligence and the "whistle blower" (whistleblowing is very Rabbity) revelation of the existence of UFOs/UAPs, government programs to retrieve and reverse engineer UFOs, and the existence of extraterrestrials.

I never thought I would listen to a congressional hearing on UFOs, but it happened. The theme here is that of "other" intelligence, intelligence being a key Rabbit term, here in the form of Artificial Intelligence (which is Alien but from Earth) and actual Alien Intelligence (i.e. from not-Earth or at least non-human); these are the most extreme Water Rabbity things I could possibly imagine but never would have predicted that they would come to the forefront of our collective discussion, even if they were lost in the ever changing news feed. Even more Water Rabbity is the subtle way in which these phenomena will change society. AI will absolutely change society, especially if it continues to evolve at the current rate, and we may give birth to AGI, Artificial General Intelligence, sooner than we think. Everything AI has produced, from art and innovation to pure terror and confusion is very Rabbity.

If the revelation of Aliens/UFOs continues, this too will vastly alter our culture, but it is likely that this will remain under wraps for quite some time, as we’ve been conditioned for years to think it's crazy. So if you don’t believe me, there is a UAP/UFO amendment proposed to Congress in 2024 (

象 Symbolism and 氣 Qì Dynamics ​

木克土 Wood Eats Earth

五運六氣 – Wŭ Yùn Lìu Qì

形 Manifestation/Character

器 Synthesis, Application, and “Predictions”

12 Animal Forecast

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Shìwaì Taóyuán 世外桃源 the Peach Spring Beyond this World - Qì in the Year of the Yīn Water Rabbit Year, Gŭi Măo 癸卯 – Year 2023/4721

1/11/2023

16 Comments

The Peach Spring Beyond this World - Meditations on the Year of the YinWater Rabbit
​by Gregory David Done

千巖萬轉路不定，迷花倚石忽已暝。
熊咆龍吟殷巖泉，慄深林兮驚層巔。
……
列缺霹靂，丘巒崩摧。
洞天石扉，訇然中開。
青冥浩蕩不見底，日月照耀金銀臺。
霓爲衣兮風爲馬，雲之君兮紛紛而來下。
虎鼓瑟兮鸞迴車，仙之人兮列如麻.[1]

A thousand peaks and ten thousand turns, my path was uncertain;
I was lost among flowers and rested on a rock, when suddenly all grew black.
Bears roared and dragons groaned, making the cliff-streams quake,
The deep forests were shivering, tiered ridges shook,
Thunder-rumbling in Lightning Cracks, hill ridges split and fell;
Then the stone doors of grotto-heaven swung open with a crash.
A billowing vast blue blackness whose bottom could not be seen,
where sun and moon were gleaming on terraces silver and gold.
Their coats were of rainbow, winds were their steeds,
The lords of the clouds came down in their hosts.
Tigers struck harps, phoenixes drew coaches in circles,
those who are the Undying stood in ranks like hemp.

武陵川路狹，前櫂入花林。
莫測幽源裏，仙家信幾深。
水回青嶂合，雲度綠溪陰。
坐聽閑猿嘯，彌清塵外心。[2]

Wuling’s waterway is narrow.
My boat glides on into peach-blossom forests.
Nobody can fathom, inside the shady source of spring,
How deep is the immortal residence?
River winding, converging the emerald cliffs.
Clouds passing, shading the green stream.
I sit in leisure and listen to the howling of apes,
And profusely purify my heart longing to go beyond the dust.


[1] Li Bo in Stephen Owen’s The Great Age of Chinese Poetry: the High T’ang (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981), pp.175-177.
[2] Xu Peng 徐鵬 ed., Meng Haoran ji jiaozhu 孟浩然集校註 (Beijing: Renmin wenxue, 1998), p. 152.

道 – Dào/View

Follow the White Rabbit.

In the soft light of early morning you are between worlds - asleep, awake - boundaries blur. This is the crepuscular hour, the Rabbit Hour (5-7am). Here the body is mist or mud. You follow rabbits to places between the light, beneath the brush - the in-between places. This is the Rabbit Burrow - the dreamworld, the underworld, the subterranean – beneath the surface where the roots grow, seeking hidden waters.

Here you encounter visions; are they memories, premonitions? In dream houses, in narrow corners, you find hidden doors and know the way down. You find treasure long forgotten - feeling and object unite, and power is found in the safety of secret fortresses. You meet companions, old friends - they resemble someone familiar, but you cannot say who…

Fairies, spirits, sprites, gnomes - the little folk, the dream folk find you, revealed only to the gentle, to children alone in innocence. You have met them; as a child you knew how to find them; you knew the in-between places and found solace in playful scapes. Your spirit danced with your ancestors, and imagination lit the world with fairy fire. Everything was magic beyond horizons, full of both angels and demons. In dreams, you found portals and rode lighting to an infinity of stars, to vast interconnected realms of immortal friends. You have been dreaming here since before you were born.

As a child, you knew and dreamed of these places, but you have forgotten. You grew up. Neverland forgotten. Somewhere along the way, the world became a dead place, a “real place” full of consequences. You found out that death was the end and that sickness and old age are coming for you. Maybe your childhood spirit was crushed early and at home. But you are still dreaming. And sometimes your dreams speak from shadows, and sometimes, even the dead world talks. The trees talk. Perhaps at dawn you gaze beyond the sunrise, or at dusk peer into forests where the nameless wild disappears into mystery.

Forever there will be magic behind there, suggestions of little avenues disappearing, like a mountain path winding up among the trees - where does it go? Everybody has in the back of their mind an image of the place they want to go to, always indefinite, and although uncertain, there’s the certain feeling – that somewhere there ought to be the thing I’ve always wanted. Hints of the paradise world - of a return, a remembering. And that somewhere, these little steps, that path in the hills…they lead up to that place. And you’ve seen these steps. Out there is that thing. The wonderful lonely place at the end of the road…

Buddhist, Tantric, and Daoist tradition speak of "pure lands," “immortal realms;” in East Asian Buddhism they are called 淨土 Jìngtu; in Tantra they are called buddhakshetra, Buddha-fields, or Siddhaloka, and in Daoism, they are called Dòngtian 洞天, Heavenly Grottoes. Mythologized, fabled, lauded, mostly dismissed by academics and materialists as fantasy - but are they?What if they were “real?” What if you already lived there, lol?

Cultures across the world, across time have idealized the paradise garden, utopia, heaven, Nirvana. Surely those born in the Year of the Rabbit created these myths, for the Rabbit seeks safety, to hide from the light of day, to seek refuge and hide from the harshness of a dangerous world - to transcend Samsara and Suffering.

Fengshui/Geomancy, 風水, talks of places of ascension, heavenly grottoes. Places in the “physical world,” often associated with sea and mountain, where boundaries between the human realm and pure realms merge, places that enable a grotto visitor to transcend the demarcation line between the interiority and externality of the cosmos. Hermits who live on sacred mountains seek these spots, and with the right timing and preparation, disappear off the map.

The Water Rabbit is such a place, a symbol of 蓬萊仙島 Penglai, the Immortal Island, the Vision of the Intangible, home of Sacred Mountains in unknown seas, where immortals reside. Sacred Mountains, 天山 Tianshan, are World Trees, connecting Heaven and Earth, and at their zenith lives 西王母 Xiwángmu, the Queen Mother, who tends to the Peach Blossom Spring Beyond this World, Shìwaì Taóyuán 世外桃源, whose branches extend to the Moon, where the Jade-White Rabbit lives, grinding peaches to make the elixir of immortality with a mortar and pestle.

The Year of the Yin Water Rabbit is a deep dark portal, a threshold to a great liminal space, what “happens” between things, the limbo, the bardo between death and rebirth, and Yin Water cannot be conceptualized or remembered, for we have all forgotten being dead in the trauma of birth.

This Year, life will go on as it does, but energetically, this is as weird as it gets folks - a year of secrets and mystery. To get to the heavens, we must head into the underworld, the world of the dead that is paradoxically full of life - down the rabbit hole to wonderland, through the treasury of worms, so far in and down you arrive on the Moon. In this place, the dream and wake world blur.

The path of this year, the ultimate realization of the Rabbit, is the union of Samsara and Nirvana. For all the dharmas of the phenomenal world of Samsara and Nirvana, Heaven and Hell, are only reflections of the mind, mental projections from the Heart-Essence Bindu, and emptiness is the unsurpassable protection. Ordinary perception is transformed into ‘sacred outlook,’ where everything is seen and experienced purely in its True Nature. One must go through the Hells to find Heaven, and upon arrival, you realize that you have always been there and have, in fact, never left. This body is Buddha and all places a Pure Realm.

Gŭi Măo 癸卯 Year of the Yīn Water Rabbit​

Welcome back to Gui Mao, 癸卯, Year of the Yin Water Rabbit, the “Forest Rabbit,” a “Peach Blossom” Year, which begins officially on Sunday, January 22nd! Of course, as always, I must begin this conversation with the declaration that astrology is not fortunetelling. The following is offered as a playful mirror, a forest of symbols for you to reflect upon, to play in.

We have crossed the Sea of Suffering to reach Horaisan, 蓬萊仙島 Penglai, the Immortal Island. The storms of the Water Tiger subside and turn inward; your ship has washed ashore. Whatever vicissitudes the year has brought, through the eye of storms, filled with calm clarity, through thunderous squalls, where your life raft came apart beneath you. Dramatic and unpredictable, the Water Tiger came to rock the boat. But you made it. A different kind of adventure awaits on the Island - a house of mirrors, a deep reflecting pool filled with imagination and spirit.

These two years are a potent Yinyáng pair - Water in the form of Tiger and Rabbit, predator and prey - a journey through the bardoes of dying and death, energetically speaking, and we have been in the throes of Yáng Water, the tempest of dying, of losing absolutely everything to be submerged in the naked vulnerability of the natural state, without pretense. We are now dead.

The transition from Water Tiger to Rabbit is a dramatic downturn, as though shipwrecked on an unknown island after a great storm... you wander into a cave and come upon a deep hidden pool in a secret grotto. You peer down into the deep water and see a soft light glowing mysteriously in the deep. You hold your breath and prepare to dive…

Since the past few Years have been so disruptive and chaotic, I’m afraid to announce that this Year is incredibly boring and peaceful by comparison. The overall Qi of the Year is stable, quiet, and deeply introspective. I struggle to make any real negativity out of the Year, despite all the negativity we have been through, at least according to the media, lol. So take advantage and dive deep into this underground spring.

Water Tiger Reflections

But, before diving into the Water Rabbit, we should take a moment to reflect on the Year of the Water Tiger, which we are now exiting. As always, I encourage you to re-read my blog on last year and reflect…how’d it go? We are each pre-disposed by our Character and Fate to digest the Year differently, so experience will vary widely, but I am deeply curious about your experience of this powerful symbol and how it unfolded for you…so please share!

As a year of extremes, this could have been one of the best and/or worst of your life. Personally, this has been one of the most challenging years of my life. In some ways, it has been my most successful year - I have established myself as a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Chinese Medicine, the culmination of many years of dedicated hard work. And I’m pretty good at it. In some ways, I have finally “arrived” at some sort of something. I have spent my whole life working towards goals - 4 college degrees, now licensing, getting the job…and now that I have achieved that, I find myself in a predictable routine, getting up and doing the same job for the next 30+ years. So, life must be re-valued, re-envisioned – all my deepest aspirations and ambitions must be integrated into the reality of the situation and culture I find myself in. But what’s new?

I am a Fire Tiger, and just as I predicted for Tigers, the auspice of the Year depended on how well you have squared with your Tigerness. And while I thought I had…opps! Lol, I never cease to be amazed by the ways I am my own worst enemy. Perhaps you can relate? This past year highlighted and made obvious all of my Tiger characteristics to an almost absurd caricature. Inwardly, this year has been the most isolating, lonely, frustrating, and depressing of my life - a huge mirror/spotlight shining on all my biggest challenges.

Last year, I opened the discussion with a meditation on death and possession. Tiger Year offered a powerful exorcistic quality because of the force of possession by our deepest and most primal fear and hunger. I also offered a lot of social commentary. This year, I am sort of at a loss in that regard, so I won’t be doing much of that. Perhaps it is because the year was so psychically draining on me that I simply cannot compute it. The past few years have aligned very nicely with the symbols of the Chinese Zodiac. The Metal Rat and Ox (at least to me) embodied the “zeitgeist” of the pandemic, but the Tiger has been so intense that it is difficult to put into words.

There is a lot to say…I said this would be a year to go to war and we did - the war in Ukraine is still underway and likely to go on for a long time. I said it would be a year of extremes - with the wildly fluctuating economy and inflation, with the dramatic demonstrations of climate with record rainfall/flood/snow paired with record heat and drought, with Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupting for the first time since 1984. We saw a massive decline of democracy all over the world with a rise in authoritarian regimes and controversial reversals of policy like Roe V. Wade being overturned. We saw the resignation of political figures like Boris Johnson, and the death of Shinzo Abe and Queen Elizabeth. It was a year of big risk and loss, like Elon buying Twitter and losing billions. It was a year of rebellion and defiance, like the Iranian protests against the compulsory hijab and the aftermath of the death of Mahsa Amini. It was a year of compulsive and dramatic public outbursts - like Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.

And those are just a few highlights. I’ll leave it at that. I’m not interested in analyzing events but rather putting forward these symbols for us to contemplate together. In short, the essence of the Tiger is big, dramatic, compulsive action, leaving a wake of consequences to deal with. Remember, the Tiger is all about the stripes in contrast - intense and powerful action contrasting with immense and suffocating stillness. And rough from end to end. I heard of many relationships coming to an end. I heard of so many sudden and unexpected deaths and accidents. I witnessed so many people, including myself, make big life decisions like moving, quitting their jobs, and starting over again. So...how’d it go for you?

The disruptiveness of the last year may have left you disheveled and traumatized by the ruthlessness of nature, both human and otherwise. Or, you rode the wave and were wildly successful because that was available too. Either way, you may have felt/been at war. Impermanence, destruction, illness, and death are as natural as breathing. Our lives fall apart; so how are we to cope/adapt when our vulnerability is revealed?

The Tiger calls for courage, for teeth and claws, but what of our soft underbelly? What of compassion and care for the casualties of war? The consequences of our actions in the Tiger year, both personally and collectively, are immense. This was the kind of year to drive us into big, compulsive, emotional decisions - the kind you make because you could see no other options - you lurch forward or run and hide and are left dealing with the consequences. Or, you may have felt attacked, run over by a freight train that you didn’t see coming. My sense is that we all feel a bit traumatized by the last year…it was a lot, even if it was positive.

The positive side of the Tiger was the potential for change - sometimes revolution, rebellion, and rebirth are a vital necessity. Creativity, creation, and risk make life worth living. But these things cannot be sustained forever - and so we come to the Rabbit. What happens when the dust settles? What is on the other side of revolution? To truly understand the Water Rabbit, we must examine its symbolism and Elemental Qi dynamics.

象 Symbolism and 氣 Qì Dynamics, 水生木 – Water (Death) Generates Wood (Birth)

The Rabbit symbol opens us into a dimension unique among the 12 Animals called “intuition.”

When studying the cycle of 12, we must remember that each Animal transforms into the next in a meaningful, although non-linear, way. The cycle is a whirlwind, centripetal and centrifugal, a tornado of energy, which flows in a kind of lopsided pattern.

If the Ox represents strength, tolerance, and continuity, and the Tiger represents an escape from continuity through rebellion, creativity, and change, then the Rabbit represents the result of the Tiger’s impulsive revolutionary bluster, which is a kind of raw, open, and vulnerable sensitivity, represented by the Rabbit’s native element—Yin Wood, now expressing within Yin Water. This combination gives us a profound and imaginative renewal that must be stabilized and made safe to explode into the rainbow that is the Wood Dragon.

Yin Wood is innocence, spontaneity, flexibility, renewal, humility, gentleness, sensitivity, subordination, and potentiality. But Yin Water represents the most mysterious and complete resolution. It is the dark that is darker than darkness. It is the complete unknown, beyond death - beyond the event horizon from where no light escapes.

Do you remember being dead? No. But what else could you have been before you were born? If you need a reference - just ask: what does your head look like to your eyes? Your vision is a 180 degree sphere, but what of the blank space behind you? Is it black? No. Is it dark? No. Is it even accessible to your eyes? No. This is Yin Water - the intangible/inaccessible mystery behind everything. And within that we have Yin Wood.

While Yang Wood represents a naïve impulsive force to come into being, Yin Wood demonstrates the outcome of that force, which is exposed, raw, and tender, but with great creative potential, like a sprout emerging from the earth, ready to grow into a mighty oak. The Tiger represents the brave and daring impulse of the sprout to rise at all into the danger of the world, and the Rabbit is the tender shoot needing protection and nurturing to thrive. And here this pure, soft innocence is in the middle of an ocean of darkness - the Water Rabbit is therefore the most paradoxical portal to the world of the dead through the eyes of innocence - both ultimate maturity and magical youth, the realm of fairy tales and myth which lie at the heart of all culture.

And just like last year, we have Water as the “mother” of Wood in the Five Element cycle, meaning the energetic direction is generative, supportive, and nurturing, as watering the soil gives birth to new sprouts. And like the Water Tiger, there is no conflict or control in this dynamic, so there is a naturalness and ease to the Water Rabbit display. The power of Water enhances and exaggerates the Wood element, making the Water Rabbit an expansive, universal, and oceanic version of the Wood Rabbit with all of its emotional qualities dramatized to the nth degree.

The Tiger represents a necessary rebellion against stagnation, and the insight of the Rabbit understands that rules (Ox) must have intuition if they are to be free of stagnation. Revolution cannot be sustained (hence the Tiger’s struggle) and should end with a refreshed look at things, and we call this the Rabbit.

The Rabbit sees into and understands the Tiger’s rebellion with a kind of empathy that is beyond the Tiger’s grasp, which is why it is the natural outcome of Tiger Qi. The mystical state (Tiger) needs heart (Rabbit). When this succeeds, the outcome is the Dragon, which has unlimited potential. Next Year this potential will manifest with an unfathomable expansiveness in the form of the Wood Dragon - but first we have to go through this portal to the underworld - peak beneath the surface and see that all the six realms - hell, ghost, animal, human, demigod, and god are projections/fantasies of our infinite creative potential and desire.

In the Chinese View, the qualities of the Rabbit are best described by the term “Lunar,” and the history of the Rabbit as a symbol comes from the Moon. The Chinese call the Moon Tai Yin, which just means Great Yin, so Rabbits are obviously very Yin, and Water Rabbits are very, very Yin. When the Chinese look at the Moon, they see a Rabbit, Yuètù, 月兔. Americans see cheese, or something, but the Chinese see a Rabbit. In other words, Rabbits are lunar creatures; they come from the moon and are seen as manifestations of moonlight.

Rabbits were, therefore, revered, and it was considered very bad luck to harm or eat them. It is surprising how rarely they were eaten, since the ancient Chinese ate nearly everything else. This says something very important about the Rabbit—that they should be protected and revered for what they offer.

Daoist alchemists saw the Rabbit as producing an elixir of immortality, a nectar from the bardo of night turning to day, from mist and moonlight. The Rabbit, therefore, became a symbol of the inner world, 内 Nèi, associated with Nei Dan or Nei Gong, and the practices of Internal Alchemy.

The Rabbit rules the dawn, from 5 am to 7 am, and these Lunar creatures are most active during this crepuscular hour. To understand Rabbit Qi, simply take a walk in the woods at 6 am. The energy is gentle, vibrant, soft, and transparent. For the dawn is a time of transition; light emerges, and we wake, emerging from the subconscious, and dreams cross into our waking reality. Dusk and dawn are often used by writers as a literary device to denote shifts or changes in our perception of reality.

The lunar image of the Rabbit represents their strong need to escape the light of day, their fear of confrontation, a symbol of the delicate, sensitive, and vulnerable nature of Rabbit Qi. And while this may sound “weak” to some, the Chinese Tradition insists that weakness is very important. Some Characters are strong, and some are weak, but each contributes something very important to society.

Traditional Chinese Medicine diverged from Roman Medicine based on this very principle. Around the turn of the Common Era, the main form of medicine around the world was bleeding, which was a very strong treatment that often killed the weak. Romans responded by saying, “good; the weak are unworthy Roman citizens.” The Chinese, on the other hand, said, “wait; perhaps weak people are sensitive and have something to offer society that strong people overlook.” So the bleeding needles became smaller; the treatments became weaker, and according to some, acupuncture developed as a natural outcome of earlier more forceful bleeding treatments. The instinct to preserve, protect, and listen to sensitive people is a Rabbit instinct, and Chinese Medicine is “sensitive” or weak medicine and proud of it.

Energetically, the Rabbit burrows and is submerged in the “subconscious” stream flowing beneath everything, a mumbling dialogue our energy has with itself, a constant flow of imagination, and a smooth flow of emotional response going on all the time. Yin Wood represents the roots below the surface, and the Water Rabbit is like those roots tapping into a deep underground lake - so it is the “deepest” of the Rabbits in terms of its intuition.

Rabbits are like an exposed wire, picking up on signals invisible to the rest of us. This raw exposed quality has many interesting manifestations in terms of Character, but before we discuss these in key terms, we must look deeper into the symbol of the actual animal itself—think bunnies.

The Rabbit or Hare is very small and soft, and they’re not predators capable of defending themselves, so they hide, a symbol of their fragility and justified paranoia. They are the prey, and everything wants to eat them. They often live in burrows or bushes, a symbol of being beneath, hidden, submerged in the subconscious stream, protected from the light. The burrow also represents the Rabbit’s “nesting instinct,” which manifests in their need for safety and security. Water is associated with fear, so the fear for survival and the instinct to burrow in search of safety is the most intense in the Water Rabbit.

They have big sensitive ears, like satellites picking up on frequencies all around them. They live in communal families, a symbol of their social nature and of the importance of relationships to Rabbit Qi. Finally, despite their delicate appearance, they have powerful hind legs and are capable of being absolutely vicious if backed into a corner. All of these symbols will become clear as we go through the key terms.

That being said, in order to understand the Rabbit, we must understand its social instinct, which we call “dependent,” and “domestic” in a trine with the Pig and Goat. Above all, Rabbit Qi is vulnerable yet profound in its intuitive capacity, so Rabbits seek safety, protection, alliance, and stability in the form of “home.” When the Rabbit feels safe, secure, and has a tribe/circle of close friends, or a strong protector/partner, or they own their own home, then they shine; they become the Dragon—powerful and dynamic leaders with insight and heart, capable and successful. If Rabbits have a strong sibling or parental guardians, they can learn their power early in life. If they are hurt or alone they close off, put up armor, and their intuitive gifts are often repressed and come out as defensive and vicious.

Not only do Rabbits need good protection as children, but they need an environment that nurtures their intuition. For the Rabbit Character is at odds in modern culture, which enjoys exploiting Rabbit characteristics but does not generally nurture them. In a culture jockeying for resources and status, sensitive empathic people often struggle.

形 – Manifestation/Character

器 – Synthesis, Application, and “Predictions”

Okay, so, now for the fun part…what’s going to happen this year!? You tell me. As always, I hope that by presenting these symbols, I have given you enough vocabulary to think about this for yourself – imagine into your life, the world as you perceive it, and let the symbols speak. Hold everything with a light touch - this isn't fortune telling. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Nothing is established in the way that it appears.

As Tiger turns to Rabbit, fearlessness breaks open into fear, into exposed vulnerability. Our cultures are in great need of Compassion, 慈, Cí - better translated as the protection that comes from Mother-Love. Mother-Love comes from the image of a brooding hen. This kind of mother-love is not idealistic or iconic. The brooding hen knows no distinction between its own life and its unhatched young. No distinction means that the natural instinct is the continuity of life, not a product of it. The mother-love here is non-conceptual and represents an immediate, consistent, and intimate loving attention to those most vulnerable, and this year we are all a little more vulnerable and squishy. Rabbits need fierce protectors to be fierce protectors.

So first, we must acknowledge that this is a massive shift energetically - we are moving from the unstoppable force of the Tiger to the vulnerable bunny, from a tidal wave to the hidden pool in a deep underground grotto. The softness of the Rabbit Year is the natural outcome of the Tiger’s force - the more intense the yang, the more yielding the yin. And this is the year of YIN POWER, which we’ll get to in a bit. The theme of DRAMA continues in the form of Water, but this is Yin drama (I’ll leave you to contemplate what that means ;).

All the outer intensity is dialed way down, but the inner intensityis dialedup. Water Tiger Year was turned up to 11, and the Rabbit is a quiet murmur, like listening to a heated but muffled conversation in the next room. The intensity transforms into a murky emotional pool of gossip. The undertow beneath the wave pulls you down and in. Remember, the Qi of this year goes DOWN AND IN. So, there should be a huge feeling of relief coming into the year. Many people imagine Water to be soothing, relaxing, gentle, and so on, but not during a hurricane like last year, lol.

The Water Rabbit, however, provides that feeling of Water that I think a lot of people were looking for from last year. By comparison, this year is boringly peaceful. The energy of this year is soft, soothing, cool, gentle, cuddly, and safe. But this comes with a bit of a warning. The tendency here is to swing from the danger/war zone of the Tiger to building a huge fortress of safety and solitude, to put up barricades with gun turrets on all sides. To some degree this is natural and could even be an imperative.

So the first imperative is to STOP and FEEL - how are you actually feeling? Self-honesty is huge right now. The Wood Tiger 1st moon should allow for some internal clarity in the transition. So make clear how you feel now in the beginning of the year because your feelings throughout the year may go absolutely haywire.

Put up some boundaries. NEST. Nest is my key word for the year. Think Rabbit burrow. Rabbits are overlords of the domestic trine. Make yourself, your home, and your relationships a fortress. Rabbits find their power when their home base is secure. Moving, changing jobs, anything that creates uncertainty or instability disrupts the flow of the year and will heighten your anxiety. If you didn’t make or initiate the change in Tiger Year, it may be too late - wait for Wood Dragon. The danger is of course sloth, laziness, and indolence - this could drive you to avoid and evade.

There is a lot of obsession with self-care in our culture right now, and this year, self-care straddles an interesting line. Boundaries were big in Metal Ox Year; cutting, clear, regimented - great for discipline. In Water Rabbit Year, the line between feeling/intuition and thinking/reasoning blurs into total mush. Feelings - conscious or not, bubble to the surface, and boundaries, self-care, and rest become an imperative to manage all the feels. Anything repressed, suppressed, or unacknowledged can manifest in the body, and the mind could struggle to be orderly, disciplined, etc, for there is simply too much static to discern the real from the unreal.
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The quality of Qi this Year is “spaced in,” and it expands the magnitude of the present moment, slowing it down, making us more aware of time and potentially more uneasy at the slowness of its passing, like hearing the second hand of a clock ticking loudly. The capacity to then hyper focus and obsess over minutia is heightened, and with the added self-conscious social awareness, this puts us at much bigger risk to be exploited by the dark side of the internet and social media. This may very well be THE Year of social media, and probably not a in a good way. Not to be a bummer, but social media this year more than any other, not coincidentally coinciding with the meteoric rise of TikTok as the most successful app in history, may see the most dramatic internet negativity we have ever seen, with consequences I can’t even imagine. The possibility of smart phone and app addiction, doom scrolling, self-obsession, self-criticism, self-harm, body image issues, doing stupid shit on camera, disproportionately comparing yourself to others, following trends, bickering, arguing, nasty comments, and so on, is off the charts. We are now learning that smart phone addiction, “TikTok Brain,” is associated with the shrinkage of the brain’s gray matter, causing “digital dementia,” the deterioration of memory, attention span, self-esteem, and impulse control, all of which increase anxiety and depression. My heartfelt advice for this year is delete the Apps and turn that spaced in attention to real conversation and presence. Break the addiction.

Health this year, then, is largely unscientific. "Alternative" medicine, shamans, therapists, and so on will do well - anything that coaxes the imagination and intuition - singing to your tumor may shrink it. “Magic Pill” pharmaceuticals and placebos are stronger if you believe. We are all a bit more sensitive, and the relationship between health and our innermost thoughts is heightened. Illness will be exacerbated by worry and poor self-esteem.

Empathy this year is unavoidable. Resonance with others, whether standing in line or with those most intimate to you just happens. You may find yourself agitated in line at the coffee shop because the person 3 people behind you is getting a divorce. Of all the 60 years, Water Rabbit makes it the most difficult to distinguish between yourself and others. The positive side of this is an increased capacity for love, compassion, spiritual union, and understanding. But you at big risk for taking on other people's stuff.

Those who naturally lack empathy (which is a lot in a culture which celebrates psychopaths), will find themselves just a bit more sensitive. On the negative side, self identified empaths are likely some of the worst people you ever met, lol. They are empowered in their abilities, and the possibility of rumors, interpersonal drama, back-bitting, passive aggression, and so on are off the charts. These qualities are adaptive - humans are social creatures who evolved in small groups, so status is everything to us. And the Rabbits will be gossiping.

Remember, Rabbits are domestic and close friendships are key. Think brain-trust. Big gatherings, parties, networking, festivals, and so on, are too much for the shy Water Rabbit. Close bonds - one on one, intimate dinner dates, heart to hearts, honest vulnerability - this is the way. Don’t spread yourself thin. Deepen the relationships you already have, or nurture the new ones you really want to keep and value. Really check on people. And don't run around making all kinds of new commitments you can't keep. Marriages can be strengthened, friendships made life-long, and family ties reinforced. And of course, interpersonal drama can make these all explode, so keep that clarity close - self-honesty, boundaries, and care go a long way.

The Rabbit is considered a “Peach Blossom Star,” which means romantic relationships and sex are very powerful this year. We all know that Rabbits are associated with reproduction. Rabbits are pregnant for only 4-5 weeks and can have up to 15 babies at a time! Lots of sex gonna happen. Or more sex than usual, hopefully, as people are reporting record low sexual activity and declining birth rates right now, and a lot of people are discussing what could be a “mating crisis” in our culture with the potentialfor huge population collapse. Social media, dating apps, and the pandemic have certainly wreaked havoc on dating, and people seem to be struggling a lot to find meaningful relationships; I know I am. Loneliness, lack of friendship, lack of community, being single, etc., is particularly hard this year, and a lot of people will be driven to close connections. This year we want depth. Casual sexual encounters will be up too, so people will likely crave more, but watch out for clinginess and attachment.

This brings me to YIN POWER. I think we all know what Yang power is - might and muscle, force and vigor. But Yin Power is not often understood, and it is even looked down upon. Liu Ming used to talk a lot about Yin Power. In short, it is “wiles,” deception, seduction, cunning, manipulating, persuading, luring, enticing, leveraging - the Rabbit as a symbol is often the trickster - tricks, ruses, flimflams, ploys, schemes; it is dodging and evading; it is guile and sly. In a Yang culture, these traits are looked down on, but they are power. The power of the small. Metal Rat Year was about the Virtue of the Small. This year is about the Power of the Small. Again, “watch out for those hind legs.”

So small groups, disempowered groups, etc, will make huge sway, but you won’t know it until long after. In Metal Rat Year we marched and protested - a million Rats trying to take down the establishment. This Year is so sneaky you won't see anything coming, and it will be over before you know what is happening. Things come out of nowhere - a silent knife in the dark.

Politically, we have the possibility of both treaty and treason, and the possibility of scandals, investigations, endless speculation/bickeringin the news, and so on is off the charts. Wars could end with mutual understanding, but empires could also topple in the night without a sound. Coup, assassination, and the like are very Water Rabbit. In the last Water Rabbit Year (1963), we saw the assassination of JFK - a conspiracy so unbelievablysneaky we are still making documentaries about it, debating about magic bullets. The assassination of JFK was probablythe most Water Rabbit thing that ever happened. If you want to know about this Year, just watch the Oliver Stone movie and documentary, lol…everything you need to know and the Water Rabbit!

Financially, this year will likely stabilize because stability is imperative for the Rabbit. Water Tiger was about the gamble - speculation and risk taking. We saw record inflation and a wildly fluctuating economy. Fear of loss and scarcity mindsets will cause people to scramble to save and horde - it’s all about safety and security. When you have a lot to lose you don’t take as many risks. This year is very conservative in every sense of the word. So invest in real estate and property; open a savings account/IRA, plan for the future, and be smart/responsible with money - but watch out for that scarcity mindset - generosity is also huge, but not in big gestures; buy your friends presents for no reason. This is a good year for all of us to re-value value - a raise the minimum wage kind of thing, etc. The constant threat of capitalism will be under great scrutiny but also felt to a much deeper extent.

Professionally, this Year is all about being second in command - subordination is power in Rabbit year. The position of assistant and all service professions are exalted; this is actually where the power lies. If you want to get things done, talk to the secretary, the assistant, the nurses, and so on. Forget the boss. Work gets done “behind the scenes,” you know - all those names in the credits that make the movie possible. We love the shiny movie stars and pay them ungodly amounts of money for being pretty and talented, but they would not exist without all those behind the scenes.

Like last year, creativity is at a high (next year too), but now it gets even weirder. Of all the 60 animals, this may be as weird as it gets (rivaled and maybe topped only by the Water Monkey). Water Rabbit represents the dark depths of the unconscious, the Treasury of Worms beneath the conscious mind. Culture, music, and art can explore the most abstract, challenging, and beautiful places - remember this is the dark side of the Moon, the bardos of death.

Day to day, this Year could be full of strange wonkiness. You may go places you never imagined. This is a year of ghosts, a year of vision, a year of fantasy, secrets, mystery, and projection. It could turn into a house of mirrors. Intuition is at an all time high. Gut feelings, instinct, signs, premonitions, and divination abound. So be warned. Probably best to not trust your gut too much, lol, because it will be telling you somethingdifferent every five minutes. Get some feedback and listen to others. God-realm, “New Age,” “Woo Woo” blabbity blah will be very appealing and plausible this year, lol. Play with it and have fun, but don’t take it too seriously.

Intuition can be an amazing tool, but it is not inherently spiritual or special. This year the signals from the deep all rise and fill our radar. We may be getting signs and messages from all over the place, but it could literally be junk mail. Our minds become the spam inbox. Emotions are high but emotional intelligence is at risk. With training, it could be a supreme Yin Power, but without clarity, the risk of confusing emotions overpowering us is very strong. Anxiety and fear will be higher than last year but not as urgent or overpowering - more subtle, social, and cumulative.

That makes this a great year for therapy, self-cultivation, and deep inner work. We have greater access to the subterranean - the unconscious, both collective, ancestral, and personal. This is a year to mine out the depths with gentleness and love. Dig up all our demons and give them a big hug. You can tap into the darkest, most foul underground and see that we all have this inside - the Treasury of Worms is infinite, full of the darkest things you can imagine that are part of human nature, but this darkness is compost. It is the fuel of all our compassion and highest virtues because it is all of Nature - all the sex and death of evolution over billions of years manifesting now in you, in your human body. Remember that by virtue of being born, life came to you in an unbroken lineage since the primordial ooze, since stardust, and you have all that memory in your cells, and it is bigger than you could possibly imagine. There are portals (the old meaning of cakra) in you to beyond the stars. The Daoist/Tantric vision of the body as an immortal realm is very potent this year - so Yoga, Neigong/Qigong, Inner Alchemy, Tantric Sadhana - all very powerful.

Last Year, the spiritual power of the Tiger was almost too much, cutting and ruthless - it was the Qi of Mahasiddhas and solitary Yogis in caves in the snow. Tiger year was about the great solitary journey we all make eventually - the journey into death. The Water Rabbit is much less intense but much more strange, for we now have spiritual access to the Bardo between birth and death. And as a matter of fact, this is a great year to die! You should be honored to go out in Water Rabbit Winter.

As I said before, we are now dead - this is YIN WATER. And it turns out perception is immortal. The body and mind die, but awareness/perception was not born and cannot perish. But if the body and mind perish, what gets re-born? We aren’t quite sure, but Buddhism calls it the Substrate or Storehouse Consciousness, the Alaya-vijñana (which they vehemently deny is a soul, for it is still compound and impermanent). This consciousness is said to store the impressions of previous experiences, which form the seeds of future karma in this life and in the next after rebirth.

After the heart and lungs stop, the five elements come apart, the spirits depart…then what? This is the great mystery. Our cultures project all kinds of hells and heavens into this in-between space. This is the realm of the Water Rabbit. By definition, Yin Water cannot be remembered - in the continuity of life, there has to be a blank, a beyond. Traditions say that all kinds of weird stuff happens here. Visions of ancestors and deities, hells and persecution, heavens and angels – all these are a reflection of your mind, your deepest personal and ancestral karmas coming to you as pure symbols. Whatever/wherever they are, you forgot them when you came hurtling through the birth canal, but you seek them all throughout life, as we are all drawn in some way to the sacred.

But you can remember being dead this year - what does this look like? I have no idea, but the spiritual potential for vision represents a blurring of being dead and alive, awake and asleep. So pay attention to your dreams because a lot will be coming through the static. Dream Yoga is perhaps even more powerful this year than last because the energy is much more conducive to sleep/rest. Water Tiger was a bit too restless, but the Rabbit is the ultimate Dream Yogi!

I opened with a discussionof the pure realm, of the heavenly grotto, for the Water Rabbit represents what the Chinese call the Peach Spring Beyond this World, 世外桃源 - a secret in-between place, a hidden wellspring found in secret.

12 Animal Forecast

Now, let’s go through the 12 Animals and offer a map - how does each of us find our way to the Peach Spring Beyond this World?

Outer Elements:

Water Signs (+++): your outer element matches the year; you flow and adapt more easily

Wood Signs (++) child of Water: generative/supportive relationship; you are empowered and bolstered

Metal Signs (–/+) mother of Water: you support and uphold the dynamic, but this could be draining

Fire Signs (–/+) water controls/extinguishes fire: you may feel stifled, but this could be good b/c you should probably calm down anyway, lol

Earth (+/–) earth controls/contains water: contrasting energetically, but you are in control and able to stay grounded and equanimous

Please take these lightly, and remember that we all contain each of the 12 animals within our experience! Your Year and Hour are the most prominent, but the following applies to everyone!

Rat: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 – Auspicious (+) As the smallest most vulnerable of the 12 Animals, Rats and Rabbit are incredibly similar but distinctly different in a few key ways. In short, Rats think their feelings, and Rabbits feel their thoughts; rats compartmentalize and categorize while Rabbits merge and universalize. So while you may be discombobulated by the amorphous squishy feelings going around, you benefit both personally and socially from the peacefulness of the Year...although you may be hesitant to trust it. Both Rats and Rabbits are very concerned with survival and resources and work to secure them socially, but the Rat often does it with larger groups. Personally, this is a great year for you to get in touch with your feelings, improve your communication skills, and the potential for peaceful stillness allows you to relax and go deep, unlocking your closed symbols. So dig some deep tunnels. Socially, you have a heightened capacity to use your skills to enlarge your circle of friends, family, and influence. Your frugality and financial awareness allows you to succeed in business and take advantage of the heightened paranoia and feelings of scarcity. Focus on heart opening and connection - focus in on the small things and relax/bust open your boundaries, borders, and definitions. Watch out for fear of failureand repeating past mistakes.

Ox: 1949, 1961, 1973,1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 – (Neutral/Inauspicious) (-) Like the Rat, Ox will also feel discombobulated by the strange feeling quality of the Year. It will mostly appear as nonsense, and while you may not notice it at all, the subconscious sinking quality could bog you down. The powerful direction of Qi going in and down will likely make this a sluggish year for Oxes. The heavy Yin nature of the Ox being driven down and in could make you stagnate, and your lives, projects, and work could feel stuck, slow, or unproductive. This a great Year for you to rest, relax, and rejuvenate, but as the Ox is averse to not working, not plowing forward, you could get agitated, impatient, and resentful of rest. Logic, clarity, and responsibility are out the window, so everyone will look even more like an idiot than usual, and you may feel like the last sane person on earth. Embrace the peace, embrace the Woo Woo, workon yourself - health can improve, skills can be mastered, and everything can flow smoothly with less personal conflicts if you can accept that business as usual is unlikely to proceed.

Tiger: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 – (Auspicious) (+) If you survived your own Year without self destructing, quitting your job, ending your marriage/partnership, or moving to a cave on the other side the planet, then this Year offers a welcome respite from the storms. Tiger naturally changes into the Rabbit, so you are kin. Rabbit represents all of Tiger's best inner qualities and vulnerabilities brought out, so embrace your soft bellied purring side - Tiger's have increased social skill and opportunity. Tigers crave deep personal connection but struggle to find it because you are so unreliable and inconsistent with what you want, and last year those stripes were really oscillating - you were probably all over the place. This year you can focus and follow your heart without as much doubt or indecision. Rabbit Year also offers a chance for the intimacy and connection that you have probably been wanting but unconsciously avoiding. The Year is not good for starting over, taking big risks, or compulsive anything, but it is likely you did all that last year, so focus and dig deep where you are - this may actually be a year of successfulhard work in place. Wood Dragon Year will be an explosive rainbow, so think of Rabbit Year as hiding in the tall grass, waiting to pounce again. Recharge and gather your resources, but watch out for depression and moodiness. Tiger’s are also apt to go deep spiritually, so dig up that treasury of worms and feast.

Rabbit: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 – (Very Auspicious) (++) - Rabbits are the most likely of all the 12 Animals to thrive in their own Year. This year arrives with a “oh thank god” sigh of relief. Rabbits are among the most anxious and uncomfortable in our culture of psychopathy (but tend to thrive on our narcissism and machiavellianism, lol). Rabbits can now peak out of the burrow a bit and welcome others inside. The Qi goes down and in, so embrace the peace and tranquility but watch out for heightened laziness, gossip, and social manipulation. The Yin Power is strong with you, and while this power is not inherently negative, it can get you into trouble if it is opportunistic - but this year, everyone’s doing it a bit more, and you can step up and use your powers for good or evil. This is a Year to flourish in your home, finances, partnerships, friendships, and for overall stability, so take advantage of the calm/stillness and stock up on provisions across the board. This also a good year to work through your deepest fears. This is your "Grand Duke/Leadership" Year, so spiritually, we will look to you for guidance, because most of us are a bit lost when it comes to our “feelings.” Teach us how to “be in our bodies,” lol, a notion that has become so popular it has lost all meaning. The Water Rabbit has the potential to be the darkest of Rabbits, so watch out for fear, gloom, and being overwhelmed by all the feels. My key word for Rabbits this year is – STRUT

Dragon: 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 – (Neutral/Auspicious) (-/+) Dragons may just be too big and expansive for the Rabbit, but this may not be a bad thing. Dragons will be Dragons no matter the Year. The Dragon represents a kind of unlimited potential - as they are a symbol of Heaven and the only one of the 12 that can fly. By nature, then, Dragons are aloof, distant, and hard to connect with and understand, for you are on a mission to rule the world and will fly over anything in your path. You are likely not to bother with little Rabbits nesting in their burrow, but the peacefulness makes a good platform for your ambitions. You will likely find that your mission, projects, and goals go well, but you may be bored as there is little daring or adventure available. So calm down, lol; save the big adventures for next year, your Year, and indulge, go native, nest, keep it small and local. This is a great year for Dragons to indulge your luxurious, amorous, hedonic side and you could even go overboard with it. Watch out for others; they have feelings, and you could break a lot of hearts if you aren't careful. People will be wanting to connect and bond, and your majesty will attract a lot of interest. Flirtatious aloofness is a recipe for disaster, so keep that in mind. Be like the Sun. Focus on Love (with a capital L) and self-reflection; humility, generosity, and service go a long way for you this year.

Snake: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 – (Neutral/Inauspicious) (-) While they are not astrological opposites, as symbols, Rabbit and Snake are quite opposite. In Buddhism, this is called Emptiness (Snake) and Compassion (Rabbit), and while these are inseparable, it is not so easy to see why. Rabbits represent intuition and feeling, and Snakes represent the wisdom of relativity/emptiness - that nothing has inherent meaning outside of relationship. Snakes see through feelings and at your best represent equanimous clarity that is not pushed or pulled by craving or aversion. Snakes seek solitude, to withdraw into serenity; you are in the world but not of it. So, in a Year with this much touchy, feely, blurry emotional mush, you are likely to be repulsed by all the attachment. You share the love of quiet stillness and will benefit from the nesting instinct to pull away from outward expansiveness. So in that regard, the Year is neutral, and you should focus on the Year as an opportunity for spiritual growth, self-healing, and vision and try to take advantage of the Qi to build your reluctant relationships, because even Snakes need people. Watch out for going too far into the darkness - Snakes are at risk for depression that could border on suicidal, so stay positive - self affirmation goes along way. People should check in on their Snake friends, and you should make it a point to reach out for help if you need it.

Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2026 – (Neutral/Inauspicious) (-) Of all the Yang characters, the Horse might be the most out of style this year. The Horse is a symbol of the Heart in Chinese Medicine, and while the Horse feels big, you wear your hearts on your sleeves. There is no hidden deception in the Horse image. What you see is what you get, and you live boldly on the surface - straight forward, honest, and practical. By comparison, Water Rabbit is like a secret message in a foreign language whispered over a fence a hundred years ago to a dead person coming through in a child’s dreams. Pretty hard to interpret. You may feel dazed and confused, like you are shouting and no one is listening. The Horse is all muscle - physical and active, needs to be busy, productive and working on all the to-do lists. So, like the Ox, the quiet, sinking, restful quality of the Year could bog you down and frustrate you. Progress, productivity, and work may be at a slow trot, and you may feel antsy. No galloping and running free in a Rabbit Burrow, so watch out for claustrophobia and self-destructing when things don't go your way. If you can relax the doing and embrace the being, then this can be a great year for friendships and fun. Horses are naturally sunny, optimistic, and gregarious, so focus on connection and be the life of the party. Comedic play is powerful medicine this year - humor is the fastest way to connect. Slow down, forget about plans and enjoy friends and family. Make new friends. If you need projects, make them creative - learn an instrument, do a stand up act, make bad art, etc.

Goat: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 – (Auspicious) (++) Goats will be greatly empowered to apply all of the Rabbit’s heart teachings to the whole world. Goats are part of the “domestic” trine with Rabbits and Pigs, so you naturally thrive this Year. While Rabbit represents close connection, Goat represents the tribe, the herd. You care deeply about people but can sometimes struggle with the person (i.e. the individual), so this is a good Year for you to reconnect with the Heart of your ideals by connecting deeply with individuals. Work on those interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, and self-development. A hard look in the mirror will be deeply fruitful. Water Rabbit Year bridges the universal and the individual. Whatever your tribe - deepen and strengthen ties within - reconnect and make time for people - become the pillar of support in your community. Think dream team. Focus all your goals, dreams, and ideals and find people to help you build your platform, message, or organization. Goat sees/feels the interconnectedness of all things and wants to communicate this to the world, but often this falls short, and you get flustered and butt heads with people because they just don’t get it. This year people get it - big universal ideals like compassion and equality/equity find an audience. You have the ability to make these ideals practical. Work, partnership, friendship, family, finances, and passions can all go well as long as you communicate them with Heart.

Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 – (Neutral/Inauspicious) (-)While Water Monkeys could thrive in the weirdness of the Year, overall, you will be a bit out of place. Monkey Qi is a bit too skeptical and cynical to go with Rabbit Intuition. Monkeys have their own intuition, which is based on sensing danger and threat, so you can escape disaster. Monkey intuition is actually imagination (Yang Metal) confused with intuition; they are not the same. Monkeys often imagine they can sense people’s feelings like the Rabbit, but more often than not, it leads to disaster, lol. This can make it hard for you to connect and maintain friendships or partnerships because you are so quick to swing to the next branch. Last Year was your opposite, so it could have been rough (I’m curious how this went for you Monkeys, so speak up Monkey friends - I want to hear about it!), so in many ways this Year is much more relaxed - the danger and threat of the Tiger is gone. No need to be on high alert. Rest, relax, don’t run away. Making friends, going on dates, and especially reconnecting and repairing friendships and relationships is an imperative this year if you want next Year (Wood Dragon) to go well, and next Year will be your best in a while. Like all Yang characters prone to impulsive action, this Year the Qi goes down and in and the sinking, hidden, sleepy quality could feel claustrophobic, but at least it doesn't have the same sense of danger as in the Tiger Year. The emotionally murky house of mirrors that is the Rabbit burrow could cause you to go haywire if you are not careful - so self honesty is important. Like the Horse - focus on fun - at their best, Monkeys are jokesters and comics. Make this year about playful fun with close friends and let yourself take emotional and personal risks.

Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 – (Inauspicious) (--) Rabbit and Rooster are diametric opposites, which I maintain is spiritually beneficial due to its mirror like quality. You are the most likely to struggle, both outwardly and inwardly, in your opposite Year, which makes it the most powerful for spiritual growth. If you can look in the mirror without pecking at everything you see, this Year will be fruitful but challenging. Like all opposites, Rabbit and Rooster are extremely similar but different because they are the reverse of each other. As I mentioned, Snakes are also very different, but the Snake sees through the Roosters trappings too, which is the hard edge of logic and reason. Roosters are precise and calculating; you embrace and love confrontation and argument, to use that beak to bust open hard shells. Rabbits hate this kind of hard pecking directness because they are squishy and hate confrontation and division. The Rooster loves to fight, play devil’s advocate, and stir the pot. This does not go well this Year and will have a lot of negative consequences. You like to dominate others with your intellect and ability, and while Rabbit Qi is naturally submissive - and the Dom/Sub pair can be hawt in the right context, it can also turn very dark. If you try to dominate others, expect disaster. Expect your projects and plans, which are meticulously planned out and well organized to fall apart. Water Roosters can sort of jive with all the feels, but it could exacerbate their core confusion, which is a tension between thinking and feeling. Overall, think restraint - hold back the beak; don’t puff out your chest, and keep the crowing at a minimum. Accept that you have mushy feelings and a quaking mess underneath like the rest of us, lol.

Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 – (Auspicious) (+) Overall, there is a lot of great potential in this year for Dogs, but there’s a lurking danger in the form of betrayal. The Dog represents the Pericardium, which is the gateway to the Heart. Dogs are of course loyal and have the greatest capacity for unconditional love and joy. You seek to bond and serve, so in a Year that is all about close connection, friendship, and family, you can thrive and bring out all your best qualities and imbue all aspects of your lives with heart. Everything can go well if you focus on love and service. This is a year to focus on your mission/purpose; bring out your deepest aspirations and dedicate yourself. It is a generalization, but the danger is that Rabbits are capable of nasty betrayal if they are scared for their survival. The worst nightmare for a Dog is abandonment and betrayal by someone close, and that is available this year, so be careful. Think service dog - everyone struggles; we really don’t know what others are dealing with, but the service Dog loves everyone no matter their story. Every Dog also has a touch of the lone wolf - you seek connection but are happy with a small wolf pack and can even go off on you own if you can’t find your people/person. Solitude could be good this year. Dogs can go very individualistic weird - Freddy Mercury, Prince, David Bowie - all Dogs. This Year is pretty weird and your weird may start showing - art, music, poetry, whatever it is, bring it out and share/strut.

Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 – (Auspicious) (++) Think Pig Pile. Pigs are the Royalty of the Year, which is both good and bad. Pig and Rabbit represent the ultimate Confucianmarriage, and are part of the Domestic Trine with the Goat - Pigs are empowered for better or worse. You are the most complementary pair of the 12. Pigs squeal with delight at the sensual connection the Rabbit offers, and the you are more than happy to nest in a warm cuddly rabbit burrow. Friendship comes very easily to Pigs, as you are friends with everyone you meet, even to the point of being gullible. So, enjoy, but slow down! Make all the friends and bring people together - friendship is challenging for many these days, so please halp! You will also be called to a strong protector role this Year, as you sense the vulnerability of the Rabbit and will do anything to protect them - Pig is Mother-Love Mama Bear Qi. The danger for Pigs is too much rest, too much indulgence, too much of all the things, which could lead to scandal. Pigs are Yin Water by nature, so while the match is generally good, the deep, dark, sinking quality could put you into a dank pit. You may wake up in a stranger's bed with no memory of how you got there. Watch out for downward spirals and hangovers. Don't look too long into the abyss because it will start looking back. If you can exercise moderation, the Year should be splendid, perhaps the best in a long time. Perfect to invest and create, to marry and procreate. The key to the Year is presence - there is so much depth available through introspection; if you can stave off the hedonic treadmill, then the fullness will be enlivening.

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A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering – Qì in the Year of the Yáng Water Tiger, Rén Yín, 壬寅 – Year 2022/4720

1/26/2022

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FATE IS NOT ACTUALLY CREATED (HAS NO BEGINNING) BUT
IS THE PREDISPOSITION TO RECREATE AND SOLIDIFY KARMIC PATTERNS.
THE EVER-PRESENT OPTION/DISPOSITION TO OPENLY EXPRESS OUR TRUE NATURE IS FREEDOM.
TOGETHER FATE AND FREEDOM CONSTITUTE THE NATURALLY DYNAMIC
DIMENSION WE ARE IN.
-Liu Ming

道– Dào/View

Rén Yín, 壬寅– Year of the Yáng Water Tiger

Welcome back to Rén Yín, 壬寅, Year of the Yáng Water Tiger, the “Roaming Tiger,” which begins officially on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022! As always, I must remind you that Astrology is not fortunetelling. Divination is a dance between Fate and Freedom via the medium of symbols, symbols which describe the cyclical flowing dynamics of nature itself. There is nothing other than an immortal present – no past or future can be found. But the eternal Now has a multi-directional flow, called Qì, which can be interpreted (loosely/playfully). For what we perceive as the future is broad and unfixed, yet once you pass through it, the future can become a narrow door.

Before I begin, I must admit that I am more hesitant to write and publish this than ever before, and this may be my last New Year’s blog in this format. Public discourse and opinion are so divisive that if I am to offer my opinions freely, or mention anything about the *unspecified virus of unknown origin*, I risk alienating half my audience and provoking a deluge of argument and disagreement between pro or anti this and that. And I have no interest in this.

However, I cannot interpret these symbols without at least some commentary on the world as I see it, and timid is not the Tiger way. Tigers are brave. So, I offer the following as a daring, bold, and creative re-visioning of things, and I encourage you to take it with a grain of salt. I will keep the political comments to a minimum. These are, of course, my interpretations and reactions based on my unique conditioning, education, and personal experience, and it shouldalso be said that this commentary is aimed at the USA.

Please just remember to be kind and remember – nothing is established in the way that it appears. There is no “real world” and no “abiding self.” What we call a self and world are a kind of mirage created by the conceptual mind. Things only have a relational or contextual existence, while being “empty” of any kind of independent existence apart from their inter-relational context.

I am excited to write this review of the Water Tiger because I am a Fire Tiger (hence the name Tiger's Play). As a Tiger, I am closer, more intimate with this Qì than with any other (although Water and Fire are the most different of Tigers). Therefore, this cannot help but be more personal than my previous blogs, so bear with me if I get emotional, lol.

The Yáng Water Tiger is a profound and powerful symbol. The Qì of this Year is not for the faint of heart. Water Tiger is something like a tidal wave or tsunami propelled by a hurricane or volcano, or perhaps even a nuclear bomb. It is a force of nature, so grab a surfboard, strap on a helmet, and get ready because things are about to get wild.

Metal Ox Reflections

Before delving into the Water Tiger, we should take a moment to reflect on the Year of the Metal Ox, which we are now exiting. I encourage you to re-read my blog on last year and reflect…how’d it go? We are each pre-disposed by our Character and Fate to digest each Year differently, so experience will vary widely, but the themes are consistent if you zoom out.

Metal Ox and Water Tiger make for a strong contrast, and the two balance each other out in an interesting way. Think of Metal Ox as a mighty dam and Water Tiger as a powerful river, potentially overflowing and bursting the dam. If the dam is well built, the water powers the dam. If it is poorly built…!

You may have noticed that while it seemed like a lot happened in the past year, not much really happened. We seem to be stuck in the same predicaments, but a lot of work has been going on. It is hard to say what this work has or will accomplish, but such is the work of the Ox…a field has been plowed, but no harvest is yet available.

The Metal Ox is a rather boring symbol – it is a slow, sturdy, containing energy that seeks to build, establish, and continue/uphold a foundation – boundaries, borders (like the Berlin Wall built in the last Metal Ox year/1961), rules, regulations, timetables, etc, that represent deep and broad social values like duty, responsibility, loyalty, and self-sacrifice.

Metal Ox has a strong, overbearing, and authoritative tone. Last year I warned that Ox Year would have an “Orwellian” overtone to those uncomfortable with authority (Americans, lol, Protest-ants). Metal Ox is like a stern father figure telling you what to do because it builds character, because it is good for you, which for children is a hard pill to swallow.

I also suggested that the rules, mandates, and structures to come were, believe it or not, impermanent and represented a natural unfolding of the cycles of Time. I suggested that perhaps there is a natural wisdom to these impulses and that collectively, it would behoove us to, for the time being, admit our ignorance and lack of control, give authority the benefit of the doubt, submit to a few well-meaning rules and mandates, and refrain from rebellion, even if we disagree with the rules. Not because you believe the people in power are perfect and know what they are doing, not because you blindly trust that scientists are infallible and make all the right decisions, but for the Qì of cooperation and for the timing. With this broad view in mind, a self-sacrifice for the “greater good,” (and not narcissistic martyrdom) even if it means putting yourself at risk, is a temporary act that creates a fertile soil for future growth, expansion, and diversity. This view requires some degree of selflessness and insight into the fundamental emptiness of our situation.

There is a time to follow orders/cooperate and a time to rebel. The wise know when to wait and plan. The View of Astrology here suggests that if we go with the flow of Time and follow the above Metal Ox themes, then when the natural push of rebellion, growth, and renewal we call Spring (now in the form of the Tiger) comes, it will be productive, and the passive Yīn work of the Ox (Winter), will have tilled the soil for new growth. We will have built a solid dam that now becomes a source of power. However, if we are petulant and impatient, if we exhaust our energy struggling against the boundaries of the Ox Year/Winter, creating a premature rebellion, then our dam will burst. Our seeds will not take root and grow. Our sprouts will have burst through their husk into barren soil. Our revolutions will ultimately fail and make a mess of things.

So, regarding how we as a culture are responding to the *unspecified virus of unknown origin*, I put this forward as something to contemplate. We are of course, split/divided. Many people are willing to cooperate, and many are not – hence the news. We’re all at the mercy of our media conditioning, left to discern between many arguing narratives. Many are understandably impatient. Many are howling like ghosts, desperately trying to figure things out and justify one narrative or another about what is happening and so are spinning their wheels endlessly in a situation out of control/beyond understanding.

Science is, of course, flawed. The processes by which we determine what is true and false in our society is deeply flawed. But the rapid, emotional way that misinformation spreads in our culture is tearing it apart. It appears often that feelings are immune to facts. The complexity behind this is, of course, too multifaceted to analyze here, and I am not qualified to do so. I merely offer these as symbols of a larger context to reflect upon.

The Ox symbol is deeply rooted in Confucian teachings on social harmony, stability, and convention through relationship and responsibility. The Ox teaches us that for a society to function, especially in the face of Winter/Death, which is where we are energetically, we must work together, cooperate, and sacrifice some degree of personal safety, comfort, and autonomy to ensure our survival. If the foundation of a society is everyone for themselves, it is doomed to collapse in times of hardship when we must rely on others. If we are to live with others, then we have duty towards them, and the “strong” have an obligation to protect those who are vulnerable.

In conclusion to the Ox Year, then, I offer this for contemplation – never attribute malice or evil to that which can be adequately explained by ignorance, lack of information, neglect, stupidity, or incompetence. This is called “Hanlon’s razor.” Goethe wrote similarly in 1774, “Misunderstandings and neglect create more confusion in this world than trickery and malice. At any rate, the last two are certainly much less frequent.”

This heuristic is a useful tool for intelligent cognition. Applying Hanlon’s razor in our day-to-day lives and to the political/social situation at large allows us to better develop relationships, become less judgmental, and it improves our rationality. Hanlon’s razor allows us to give people, of whom we are otherwise critical/judgmental, the benefit of the doubt and have more empathy.

I say this because if I were to pick out the most glaring themes of this year, they would be that of personal liberty in a pandemic (where that liberty has the potential to harm others via a contagious illness) and the distrust of authority. The sheer force of people’s conflicting emotions in reaction to these are overwhelming. As far I see it, how we deal with these emotions moving forward is a key factor in Ox turning to Tiger, and I fear that people will warp the Water Tiger’s image into more American rugged individualist "free-thinking" nonsense and bemoan the Ox year as people being herded/lead to the slaughter, which is ridiculous.

Therefore, I opened this exploration with a traditional view on death and possession because it appears that we have all become quite possessed! My social media feeds have become a parade of Six Realm possessions, full of people proudly and unapologetically turning their internal trauma fixations inside out – Hell Realm delusions of persecution, blame, and anger at authority, Ghost Realm paranoias, fears, and inadequacies, Human Realm pride full of assumed knowledge and attachment to ideas, Animal Realm tribalism, laziness, and ignorance, Titan Realm competition, domination, and belittlement, and finally, God Realm beliefs that everything is part of a perfect divine plan, collective awakening, or providence under a saintly ruler.

So, let’s apply Hanlon’s razor. Let’s not attribute malice to that which can be adequately explained by ignorance, neglect, or incompetence. Going forth, without being naïve (b/c obviously the world is full of greed and corruption), let’s assume that scientists are doing the best they can, trying to form reasonable consensus with the information they have, which is constantly changing, and that most people in positions of power are trying to make the most informed decisions they can so that they can benefit the most people. We’re making mistakes; things are messy, but everyone’s trying their best. Assume that what appear to be sinister motives may just be ignorance, and don’t be so quick to assume you have the right answers. Because it is likely we’re just as ignorant, lol. This is called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and it's everywhere – the cognitive bias where people with little expertise or ability assume they have superior expertise or ability, an oversimplification that occurs from not having enough knowledge to know that you do not have enough knowledge.

Why must we deal with these projections of malice? Because the Water Tiger is coming. The Water Tiger is the supreme launching forward energy! For better or worse, this next Year is going to propel us all forward, and if the foundation we have built for the Tiger’s rebellion is based on the anger, fear, and attachment, then this rebellion will be a disaster and could even turn violent. If approached with basic sanity, the Water Tiger is a vessel, a life raft in a flood, so let’s hope it’s seaworthy.

To fully understand the life raft available in the Water Tiger Year, we must look to its symbolism, Qì dynamics, manifestation, and applications.

象 – Symbolism

The Chinese love the Tiger, but it is in many ways the antithesis of China. It therefore holds a special place in Chinese Cosmology. For the Chinese have always welcomed chaos because no healthy society can function without destruction and renewal. This is called passing the torch to the next generation.

In my last blog on the Metal Ox Year, I mentioned that the Ox is a symbol of China as it represents the virtue of the heroic preserver, the continuity, stability, and convention of Tradition. The Tiger is, then, a symbol of rebellion against everything the Ox stands for, energetically speaking, just as youth always rebels against authority with each new generation. If the Ox represents the stability, continuity, and consistency of Yīn Earth, then the Tiger, whose nature is Yáng Wood, represents a forceful breaking away from all these qualities, for Wood eats/destroys/controls Earth in the Five Element Cycle.

Historically, the Tiger is the most successful predator of humans, and conversely, humans are the only successful predator of Tigers. At one point, there were hundreds of thousands of Tigers in Asia. Many of the earliest recorded human remains have been found with the bones of Tigers, which has puzzled archaeologists for years. They’re not sure who killed whom.

In the Han Dynasty, the number one cause of death among peasants listed in medical records (besides war) was Tigers. They roamed freely and would wander into villages at whim, eating anything that came in their path. In short, Tigers disrupted the day to day functioning of orderly society.

The Han Government waged war on Tigers, and in less than a century they used the military to systematically hunt and kill thousands of them. This trend continued, which is why the Tiger came close to extinction in Asia, although it has recently been coming back. Famous Generals were depicted wearing Tiger skins as a symbol of their fearlessness in battle, and killing a Tiger earned you the title “Tiger.” The symbol of the fearless general riding first into battle, inspiring the troops, and then going off into the mountains as a hermit to write the Art of War is a classic metaphor for Tiger Qì. There and back again – to leave the world and return with wisdom is the Tiger way.

The Chinese character for Tiger’s Earthly Branch, 寅, depicts a bow drawn and about to fire, implying a long history of hunting Tigers. Energetically, the drawn bow represents the tiger stalking its prey, waiting, crouching in the tall grass, ready to be unleashed.

We can call the early religion of China “Animism,” which later became Daoism. Rural and tribal religion was officiated by Animist Priests who were great arbiters of the Spirit World. Today they are known as “Red Hat Daoists.” “Black Hat Daoists” are the later Orthodox Priests who uphold the more official/orthodox lineages. Liu Ming very much started as a Black Hat Daoist in his early years, but later shifted toward a much more animist or Red Hat View.

Alive, Tigers presented a great threat, but dead they were considered the most powerful of spirit protectors. Part of the war on Tigers, then, was to “put them on the other side,” so to speak. After the systematic hunting of Tigers, Daoist priests would then work to command Tiger Spirits. Zhang Dao-Ling, the founder of Orthodox Daoism, is depicted riding a Tiger, symbolizing this command of the Spirit World, in control of the uncontrollable. Similarly, the second Patriarch of Chán is always depictedsleeping on a Tiger.

This trend is also found in Tantra, for Tigers were just as common in India, and great Tantric Masters and Deities are often depicted sitting on Tigers/ Tiger skins, wearing Tiger shawls, using Tigers as pillows, and so on. This symbolizes that a practitioner has conquered their fear and impulsiveness. Tiger Qì is considered the Wisdom of Fearlessness and the Victory over Danger, and Tigers have long been associated with the great Yogis/Yoginis of the Non-Dual Meditation Traditions. As a symbol of Wisdom, in contrast with the gentle Guān Yīn image of the Ox, the Tiger represents the fierce, cutting, and wild/crazy wisdom of the great Mahāsiddhas.

Still to this day, it is common in China to write the Chinese symbol for Tiger, 虎, on doors or amulets to ward off fire, theft, illness, and possession. The Tiger is a symbol of exorcism, dispossession, power, and warriorship. In many Martial Art traditions, the Tiger is depicted with the Dragon in a Yīn-Yáng Symbol, in a push-pull battle for dominion of Heaven and Earth.

When we look at the actual animal, the first thing we see is that the Tiger is striped, and this is, perhaps, the key to understanding the symbol. Tigers wish they could be lions or panthers (i.e., one color), but they cannot; they have stripes. And as the saying goes, a Tiger can't change their stripes, and this symbolizes a fundamentally dual nature, which Tigers seek their whole lives to reconcile. So, perhaps, the most important thing we can say about Tigers is that they’re striped. This will be explored in more detail, but first, we must get behind the Qì dynamics of this Year to understand what makes the Water Tiger tick.

For an extensive study of the Tiger symbol in Chinese Cosmology, please see this masterful work by one of my teachers, Heiner Fruehauf
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http://classicalchinesemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/fruehauf_lungtiger.pdf

氣 – Qì Dynamics

形 – Manifestation/Character

Before, I delve into my specific “predictions,” let’s explore how the Water Tiger Character manifests in people—what about babies born in this or any Year of the Tiger? (I know of a few in the making). This year, these characteristics are more available to everyone! Try to imagine what these qualities would be like applied to the whole world, what if we’re all a little more “Tigery?”

We must first understand that Tigers feel the full force of primal hunger energy with startling intensity, and this creates the impulse to break free, innovate, create, destroy, jump headfirst, etc. This impulsive lurching often causes inconsistent and unreliable behavior, which confuses others. This impulse is always present, even when still, like a cat about to pounce, waiting for the right moment.

This behavior is often perceived as aggressive because the Tiger is a predator that needs to hunt. But really, Tiger Qì is in a constant intimate interaction with its surroundings, deeply sensitive, drawing all other energies into it, alert to minute changes, moods, emotions, ready to pounce in an instant. Even when resting, Tigers are like a loaded weapon. Without challenges, they can be champion loafers, lazy housecats, but they are always primed to jump and knock things over.

Tiger Qì is very physical and embodied. By nature, Tigers possess strong constitutions and boundless energy, which can express complete stillness, meditative equipoise, alongside an immense physical capacity, vitality, and endurance. Tiger Qì is fully present, ready for action, but it is also naïve; Wood Element is always naïve. Liu Ming told the story of a Tiger running through the jungle, leaping over obstacles—suddenly, the Tiger leaps off a cliff. Halfway down, the Tiger realizes—oh, I’m falling! In other words, Tiger Qì lurches, jumps eagerly into danger, and often doesn’t realize its mistakes until too late. It does this because it is king of the jungle and assumes it’s on top of the game.

This stripiness and impulsiveness makes Tigers difficult for others to understand. The stripes denote a powerful need to act, to connect, to be in the world, to love, and at the same time to run away, to hide, to be still, and to hide alone in their cave. For Tigers are solitary animals. They are independent and need huge territories in which to roam. In the wild, Tigers mate and then go their separate ways. If there are too many cubs born, the parents may kill a few as not to encroach on their hunting territory.

Tigers are pillars of strength and capacity, but then they disappear. They can be the life of the party, and then you may not see them for months. They often jump full force into things, and then abandon them before completion, and then they must abandon their abandoning, and so on.

Yáng Wood is spontaneity, creativity, and innovation. Tiger Qì may not be reliable, but it can change things, break the mold, think outside the box. Tiger Qì rebels against everything no matter what; it hates to be confined, and it hates expectations and answers to no one. This rebellion is impossible to control and can only be handled with self-discipline. Tiger Qì must see outside itself and choose self-discipline. The Tiger finds its Qì power when fear becomes transparent, and their power turns to natural discipline and then fearless leadership.

With training, Tigers make tremendous warriors, soldiers, fighters, shaman; they are heroic and noble defenders. Without training, the impulsive force of the Tiger can be disastrous. Violence is the available in the Tiger (also in Dragon, Horse, Pig, Rabbit, and others), for some of the Characters must be willing to fight, and all people born in the year of the Tiger need to recognize this part of themselves and accept it to be whole.

The influence of Tiger Qì is powerful; Tigers have a magnetic, hypnotizing quality, and they are often charismatic, dynamic, and innovative leaders and great orators. Their inconsistency and unreliability, however, dictates that they should not be in charge. Tigers are meant to inspire, dazzle, and then disappear. They are exemplars of power, action, and creativity.

Out of all the animals, Tigers, Goats, and Monkeys are considered the most creative and artistic (of course everyone can be artistic). Yáng Wood as imagination creates an immense appetite for knowledge, information, and expression, so Tigers are always seeking creative outlets. Tiger Art is very “Jackson Pollock,” very modern. The impulse to splatter paint on a wall and call it art to break convention is a Tiger impulse. And of course, once this becomes convention, the Tiger would happily return to the classics to break that convention.

Because of their stripes and impulsiveness, Tigers are seen to have a great capacity for self-destruction. The alternating quality of their stripes and their forceful internal impulse can cause inner conflict and turmoil, and they can be their own worst enemies. It is hard for Tigers, with their unpredictable, impulsive creativity and strangeness, to find a place in the world, to accomplish anything and remain consistent, which goes against the grain of ordinary culture that expects them to get a job and be the same person all the time. Tigers rebel, and without the proper environment and support they self-destruct.

Tigers need unconditional acceptance, love, and tolerance. Therefore, Pigs are a great support, for they are the most tolerant. Others need to know that Tigers will always “let you down” if you expect consistency from them. It may sound harsh, but the only way Tigers can be in relationship is if others manage to not need them. They will do their best, but they will most likely show you their stripes, and as the saying goes, a Tiger can’t change their stripes.

Because of the Tiger’s dual nature and tendency towards inner conflict and self-destruction, they tend toward great spiritual awakening. Many Tigers become mystics hell bent on the spiritual path, seeking the reconciliation and union of their opposites. Many Tigers become famous spiritual teachers, many of which have been an inspiration to me. My personal favorites—Alan Watts, Thomas Merton, Walt Whitman, Namkai Norbu, and my teacher Dharmabodhi to name a few.

So now we get to the Key Words. The first are courageous, daring, brave. Tiger Qì, again, represents fearlessness, a kind of Samurai mentality, hurling into danger, charging into the unknown, seeking adventure. This courage comes from a deep flirting with death in the core of their being, for Yáng Wood emerges from death (Yīn Water). This courage lends to being strong-willed, seeking to conquer the fear of death, and despite our impulsiveness, Tigers have famously terrifying will power, usually to accomplish or study strange and unusual things.

Tiger Qì is energetic, passionate, and enthusiastic. The force of Yáng Wood is both physically and mentally expressed in the Tiger. Physically active, even hyperactive, Tigers can be balls of energy, freely expressing themselves in all kinds of uncontrollable ways, which is why they need self-discipline early in life. Discipline forced upon them will most likely be rebelled against.

Mentally and energetically, this unstoppable energy bubbles forth as enthusiasm and dedication. Tigers usually get really, really into things and champion what they love. Once they love something, or someone, they become incredibly dedicated. However, this dedication rarely leads to mastery.

Tiger Qì is competitive. Tigers are always looking for opportunities to demonstrate their strength, mostly to themselves. The Tiger’s motivation often derives from inner conflict, however, from their dual nature, as a need to prove something to themselves. So often, they compete with themselves and test this competition through others.

Tigers are honest due to their naivety. Yáng Wood does not have maturity or discretion, so Tigers tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They usually don’t make very good actors, due to an inability to be anything other than what they are (or, like Tom Cruise or Bill Murray, play the same character in every movie). Because of this they can be incredibly vulnerable. As Cubs/kids, Tigers are very vulnerable, and if traumatized they can get stuck in arrested development.

Tigers are often very dignified in their expression. Imagine a big noble jungle cat. Or just look at any house cat that spends all day cleaning itself. This dignity lends to what Ming called the “Awesome Deportment,” and Tigers often find great value in cultivating and expressing a powerful or impressive image. Places, things, skills all must have power, meaning, and significance to add to the Tiger expression, otherwise they’re not interested. Tigers can treat people this way too; they love everybody, but to get them really interested, they must be mesmerized and impressed.

Finally, Tigers are considered lucky and generous. Luck is a very Chinese idea, and some Characters are considered to have it more than others. Luck is defined by being in the right place at the right time, which is usually a matter of Fate. At their best, Tigers are gregarious pleasure seekers who love sharing their luck with others.

So now we get to the flipside of all this—of course, this is about self-reflection, so we must admit to the depleted qualities of Tiger Qì.

As I have already mentioned, their impulsiveness can turn to a profound restless/rebellion. All Yáng Characters are prone to be restless, but Tiger restlessness is scary and goes hand in hand with feeling confined, stuck, in need of exploding out of your situation. If Tigers do not have problems/obstacle, they often create them to have something to rebel against, something to break out of, something to pounce on. Tigers are rebels without a cause, their own worst enemies. Tigers, especially Water/Fire Tigers, can be risk taking landmines of passion and emotion. Uncontrolled drama and half-baked scheming can make their lives calamitous. Something usually becomes a “savior,” whether it is a teacher/mentor, a partner, a child. Tigers need to be regulated, so family is good for them if they can settle down. At their worst, Tigers are indecisive, always second guessing, so having others take over, a strong partner for example, can be a blessing.

Often, Tigers are so busy generating problems that they are inconsiderate of others. At their best, Tigers are incredibly generous, and part of their path is to learn to give, let go, and see outside their own problems to a bigger picture. Tiger inconsiderateness can come from being self-involved, morose, negative, and moody. Tiger Qì can become very dark, but it always comes back to the light.

Tiger restlessness can lead to a unique kind of stubborn egotism, thinking and being utterly convinced they are right (Ox, Horse, Dog, and Goat do this famously as well). Tigers are unchallenged in the wild; they have no natural predators. Tigers get flustered, confused, and bewildered when challenged, for in the end, Tigers are sure they’re right, and they’re going to do what they want. It is difficult to convince Tigers otherwise unless they can adopt things as their own idea. Because of their strength, Tigers usually want to dominate situations, be in charge, which can come across as aggressive, egotistical, and overbearing.

Finally, the Tiger’s dignity and deportment can lead to tremendous vanity and pride. Tigers can be very concerned about their appearance and the opinions of others, although they’ll never admit it. Tigers are very sensitive to criticism and rejection and can be wounded deeply by others if they do not possess a strong sense of self-love/self-possession.

The Water Tiger is also called the Roaming Tiger, for they are the “most” of all these qualities. Fire Tigers are close second but burn out more quickly in their expression and lack the Water Tiger scale of influence. The Water Tiger is the most dramatic, moody, morose, and cathartic of all Tigers. They are perhaps the least able to control their impulses. But they also possess the greatest potential for wisdom through transcending their fear of Death, which propels them in life to “Roam” far and wide in search of victory over their deepest fears and insecurities.

器 – Synthesis, Application, and “Predictions”

Okay, so, what’s going to happen this year!? I have no idea! No one does! With everything I have written so far, the potential here may sound a bit scary. I will admit, I’m a tad worried (but generally optimistic). However, we should not jump to conclusions or project fearful fantasies. There’s enough of that going around, and I do not wish to add more of this nonsense.

As always, the goal of this blog is to present the symbols and enough about the different dynamics at play for you to make your own interpretations and apply them to your own life. What follows is my playful interpretation based on everything I have written so far.

In general, Tiger Years are explosive, bold—a time of extremes when life is experienced on a grand scale with drama and excitement. The classics say — expect political rebellion and military coups, lol.

If there is one major theme this year it is (eek!) DRAMA, and it is UNPREDICTABLE, big forward moving change, upheaval even, and it could come quicker than we expect. The Qì is like a sudden urge to move after sitting for a long period of time, like cabin fever, like a welling up inside so strong that you can’t sit still; it causes you to roam (hence the name Roaming Tiger). I think it is fair to say we have personal and collective cabin fever, and the likelihood of people rebelling against stagnation this year is so strong that some upheaval is likely.

Rat and Ox Year were, again, a preparation – the Rat is an accountant that analyzes and evaluates the past, and the Ox takes that information and works to build a foundation for the future. The Tiger now propels us forward – it leaps off that foundation (whether sand or stone) into the future, boldly going where no one has gone before. The Tiger leaps, often without looking, for it is on the hunt, and it is hungry.

With the inception of Spring this year, initiated by a Water Tiger Moon, and with the overwhelming strength of the Wind element and its power of distribution, the Water Tiger could arrive like a tsunami. The question is – are we ready? Have we built a stable foundation?

Remember, the Tiger is striped, so in all the following considerations, the possibility is “maybe.” Things are very either/or this year, and decisions/actions could take us in wildly different directions, personally and collectively. If things are going well...wait! If things are going poorly...just wait! Don't get attached to outcomes because they are all likely to change dramatically.

This is the year to lurch, to make sudden/dramatic change. Anything big you’ve been planning for, waiting for, hoping for, afraid to do, hesitant to act on, unsure if you should reach out – this year is the time to do it, and you may even be compelled for better or worse. When in the Year to act is, of course, on a case-by-case basis, but new beginnings, initiations, fresh starts, big moves, bold risks, wild adventures, passionate romances, and so on, are all supported by the Water Tiger. If you have taken such action in previous years, it is likely that the results were mixed. Now they will still be mixed, lol, but the impulse/force behind them could be much stronger and somewhat unavoidable. Is this good? Maybe.

This Year, we are on the hunt, possessed by our ghosts, our unfulfilled desires, our frustrated plans, our deepest longings/yearnings, our primal hungers, and we are compelled to act on them. Results could be disastrous, or they could be wonderful, and both could happen simultaneously, such is the Tiger way. Fortune favors the bold, as they say. Our bravery is enhanced and our capacity to wait, to hold back, to stop, to not make leaps of faith is hindered. If Metal is restraint, Water is release, and there has been a lot building up behind the dam. Metal and Earth Tigers are good at restraint, crouching in the tall grass, waiting, but Water Tiger is the maw of the death drive, eyes rolled back, sinking its teeth in.

It is very easy for Water Tiger to leap over its own experience in a leap of faith. So, self-awareness before rash decisions or compulsive action is advised. However, this is the kind of year where you are likely to say, “fuck it,” and just go ahead anyways. Then, when you’ve made a mess, you’ll have to deal with the consequences. Water is, again, the element of drama. And there could be a lot of drama and consequences this year.

I mentioned last Year that these two years were ruthless in their “Waking Down” quality. Metal Ox offered a sober, harsh, and potentially bleak look at hard truths because the force of the coming Water Tiger may possess us so strongly, that without strong basic sanity, we will likely be forced to learn things the hard way after we make a mess of things.

Our capacity for creativity, invention, re-invention, innovation, and thinking outside the box is greatly enhanced, and Water adds a depth of wisdom, maturity, and sensitivity to these endeavors. Our ability to take risks could lead to bold innovation on all fronts. Again, they say fortune favors the brave, and Tigers are brave. So, use your imagination; we could make radical new decisions and introduce new ways of thinking, for better or worse. The question is whether community has been established so that our innovations become inclusive, because if it hasn’t, then our actions are likely to be selfish/delusional.

1962 Revisited...The last Water Tiger Year (1962) was packed with Drama; we saw the first man in space (launching a rocket into space is very Tiger), extensive worldwide nuclear testing (178 detonated! the most of any year), massive floods like the North Sea Flood or the great flood of Hamburg, major Civil Rights riots with landmark reform, the Cuban Missile Crisis (which brought us to the brink of nuclear war), which was stopped by President Kennedy, who was then out to create world peace, making bold, radical decisions (in Tiger fashion) to end the Vietnam War, splinter the CIA, and fracture the military-industrial complex. Then next year, in very sneaky Water Rabbit (1963) fashion, he was murdered for this (his assassination was probably the most Water Rabbit thing to ever happen), and the Vietnam War then started for real, and the military industrial complex took hold of the USA for good.

12 Animal Forecast

Outer Elements:

Water Signs (+++): your outer element matches the year; you flow and adapt more easily

Wood Signs (++) child of water: generative/supportive relationship; you are empowered and bolstered

Metal Signs (–/+) mother of water: you support and uphold the dynamic, but this could be draining

Fire Signs (–/+) water controls/extinguishes fire: you may feel stifled, but this could be good b/c you should probably calm down anyway, lol

Earth (+/–) earth controls/contains water: contrasting energetically, but you are in control and able to stay grounded/equanimous

Rat: 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 – Auspicious/Neutral – Potentially a good Year if Rat can avoid negativity and doomsaying. Rats expect the worse, and the worse could happen. Generally, Rat and Tiger are a supportive pair, for the Rat’s attention to detail and frugal practicality help to ground the Tiger’s brashness, and Tiger’s boldness empowers the Rat’s timidity. All Rats share the element of Yáng Water, so they share a fundamental wavelength with the year. Rats are at home in chaos and assume the ship is sinking. So, in a Year like this, Rat Qì is needed to help manage resources, account for the details everyone is leaping over, and encourage people to work together to right the boat. Tiger enjoys Rat’s wry and observant humor, and this Year it goes a long way for levity. If Rat goes too far into the ship is sinking, panic mentality, or gives into fear, then they can go off the rails and start hoarding for the apocalypse. Avoid isolation; do your best to create/be with community. Express your precision with art and lean into the fruitful contemplation of death. Structure and planning help a lot to smooth out the unevenness of the Year.

Ox: 1949, 1961, 1973,1985, 1997, 2009 – Neutral – Could be a tough year but Ox probably won’t notice because it is their nature to just keep plowing forward. Tiger’s work mentality/ethic can rival Ox if they are dedicated, so big projects demanding lots of work could call Ox to contribute. Watch out for gloominess as to not sink too far into depression. Your routine will keep things normalized but watch out for resentment of the rut. As Tiger represents a rebellion against the Ox, Ox could be offput by the ensuing chaos or disruption of the norm. Everyone will look like an idiot, you know, more than usual, so keep the judgment to a minimum and offer constructive feedback. You can accomplish a lot this Year as you can use the Tiger’s strength but without getting caught up in the drama/competition. Lot’s of people will look to your solidity and attempt to jump on your back, so be prepared for a heavy load.
Tiger: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 – Very Auspicious/Very Inauspicious – The auspice of this Year for Tigers all depends on how you have made peace with your stripes. Tigers have a dual nature, an inner conflict between action and stillness. This Year will embolden all your best and worst tendencies with an added dimension of emotionality. So, all the things that people criticize your for will likely come at you hard. This is a big Year for self-reflection and growth and possible a watershed year in the overall path of your life. This year has all the lurching, impulsive energy you yearn to unleash but are always holding back due to indecision or because society tells you you’re too much. The problem is going overboard with excitement/enthusiasm. You may very well make big decisions/changes that land you in hot water. Things could either go very well or very poorly. So, restraint is recommended for Tigers above all, but also don’t be afraid to go for it – it’s your Year. Lean into your light stripe and bring out all the Tiger virtues. You may be called upon for bravery, and now is your time to shine.

Rabbit: 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 – Neutral/Inauspicious – Rabbit is the natural outcome of Tiger Qì, but the force of Tiger is a bit much for Rabbit, who could misinterpret the Tiger as a predator out to get them. Danger and drama rule the day, and Rabbits will do their best to hide and play it safe. Rabbit falls between Tiger and Dragon and contain the heart of both. However, without safety, the Rabbit hides their power. So, this is a year of strategy. Prepare for unevenness and unpredictability by securing the nest. Get your home, finances, job, relationships, and so on in order and learn how to use Yīn power – wield it from behind the scenes, delegate, distribute, and give orders. Rabbits make excellent bosses because they are bossy, and Tigers need orders to follow, otherwise they make a mess. Just wait, for next year is your time to shine.

Dragon: 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 – Auspicious/Inauspicious – Similar to the Tiger, this Year could either go either way for Dragons, depending on their capacity for self-reflection, humility, and generosity. Tiger and Dragon are very similar, and they are competitive with each other, hence the classic depiction of them fighting over the ring of power. Tigers are considered terrestrial Dragons; the only difference is that Tiger’s dark stripe gives them a kind of restraint that Dragon lacks. But it also means that Tigers make mistakes and Dragons do not...couldn’t be bothered. Dragons, therefore, feed off the strength and force of the Year and this empowers their bigness and bravado. Dragons will feel the call for adventure and excitement, and without reflection, their impulsivity could go off the charts with operatic drama and destruction. This is the kind of Year Dragons could ruin relationships, jobs, or finances, unaware of the consequences of their actions. Dragons are notoriously aloof and self-centered but also capable of magnanimous social influence. Like the Tiger, if they have self-awareness and think carefully about others before acting, then this is also the kind of year where they could have landmark success on all fronts. Think, wait, plan, then act – learn to feed off the energy of the year without letting it drive you.

Snake: 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 – Neutral – The dark stripe of the Tiger is very similar to the Snake disposition. Snakes feel at home in a Year as gloomy as this and have no problem lying still while all the drama just washes over them. Snakes are capable of great precision, “striking force,” with their keen intellectual observation. Tiger’s striking force is like a freight train, while the snake is like a scalpel. Carefully timed, well calculated actions and decisions go very well this Year. The potential for spiritual insight and transcendental experiences is off the charts. Snakes can slip into trance, vision, or penetrating insight without precedent. The danger this year is depression and nihilism. The closeness of death and the potential for darkness can lead to crippling inaction, laziness, or despair. Snakes do well to have some goals and go with the alternating quality of the Year – rest when at rest and go all in when in action. Solitude can be wonderful in a year like this, so don’t feel guilty for shutting the doors – learn to contribute from behind the scenes.

Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 – Very Auspicious – You are the royalty of the year.As part of a Trine of compatibility with Tiger and Dog, Horses are the most able to benefit from the Year. It’s time to gallop and run off into the sunset. Horses get the wind in their sails, for this is the most energetic and productive Year in a long time. Horses love to be independent and self-reliant and should find that all their aspirations, goals, projects, and creations go well this year. Others will look to you for your strength and skill and run after you. Horses would do well to just get busy and ignore bumps in the road. There is a danger of jumping over your own experience, but you’re going to do that anyways, lol. Sometimes, you must run wild, so go for it. Plan/do something big.

Goat: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 – Neutral/Auspicious – the last year and this one could be a bit frustrating for Goats (don’t worry, next year is much better). Coming out of your opposite year, a year with such an uncompromising bottom line, you may feel a bit flustered/frustrated at the world, as it seems to lack your elegant and refined ideals. Goats want to change the world, but they want everyone at the table for negotiations. Tiger wants to change the world too but is willing to smash things, kill/eat sacred cows, tear down walls. Goat can get behind destruction if it aligns with their ideals, so this is a year to speak up, plan some coordinated mayhem, get active, get your voice out there and bring people together. Goats (not Ox) are the true herd animal and have the best, most egalitarian, fair, balanced sense of what is best for the collective. If chaos ensues this year, we will need you to be a voice of reason and inclusivity to broker treaties and forge alliances. This is a great year to practice what you preach and empower and uplift others. You are a bridge. However, if things don’t go your way, if the revolution is a bad one, then Goats could get cantankerous.

Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 – Inauspicious – Monkey and Tiger are opposites, so this could be a rough year for Monkeys. I maintain the view that the mirror relationship is spiritually beneficial but potentially uncomfortable, and in my experience, Monkeys have the hardest time looking in the mirror (sorry Monkey friends, I love you all). Monkeys may feel attacked by the energy of the Year, like it is hunting them, out to get them, creating heightened anxiety, paranoia, or feelings of persecution. Last Year was tough but good for maturing/growing up, and this Year will require a lot of self-reflection because the hard lessons could continue. Monkey and Tiger are very similar; they are risk takers and creative revolutionaries. While Tiger is charging headfirst into danger, Monkey is doing everything they can to escape danger. Monkey fears consequences and will do whatever they can to avoid the seriousness and heaviness that can follow in the wake of their antics; their instinct is to escape/run away, joke about it, re-direct the attention, but Tiger Qì can be unrelenting in its pursuit. Lots of hard work and risk-management will be required to stay afloat this year, and perhaps a little self-honesty. Look in the mirror. Take stock of your life and everything that’s happened in the past few years. Eat bitter and face up to any problems you’ve caused for yourself or others. This is a year to hide, rest, heal, and reflect, so stay put and don’t jump for any new branches/go looking for new fruit. Your playful, curious nature will serve you well this year because it will be hard to escape the seriousness, so go ahead and pull the Tiger’s tail and run back up the tree but do so with caution, lol.

Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 – Neutral/Auspicious – Like the Rat, Rooster precision and focus benefits the Tiger’s strength and power, and Tiger strength bolsters the Roosters competitive bravado, which is often just hot air. In Gōngfu, the Rooster represents the precise crane that balances the heavy paw of the Tiger. Roosters have the key to make use of the thoughtless impulsive energy of the Tiger year. To make use of this year will require all your skills and powers of observation and precision. Focus is key. Exact is key. When chances arise, and they will, strike hard when you have insider knowledge. Roosters may feel more competitive, argumentative, challenging, and critical, so relax, and don’t start too many fights. Your ability to dominate/rule the roost is heightened, so productivity and progress in your personal and professional life is available. Step into positions of leadership and help steer the ship.

Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 – Auspicious – As part of a Trine of compatibility with Tiger and Horse, Dogs are very apt to do well this Year but with a few more conditions than Horses. We all know that loyalty is very important to the Dog, but Tiger’s loyalty is unreliable. If relationships and life structures are in order/solidified, then the productive, forward moving strength of the Year goes very well, and Dogs run happily alongside Tiger/Horse with tails wagging. If you are looking to make new alliances, form new bonds, find a new job, etc., then the year could be challenging due to the unpredictability. However, it is also possible that a true friend, partner, or leader to follow may show up, so be on the lookout and sniff appropriately. Like Tigers, Dogs can have a lone wolf/solitary nature and may only trust a select few. They may be pushed this Year toward solitude/individuality or display their weird, highly personal, artistic side – think Freddy Mercury, Prince, and David Bowie (all Dogs). So, find creative new projects and let your unique personality shine. You do a lot of work for others, and this year you could get some recognition.

Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 – Auspicious – Pig and Tiger are a Confucian pair that greatly benefit one another. Pig resiliency and adaptability make the Tiger Year auspicious, and the strength of the Tiger brings out Pig’s more serious hard-working side. You will feel more focused and productive in your humanitarian efforts. This is a tremendous Year for accomplishment and completion. The key is to be less distracted and indulgent and more financially/personally responsible. As always, you will be greatly needed and called upon to help, and your tolerance and acceptance will be deeply appreciated by others. We need your empathy and compassion; we need you to remind us of our humanity. So, throw parties, brings snacks, and remind people that they can enjoy their lunch, even if the sky is falling.

I wish you the all the best in this New Year!

Thus, the Buddha launched the ship upon the sea of the sufferings of birth and death. Unfurling its sails of the three thousand realms on the mast of the one true teaching of the Middle Way, driven by the fair wind of “the true aspect of all phenomena.”

Every harmful action I have done
With my body, speech, and mind
Overwhelmed byattachment,angerand confusion,
All these I openly lay bare before you.
While circling through all states of existence,
May I become an endless treasure of good qualities--
Gathering limitless pristine wisdom and positive potential.
May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.

May all beings remain in boundless equanimity, free from attachment and aversion!

Sarva Mangalam!!!

Illustrations (in order):
1. "Tigers" by Lasha Mutual Fine Art
2. Tiger and Dragon -Bavarian State Library, Cod.tibet.896.
3.Tiger Robot, 2018,Chitra Ganesh
4.Wang Yi Guang (王沂 光)
5.Grandmothers of the Tiger Clan by Nicholas Breeze Wood
6.Mahasiddha with snake, skull cup seated on a Bengal Tiger circa 1350 AD from Portrait of Jnanatapa surrounded by lamas and mahasiddhas
7.The Ocean's Roar by Jim Warren​
8.Yin-Yang Tiger, Monkey, Liz Collado
9.Norman Catwell by Lucia Heffernan,
https://www.instagram.com/luciaheffernan/
​10.Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
11.https://imgur.com/gallery/ACudcIZ
12.https://traditionalartofnepal.com/shop/masterpieces/tiger-thanka-painting/

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Re-establishing the Foundation – Qì in the Year of the Yīn Metal Ox, Xīn Chŏu, 辛丑 – Year 2021/4719

2/11/2021

14 Comments

道 – Dào/View

Astrology, 星命家, and Geomancy, 風水, are two premier subjects of the Chinese Traditional Mantic Arts. Their development in China over the last 2,500 years continues a tradition whose history is incalculable.
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The situation we find ourselves in is a cosmic soup in which all Time and Space are an Irresolvable Chaos, called Húntún,餛飩.

When we look closely at our situation, we find no concrete time, place, or self, but the patterned appearance of these factors bewilders us for lifetimes. Reality appears to be ordered/patterned, but close analysis brings no certainty, and the illusion/assumption of knowledge becomes big trouble when things fall apart.

Analysis/scrutiny brings with it an irresolvable confusion that humans have debated about since time immemorial, called Religion/Science. The precision of modern Science/Scientism tells us that we are close to figuring it all out, but I’m not too sure. When we look closely, chaos appears to be the source of all things, and this is the Paradox that lies at the heart of our experience—Qì strands of Time (Yáng) and Space (Yīn) weave together to form an unreadable, constantly changing astro-geomantic pattern the Chinese call “Dào.”

What is the unknowable Dào doing? Constantly displaying itself as the dualistic, ephemeral, impermanent, and dream like phenomena that we call a self-world. What appears to be knowable and that which is unknowable are in fact not different, for the dual world is a continuous expression of the non-dual. The microcosm of our personal Fate mirrors the macrocosm of the nameless Dào. Through relaxed observation this becomes apparent.

The spiritual path of the Mantic Arts and the true purpose of this tradition comes through embracing this irresolvable paradox at the heart of all experience. Relaxing our need to know/understand becomes the direct path to wisdom. The dual world we are divining, through an Astrology Chart/Calendar, which appears to be comprehensible, reveals Pattern within Chaos and Pattern as Chaos. Astrology becomes a mirror that reflects our Original Nature which is beyond concepts (the very meaning of Chaos).

Our practice is to observe the matrix of patterns that make up our experience through the symbols of Astrology without meaning making or naming. Without the compulsion to predict, fix, or improve any particular part, our false notions of an abiding self and world unravel. Chaos is never vanquished; Samsara is never fixed/improved. It is revealed as Dào.

The Mantic Arts are a non-dual revelation of things as they are. Life is revealed as an ever-flowing phantasm of light that cannot be named/known, and we accept our “karma,” agreeing to be swept up in whatever has been “pre-ordained” by our Ancestors.

After last year, it would be helpful to have answers and generate a story of great meaning and purpose, a “reason” why everything happened, but perhaps there isn’t one; perhaps this is all Dào. This Year reveals how structure/order re-appears from chaos/groundlessness.

象 – Symbolism

In many ways, the Ox is a symbol of China, for if China is anything, it is perseverant, and its traditions are enduring. Dynastic China was the longest continual civilization of the modern era. China and the Ox represent the virtue of the heroic preserver, the continuity, stability, and convention of Tradition. In the face of Chaos, it represents a return to the wisdom of the Ancestors, who survived countless generations.

In the scheme of the 10 Heavenly Stems, this continuity of tradition is represented by the Ox and its Native Element Yīn Earth. The Chinese character for Earth, 土, tŭ, contains two horizontal lines, representing a surface and a deep sense of stability. There is no Earth season in Chinese Astrology, but rather Earth represents the continuity or ground beneath the changing seasons. And while Earth suggests solidity, the Chinese Earth element is also like Space, the indestructible openness in which all things happen.

The symbol of the Ox is related to the Yīn (rather than Yáng) aspect of Earth and expresses the malleability or spacious quality of Nature represented by the strength of the plow animal, shaping the Earth beneath us. MedievalChina was the old world’s greatest agricultural society, and the Ox was the main event which made this possible, breaking away from tens of thousands of years of nomadic culture.

In the process of become agrarian, the Chinese attempted to domesticate the Mongolian Horse, but after hundreds of years, the wild nature of the Horse could not be made to plow. After the unifying of tribes, the Ox Clans brought the Ox up from the swampy regions of southern China, and as soon as they attached reigns to it, they were amazed to find the Ox walked in straight lines, plowing even furrows with no goading.

Farmers could let go of the reigns, and the Ox would plow forward, turn around, and come back on its own, making more even/straight furrows. Because of the Ox, then, China’s agricultural productivity and population increased exponentially, and in a few centuries, China became the most successful and wealthy society on earth. The Ox was always then associated with the rewards of consistent hard work and the Confucian value of perseverance in what is right. It came to represent a new contract with Nature to shape the Earth and create a new human realm, free of the hardships and uncertainty of nomadic existence.

The Ox is a gentle giant, embodyinga natural/Yīn strength achieved through gentleness rather than aggression. In Asia, it is not uncommon to see children running fearless side by side with these enormous animals. Oxen are strong, made of confidence, but they are not aggressive, and this is a valuable symbol for interpreting Ox Qì.

The Ox represents “the way things are done,” exemplified in farming, craft, religion, martial arts – systems of knowledge and custom passed on and preserved through the repetition of skill and experience. To preserve these systems, tradition must maintain an integrity that is unchanged, lest they be altered and lose their strength, becoming something altogether different. Animals like the Tiger, Monkey, and Goat represent innovation and revolution, but the Ox represents the integrity of conventions and customs that are unchanged by time.

In Classical Chinese Medicine, the Ox is associated with the Liver and likened to a General. It is associated with hard work ethics, physical/mental endurance, and with the strategizing and responsible decision making associated with the military. As such, it is a stern, disciplined, and rather serious symbol, representing the stable foundation that cultures need to maintain integrity.

However serious, like the animal, this strength is peaceful and gentle in nature, and in Chinese Spirituality/Religion, the Ox is often associated with Guān Yīn, the goddess of compassion and wisdom. Lăozi is depicted riding an Ox, representing the natural wisdom of Wúwéi. In Chán Buddhism, as depicted in the 10 Ox-Herding Pictures, the taming of the wild Ox is an ancient simile for the discipline of meditation practice that leads to humility and service. Likewise, in India, the Cow is revered and worshiped as a symbol of abundance, nourishment, non-violence/harm.

This Year represents a natural return to convention and stability; we fall back to whatever it is that supports our continuous presence here. To move forward, we must look back and remember…but remember what? For now, I pose this as an open-ended question, for many of the values and conventions of our culture are being challenged. So where is the thread? What stays valuable regardless of circumstances? What is proven effective? How can conventions change and still maintain their positive integrity?

氣 – Qì Dynamic

To understand Metal Ox Qì, we must look to the Tōng Shū or Chinese Calendar. The Ox rules the 12th Moon, the dead of Winter (roughly January) and the hour 1-3 am. Ox exemplifies the still, silent, calm, and slow power of Winter. In the cycle of the day, Ox represents the middle of the night, the time of deep sleep, rest, and rejuvenation. So, what is it like to have this Qì dominate the entire year? Rat Year was a kind of retrospective dream (11pm-1am), but Ox is dreamless sleep.

Everyone knows they should be asleep at 1-3 am. Qì wise, this is the time of day when we are most able to get deep sleep. Ox hour draws us deep into the dark silence of “don’t know,” where the unconscious automated functions of the body are most efficient. During Ox hour, you should be like a catfish, hidden in the murky depths of your unconscious.

The Native Element of the Ox is Yīn Earth, which is described as sedated, solid, nourishing, grounded, sleepy, calm, and stable. Ox is the wisdom of orthodoxy and establishment, of thoughtlessness, steadfastness, and automation. Yīn Earth represents alliances, wealth, leadership, mothering, and balance. It is the center, Yīn and Yáng unified, associated with borders and boundaries defined by the empty space at the hub.

The Native Element of the Ox is Yīn Earth, but the Heavenly Stem for this Year is Yīn Metal. Since Earth is the mother of Metal, the elemental balance of this Year is supportive and generative, which means the positive attributes of the Ox are more available, and we are less likely to struggle against them. They are empowered and strengthened for better or worse.

Since Earth generates Metal, the direction is of the inward moving outward while the outward moves inward (which is the oppositeof last year). The Metal Ox is less outspoken, but more forward moving, and opinionated than the other Ox. It represents a hardening of the Ox Characteristics, like ore smelted to gold. Metal, then, adds refinement, discretion, and fastidiousness to the Ox image. The Metal Ox is therefore more withdrawn, confident, and self-reflective than other Oxen. The Metal Ox is both outspoken and opinionated but has great thoughtfulness, maturity, and restraint (Obama, for example is a Metal Ox), contrasted with an image like the Fire Ox, who struggles with being too brash, blunt, and belligerent (comedian George Carlin is a great example of a Fire Ox).

Yīn Metal is associated with the downwardness of falling leaves and the dryness/decay of Autumn, and its representative emotion is grief/sadness/loss. The burden of grief is heavy this year, and the great loss we have all endured will continue to bereave us all. We have lost lives, relationships, institutions, businesses, communities, personal freedoms, and so on; our culture has changed irrevocably. This is no small event. We are deeply encouraged to continue to contemplate the death and mortality initiated by the Metal Rat.

In the Wŭ Yùn Liù Qì, the Elemental configuration of this Year is called Tōng Suì Huì, 同歲會, or “Total Annual Agreement.” This means the Heavenly Stem of the Year aligns with the unfolding phases of Qì throughout the seasons, creating a stable alignment of Qì that is milder and more temperate than the Tōng Tiān Fú from last Year, which generated chaotic extremes.

Beneath the atmosphere of Yīn Metal, this is a Year of Tàiyīn Damp Earth, which governs the first half of the year, with deficient Taìyáng Cold Water governing the second half. Since Earth controls Water, the weakness of Water will create an overall increase in Cold/Dampness. The whole year has an atmosphere of heavy wet snow, and the dynamic is slow and sleepy with an element of drowning.

For all you Chinese Medical folk, this may lead to an increase in symptoms like diarrhea, stomach aches, low appetite, fullness of the abdomen/chest, chest pain, heaviness of the body, lower back and leg pain, stiffness in the knees and hips, cold in the lower body/feet, swelling and edema in the lower body, swelling in the jaw, and difficulty with urination. Kidney and Heart disease may increase along with sexual dysfunction, and any weakness in the Lower/Middle burner will be bogged down by damp earth and poor water circulation/metabolism.

The Qì dynamic of this year is overall very different from the last, and we should keep our eyes open to both the positive and negative potentials given the current situation.

形 – Manifestation/Character

Before, I delve into my specific “prediction,” I will first explore how the Metal Ox Character manifests in people—what about babies born in this or any Year of the Ox? This year, these characteristics are more available to everyone! Try to imagine what these qualities would be like applied to the whole world, what if we’re all a little more “oxy?”

In terms of the Five Elemental Ox, Wood “destroys” Earth, so the Wood Ox would be the least “Oxey” Ox, and my Wood Ox friends (1985) tend to identify the least with the following Ox characteristics. Fire Ox are like brooding teenagers and tend to manifest Ox qualities in the most explosive and forceful manner. The Earth Ox is the natural/most characteristic Ox, and the generative direction means that the Metal Ox is the most exaggerated of all Ox since Metal is the refinement/distilling of Earth. Water Ox are the most mystical, strange, and hard to define of the bunch. Regardless, all Ox personalities manifest the following qualities in relation to the qualities of their respective birth hour.

The first quality of Ox Qì is calm, in the modern parlance “chill.” Ox is by nature easy going and relaxed. This easy-going nature comes from the symbol of the Ox’s size and strength—not much can kill an Ox. They are not intimidated or scared easily. Their strength is unquestionable and therefore unhurried, unrushed, and natural. Left alone in the wild, Oxen tend to just stand around eating grass, but when put to work they can do anything. Ox Qì, Yīn Earth, is grounded and steady. Qì wise, this comes out as a kind of natural dignity/confidence, at home in their self and skin.

The natural strength of the Ox demonstrates as a kind of self-assured confidence. Oxen tend to believe resolutely (and often unconsciously) that their way of seeing the world and their way of doings things is normal. “Doesn’t everyone do that?” or “this is the way we’ve always done it” are very Ox statements. In the Classical Tradition, this is again described as “conventional.” Even the strangest Oxen I have known do their strangeness in a conventional, consistent, and dependable way. Most of them think their strangeness is normal and are often perplexed when others do not share their views.

This confidence often demonstrates as being just and committed. The Ox is a symbol of the Confucian values of family, society, and nature, which are fundamentally rooted in equality and the fair distribution of resources. Oxen often possess a strong sense of justice, which makes them good leaders. Oxen are natural born leaders and are at their best when in charge and constantly challenged. Without challenge, work, or responsibility, they will create it to demonstrate their worth/value. Oxen need to work/be busy all the time or else they feel useless.

Oxen are the most likely to receive criticism for being “stuck in their ways,” for not growing/changing/improving/etc. The consistent and dependable nature of the Ox is natural and the least apt towards innovation, which is not to say they are not creative. It is detrimental to expect an Ox to change based on abstract notions of self-improvement. Their wisdom comes from their consistency, and it is harmful to force them to change.

The calm nature of the Ox often expresses as quiet and reserved, but this is not always the case. I have known plenty of extroverted Oxen. Ox Qì tends towards a kind of “sleepiness,” which can be literal. Oxen are often champion sleepers and can cure most illness with deep sleep. They often possess strong physical constitutions by nature and are long lived, rarely taken out by illness or injury.

Ox Qì is unflappable (my favorite word in the English language btw) and “thick skinned.” Of all the Characters, Ox are the least likely to be traumatized. Ox Qi has a tremendous capacity to undergo hardship and difficulties and come through unscathed, and they can shrug off the most painful of circumstances.

Despite the calm nature of Ox Qì, they are tenacious and uncompromising. Again, it is the nature of the Ox to work, to plow forward, to lead, and to take on responsibility. They need tasks, and they need to be constantly challenged, otherwise their strength is wasted and stagnates. Without something to do with their strength, their tenacity can be destructive to themselves, and without self-reflection/honesty, it can become harmful to others. They can become slavedrivers, dictators, tyrants, or an asshole boss who only cares about the bottom line.

They often have a strong work ethic and lead lives of great accomplishment. By nature, they are dependable, reliable, consistent, punctual, and so on, all characteristics of Yīn Earth—the manifestation of smooth, steady, even Qì. Although they are often materially successful, they usually lack attachment to material things because they are self-sufficient and do not need much.

As a work animal, the Ox is independent and yet carries others. Oxen are not usually loners, however. They do not rely on other people but rather others tend to rely on them; they are protectors and providers. They take it upon themselves to do things for other people and rarely ask anything in return. The independence, strength, and conventionality of the ox cause them to assume responsibility for everything. They can see it as their mission to carry others, and they often feel as if they carry the world on their shoulders.

Ox Qì is also loyal and supportive, sometimes to a fault. It is hard to get on the bad side of an Ox, and if you become a jerk they probably do not notice. Once they accept others, they usually do so for life and will protect others until the end. Sometimes, they can stay in difficult situations or abusive/dysfunction relationships for a long time out of misplaced feelings of duty or responsibility.

Oxen tend to be outdoorsy and at home in nature. The natural element of Yīn Earth lends to a deep connection with nature and a desire to connect to the wilderness and seek refuge in solitude. I have known many an Ox with a strong sense of adventure.

Ox is sincere, humble, and often sweet; they are sometimes naive. The image of the Ox is a gentle doe eyed cow. Generally, Oxen are honest and straightforward and not mysterious or confusing in their intentions. They mean what they say and are always honest and sincere in their beliefs and efforts.

Ox Qì can tend toward a kind of seriousness, and Oxen tend to grow up very fast. They often miss out on childhood and become children later in life, especially the Fire Ox. This seriousness can also turn sullen, depressed, and even humorless. Oxen are, perhaps, the most susceptible to “toxic seriousness” and their experience can become very heavy and downtrodden (Wood Ox being the least susceptible).

The heavy and dense quality of Yīn Earth can turn to a kind of insensitivity and thoughtlessness. Many of the Oxen I know have been accused of being oblivious, unaware, and clueless to the feelings of others. Oxen tend to “not notice” things, people, situations, and they can hurt or offend others by become aloof and dull.

The routine, conventional, and consistent qualities can easily get “stuck in a rut.” Oxen possess an immense capacity to do the same old thing, and they can become slaves to their own conventions—physically, mental, spiritually. Their confidence in their beliefs can be quite convinced and unwilling to change. Furthermore, they can be fearful of change and resist the messages of others for a long time.

Oxen can be ruthless if crossed. As I mentioned, it is hard to get on the bad side of an Ox, but when you do, they can become belligerent and hold grudges for a long time, fixated in their opinions about others and situations. They can have a difficult time letting things go, bringing up the past, repeating patterns of negativity, stuck in a loop. Once drawn into confrontation, Ox Qì can be a scary and formidable adversary (Hitler was a Fire Ox!).

Finally, they can be too strong for their own good. If they are not challenged, they can use their strength to deplete themselves without noticing and break down in old age. Or they can generate problems and challenges where there are none and become their own worst enemies.

Ox Qì has a tremendous capacity for resolving Fate. I am always impressed by Ox characters, and I have been blessed to know many in my life.

FATE IS NOT ACTUALLY CREATED (HAS NO BEGINNING) BUT
IS THE PREDISPOSITION TO RECREATE AND SOLIDIFY KARMIC PATTERNS.
THE EVER-PRESENT OPTION/DISPOSITION TO OPENLY EXPRESS OUR TRUE NATURE IS FREEDOM.
TOGETHER FATE AND FREEDOM CONSTITUTE THE NATURALLY DYNAMIC
DIMENSION WE ARE IN.
-Liu Ming

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Qiūfēn, 秋分, Autumn Equinox

9/23/2020

1 Comment

Welcome back to Qiūfēn, 秋分, the Season of the Autumn Equinox, and day of my birth! Qiūfēn is one of the classical Eight Gates of Chinese Astrology – the Eight times of Year that rectify the Annual Qì. This period is one of only two times a year that yīn and yáng, day and night, are in a relative state of balance. As I have said before, balance is a taut situation, nothing other than a temporary fulcrum in an otherwise imbalanced and dynamic continuum of constant movement.

The Autumn Equinox is a time of peaceful stillness preceding our full decent into the yīn of Winter. Yáng begins now to drain down and in as the environment grows cooler and drier. The nights grow longer as the world around us becomes more dreamlike, and the power of imagination begins to dominate the landscape. The Qì of this time is quiet, focused, and reflective.

In short, this temporary state of balance offers us a capacity for rest and recalibration that comes only twice a year; so, make good use of it. The rest is a kind of still clarity, like the surface of a pond becoming smooth and reflecting the sky above it. The capacity to take stock of life and to self-reflect is enhanced in the mirror of Nature. This time zeros out the scale.

As Yīn takes charge, the world changes as outward productivity and creation are reversed. To the uninitiated, the craziness of our world goes on, it seems, unchanged, but beneath the surface, the reversal of Yáng to Yīn moves the available Qì from generative to re-generative, just like every day, when we must at some point cease productivity and prepare to sleep and dream. The world is now of the same quality as 5-7 pm. In the grand scheme, the harvest should be complete, and everything begins the slow process of storing and planning. Will we survive the coming Winter?

Yīn takes the form of Princess about to become Queen. In the coming months, she reverses all the Emperor’s mandates for productivity and expansion and instead turns our focus local to the art of being human, to our personal relationships, and to the mandate of our Ancestors to keep the wheel turning.

Although modern culture allows us to be independent, for most of our history, no human being survived the Winter alone and without community. From here on out, the collective Qì, the interwoven tapestry of human relationships is brought forward into the realm of necessity. For better or worse, we in this together!

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Báilù, 白露, White Dew,

9/7/2020

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Welcome back to the season of Báilù, 白露, White Dew, an important seasonal shift that heralds the accent of Yīn. The heat of Late Summer has ended, the growing west wind is cool and carries migrating birds; the appearance of White Dew and occasional cold in the early morning reveals fresh Yīn Qì, a fragile glimpse of snow, and a signal of the coming Celestial Presence of Winter.

A time of stillness and clarity, Báilù has always deeply inspired the poets and hermits of China, for amidst the now busy time of harvest and preparation, the outer aggression of Yáng subsides, allowing for Yīn to grow unnoticed and in secret.

This gentle unnoticed Yīn is envisioned as Nymphs, playful spirits who inhabit the seas and forests, who emerge now from their hibernation in the summer months to play on flower petals and blades of grass. Their presence brings a cool and misty shimmer to the morning light and makes way for the Celestial Realm of Autumn and Winter, for the dreamlike Yīn that will blanket us following the Autumn Equinox.

This is a time of inspiration and preparation. Summer's Light remains, but the cool dry wind brings a much-needed change. Our Qì naturally turns inward, and we begin to remember the mortality and impermanence of all things. Autumn is coming, so the work of the Summer Harvest must continue – the memory of a thousand Winters reminds us of true value, of what will sustain us in the coming months.

Togetherness and cooperation are crucial. Farms and families come together to celebrate their bond and the bounty of the harvest. The annual Qì is strongest from 5-7 pm, as the nights begin to grow longer. Make room for the night, make room for the imagination, make spacious your inner space.

Nymphs are on the wind, whispering magical vision. Keep busy but stop and listen to the sound of rustling leaves, for we live on a living planet, and the myth of the city makes this easy to forget.

Behind all the drama and upheaval, the unrelenting dismantling force of the Metal Rat continues to unscrew the nuts and bolts of our foundations. It does this to make way for new foundations of lasting value, but there are no guarantees, for this vision is as fragile now as morning dew; are you gentle enough to see it?

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雨水, Yŭ Shŭi - Rain Water

2/19/2020

1 Comment

1 Comment

Virtue of the Small–Qì in the Year of the Yáng Metal Rat – Gēng Zĭ 庚子 – Year 2020/4718

1/23/2020

8 Comments

FATE IS NOT ACTUALLY CREATED (HAS NO BEGINNING) BUT
IS THE PREDISPOSITION TO RECREATE AND SOLIDIFY KARMIC PATTERNS.
THE EVER-PRESENT OPTION/DISPOSITION TO OPENLY EXPRESS OUR TRUE NATURE IS FREEDOM.
TOGETHER FATE AND FREEDOM CONSTITUTE THE NATURALLY DYNAMIC
DIMENSION WE ARE IN.
-Liu Ming

8 Comments

Nourishing Within – Qì of the Yīn Earth Pig – Jĭ Hài 己亥 – Year 2019/4717

2/2/2019

4 Comments

FATE IS NOT ACTUALLY CREATED (HAS NO BEGINNING) BUT
IS THE PREDISPOSITION TO RECREATE AND SOLIDIFY KARMIC PATTERNS.
THE EVER-PRESENT OPTION/DISPOSITION TO OPENLY EXPRESS OUR TRUE NATURE IS FREEDOM.
TOGETHER FATE AND FREEDOM CONSTITUTE THE NATURALLY DYNAMIC
DIMENSION WE ARE IN.
-Liu Ming

4 Comments