Thriving in the Year of the Fire Horse
Happy Lunar New Year!
If you are like me, you are ready for the current year of the Yin Wood Snake to be OVER! This past year has been characterized by a lot of shedding of dead layers, of letting go, of death. It could also have been for some a year of stagnancy and just not quite having the “umph” to make the changes needed in your life.
Well, that energy is about to shift!! The Lunar New Year on Feb 17th brings in the birth of a new animal in the Chinese zodiac the Yang Fire Horse - if you are interested in how the animals came to be in the order they are in please check out end story written by Anjie Cho at the end of this article.
Just like I teach in Qi Gong classes, Taoist wisdom shows us the power of harmonizing with the energies of the seasons and of the elements of nature around us. Because we are a part of nature, adjusting our diet, lifestyle, exercise according to the seasons and the elemental forces at play helps us to be more closely connected to the Tao and to our true nature and it optimizes our experience of life! Some of this we do instinctually - in the fall we dress warmly, drink hot pumpkin spice beverages, and eat more root veggies. Most of us likely aren’t training for a marathon in the dead of winter! Human for eons depended on this kind of harmony in order to survive, and it turns out that living disconnected from the planet, from the seasons, and from the elements has a very detrimental affect on our emotional, physical and spiritual health. So learning about the astrology of the Year and the themes at play is one way to tap into a larger body of ancient insight and to bring balance and harmony into your life. So as you read this article, have fun with it and see how it resonates with you!
The Yang Fire Horse is characterized by the element of FIRE - and the Fire element has many qualities that will bring in excitement and change. First of all, Fire is connected with the emotions of Joy, Passion, Courage and Connection - it’s an excellent year to pursue the things in life that TRULY LIGHT YOU UP! It's a great year to be entertained, for theatre, live music, comedy and humor, to socialize, spend time with family, flirting, and there is energy for making new romantic connections (although they could be volatile with lots of ups and downs!) While following your bliss is more easily said than done, with all of the work and family obligations stacking up. But to really thrive this year - make time to prioritize the people, activities, the hobbies, environments, the textures, colors, and the relationships that bring pleasure, joy and expansive love into your heart.
Fire classically is also connected to:
Qualities: Strength, Endurance, Sensitivity, Vibrant Energy
Color: Red
Direction: South
Season: Summer, especially Summer Solstice
Organ: Heart and Small Intestine, Pericardium and Triple Burner
Sense Organ: Tongue and Taste
Flavor: Bitter
The Horse also has its own unique energy - it’s a joyous and lively animal that brings in the qualities of insight, expressiveness, spontaneity, curiosity, endurance, stamina, tenaciousness, and imagination. When out of balance Horse can also have a scattered energy and can be nervous, anxious, arrogant, and can be easily over-excited - so it’s important this year to have practices that help us stay grounded and that nourish our intuition and sensitivity.
The Fire element and the Horse are both connected to the Heart organ - so it’s an excellent year to focus on Heart health. Symptoms associated with Heart imbalance in TCM include “western “ heart disease such as atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, HBP, and palpitations as well as insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, restlessness, forgetfulness, dermatological issues, and blood pressure irregularities. Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and herbs are wonderful at treating these issues - though they often require 3-6 months to really shift patterns in the body. We’ve helped many people lower cholesterol and blood pressure naturally, improve sleep and heal skin issues with diet, herb and supplements.
To support the intense yang energy of this year, some great food choices would include green vegetables, bitter foods, lamb and fish, seaweeds and clear broths. Hydration is crucial as Water balances Fire energy. Also in general, eating smaller and lighter meals. It is recommended to drink ginger tea at summer solstice and also in autumn and winter. This is because ginger stimulates Earth energy (Spleen and Stomach) and in the generating cycle Fire generates Earth. So stoking the Earth energy helps to take the excess yang energy and ground it into the body.
In terms of lifestyle, with all the fiery excitement and fun it will be crucial that we learn to balance this with nourishing yin and calming the nervous system. Laying down, slowing down, meditating and in general avoiding adrenaline chasing, OVER-stimulation and over-excitement. This year is also the year to really listen to others who think differently - not to fight and argue. It’s a year to move past polarization, including cancel culture, gaslighting and refusing to see the other’s perspectives. My personal prayer is that we globally can start listening more and problem solving in a constructive way to address the many global environmental, humanitarian, economic and political issues at stake.
There is so much more I could share but this gives a good overview of the energies of the year. I want to thank my teacher C.T. Holman who has studied Taoist astrology in depth and has offered his insights to the energies of the year which I have shared above.
Of course, Seth and I are here ready to support you in whatever shifts and challenges you are facing using the profound wisdom and science of TCM. We have some fun horse charms for good luck at Mud & Lotus and Lawrence Acupuncture for $5 - be sure to pick one up! You can also carry a goat or sheep charm for extra good luck - goat/sheep is seen as the "special helper" of the horse!
Happy Lunar New Year and May you Be Blessed with
Prosperity, Happiness and Peace!
—— Shahida Spann-Ryan, Master of TCM, FABORM, LAc
“May the horse's courage inspire you to pursue your dreams fearlessly.”
The Great Zodiac Race: How the Animals Found Their Order
Long ago in ancient China…
the Jade Emperor decided to hold a great race to name each of the 12 zodiac years. He invited all of
the animals in the kingdom to participate. The race
involved crossing a great river, which would prove
challenging for many of the animals.
The Clever Rat & Loyal Ox
The rat approached the ox and said, “Ox, we can win this race together! Let’s do it!” The ox and rat were best friends, so the supportive and reliable ox happily agreed.
The rat jumped up on the ox’s head and off they went. They traveled through the land and finally swam through the great river. They were just about to reach the finish line when the rat jumped off the ox’s head and just barely made it over the finish line first!
So the opportunistic rat made first place and became the first animal in the zodiac, with the ox as a close second. The ox and rat are still best friends!
The Determined Tiger
The strong and passionate tiger came up next past the finish line. The tiger was exhausted but pushed through to make it to third place in the zodiac.
The Swift Rabbit & the Gracious Dragon
Coming up in fourth place was the swift and sensitive rabbit. The rabbit was having a hard time hopping from stone to stone across the river, when suddenly a log floated by. The rabbit hopped onto the log and it drifted him quickly to shore.
Little did the rabbit know that just behind him was the dragon. The dragon saw the little rabbit in need and graciously blew wind to carry the log all the way to shore.
The Jade Emperor was curious and asked the dragon why it came in fifth place when it could fly. It turns out, the dragon had been distracted from the race by a village that was in drought. The dragon provided rain to save the village then continued the race and was declared the fifth zodiac animal by the emperor.
The Clever Snake & the Surprised Horse
Next galloped in the horse, who was rushing through the race so quickly that it failed to notice the snake curled around its hoof! Just before crossing the finish line, the clever snake unfurled itself over the finish line and became zodiac animal number six.
The horse was also taken aback by this surprise and made it into seventh place.
The Teamwork of Ram, Monkey & Rooster
As the story goes, a raft floated up to the finish line carrying the friendly ram, the playful monkey and the talkative rooster. The three of them had teamed up and crossed the river together.
So, ram was eighth, monkey ninth, and in tenth place was the rooster.
The Leisurely Dog
After some time passed, the dog finally surfaced from the river. The dog had enjoyed a long bath. It took its time and made it across the finish line as the 11th, and second to last animal of the Chinese zodiac.
The Sleepy Pig
Finally, the 12th animal came over the finish line. It was the pig! The pig apologized and said it couldn’t help but have a little picnic on the way over. After the picnic the indulgent pig began to get very sleepy, so it took a nap…and where did the time go?!
As the pig crossed the finish line, the Jade Emperor's lineup was complete. The order that each animal crossed the line became that animal's place in the zodiac cycle, and today we enjoy each year in honor of the animal who coincides. Of course, since there have been many more than 12 years since that race, we start each cycle anew after the pig year.
Story by Anjie Cho, Holistic Space Blog