The Yang Wood Horse
Welcome to the Year of the Horse! Having taught us the lessons he came here to share, the Yin Water Snake has slithered away for 60 more years, leaving the gate wide open for the powerful Yang Wood Horse (Jia Wu) to enter the arena. Hopefully, you’ve done your due diligence and rested up because this adventurous equine has a mere 12 months to traverse the globe, introduce new friends and change the world. Everyone is invited to come along for the journey, but the Horse will not wait for those who linger. As you know, each person has a different affinity to the energy of the year that is determined by your Four Pillars of Destiny. But there are many influences we will all experience by taking off the blinders.
In Chinese astrology the Horse is linked to the fire element – the peak of yang energy. Red, hot, passionate, illuminating and fast, Horse energy marks the middle of summer, midday and the south. It rules the heart as well as the intellect and draws us to its brilliance. Horse energy blazes like a bonfire and smolders like embers, but rarely extinguishes for long. Horses sleep standing up (only a few hours at a time) and can’t tolerate being confined to the stable, so expect a year of enterprise and meaningful change if you are up to the challenge. Up and about hours after birth, Horses hit the ground running and never look back. 2014 will be a fast-paced, adventurous and productive year as the non-conformist of the Chinese zodiac takes the lead. However, it will be important to pace yourself, because Horses are easily distracted and tend not to finish all they begin. They have heightened senses and can intuit both danger and opportunity, so plan to work hard this year and trust your hunches. Move quickly when opportunities arise since they may not appear again for quite some time.
This year’s Wood Horse is both graceful and creative with many innovative ideas and far-reaching networks. Update and simplify your surroundings for maximum beauty and ease of movement. Pantone’s color of the year for 2014 is ‘Radiant Orchid’ – a fire color that is not only universally flattering but alluring and romantic! Be sure to take advantage of the personal and professional introductions the Horse makes this year, for the people you meet along the way could be significant in the future. The fair and honest Horse is a team player who will teach you the value of family, friends and colleagues and encourage traveling with the herd rather than going it alone. Healthy and strong, he’ll coax you outdoors to spend time in exercise and exploration, but may leave you in his dust if you complain. Physical activity will help keep you grounded this year so take walks in nature often to manage stress.
If you had trouble shedding your old skin last year, it’s because transformation is never easy. The wise Water Snake taught us to discriminate between needs and wants and to gather information for the next phase. The Wood Horse is tasked with breaking through barriers and showing us possibilities not yet dreamed. Work hard, care for others, loosen tethers and move swiftly, for there is much to discover and so little time. You can rest in 2015’s Year of the Sheep.
Wishing you peace, prosperity and good ch’i,
Diane Gallin, CFSC