Year of the Fire Horse
The Year of the Fire Horse: Trot calmly along, or join the rodeo?
The year of the Fire Horse has just cantered in. I am expecting it to be close to my heart because it is a year of the spirit of the heart - what we call shen: the light in the eyes.
Before proceeding, some context: Although I do not apply astrological principals in my work, in ancient China no physician would have earned the title without being adept at cosmology. Today, such cosmology/astrology is practiced in Tibetan medicine and by some practitioners of Chinese medicine.
By the Year of the Fire Horse we mean a vibe, a set of tendencies or influences.
In Chinese cosmology the Horse is associated with summer, a season of fun, light-heartedness, excitement, and curiosity. Summer is also the season of fire (heat) and the heart. When at its best, it is lively, gentle, passionate. It’s a high energy year, even turbulent, so we are going to need the resources to sustain our capacities.
Given the fun factor, we may see more comedians, theater, movies and possibly a new avenue of delivery of entertainment develop. In business, we expect AI to continue its boom. Further, a fire year is associated with new inventions and is fertile ground for entrepreneurs.
We’ll also need to remember to ground ourselves, because too much excitement or high energy can burn us out as fast as too much work.
The other side can also apply: faced with outsized change and ebullience, some people may lean toward seriousness as a counter-weight. Avoid that. The heart needs a little lightness of being. It is also not a great year to engage in polarization of opinion — that too, can fray nerves and distresses the heart, which prefers unity.
Nonetheless, matters in fire horse years can get serious indeed. In China, the 1906 fire horse year saw floods that killed about 25 million people. The next fire horse year was 1966: start of the decade-long Cultural Revolution that led the country to the edge of economic collapse. That year in the U.S. saw amplified resistance to the Vietnam war, the rise of the civil rights movement as well as the counter-culture hippies.
So watch out for turbulence. If you can maintain your balance, and lean into the light in your heart, you can have a wonderful, playful ride through the year.
Here’s the lowdown on other areas of life:
Health: Watch the excitement factor!
Tendency to insomnia, anxiety, palpitations (the heart is upset). Settle your energy -- meditate, walk, disengage from negative information or situations, reflect. Skin issues may surface in some of you from stress or indulgence.
Food: Eat lighter, smaller meals. Bitter foods support the heart (arugula, chocolate). Lamb and fish are emphasized.
Relationships: Huge year for passion, but with volatility. Cultivate endurance. Shift to relaxation time with family and friends.
Travel: Highly indicated. Get out to enjoy, but slow down a little to include reflection and/or meditation.
Weather: Expect lots of wind and winds that can breed fires. Likely a warm year.
Conclusion: make your warmth this year a cluster of embers, as only a few can manage a bonfire without getting burned.
Wishing you a splendid year and the health to enjoy it.
