On January 29th we welcomed the Chinese New Year.
Starting on the second new moon, after the winter solstice (or Summer solstice for those of us down under), each year is represented by an animal and an element.
This year it’s the WOOD SNAKE, and it’s set to bring with it a year of transformation.
To understand what’s in store, and what a Wood Snake has to do with it all, it’s important to understand how this deep and intricate system came about. If you like patterns and twists, animals and elements, and have a deep respect for nature, you’re sure to appreciate this fascinating system!
Developed over 3000 years ago, it is a 60 year cycle that combines 12 animals and 5 elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood).Which means that the last year of the snake was 12 years ago, however the last Wood Snake was 60 years ago, in 1965.
It’s believed that the story of this zodiac came about when the Jade Emperor announced a race for all the animals and the first 12 were rewarded a year in the zodiac calendar.
The race required the animals to cross a swift flowing river to make the finish line, and ensure their place in the great timekeeping system.
The snake was very clever and wound itself around the hind leg of the horse to get across the river. When they neared the finish line the snake promptly slithered off, and beat the horse, making it the sixth animal in the order of years. The order goes Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. Since then the snake has been known for its creativity and intelligence.
Just as the snake sheds it skin, the year of the Wood Snake is all about transcendence of who you have been personally, and who we are as a collective human race. It only takes a small peek in the history books to see that in the last two Wood Snake years, major ideas changed . For example, in 1905, Albert Einstein discovered the revolutionary theory of special relativity, E=mc2. And, in 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led 25,000 civil rights activists in the right to vote for black people in America.
The deep intelligence and wisdom of the snake calls us to shed the old and make way for the new. Like a young sapling moving towards the light, the upward Wood energy is extremely flexible in the wind and ready to grow. Making the Wood Snake more adaptable than all other snakes.
It is the perfect year to be courageous and harness this powerful and peaceful energy.
Snakes live in close harmony to the ground and thus are associated with YIN or feminine energy, representing the passive, receptive and intuitive aspects of existence.
This enables it to sense beyond the surface layer and understand the truth and deeper meaning of things.
These energies are encouraging us all to deeply feel and listen to what is not serving in our lives, and to align our intentions to our authentic truth. Spending quiet or still time in nature is a perfect way to feel into these aspects.
We must be courageous and trust that by letting go of the old, transformation will lead to renewal. Pay attention to where you’re at now in life and self, and take bold actions to let go of what is no longer serving you. Shed that old, tight restrictive skin! Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, it’s time to embrace and embody a newer version of you!
It may not be a straightforward journey, as the movements of the snake can be unpredictable and can bring chaos from order, and order from chaos. Things may not be as they seem on the surface.
The snake uses a side to side motion to move forward, and so, for us to transcend we can expect some of this swinging motion to create a wobble, both in our own journeys and externally in the world.
When things change, or seem confusing, it is important not to let your fears be in the driver's seat and to keep your eye on your goals - just as the saplings journey toward the Sun is a focussed one.
In the greater world it’s likely that alliances may change and what we thought was real may become transparent and allow us to see through the veil of establishment and social structures.
Last but not least, the Wood element’s positive emotion is kindness and benevolence. It’s ALWAYS, in all ways, important to embrace these qualities for ourselves and towards others as we change and grow!
Happy transformation friends!
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