Putting the Cart before the Year of the Horse

Ever feel that you are moving rapidly in the wrong direction? I have just described my first twenty two days of 2014. The first week, I was merrily moving along, filled with optimism. I felt that this was to be an empowering year. Then my husband became ill. Not really an illness; it was more like a heart attack. He could no longer catch a breath and his feet were swollen twice their size. I was not even aware of the change of priorities; it was only natural that his needs become the focus. Days began and ended with  caring for him, shouldering his responsibilities while trying to manage my own life.  There was fatigue but felt I had things in hand until the 22^nd when I failed to connect with a radio host for a scheduled interview. It was like hitting a wall. I needed to stop, look around and set a new course.

About that time I held a skype consultation with a friend/student  wanting help in defining a course of change for the new year. Part of her session examined her Chinese animal birth sign and how it would relate with the incoming Year of the HORSE.  Having the first month of this new year sandwiched between TWO new year celebrations makes 2014 seemed very auspicious. In my normal life, I would have already figured my chart. Working on hers became my reminder. As I worked through her favorable elements and  directions I could see that with the speed and force in which the year was already moving, I needed to find the most  favorable forces of nature to support me this year.  

The year of the Horse is a year for renewal and growth. Horse energy is free spirited, with dynamic yang energy. The horse is strong and swift and teaches us to seize the moment! They represent freedom, are graceful, generous and noble. 2014 is posed to be energetic with all feelings expanded.

A Chinese astrology chart is a bit like mixing Feng Shui with I Ching.   It gives insight to such things as which direction is best for your bed. This influences how you sleep, how rested you are in the morning and how well you make decisions from that rested mind.  The chart also gives your most favorable color, your lucky months or seasons . These help you be in the most favorable position when you decide about your future. It will also tell your most favorable element like metal, wood water or earth. Wearing these in your choices of jewelry can strengthen your resolve and help you break through negative pressure. These energy influences don’t dictate your life but rather they roll out an energetic red carpet to make processing through each day easier.

Being a RAT in a HORSE year will make this a challenging year for  me. Horses love sunshine and rats prefer the dark of night . Just those two opposing forces are enough to encourage me to make some changes.  My desk is now turned to a new direction and my vision map is hanging with my most favorable color. I’ve already made sure my wardrobe contains my lucky color and I have started wearing  metal jewelry to balance my elements. Will this make a drastic change in my year? Hard to know for sure, but why swim against the current when you can let it carry you. Rather than putting the cart before the horse my RAT is hooking its cart onto the wake of the HORSE speed. “The person who fights the Universe always loses.” – The Tao of Change.

THE new year CHASM

Am I the only one who feels that they are floating within a chasm? It’s as though ending the old Gregorian calendar  year and the birth of a new year under the Chinese calendar  has created a cradle or fertile furrow to birth new purposes and ideas. Having a full moon and its energy influence overseeing this period adds confirmation that this is a time to set new sites and take first steps toward seeing desires happen.

Since developing a 4^th dimensional approach to healing and the negative influences that affect health, I have started viewing most everything from an energy perspective. Overtime (and practice) a greater sensitivity and understanding to what might be labeled as Feng Shui, intuition or Shamanism has occurred which is a bit like peeking through stage curtains before a performance. Energy is what it is all about.

As for this calendar thing, part of the influence we’re feeling comes from (the energy) having a major part of the world population accepting and following a calendar based on the sun (which is changing) and trade. It is almost the 100^th monkey situation; enough people thinking (applying energy) about the same thing makes it true. However, in following the Gregorian calendar, we live just one beat out of step with nature . We are so used to the miss-beat that we ignore the sensation. 

On the other hand, there are a great number that have been placing their faith (energy) on the Chinese system of time marking for thousands of years. It is a calendar that follows lunar AND solar (lunisolar). This system follows natural movements untouched by the influence of commerce…and yet following its energy flow can have a positive influence on prosperity.  Each month follows one cycle of the moon.  Over history it has become common knowledge the moon influences the oceans and other bodies of water such as our physical form and brain.

Setting direction  for my new year as I float  in the energies of this chasm, have me wondering,  how might it  enhance my  health and future designs if I were to follow the current trend of most of East Asia? That is to use the Gregorian calender (called the Yin calendar), for day-to-day activities (business, birthdays, etc.) but the Chinese (or  Yang) calendar for season changes and other important aspects of life.  I believe it would benefit my efforts (energy) similarly to how the old Poor Richard’s Almanacs helped farmers in the past.

January 23^rd begins the Chinese year of the dragon. As a person born under the “Rat” sign, I’m looking forward to a very auspicious year.