Happy New Year!

January 22, 2023 is the Lunar New Year of the Yin Water Rabbit, following the Yang Water Tiger Year in 2022. The energy of the two years is in some ways similar, and in some ways opposite. Both years share the energy of Water and Wood.

The biggest difference is that last year was a Yang year and this year is a Yin year. Yin and Yang are opposites, and we really see the difference in these two years. Yang is strong, bold, and powerful, whereas Yin tends to be more quiet, calm, and reserved. 

We see this clearly in the nature of the animal of each year. 

Look at the contrast between the two animals representing the energy of Wood: the Tiger (Yang) and the Rabbit (Yin). They’re pretty extreme opposites. One is a top-of-the-food-chain aggressive predator, and the other is a shy prey animal. That’s a pretty extreme contrast.

Let’s start by looking at the nature of these two animals to give us a sense of the year to come.

Tigers are fast and aggressive when they have bursts of energy and are not sleeping. Interestingly, Rabbits also tend to sleep and sit still a lot, and also have bursts of energy. Because they are prey animals, rabbits can move fast when they need to, but they don’t do it too much because that attracts the attention of potential predators.

I have good friends with a pet rabbit and have had lots of opportunities to observe its behavior. Observing animals and their behavior is the best way to learn about their nature and thus learn about the nature of the animal energy of the year.

Rabbits are very sweet, gentle animals; the opposite of Tigers. So that’s our first clue about the energy of 2023. Being prey animals, they also tend to hide and stay very quiet and calm. But they can also get nervous very quickly. Think about it: rabbits are prey for land hunters and large birds, so they’re vulnerable from land and air. That’s why they can get nervous easily and tend to stay quiet and hide.

So, does that mean you need to hide in 2023? No! We’re analyzing the nature of the animal to understand the nature of the year’s energy. The main characteristics are quiet, calm, and gentle. After the craziness of the last three years, that’ll be a welcome change!

It will be a good year to get some quiet and gentleness back into our lives. To stay in harmony with the Qi of the year, make sure to take time to be quiet and get and/or keep your life in balance.

After all the negative emotions of the last few years, it looks like 2023 will be a year where finally people may become kinder and gentler with each other. Gentleness is one of the main characteristics of Rabbits. Focus on being kind and gentle with others and it will probably be rewarded.

One could also say that Rabbits are productive since they’re known for producing large litters quickly – you know the saying about “breeding like rabbits”? That means they’re producing, so it should be a very productive year!

Analysis

Lunar New Year 2023 arrives on January 22nd and brings us the Year of the Yin Water Rabbit. You may also see it referred to as the Black Rabbit since black is the color of Water.

Let’s dive in and analyze on a deeper level.

According to Chinese philosophy, we have the concepts of Yin and Yang, and Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The way these elements combine determines the energy for the year.

Every year is either Yin or Yang, plus the energy of Heaven and the energy of Earth. We’re the Humanity that lives between Heaven and Earth.

Heaven and Earth

Yin and Yang alternate, so there will never be two Yin or two Yang years in a row.

Last year was a Yang Water year, so we know 2023 must be a Yin year. There can, however, be the same elements two years in a row because of the cyclical nature of the Heaven and Earth energies. They don’t usually match up, but they do for 2022 and 2023.

As it happens, this year we have the same Heaven and Earth energies as last year: Water and Wood.

The Heaven energy is Water. In the Chinese Zodiac the Rabbit follows the Tiger and represents Yin Wood.

Combined, that gives us the Yin Water Rabbit.

The Heavenly energy this year is Water, and the Earthly energy is the Rabbit, which represents the Wood element. Notice that there are two animals for Wood, the Tiger, and the Rabbit, which represent the Yang and Yin aspects of the Wood Earth energy.

We the people, live in between Heaven and Earth and are affected by their energies and the energy of the year.

Parents and Children

Let’s first consider the relationship between the Heaven and Earth energies of Water and Wood. According to the Yi Jing (AKA the I Ching or Book of Changes), Yang gives birth to Yin, meaning Heaven gives birth to Earth. This year, the Heaven energy is Water and the Earth energy is Wood.

In the five Elements creation/production cycle, Water gives birth to Wood, or is the parent of Wood. Since our elements in 2023 are Water and Wood, we have a parent-child relationship, which is the natural and harmonious flow of Qi.

The parent “gives birth to” and supports the child. This is the natural relationship between the elements and there is no conflict between them.

We have the correct order of flow between Heaven and Earth, and within the Five Elements cycle, with no conflicts or counter-flow between them. This is harmonious.

What Does This Mean?

Since Heaven is “above us” (the sky and heavens are up above us), it relates to things and/or people “above” us, or that have power over us. This can mean parents, bosses, or entities such as the government that generally have some sort of power or control over us.

The last few years have not been harmonious, but 2023 bodes well for improved relationships between those “above” us and those “below.” The natural flow of energy in the relationship between these two elements means there should be more support from those above to those below, just like a parent supports a child.

In 2023, we should expect more gentle support and the “parents and children” to get along well. Since the nature of the Rabbit is shy and gentle, we can hope for less aggressive relationships between governments and citizens, employers and employees, and parents and children.

Tigers are big, bad, and proud apex predators that may huff and puff about how big and bad they are. We should see a different attitude this year. This year we should see more of an attitude like “I’m a soft cuddly Rabbit, aren’t I nice? Please don’t eat me.” Taking that approach with people will serve much better overall this year. 

That’s not to say you need to act scared or like prey. It just means that a gentle approach should work better this year than huffing and puffing and roaring. 

Nature of the Elements

The Nature of Wood / Rabbit

The Rabbit should be quiet for the most part. Make sure to take time to be at peace and keep life in balance, and advise your patients to do the same.

Next, let’s consider the nature of the Yin Wood element represented by the Rabbit. Yin Wood is like flowers, bushes, grass, and small trees or bamboo. They’re flexible, yielding, and bending, unlike Yang Wood which represents big, sturdy, unbending trees.

Yin plants are calm unless something external affects them, like a storm. Because they’re Yin Wood, they can be flexible and not break under pressure. Be flexible and be prepared for changes and new opportunities.

Between the calming influence of the Rabbit and its Yin Wood nature, overall, it should be a quiet, productive year. But Rabbits, being prey, can be startled easily and run to hide. Remember to be flexible. Any startling events shouldn’t be too bad because there is so much harmonious energy this year.

Nature of Water

The Water energy in 2023 is Yin water. The nature of Water is cold, and also represents actual water. In the case of Yin Water, it represents clouds, dew and mist, rather than bodies of water like oceans, rivers, etc.

Implications

When we look at the Water and Wood together, because of the harmonious parent-child relationship, they should get along well.

Water gives birth to Wood. We water plants to feed and nourish them so they’ll grow. Wood needs Water to grow and thrive. This is harmonious.

Wood also is the start of Spring and the beginning of the new year’s energy cycle. This year will be a good year to start new things, so if you’re thinking of beginning a project or business, or planting a garden, this is a good year to do it. There is good support for them to grow and thrive.

Whereas the Tiger was good for big, audacious goals, the Rabbit nature favors smaller projects that can be incubated and completed quickly, like rabbits having fast, frequent litters of babies.

That doesn’t mean avoiding big projects or goals. Break them down into small manageable steps this year.

Wood also represents kindness, compassion, healing, and medicine. The Rabbit nature favors gentle medicine like herbal medicine, rather than the dramatics of the Tiger. It should be a good year for businesses in these industries, and any other industry related to wood or working with wood, trees, and/or plants, like food or farming.

Water industries like plumbing and shipping should be strong, although there could be problems from storms. If they are affected by storms, it will be milder than last year.

Metal is again the weakest element this year, so industries associated with metal, metal-working, and/or that use metal may suffer. Metal is also associated with truth and justice, so it may not be a good year for progress in those areas. That doesn’t mean we won’t see any truth or justice, just that they’ll have a harder time this year because the element is weak.

Weather

According to ancient Chinese texts, the atmospheric nature of Wood is wind. The Earth element is in charge of clouds and rain. But because Yin Water is more like clouds, mist, and dew, the weather will be more like an Earth year, even though Water’s nature is cold. It may or may not be in the form of rain. More likely we’ll have mist, fog, and humidity, with cold and wind.

Expect temperatures to be on the cool side all year, and very cold in winter.

There is potential for big winter storms, because the Water element is cold and associated with winter. Tornadoes could also be frequent because of the wind, and because it’s a Yin year, they should be less severe than last year.

Storms like hurricanes and typhoons that combine wind and water could be particularly damaging. But overall, they should be less damaging than last year because of the milder Yin nature of the Rabbit.

Spring is associated with the Wood element and wind, so there could also be bad storms involving wind, or damage from wind, without the water involved. Again, these should be milder due to the Yin nature of the year.

Caveat: Global warming has noticeably affected the weather the last several years. We see the effects of this as unseasonal weather that is out of character for the year.

However, the predictions are still fairly accurate overall so we can use them as a guide. This is what the weather should be like in general, but any excessive weather that is out of character like severe hurricanes or very hot weather can be attributed to global warming, rather than the energy of the year.

Emotions

Wood’s negative state of mind is anger, and Water’s is fear. People with Liver and Kidney excesses may be more prone to these emotions, while those with deficiencies in these organs should benefit.

However, since it’s a Yin year, the negative emotions should be more benign, and we should see less extreme anger and fear than in the last several years.

Water (fear) gives birth to Wood (anger). We may see some anger this year, especially if people are scared. Rabbits are timid creatures and if scared will sit very still or run and hide. They will bite, but it takes a lot to get them this upset. Any anger we do see should be short and fairly mild due to the Yin year and the nature of the Rabbit.

It’s unlikely to be a violent year overall, since Metal, which is associated with violence, is weak this year.

Wood’s nature is wind. Wind represents change, because wind is always moving and never stays in one place. Unlike the big changes we saw last year (e.g., post-pandemic opening, many lifestyle aspects changed), the changes should be more subtle. Since it’s a Rabbit year, we could hop from one small change to another, rather than the dramatic Yang changes of last year.

Wood’s positive mental state is kindness and compassion, and Water’s is wisdom. I’m not sure how much of that we saw last year, but we should continue in the same direction this year.

Rabbits are still and quiet a lot of their time. Continue practices like meditation, Qigong, Yoga, etc., that help calm the mind and develop stillness, compassion and wisdom.

If you teach any of these disciplines, it’s a good year to share them and help others. There is strong support for these practices again this year.

Health

The strongest organs this year will be the Liver (Wood) and Kidneys (Water). Those prone to excess in these organs could have problems, especially when Wind and/or Cold are part of the pathology.

There is the possibility of strokes and conditions associated with Liver Wind this year, especially in people with excess Liver conditions. Those who tend to have a lot of anger should be cautious because this could be a more dangerous year for them. These people will need calming and relaxing herbs and treatments.

The Wood element is associated with falling down; like a tree might fall. So, people whose balance is not good should be extra careful. The strong Water energy this year should help those with weak bones (Kidneys), but they should still be careful to avoid falling.

People with Yang deficiencies and/or cold in the body will need warming herbs this year, and we may also see more joint problems due to Wind, Cold, and/or Damp.

There may also be problems with Dampness due to the Yin Water nature of mist and dew. This should benefit people with problems due to Dryness. It could be a problem though, for those with Dampness, especially combined with Wind and/or Cold. This refers to dampness in general, including, but not necessarily just joint problems. Any organs affected by the dampness and/or cold could be affected.

The weakest organ this year will be the Lungs (Metal) because both Water and Wood weaken the Metal element. Those with weak Lungs will continue to benefit from Lung tonic herbs.

It’s a Water year, so we should see more patterns featuring Cold rather than Dampness because the Earth element, associated with Dampness, is weak. But due to the nature of Yin Water, we’re likely to see external colds and respiratory illnesses with Dampness and coughing.

Cold should be the bigger issue. The dampness is potentially an issue because it’s a Yin Water year. We would see dampness, rather than dryness, because of the Water energy. Remember, Water’s nature is cold, but because it also refers to water in the form of clouds and mist, there is the possibility of dampness.

The Earth element is weak this year because both Water and Wood weaken Earth. The Earth organs may need some support, especially in people with weak digestion and improper diet. Following a correct diet is important, as well as strengthening Spleen, Stomach and digestion.

The Heart/ Small Intestine (Fire organs) are fairly neutral this year, so we shouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary with those organs.

The Yin Wood Rabbit is much gentler than the dramatics of the Tiger, so focus on balance and maintaining health. It will be a good year to help patients focus on gentle health maintenance.

Final Thoughts

In general, it looks like we’ve got an even better year ahead and may start to see more positive changes happen.

The advantage of forecasts is to know what to expect and how to prepare ourselves and our patients each year, so we can stay in harmony with the year and avoid problems.

Note, because it’s a big misconception: if you were born in a Rabbit year, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good year for you. Or a bad one. How the energy of the year affects each individual depends on their Ba Zi /Chinese Astrology chart. Most years for most people are a mixed bag.

The universal energies of Heaven and Earth affect us all. We can change the world for the better by creating positive change in our little corner of the world and then it ripples outward. We can all help by being sources of wisdom, kindness, gentleness and compassion in the world. There is great support from the universe for it this year.

I wish you good health, long life, peace, prosperity and happiness.

2020: Year of the Metal Rat

Welcome to the Year of the Rat! Not only is 2020 the start of a new decade, but in  Chinese astrology, the Rat is the start of a new twelve year cycle. There are twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac, thus the twelve years in the cycle, beginning with the Rat.

Being that this is not just the start of a new year and new decade, but the start of a new 12 year cycle, it’s an excellent time to plan and set intentions for this next cycle of life.

60-Year Cycle

The cycle also incorporates the five elements. The natural flow of the elements is wood -> fire -> earth -> metal -> water. Then the cycle starts over again.

Each animal goes through a cycle of each of the five elements, so when we combine all of that, we have five 12-year cycles to make a complete 60-year cycle. Then a new 60-year cycle starts.

Since the natural flow of the five elements starts with wood, which represents the start of new growth, the start of a 60-year cycle starts with the Wood Rat. The second 12-year cycle starts with the Fire Rat, and the third cycle starts with the Earth Rat. Since this is the year of the Metal Rat, we’re starting the fourth 12-year cycle in the current 60-year cycle. (This means a new 60-year cycle starts in 24 years, after we complete the next cycle that starts with the Water Rat.)

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

The Heavenly Stems are the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. They give us the energy coming from “Heaven” or the heavens or universe for the year.

The 12 animals correspond to the Earthly Branches, or the energy of the earth (the planet, not the element) each year.

Each year is either Yin or Yang, and they alternate. We’ve just finished a Yin year, so this year is Yang.

The Heavenly Stem this year is Yang Metal, which is why it’s a Metal Rat. Some people call it a White Rat, since white is the color of Metal.

According to the The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, written about 2,000 years ago, the nature of Metal is cool, dry, hard and forceful. It can cause “sternness and killing”, as well as “aging and falling”. Metal also represents justice, or right versus wrong.

That gives us a good idea of the nature of a Metal year. Since it’s Yang Metal, we have to factor in the Yang nature. Yin Metal would be softer and flexible, like jewelry or metal wire. This year is Yang Metal, so it’s big, strong, powerful, sharp and inflexible, like a meat cleaver or a sword. The nature of the element tells us the nature of the year.

This adds up to the possibility of violence. We tend to have more violence in Metal years, and the fact that it’s a Yang year makes it potentially stronger, or worse. The justice nature of Metal gives the potential for violence where people think they’re right and others are wrong.

Since the Heaven energy also represents what’s “above” us, it can mean violence coming from governments, or people in positions of power over others (“above” others). But it’s more likely against other governments, if it happens, rather than governments against their people. Since Metal is the parent of Water, and the child (Water) refers to the people “below”, Metal and Water are in a natural parent-supporting-child relationship. Because their relationship is harmonious, it’s unlikely that governments will be violent against their people. It may be that there are cases where some countries think they’re right and others wrong, and then there could be the potential for violence. Because the Metal and Water elements are in harmony this year, we may see more “saber-rattling” rather than actual conflict.

Next, let’s consider the Rat. Rats are intelligent, prolific and resourceful. People don’t tend to like rats because we associate them with garbage and uncleanliness, but they’re smart little survivors. Think of why rats are so successful in mazes –  they’re Water nature, and water always finds a way to flow through. So perhaps we’ll see some smart new strategies emerge this year.

The Rat represents Yang Water. So we have the combination of Yang Metal and Yang Water. Metal gives birth to, or produces Water. Metal is the Heaven energy, and is in the position of being “above” its child, the earth energy of Water. The parent is “above” the child. Since this follows the natural flow of the five elements, this is a harmonious relationship.

2109 was Yin Earth and Yin water, which makes mud. And since Earth restrains Water, there wasn’t much flow or movement, and a lot of stagnation instead.

Metal gives birth to Water, so 2020 will have more movement and flow, and less stagnation overall. Things that were stuck should start moving again.

The Nature of Water is, of course water. It also represents cold, specifically “piercing cold”. It causes frost, ice and hail. It’s also considered “hard and stern”. This seems a bit counter-intuitive, because water feels soft, but water can do great damage. And it’s Yang Water. Yin Water is like clouds and rain. Yang Water is like the ocean. It’s big and powerful and impossible to stop once it gets moving.

Yang Metal is very inflexible, because it doesn’t bend easily. On the other hand, Water is very flexible, and always finds a way to go where it wants.

Metal is like a knife that cuts, and Water washes things clean.

Water is associated with wisdom, so hopefully the Water energy will bring some flexibility and wisdom this year. But the hardness and sternness of both elements may just steamroll over wisdom. There could be big movements this year, with lots of people caught up in the flow.

Water is very strong this year. So “children”, or those “below” or with less power are strong enough to stand up to their “parents”, or those “above”, especially when it’s an issue of justice or right and wrong. We’ll likely see continuation and strong growth in the movements of those who feel like they’ve been abused by those in power and want justice, like the #MeToo movement, women’s rights, and the youth movements around gun control and climate change. These are also movements spurred by wanting justice (Metal), and fear, which is the emotion associated with Water.

Because Water is the “child” and we’re at a new beginning in a new cycle, there is a lot of support for youth movements and new things. And the Yang nature of the Water could make those movements become unstoppable groundswells or tidal waves. It should be an interesting year, particularly with the U.S. presidential election this year.

Weather in 2020

I have to start this section with a caveat. Australia having massive fires in 2019, a Yin Earth/ Yin Water year, is not what should happen. If anything, it should have been problems with mud, water, and flooding, not fire. Fire energy was very weak in 2019. The planet is out of balance, and showing symptoms.

I’m not being political here, only diagnosing the problem. Global warming is interfering with the natural flow of energy. It’s like a body being out of balance that has symptoms that wouldn’t be there when it’s in balance. It’s like a person who eats too much ginger too often and feels hot when they shouldn’t. The planet is now out of balance, and showing heat symptoms.

Weather predictions based on the energetics of the year have been fairly accurate in the past, and overall, they should still dominate the weather. However, because of the planetary imbalance, there could be heat symptoms, when there shouldn’t be any this year.

With the coolness of Metal and the piercing cold of Water, it should be a colder than normal year. It should be a bad winter, with many problems due to freezing, hail, and ice. Metal’s nature is dryness, but it’s also in charge of fog and dew. And Water represents actual water. Even with the dryness of Metal, there will probably be more rain this year. We’ll probably get alternations between dry weather and humidity.

Because it’s a Yang Water year, rain and snow storms will probably be big and damaging, with lingering ice, cold and frost. Because of the fog and dew aspect, there may be more accidents in foggy weather, and more blizzards with white-outs.

There may also be problems with flooding, especially on the coasts of big rivers, lakes and oceans, since it’s a Yang Water year. Because there’s more movement this year, if bodies of water move, it will be a Yang movement, and big. There could also be tidal waves.

Health in the Year of the Metal Rat

There could be more accidents involving metal and water this year because both elements are so strong. Pay attention when using knives, driving, boating or water sports.

Metal also represents armored creatures, which are insects. There could be problems with insects and insect bites.

Water represents scaly creatures, so be careful around snakes and dangerous reptiles.

Metal’s state of mind is anxiety, and Water’s is fear. We usually think of anxiety associated with the Heart and sadness associated with the Lungs, the Metal organ. These emotions usually emerge when the associated organs are out of balance. But there could be more problems with these emotions this year, especially in people with preexisting conditions. If there is violence this year, it will cause more anxiety and fear.

When we consider the five elements and their associated organs, we can see how strong or weak each organ is this year.

Metal and Water are strong. So Lungs and Kidneys should be strong this year. Patients with Lung and/ or Kidney deficient conditions should feel better this year. Patients with Kidney deficiency-type asthma may feel better, although anyone worse with cold will have a harder time in winter. People with excesses in either of these organs will have more problems. There could be more problems with excess bone problems like spurs. And since the lungs rule the skin, the may be more issues with dry skin and skin excess conditions.

There could be more injuries caused by metal and water, like knife cuts and falls due to slippery surfaces. Because the Water/Kidney energy is strong, even though there may be more falls, bones should be strong and heal well because the Kidney energy is in charge of bones.

The Wood element is strong this year, since Water is the parent of Wood. Metal does weaken Wood, but overall, Wood is strong. So people with Liver/ Gallbladder excess may feel worse, while those with deficiencies may feel better.

Fire and Earth are both weak this year, since Water and Metal weaken their energies. People with Heart deficiencies may feel worse and have more problems. As mentioned above, there may be more anxiety, as well as worry and overthinking, since the Earth element is weak.

People with weak digestion will need to be more careful about their diets and eating correctly this year. It will be easier for Spleen/ Stomach and digestive problems to occur, especially in cold weather. It’s a good year for people to learn how to eat correctly according to Chinese medicine and protect the Spleen and Stomach. Eat more cooked, warm foods, like soups and stews this year, especially in cold weather.

Final Thoughts

Rats are intelligent animals so this is a good year for learning and study. More importantly, water represents wisdom, not just intelligence, so it’s a good year to cultivate wisdom. The water / Kidney energy in the body is a deep level of energy, so practicing to cultivate deep wisdom is very good this year. Meditate, practice Qigong or other spiritual practices to cultivate that deep wisdom.

Metal is very materialistic, and with the potential for violence and emotional upset this year, practicing to gain wisdom, and calm and balance the emotions can help with the harsher aspects this year.

Along with cultivating wisdom, remember that this is the beginning of a new cycle. New beginnings aren’t always easy. There’s the potential for the Yang Water to wash away the old and bring in change and new energy for the next 12-year cycle. Remember to plan what you want your next 12 years to look like and take advantage of the new energy and new cycle.

There are no straight lines in the Taiji (Yin/Yang) circle because the energy is always moving and changing. When we get to an extreme, i.e., the fattest part or the thinnest part, it flips into its opposite, which is not always a peaceful process. So even though it seems that this year may have its challenges, it’s only a phase and the energy will change.