Category: 2025

The Dragon in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

It Could Be Sunshine

If you were born in a Dragon year, congratulations on completing another turn of the wheel. Some Metal Dragons turned 84 last year, some turned 24. Some Water Dragons turned 72 in 2024, some turned 12. When you think about the Cycle of 60 pillars this way, you might see how qi flows throughout generations. Wood Dragons turned 60 in 2024, the youngest ones were born. I think all Dragons right now could use a little support. They are poised for growth but a setback could be more of a problem than usual. We all have growth stages and cycles. Observing them in a Ba Zi is important for divination.

In 2024 we had a front row seat to the clash of the Dragon and the Dog. It actually played out in the year pillars of the US Presidential Election candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Kamala, being born in 1964 is a Wood Dragon while Trump born in 1946 is a Fire Dog. Both Dog and Dragon are formidable opponents. The Dog is more attached to “reality” than the Dragon, which gives them certain advantages in politics.

Donald Trump
b. June 14 1946 10:54

  Hour Day Month Year
yin Earth yin Earth yang Wood yang Fire
  己 己 甲 丙
  巳 未 午 戌
Snake Sheep Horse Dog

 

Kamala Harris
b. October 20 1964 21:28

  Hour Day Month Year
yang Metal yang Water yang Wood yang Wood
  庚 壬 甲 甲
  戌 寅 戌 辰
Dog Tiger Dog Dragon

 

The Dragon’s advantage is that they are dreamers and through their dreams they can bring unexpected things into existence. The freshness they bring is often their most persuasive trait. As is the case with all magic, sometimes the Dragon’s magic doesn’t work. Sometimes it backfires, and yet, the Dragon rarely gives up. You have to love the Dragon for their fearlessness too. For more about Dragons and their intrepid ways, read the 2025 Forecast for the Dog.

A Dragon year is always significant for a Dragon, however, it is likely it won’t be their favorite year. In a Dragon year, the Dragon has what is called a self-clash. In 2024 some Dragons thought they knew better than their advisers, that they had everything in the bag so to speak. Unfortunately they didn’t and that’s what a Dragon’s self clash might be about. To make their magic work, they have to believe in it. When the Dragon feels their magic is being picked apart, or that others aren’t helping to sustain the “illusion” they tend to behave badly. Like the Dog, Dragons are scary by way of their remote yet seismic nature. Neither Dog nor Dragon wants to be influenced much, however, it’s quite difficult for the rest of us to escape theirs.

Now we’re entering a new year with new energy, and it’s time to move on, but after getting so much attention in 2024, Dragons could find themselves feeling neglected or lonely in 2025. Perhaps you feel overshadowed by a lesser mage, and maybe you are – for now. Being a Dragon you’re not going to let that be the case for long. And maybe it won’t matter to you much because it looks like Dragons fall in love (again) in 2025.

Chances are good that Dragons will meet someone that could be part of your life for the long term. You might find the best love luck by delaying consummation until you’ve had some time to get to know each other. Rushing into the physical part might cloud things too much. To Dragons who feel they’ve encountered love again too soon after losing a partner to death in 2025*: this might not be a rebound. Talk to people you trust about your feelings. Don’t rush, but also don’t miss out on good times.

Much of the time, the Dragon is prone to moodiness. They can just as easily hang out in the darkness as bring the light. They have a lot going on in their heads. The Dragon’s inner life, the life that they live in their world, is what makes the Dragon a catalyst. Change brings learning and relief of some kind, always. Seek it for yourself.

When the Dragon works with others, the element that is created is Water or wisdom. Perhaps this is why you might find a teacher in Monkey, Rat or Dragon. When the Dragon works alone, it’s different. The Chinese dragon is not a fire breather, but within the hidden Heavenly Stems of the Dragon Earthly Branch is the capability to create Fire. Dragons who work “alone” are often found transforming others. Their talents are not always appreciated. Again, if you want that to change, change how you conduct your relationships Dragon.

To make the year go more smoothly for your finances, Dragons can make a big purchase, donate money or donate time. There’s some energy to offset, possibly continued spending that relates to 2024. Humble yourself and learn what the Year of the Wood Snake wants to teach you. Do good deeds and your plans can proceed without too many problems. April would be the time to focus on that kind of mitigation, but that’s also a month where Dragons might misstep and fall – ego tripping. To avoid that, make your plans about what good works you will do ahead of time and stick to them.

In April, there may be some pushback or blowups in relationship matters too. Consider again that some of this might just be fallout from the mistakes you might have made in 2024. Some of those mistakes you might have made on purpose, but it’s not too late to apologize and/or fix things now. If there are situations where you know you messed up, or clumsily broke trust, actively work to resolve things in a mutually beneficial way. If you have unfinished business with your father or another older relative, it’s a good time to take care of it. Relationships are the thing for the Dragon to focus on in 2025. This is the way to get the most out of the Year of the Snake.

Dragons sometimes feel like relationships are a prison, and 2025 provides a solid opportunity to work with that perspective. Where does it come from do you think? What if it was once true but is no longer? You notice what/who you change, but have you considered how much you’ve changed or how much you have been changed since 2012? If you have still the idea of a relationship as a trap that might be another symptom of your self-clash. Maybe it feels like a trap because it requires an energetic exchange that goes both ways? Even though you are a Dragon, try to follow the rules others follow in relationship by being present. In business and legal matters, for best results make sure you are following the rules too. The mundane details of life matter.

The Dragon’s career and social status are on the rise in 2025. As I will say yet again, healthy relationships make the best foundation for the future. Everything changes, that is the constant. In the midst of all the change, there are things you can lose, and things that you can’t lose. Whatever you are building, who might you include? To whom might you leave a legacy? The relationships you build will help you in ways that you don’t know you will need help – yet. Relationships can last if you prioritize and nurture them.

For example, you can lose a job but people who love you are still going to love you. Now don’t be alarmed! That was just an example, not necessarily a forecast, but do expect some turbulence in 2025 Dragon. Note where the Dragon sits in your natal chart for more clues about what area of your life will be affected. This is the kind of dissonance you are used to so don’t let it distract from the happiness the year has to offer.

In addition to relationship being a major theme of the year, so is learning to enjoy your successes in general – even the smallest ones. Instead of worrying because things are going better in your career or otherwise, enjoy it. This year Dragons who have more success might worry that there is more to lose now instead of celebrating. Soak up a little Fire, Dragon. Life is short.

Regarding health, there could be some minor illness for the Dragon in 2025. Tend to any symptoms when you become aware of them. If you don’t wait, you can keep it from becoming anything serious. Both Dragon and Dog may be still working through some gut issues. For most, I think improvement is coming, however, you’ll want to encourage that with your habits and get support from experts. It’s very true that Dragons are tough and can withstand many hardships. It’s also true that they are harmed by that as a way of life.

One last but maybe most important reminder: It’s not stupid to be happy Dragon. If you’ve been isolated, change that. Your happiness in 2025 is available by way of relationship. That’s a simple truth you might learn in the Year of the Wood Snake.

*Not a typo

The Rabbit in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

You Can Handle the Truth

There are certain runs of years that are more difficult than others, and this doesn’t always have to do with Ba Zi concepts such as being clashed, penalized, punished, combined or drained – although that might be the beginning of it. After 2018, everyone in the world began to learn what it was like to live in a Water cycle in an age of Fire. For the Rabbit, Pig and Sheep the Water element exercises a special fascination that is hard for them to resist. For the Rabbit, the Water element would also be associated with parents; generation and regeneration.

Water can be a cold parent. That’s not always true, but I think Rabbits (and Tigers) are the ones who could be most likely to understand what it’s like to still want a Father’s or Mother’s unreserved endorsement, no matter what bad deeds they have done. Maybe you thought if they could just make you feel their love, that is all it would take for your healing. Maybe now you’re thinking that’s not going to happen. Maybe you’re right. If it’s that simple, letting go of your attachment to what is not true should set you free, right?

What we ignore most in life are the simple truths that would allow us to move forward, but we don’t want to believe them because too much truth might kill us when we cannot find a way to act on it. Sometimes we can’t let ourselves believe what is true as a matter of survival. I think this happens to many of us as children, and then we spend a lot of our present still trying to survive when the trauma exists in the past. As people like to say, the body tells the tale. We could make ourselves ill with not acknowledging the truth for too long. Look at King Charles III, for example, born on a Water Rabbit day.

In a Ba Zi you can see that often trauma, like disease, is a thing that is passed down through generations. Acknowledging the truth of your experience is surely key to protecting future descendants whether they are your kin or not. Each of us has some work to do here, but you can start by getting clear about what you want in your life, and who you want to be. Then you can act. This is simple.

Especially in these times, we construct the most complicated systems, explanations and justifications, then when function is lost we say it’s part of a conspiracy. The truth is simple and usually pretty straightforward. It’s usually not fancy or even dramatic. I think people feel let down by that fact. Why else would we keep going back to the same well. Anyone of us might do that, hoping to find out we were right all along; hoping that it was complexity that made us fail, when the simple truth is that life can be hard at times. What if in the end everything comes down to your choice? Now that’s a scary truth.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for magic, truth could get in your way. If you think that nothing can change, that may be your truth. If you’re looking for absolutes, the Snake doesn’t offer any and this is a lesson for you.

In 2025, Rabbits are capable scholars, learning to accept simple truths, as well as rewriting their stories. You can’t change the past, but you can make different choices now! In the first half of the year, I hope you will be open to the new people coming into your life. I’m talking about friends and new networks. Rabbits know that when you want change, numbers matter. So does persistence. Get involved with making the changes you want at a pace you can handle. Team up to play the long game.

Finding that they finally have the drive and energy to make things right that have been wrong for some time as we enter the year of the Wood Snake, that is what Rabbits will do. Hopefully there is more unionization coming. That’s the kind of thing that can happen when you learn things and have a little time to decide what you’re going to do with your new knowledge. Some of this organization, renovation and reparation will be for you and yours, but Rabbits will also work in the capacity of Nobleman for others this year.

In the system of Ba Zi, a Nobleman is someone who has advice or help for you that will deepen your learning. Prioritize helping those closest to you first – in terms of relationship or geography. After that you might reach out farther. Many of us will find ourselves in “disaster zones” in 2025, even if it’s not our disaster. Help out but don’t overexhaust yourself. You don’t have to be a Rabbit to take this advice.

If your impulse is usually to give whatever is needed, in 2025 I want you to be careful of reinvesting yourself in the same old pattern you’ve been trying to shake. Do help and do give, but don’t participate in situations where your body is telling you something is wrong. Don’t let yourself go up in smoke because you think it would help everyone – your absence is not welcome.

For Rabbits who are not already involved in a course of study, this would be a good year to enroll with a teacher or mentor. Self study works too, but there is a “hidden guru” waiting in 2025 that you might find helpful. You might meet them in April or May, but if they show up sooner, or later, pay attention. There are always experts nearby if you look for them, and this one probably won’t be very well known, so be sure to vet them for yourself.

Study and reading are often the fodder for your own creative works, therefore it’s time to work on the things you want to show off in 2026 now. If you’re a writer, that means publishing in 2026. What 2025 has to offer is a steady flow of your work that can create the polished and elegant work you will be releasing in 2026. That sounds like writing, refining and marketing to me. A similar luck will be available to Rabbit performers and artists, 1975 Wood Rabbit Angelina Jolie comes to mind. Maybe we will see some new work, possibly some of her best in 2026. I might say the same about Kendrick Lamar, a 1987 Fire Rabbit.

As for travel, the year of the Wood Snake is a year for Rabbits to think things through before making reservations. You might find you are attracted to places where there could be typhoons, blizzards, flooding, wildfires or other such natural events. This sounds like an obvious thing one would avoid, but you might be surprised how many people don’t think about the fact that they are booking a trip to Florida in hurricane season.

Rabbits might travel to visit elders or other relatives, possibly in the context of a funeral. If you will be visiting a place where people are ill, protect your health. Watch your step and protect your valuables too if you’re on the road, on the water, on the rails, or in the sky. Wear proper footwear for whatever you are doing. That will be key.

Financially, Rabbits have a chance to catch up with some of their expenses now. If you’ve been waiting for some kind of refund or to be reimbursed, I think that can happen for you in 2025. In the context of helping others in need, avoid lending money as a solution. Don’t make your money easily available to others. Keep track of your income and expenses. If you’re going to put down a big chunk of change on something, make sure that everything is in order as you expect. Keep your balance in the black as much as possible. Avoid risky investments this year.

Overall, for the Rabbit 2025 is a year to shine bright, to learn and to share your learning. Make the breakthrough that you’ve been wanting. Honor your body and don’t deplete yourself. Keep things simple. You’re going to have a lot of decisions to make and maybe you don’t feel like that’s your forte, but it could be in this Year of the Snake. I’m serious.

The Tiger in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

You Won’t See Me

In a Snake year the Snake, Tiger and Monkey form a triangular relationship called the Fire Penalty or Ungrateful Punishment. The last time this happened for a whole year was in 2022 but being a Water Tiger year, the Fire wasn’t as strong as it will be this time around. If Fire is a favorable element for you, you’ll be glad Fire is stronger now. If Fire is not a favorable element for you, let’s talk.

Fire being favorable or not, if you have a Snake, Tiger or Monkey in your natal chart, you might be more accident prone in 2025. Protect your extremities and your head. Be very careful if you’re around sharp objects or using them. Consider driving or traveling less. The months to exercise more caution than usual would be February, May and August.

The nature of the Fire Penalty is such that each player involved in this three-way relationship has the potential to assist and the potential to destroy. Which will it be? As always, choice is a factor, but when events suddenly accelerate, we might make bad decisions. That’s the nature of Fire. We feel like we only have a short window to act; it’s pressing.

A real life example of the Fire Penalty that took place on December 4th 2024 (a Water Tiger day) was the assassination of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione.

Brian Thompson
b. July 10, 1974

  Hour Day Month Year
yang Water yin Metal yang Wood
  ? 壬 辛 甲
  ? 子 未 寅
Rat Sheep Tiger

 

Brian Thompson was born in a Wood Tiger year. There is no Monkey or Snake in his Ba Zi that we know of, but I think by incorporating AI so robustly into the claims process of the United Healthcare insurance company, he leaned too hard into the Snake energy. In Period 9, the strength of Fire might lead unexpected results. The Snake is Fire, and so is his money element -this is often how people get drawn into this type of nonsense. Master Raymond Lo would call the sign of the Pig the Death Angel in Brian Thompson’s Ba Zi and indeed he was killed in a Pig month, possibly by another Tiger.
 

Luigi Mangione
b. May 6, 1998

  Hour Day Month Year
yin Water yin Fire yang Earth
  ? 癸 丁 戊
  ? 丑 巳 寅
Ox Snake Tiger

 

Regardless of whether or not Luigi was the shooter, in his life, with Snake and Tiger in his Ba Zi, he is likely caught up by the Fire Penalty too. It seems like the Pig could be a trigger for him but so is the Monkey. Maybe it would be better if all four (Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig) were present at the same time. I am interested to see what is going on with Luigi Mangione in August 2025.

The Fire Penalty reminds me of how wars are started and conducted, and how they are accompanied by dehumanization. People who experience the Fire Penalty may feel cast adrift, cast out of families, friendless and hopeless. This makes them susceptible to being “taken in”. Sometimes you will see the Fire Penalty in the charts of people who participate in cults. They are attracted by the rare opportunity to belong.

The experience of the Fire Penalty can carry with it feelings of hate, worry, and dislike, or we might feel we are perceived as hateful, hysterical or unlikeable. The Fire Penalty is sometimes accompanied by anxiety or panic attacks. If any of these problems are flaring for you in 2025, I hope it will be helpful to remember that it will pass. If you’re looking for remedies, there are many practical and useful ways to work with the Fire energy. I have some ideas about that.

Sometimes the Fire Penalty manifests as people passing the buck of responsibility, often by way of blame or accusation. The Fire Penalty involves triangular situations. There are three parties involved but they may not always be aware of that- at first. You see, this penalty can be best understood by way of the hidden Heavenly Stems within the Earthly Branches of the Tiger, Snake and Monkey. Obviously, these conflicts are not out in the open. Changing that is probably the first step to settling things but who wants to go first? How about you Tiger?

One of my teachers pointed out that it’s important to note where the Fire Penalty “lands”. This matters because maybe in the early stages of a conflict things are easier to solve. In 2025, I’d say the penalty lands on the Monkey. Now things get more interesting. Many a Monkey could use a solid dose of Fire but that doesn’t mean it will be comfortable. In the Monkey’s forecast I mentioned that communication is key for problem solving this year, but with all the current stirring of emotions this year, I’m not sure the Snake and Monkey can find the space for making peace without a little help.

This is where the Tiger comes in. I want you to consider being an invisible benevolent third party. What would happen if you hide out in plain sight? Any good luck the Tiger has is enhanced this year and the Fire penalty might bring out the Tiger’s most elegant expression if you just don’t interfere in the Monkey and Snake’s business.

Avoid working for advantages that come from someone else’s capitulation. Don’t spread gossip or nurture old grudges. I know that last part might be the hardest but set yourself free of that grief if you can. Remember that not every triangle will be problematic – some triangles will be helpful. Those are the ones you may not notice.

Count on 2025 being an eventful for Tigers. You can have a much smoother year if you choose not to insert yourself into conflicts that are not yours. You don’t have to weigh in on every argument but when you do, don’t be surprised that you could be the subject of gossip. That could happen anyway, but this year is all about you making space for good things. To accomplish that, you might have to let petty b*llsh*t go unpunished.

Let yourself have some space in your life for the good things Tiger. It’s going to be a busy year full of luck and possibilities regardless of whatever else is going on. Let yourself experience the good energy. What if you could start a domino effect of spreading peace simply by not attacking someone you feel wronged you in the past or from a distance? Don’t waste your time Tiger. You’re above that now, right?

In the year of the Wood Snake Tiger may find themselves in places where there’s a lot of power, therefore a lot of unpredictability. This will probably be true both in your personal life, and in your physical environment. Tigers are strong but they may need to work on their flexibility, especially this year. You can experience more of the rewards if you aren’t using up your energy battling the flow of the Universe.

Another reason to mind your own business Tiger, is that you may be at risk of losing money to scammers or other kinds of robbers. As is the case with the Ox, people may see you as a good investment or a source of labor. You know the saying, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure? If you’re a Tiger who is closing a deal in any context, that prevention would be to ask for advice. Especially in the case of signing contracts or other legal matters, get expert advice.

There’s some risk of getting involved with litigation for the Tiger in 2025. As I said before: stay out of it if possible. Be flexible so that you can enjoy the good things and for the sake of your health. This year you might ask a Rat, probably a neutral party who is not related to you, to give their opinion. Ask if you want it. They may not offer it otherwise. The people you are close to may not be the best advisors.

If staying out of the fray makes you feel lonely or isolated, you’re on the right track. That would mean you’ve made space for new pursuits, new interests and new friends. Some Tigers will even find investors or other deliveries of money to help them on their way. If the Tiger is in your day pillar, this financial windfall might relate to marriage or another close relationship.

In other good news, Tigers are now positioned to be invited into the inner circle. The experience of this is something like a promotion. You may be asked to join a group of people you’ve been watching and admiring from afar. If you don’t respect them, joining might mean putting your eggs in the wrong basket, but I really doubt you would make that kind of error. You’re a Tiger, and this year you’re a Tiger who has some higher power watching your back. It’s likely that whatever plagues you can be resolved with your patience and flexibility.

Just in case I haven’t been straightforward enough for you Tiger, I’ll end by saying you have one of the four lucky stars that anyone would want to be blessed by in any year and that is 福徳 Fortune Virtue. The meaning is in the name I think and some people say the luck of Fortune Virtue feels random – meaning they don’t know why they got so lucky. Fortune Virtue does relate to money luck, but also the kind of luck you have built up with your good deeds. Guess what? Sometimes that means getting involved in triangular situations!

Special Note to Tiger: Read the forecast for Snake and Monkey too.

The Ox in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

金 Metal Family Patterns

As I write this, we are coming to the close of the Wood Dragon year of 2024. This will probably come as a relief to the Ox. The relationship of the Ox and Dragon is not the warmest, and with the Dragon present the Ox usually experiences quite a bit of uncertainty as well as some loss. People may disappear from your life. Some of the loss may involve money, maybe in the form of necessary expenditures, but it’s the missing out on relationships that hits the hardest. That was 2024. Now we are entering the Year of the Snake that is 2025.

The sign of Snake is a family sign for the Ox and for the Rooster. Depending on where the signs are in your chart, we might be talking about ancestors, peers, your partner or your children. A well set up combination of all three signs in a Ba Zi can make a tight knit family but any combinations have potential for that.

Maybe in the Dragon year Oxen lost family, either through death or through their own choice to cut someone off. In the Snake year you might have some good luck pulling your group together again, or with starting a new family. If you had to take some distance from life temporarily, it is probably safe to go back now and see what’s left if you want that. Some of last year’s punches did come before and after the bell, and you were probably right to protect yourself with new boundaries. Don’t get stuck there.

If you’re honest with yourself, you might realize you feel very different now than you did in 2024. That usually means it’s time for a rethink. You know it’s better not to let these estrangements go on for too long, but for the Ox time passes almost without them noticing. The Ox will get lost in work and routine because it’s safe. They don’t mean to ghost you but maybe they don’t mind doing it either. Meanwhile, the hurt feelings on either side haven’t been addressed.

When the Ox is very angry, they may feel that withdrawal is the best choice. The Ox is good at storing up experiences, but maybe not at letting things go. A typical Ox problem is that they know they can annihilate predators (including Tiger), and sometimes they want to, but it makes them cry so they try to avoid that kind of energy. Revenge doesn’t make the Ox feel better. As my Mom used to say “What a deal”.

In the Year of the Snake, like the Pig, it may benefit the Ox to learn how to express anger effectively in real time, rather than letting it build up and erode your gravitas. Anger can be a Wood thing too, meaning go ahead and use that bellyful of Metal you carry around to increase the space for things and feelings you want. If you’re feeling bitter, expel it in ways that are safe for you and you’ll create healthier relationships. Consider clearing out “souvenirs” that you’ve kept (hoarded?) – the ones that make you feel sad. Maybe take a break from poking the wound to see if it still hurts?

In 2025, a liaison with power is one possibility for the Ox. You may find you have friends or associates in places that can place your talent in front of bigger audiences. There’s an underlying support for your words and work that doesn’t come around every year. Consider that when planning. It’s mostly going to be your special talents and your network that will help to make the year easier.

Speaking of special talents, yours are popular and in demand this year. Being an Ox means you like to work but if your attachment to that gets in the way of more intimate relationships, you might want to balance that out. Or – you might not! Sometimes the Ox is perfectly happy to keep working, preferably in a quiet place where they will not be interrupted. Employers love the Ox’s work ethic, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they care about you. You might have to look for that somewhere else. Try to remember this when you feel lonely.

Wood energy will be seeking out the Ox in 2025. That might mean a new boss or a new partner is imminent. Remember there are two kinds of Wood: yin and yang. You may sort out which is which by how it feels to you, and most of us have a preference about these things. Yang Wood offers a special relationship that reinforces the yin Earth of the Ox. Yin wood might have intentions of taking over yin Earth. I try not to characterize these elemental relationships as either good or bad. As I said, we all have preferences. Don’t be afraid to share your richness and explore yours.

In 2025 the Ox may be seen as a good investment, or someone to be trusted with important resources. Before you sign up for either of those roles, be sure you’re clear about the agreement and that it’s what you want. You are probably in a position to make some demands as long as they are not outrageous. Your ability to produce will support what you asked for. There’s a benefit to this situation as long as you figure out how to maintain your integrity. The only danger would be if you didn’t.

Oxen may be prone to being misunderstood in the Year of the Snake because they tend to stick to the same answers and explanations they gave that were not understood in the past. Do you sometimes feel that no matter how clear you try to be, multiple people misunderstand you? You know what they say…the common denominator might be you. When people don’t understand your answer, reframe or edit. If there are phrases you reuse in place of saying what you really mean, strike them and be more explicit. It hurts to be misunderstood, especially by people who have been in your life for some time. Get over it by doing better with your communication. Don’t be afraid to show some emotions. The Year of the Wood Snake may also have some lessons to offer about that.

What happens when the always sensitive Ox becomes less able to hide their feelings? I think you’re about to find out. Oxen may find themselves shedding tears more than their usual in 2025. If that’s true, let them flow. If you think it’s more appropriate for Ox women, as opposed to Ox men, to cry, I want to say I don’t. For some Oxen, this might be hormone related, but really what isn’t?

I think crying is an equal opportunity employment when it comes to gender. In public life we may find negative consequences for emotional expression. In private life, with practice, you may find it’s the opposite. In private life you can get positive consequences for emotional expression if you’re looking for that. Soften your natural tendency to turn Water to Earth.

Regarding health, Oxen may be accident prone this year, especially the athletic ones. Take note 1985 Wood Ox Cristiano Ronaldo and former decathlete 1949 Earth Ox Caitlyn Jenner: this is due to the energy of the year. Kylie Jenner, the daughter of Caitlyn and Kris Jenner*, was also born in an Ox year – 1997 Fire Ox. Kylie, being a former high school cheerleader is both sporty and sports adjacent. It’s not uncommon to see this kind of generational pattern in a family.

Whether you are sporty or not Ox, be careful with knives, needles, pins, or anything metal that might cut. Your words are Metal too, so take care with them in your experiments with communication. Avoid risky environments and high risk physical activities. Let someone else prune the big tree or chop wood for the fireplace. Find a sous chef.

I recommend you set up your plans in 2025 to stay put, because most of all it’s travel that might exacerbate your risk of injury or illness. Avoid it if possible. If you must travel, try to pick months and days that will make it smoother. Trust that your instincts will protect you if you honor them. Know what you know. Know sometimes you have to tough it out but not always.

As I always say Ox, the biggest challenges for anyone in any year have to do with what is going on inside your head. It seems important to tell you this:

Don’t count yourself lucky because others have it worse.
Count yourself lucky for your blessings instead.

Tally up the people and whatever else you love about life regularly. Every year offers good and bad. Financially speaking, things are about to get back on track and it’s true you’ve got a lot of work to do in 2025, just how you like it.

*Kris Jenner was born in a 1955 which was a Wood Sheep year. Note that Sheep and Ox clash.

The Pig in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Vardo and Bardo

We all ride the wheel. When you get to the top, you ride down. When you are at the bottom, the next thing that happens is going up. Pigs who can remember these ideas may find the year easier. The Dalai Lama, born in 1935 (a Wood Pig year) is someone who must know this. He is 89 now and recently preparations have been made to identify his successor. You know what that means, right?

The Pig is in the position of the 歲破 Sui Po or Year Breaker in the Year of the Snake because the Snake and Pig clash. They are opposite each other on the compass. The Snake is in the SE and the Pig is in the NW.

Every clash has some unique traits and this particular clash of Pig and Snake has to do with mobility and obstruction. The nuance is that the conflict is mostly expressed regarding communication and truth. Anyone who has challenges with mobility or obstruction will find that those challenges are related to communication and truth. Mobility can be limited or increased by your success with communication and a healthy relationship with the truth. Maybe this is the lesson for the Pig. If that’s true for Pig, then it’s true for the Snake too. How not?

A clash is a change. For any sign, clashing with the year will be about your relationship with one of the Five Elements and some area of your life. Without clash, nothing changes. As I have said before, we don’t generally choose clash energy because we fear that loss will be part of the change we experience. And I’m here to tell you that’s usually true. Any loss is painful, even the loss of something that isn’t necessarily good for us can be quite difficult.

Sometimes I associate the Pig with orthodoxy, among multitudes of other meanings. At the same time, I know the Pig is one of the best when it comes to shape shifting and adaptation. Elon Musk was born in the Metal Pig year of 1971 and I think he embodies both the orthodoxy and the unorthodoxy of the Pig. Erykah Badu, one of my favorite artists, was born that year too by the way. I’ve been keeping an eye on Justin Trudeau, also a 1971 Metal Pig. I heard he’s been thinking of quitting his job.

Because of certain timings and elemental dynamics, as well as the flexibility, versatility and creativity of the Pig, I sometimes associate this sign with transgender movements and concerns, and I think my interpretation is supported by J.K. Rowling’s birth year of 1965 (Wood Snake). She has no love for the transgender folk.

This juxtaposition of orthodoxy and transgenderism may sound contradictory, but to me it’s yin and yang. The Pig contains both. It’s not uncomfortable for them but others may not understand, and that’s the kind of energy involved in the clash of Snake and Pig.

Pig and Snake find it difficult to agree on fundamentals. Maybe that is why their conflict can be construed or mistaken as religious and include attempts at enforced reformation on either party’s side. The conflict between Pig and Snake might be a Fire vs Water problem, or a Wood vs Metal problem. The Pig can show up as Water or Wood depending on when you catch them. The Snake can change from Fire to Metal. Both Snake and Pig may call each other’s transformations lies. I wonder if one possible outcome of a the Snake being in charge of the year would be Pigs being pressed to hold onto the transformations they have made.

One thing that will be a big assist to Pigs in the first half of the year, is an optimism you may not be accustomed to. Some of this relates to things that happened in November 2024 oddly enough. In November 2024, Pigs are already aware of the challenges of the coming Snake year, and if you think somehow things are going to work out, you’re probably right. You’ve had protection from disasters during the Wood Dragon year, but the warning lights have been on the whole time, haven’t they? Have you already done the maintenance to keep things running smoothly? If not, there’s still time to avert some potential problems of 2025.

A Snake year problem for the Pig might have to do with wealth, including money. If possible, find a way to put yourself in a position where you have the least chance of spending or encountering big expenses. In any clash year, the clashee is the recipient of the Great Consumer energy and in 2025 the clashee is the Pig.

The effect of being in the position of Great Consumer is what it sounds like, meaning money is going to be spent. The strategy for coping with this is usually to choose to spend on something important to you that may not be tangible. Tangible things are easier to lose. You can donate to a cause you support too. Make the donation big enough to “hurt” for maximum mitigation of bad financial luck.

For Pigs who feel haunted or paranoid, and we all do from time to time, you can change that. It may be that most of the work involved would be talking about those feelings and/or writing them down. Being the bountiful Pig that you are, I expect you might turn it into art or some other kind of work that you can share with others, something to help them on their way. If not this year, maybe set 2027 as a goal for releasing that. Pigs are often at their best when they have a project underway.

Job one if you are trying to work with Fire is no matter how strong you are Pig, don’t expect it to just lay down and die. Maybe the toughest challenge is the anger or even rage that the Pig could experience in 2025. Or is it just that there are situations you refuse to tolerate any longer and that energy is looking for an outlet?

When you feel this way, surely it’s time to act but take time to calm yourself and ask for some advice about your plans. A danger for Pigs this year would be hurting themselves through their efforts to thwart something/someone else; that you would be willing to go to that length, blowing yourself up in order to blow up someone else. Don’t succumb to that sacrificial energy that may be linked to the timing of your birth.

This Wood Snake year means Pigs can benefit from travel and movement, so you might find a way to incorporate those things into all of your plans for the year. Travel to check in with family members who may need your help with recovery from illness or preventing illness.

Travel might be a way of making money, saving money, or other getting other benefits however, it may not be easy to see how that would be possible, and maybe not easy to travel. You’re going to have to ask for some things Pig. In some parts of the year, you may find yourself feeling stuck in place but it’s not a still point. Consider loosening attachments to routines. You can improve the quality of the year through movement. The events of the year emphasize the importance of staying in touch with your roots.

One of the Pig’s lucky stars in 2025 says that people are going to trust you and be willing to loan you valuable or important items: tools, money or other helpful things. Leverage this energy by generating trust through your actions – be trustworthy!

I don’t think I have to say this, but I will just in case there is any question: it would be a mistake to try to take unfair advantage of this luck and you wouldn’t want the kind of consequences that might come from doing that. Pigs can manage much of the year’s energy by forthcoming communication and honesty. You don’t have to be perfect, just sincere I guess.

Remember Pig, you have four pillars in your Ba Zi. Your day stem will tell much more about your forecast for the year. If you have any of the four Vaults in your natal chart, that is Ox, Dragon, Sheep or Dog, that could be a big help regarding money. If you book a reading with me I can help you make a practical plan.

In my experience with reading Ba Zi, I have found that when people are clashed or in a bad luck period, it conjures up memories of past hurts and “failures”. In a Ba Zi, clashes penalties and punishments are mostly psychological, which is not to say they are not real. If they are psychological, that means you could benefit by taking a different perspective or position. Those unpleasant memories are usually made up of your own unfinished business. If that’s true for you, finish!

The Dog in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Trained Not Restrained

Dogs have made it through the shakeup of another Dragon year. You made it through the clash of 2024 and perhaps now, you’re feeling a little loose and uncertain. Your life has been rearranged. Nobody likes feeling that way, but after a year of learning, and maybe unlearning, you’re in the right place to start again. If your old training is no longer applicable to who you want to be, drop it. Are you persisting just because you can?

Of all the 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac, maybe the Dog is the toughest. The Dragon may win more arguments, but the Dog is tougher. Things that would kill most people seem to roll off the Dog’s back and somehow, they maintain a kind of weirdly grim optimism. Dogs may be worn down from the year of the Dragon, and being less stable might be very thing that is your ticket to ride the wheel up. What I mean is, Dogs may find it hard to change or learn without some adversity. Sometimes their loyalty and dependability might keep them stuck in place.

It takes a long time to change a mountain. That’s yang Earth. Both the Dragon and the Dog have 戊 yang Earth as their main element. They are the only two signs included in the Fiu Gong gang of pillars. These pillars that Master Lily Chung calls Bossy Pillars are Metal Dog, Metal Dragon, Earth Dog, Earth Dragon, Water Dog and Water Dragon. I will go with her translation!

If you have one of these pillars, you have the capacity to go through intense physical and mental challenges and still be able to function. Hunter Biden was born in a Metal Dog year (1970). Mike Tyson’s birth time is unknown, but if I had to guess his hour pillar, I might guess that it’s Metal Dragon because there is no other Fiu Gong in his Ba Zi. You’re getting the picture now, right?

In his hour pillar, Elon Musk has the Earth Dragon. Remember, in addition to being a Fiu Gong, the Dragon is a self clash sign too. In a Dragon year, a person with the Dragon in their hour pillar could be having some thoughts about how they can decide what risks are okay because they know better than everyone else.

You might be interested to know that the Wood Dragon (Kamala Harris) is not one of the Fiu Gong group, neither is the Wood Dog. Can you think why that might be? Compared to the others, the Wood Dog and the Wood Dragon might be slightly flimsy. This is relative, so don’t think they are not formidable in their own right.

Sometimes when I think of Dog and Dragon (okay maybe always), I think of Trump and Putin. Trump is born in the Fire Dog year, Putin is born in the Water Dragon year. I’ll give you one guess to know who is zooming who. If you know your elements this is easy but that’s not required in this case.

When I think of those two, for some reason I remember that scene in Boys from Brazil where the old Nazi hunter and the current old Nazi boss fight each other in a slow grapple. The whole time you’re thinking one of these guys has to die, right? Spoiler alert: in the end, it’s the Dobermans who settle everything. I realize this is an extreme example, I mean obviously most Dragon and Dog people aren’t Nazis, however, the clash of Dragon and Dog might be portrayed as a battle of good against evil due to the magnitude of the conflict. Neither sign is purely good or evil.

Like the Sheep, the Dog has the power to tame negative influences the Year of the Wood Snake. The key is to respond rather than react, which requires some preparation, however, when most Dogs hear this, their ears prick up with excitement because Dogs are strong defenders. Dogs want a job. They want to know the mission and execute, but like everyone else, Dogs can be trained to ignore certain pertinent facts.

For Dogs and all of us, the antidote for our bad training is to understand when you are supporting or defending the wrong people. You may have been learning from them, maybe being trained by them. When Dogs and Dragons support and protect the people with the most influence in our current times (i.e. super rich dudes), you might end up with a bad guy in charge of a whole country. Go figure. Not all Dogs or Dragons are rich, but these signs are often associated with wealth.

The Year of the Wood Snake means the Dog’s financial situation is improving. Being in the position of Great Consumer in 2024, many Dogs ended up having less money coming in than they did going out. Dogs are in the position of Lesser Consumer in 2025. The spending isn’t over but for most Dogs it will be less. In 2025 Dogs will likely be able to begin storing up money again.

Maybe the most challenging part of the Snake year is that there’s an uncomfortable detaching or letting go in store for Dogs. With the Dog being so loyal, I know even the suggestion of that will create some worry, but in life things we would not choose do happen. Sometimes they happen for reasons that don’t make sense to us. All of this is to say, cherish your people.

If there are elders in your life that you’ve been meaning to visit, do that. Male ancestors may especially need your brand of protective support. Don’t miss the opportunity to spend time with anyone you love. Let these times be a reminder of the urgency of connecting with your roots. This is what the Snake brings for you.

In 2025, it may be time to let formerly tight relationships loosen, or to let go of certain ones altogether. While this might feel like a tragedy, consider that maybe you’re attached to something that is already over. I know this doesn’t make it easier, but for Dogs with health issues, this may be key to your recovery. If you’re trying to avoid an ending by way of beginning, that is by bargaining, or trying to renovate a relationship, it’s hard to say whether it will work, because that takes two. It could be time for something new.

One of the best ways for the Dog to improve their fortune in the year of the Wood Snake is to venture out of familiar territory. That might mean travel, including to foreign countries, or moving away from your current location. If you’re finding yourself moving around more and you don’t like it, look for what you might get out of it. The Universe is offering you something that’s going to advance whatever you’re working on. If travel and moving sound like too much, find other ways to get out of your comfort zone. Expose yourself to some new experiences and people. I know you can do that.

Some Dogs will find love and/or marriage type relationships in the Year of the Snake, which is kind of convenient if they want to pick a good marriage year – that could be 2026. Given the current state of the world, you might choose not to wait that long if being married fulfills urgent practical needs. If you can wait until then, why not? If you are in love, be in love! Be together and celebrate your love with friends and family too. If love changes your outlook, let it be so. Don’t try to be certain all the time about the outcome – that’s just the Metal in you. Can you make your trust as strong as your devotion?

New relationships will tend to bring fresh perspectives for the Dog in 2025, so you might listen to the helpful advice that accompanies them. That doesn’t mean you have to enact it, but in the Year of the Snake, I recommend you try to find ways to do new tricks. There are so many opportunities available to make yourself over if you want that.

In the year of the Snake, Dogs may find a mentor or at the least someone who is a fellow traveler in your lane and wants to help you. They will probably be further along in their path than you are which will be a persuasive argument as to why you would follow their advice – not blindly of course. You wouldn’t want to substitute bad training for habits you already have and want to change. Don’t forget where we started with this forecast: Dogs may still have to go against their original training to get back to their true nature.

Close your eyes, sniff the wind and trust.

The Rooster in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Power Tools

I am curious to see what Roosters have to say this year when I meet up with them for their annual readings. Roosters know I listen, and that I can and will keep their secrets, which makes me a person they feel comfortable sharing with. Roosters don’t trust just anyone so it’s kind of a big deal.

When a Rooster trusts you they usually offer lots of details about their experiences which always reminds me that Roosters do better with people in their lives who are really listening to them. Roosters naturally want to talk. You don’t necessarily have to say anything back, Roosters are usually not looking for solutions. They are usually trying to work something out for themselves and it helps if you listen. They need to get the Water out of their heads or they get anxious.

A feature of the self clash of the Rooster is that they don’t want to keep trying to get your attention but it makes them anxious when they feel like others are refusing to hear them, so they keep trying. If you love a Rooster, help them get their daily dose of being heard. If you think they talk too much, guess what? The more you listen, it might be the less they have to say!

Power is waiting for the Rooster to claim it in 2025. Roosters who stretch themselves a bit this year can reap bigger rewards due to the presence of the Snake. Roosters are going to be passing tests and finding new career paths are open. Big achievements are possible. A Wood Snake brings money and recognition too. In 2025 you still have connections to authority due to your affiliation with the Snake. Oxen will get some benefit from this too. The Snake, Rooster and Ox make up the Metal Trio. Metal is finally in a growth stage again starting in 2025.

Many Roosters, like Beyoncé for example, got what they wanted in 2024, but that’s not every Rooster’s story. The past caught up with Roosters in 2024, one was her husband Jay Z. His troubles are partly due to another Rooster’s self clash regarding words. If you’re committing crimes and you’re compelled to talk about it… that’s a Rooster problem in a Dragon year.

Sometimes the signs of Dragon and Dog together mean imprisonment and I think that’s what we saw with Sean Combs, a Rooster gone wrong. Like Jay Z, Sean was born in 1969, an Earth Rooster year. His Ba Zi also holds the potential for the Bullying Punishment, and he exerted control over his victims by way of threats (words) of exposing them to further humiliation and career devastation.

In 2024 Sean Combs’ year pillar combined from top to bottom with the Wood Dragon pillar, ultimately bringing his usual life to a halt. As it happens, Sean Combs was born in the month of the Wood Dog, meaning he was both combined and clashed in the Dragon year. The energy leading to his imprisonment started in late 2023, Water Rabbit year, with the tension increasing until he was finally arrested and imprisoned in a Rooster month, September 2024.

For Roosters who did get what they wanted in 2024, did it come at a higher price than you expected? I mean that literally. After being the Great Consumer of 2023, the Rooster was in the position of Lesser Consumer in 2024. Rabbit and Dragon years usually mean money going out for the Rooster so hopefully you were able to make some good investments. You may find it possible to balance your income and spending more easily in 2025.

The Year of the Wood Snake may provide more financial stability and Roosters are still riding the wheel up, but the Rooster’s tendency to worry could get in the way of enjoying the ride. Maybe this is why Roosters may have more money coming in in 2025, but you may also be tempted to take unnecessary risk for a bigger reward. It seems that could backfire this year, even though in 2025 Roosters are once again in a favored position.

Roosters are not clashed by the year or singled out for penalties, rather the year is defined by relationships. There can be advantages in that if you can fit into some kind of group, which is usually not the Rooster’s strong suit. Still, in a Snake year, the Rooster will find new ways of being, creating or perhaps even expanding their own tribe.

Great successes are possible if you are ready to test yourself a little and I think you can handle that. Roosters are usually stronger than they think, stronger than others think too. Take on just a little more than you think you can handle and see how it goes. If it goes well, push a little more. You have a lot of growth potential this year.

What Roosters may want to avoid in 2025 is using their power or leverage to get involved with litigation. Rules are often what a Rooster lives by and when they are broken the Rooster will let you know. Roosters are a good check and balance for the unruliness and expansion of the Wood element, however, taking that too far would be a common Rooster mistake – made out of revenge fantasies perhaps. You’d be better off setting examples of good behavior than trying to regulate too much.

I understand that sometimes the Rooster cuts people off to avoid their own potential violence. I didn’t used to believe this, but ending relationships due to moral injuries makes sense to me now. Taking that energy into the court system usually does not. Why increase the magnitude of the problem or extend it into the future? It’s not a given that you will win. Give yourself time to lose interest in vengeance. Your body will be forever grateful.

In the Year of the Snake, both Rooster and Horse have the power to make introductions between mutually hostile groups, which is probably best done as a hit and run kind of exercise. What I mean is, expect a little drama to come with that but you might choose to do it as a good deed. In terms of their own relationships, Roosters may long for and rediscover connections to the past and old friends in 2025. Whether or not you believe it Rooster, you do have impact on people. They tend to remember you.

In the first half of the year, there will be someone nearby that can help Roosters with health and health care. They may be working with herbs or some other non-western medicine. Find out if they have the knowledge and experience to help you, rather than taking their claims at face value. If you want to change your health, remember that is a process best supported by consistent routines and some of them are not fun. Go back to your logic for support on that.

It might be that the year doesn’t really take off for the Rooster until the beginning of summer. Until we get to May, work on those things that will support your energy so you have plenty to spend. Use up the Wood season (February-April) wisely.

As is true for the Monkey, clear communication is what will make the best year for the Rooster. Prevention is easier than cure, so guard your reputation with transparency. That will mean that if accusations should fly, they are easily extinguished. Leave no way for your honesty to be questioned if you want to mitigate the influence of the petty people who might show up in 2025.

Now let’s get to the best stuff!

In the Year of the Wood Snake the Rooster’s authority and potential for being included in governing bodies is higher than usual. If you want to be a leader, the year is supportive of that. To take advantage, you might have to leave behind your disdain of groups and work with those who are willing to show up consistently. You don’t have to like them for them (or you) to be a good teammate. If you get to know them, you may like them better.

This new year will give Roosters a chance to increase their social status through leadership. Work within the group you want to impress. Take care with being diverted onto detours out of annoyance or feeling attacked. Being “fake” is not required for you to be accepted, so don’t back out of opportunities for that reason. The energy that opens this leadership door for you doesn’t come around like this every year, but it’s here in this year of the Wood Snake. Maybe you would like a taste? It’s safe. You can always change your mind.

Overall, the Rooster’s good luck in 2025 will override the bad. When problems pop up they will end up being less difficult than you anticipate, that is, if you let them. In the Year of the Wood Snake, Roosters have the ability to turn bad to good. That applies to all aspects of your life. Doesn’t that sound like a good deal? You’ll have the best results if you give yourself time to think before you act but do act. Stay focused on your communication.

The Monkey in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Make Love, Not War

For the Monkey, all relationships involve Water. This could be a saving grace for Monkeys who experience the Fire penalty in 2025. Only a thorough analysis of your Ba Zi will tell you what the heck this might mean. What I can say without a full analysis is that because the Dragon is followed by the Snake in the Cycle of 60, Monkeys are potentially still in a Water cycle in 2025.

I think the Monkey both loves Water and fears it. The challenge for all Monkeys is to learn to surf, maybe not literally, but metaphorically. Emotions are the ocean, you ride them to get to a new place. Try to avoid the waves and they will knock you around. Ignore your emotions and you might flounder.

To share how the Fire penalty might play out in real life, maybe you remember the Water Tiger year of 2022 when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock? Obviously that wasn’t a good year for Will, being clashed and experiencing the Fire Penalty too. Will Smith was born in 1968, an Earth Monkey year. Chris Rock, the slapee, was born in a Wood Snake year. So all three of the “players”, Tiger, Snake and Monkey, were there at that moment, but one player was unknown. In addition to Chris Rock making a joke that Will Smith thought was wrong, maybe Will was already raw due to the presence of a third party in his marriage.

In 2025, Jada Pinkett-Smith, born in a Metal Pig year, will be clashed. Is Will going to come to her rescue once again? I guess we will see.

When the Monkey is with their friends and associates, meaning the Dragon or Rat, Water, or wisdom, is being produced. Think about this for a moment. How do we gain wisdom? Often, we come to wisdom due to hardship pushing us to look for meaning. What I see is there is usually work involved. To learn is not a comfortable choice.

In the year of the Wood Snake I encourage you to pursue learning anyway Monkey. Pursue the changes you want, knowing that things are going to change regardless. The friends you choose, or no longer choose are a big theme for you this year. The flavor of your Water is dependent on the flavor of people you run with. If you don’t like the taste, make new friends. If you feel like no one understands you, become more articulate.

In more intimate relationships, the pairing of Snake and Monkey can produce Water too. This relationship has two distinct names in a Ba Zi: Secret Friends and Six Destructions. As it sounds, the relationship of Monkey and Snake goes deep and perhaps that’s what makes it feel threatening: the vulnerability that comes with intimacy. 2025 is the year to learn how you might want to change your rules about that – or not.

One possible outcome of the Fire Penalty is that both Snakes and Monkeys may be prone to breakups this year. Fire Monkey Jerry Hall learned this when she experienced the clash of Tiger along with the Fire penalty in 2022, but I don’t think that breakups are inevitable. Communication is the way to keep everyone safe regardless of outcome. Honesty will go a long way in any relationship when it comes to avoiding feelings of betrayal. Be kind too.

I know I’m kind of hammering away on this, but I want to say again that every relationship for Monkeys depends on Water, obviously suggesting that communication is always a live issue for the Monkey. The extreme yin and yang of this would be not talking enough or talking too much; nondisclosure vs info dumping. The challenge is to stay somewhere in the middle.

I’ve mentioned some general meanings of Water…what is Water to the Monkey?

With Monkey having 庚 yang Metal as their main element, Water is what they produce: words, actions, offspring, any creations. Water is a healthy outlet as well as a potential source of fear. This is true for the Rooster too. Since the Water element is very much related to words and emotions, when there is an excess of Water it can be overwhelming for the Metal.

When there is too much Water a Monkey could get lost or drained. A Monkey can be overwhelmingly productive and overwhelmingly emotional, anxious, ill, or depressed all due to the same element. All of these things can happen at the same time. When it does, it’s kind of dramatic. It’s hard to decide what to do to change things.

The Year of the Wood Snake will ask you to make some choices and make relationships a high priority. Healthy and supportive relationships will make the second half of the year smoother. You may have the opportunity to form an alliance with someone in a position to help you with your career in the first half of the year, possibly a mentor or advisor.

Getting more money in this Year of the Wood Snake might seem like the way to fix everything. I think many of us will feel that way in 2025, and I’m not saying you’re wrong, however you (and others) may feel driven to go further than you would normally to make that happen. Be assertive about pursuing wealth but avoid being too aggressive. That usually doesn’t work and I don’t think it’s your style. Don’t let fear drive you.

While it’s true that the Fire Penalty falls on the Monkey this year, know that you are not singled out, there’s enough Fire to go around to affect the Tiger too. Without knowing the role of Fire in your Ba Zi, there’s not much more to say about that except Monkeys may be stressed and/or distracted, so take care with driving and other travel. You could be more accident prone in 2025. If you can commute less, that will be a bonus.

The Fire Penalty may also make it prudent for Monkeys, Tigers and Snakes to watch for situations where, unbeknownst to you, a third party is involved. If this happens, don’t rush to judgement, but do make firm decisions and stick with them. This is the way. If you think the Fire Penalty might apply to a love relationship in your life, you could change the game by improving your communication with your partner now. The same could be said about the Monkey’s family relationships.

The coming energy of the Wood Snake suggests Monkeys might choose loneliness instead of participating in all these absurdities of life. Withdrawal probably won’t change anything other than whether or not you have company. I think Monkeys were lonely in 2024 despite the Dragon’s presence. The Dragon isn’t always the best supporter of the Monkey even though you would think they would be. This could be due partly to the remoteness of the Dragon, and excessive Water again.

In 2025 there’s also good news for Monkeys – of course! You are a Nobleman this year so improve your flexibility. Limber up. Find ways to do your good deeds without overstretching yourself. Remember this advice if financial or other circumstances are making you feel like you are flying by the seat of your pants. Venturing into further risk is not a good solution for your situation. Minimize potential losses. It’s okay not to give out loans.

I’ll say again – much if not all of the potential bad luck a Monkey might have in 2025 can be neutralized by clear communication. Avoid clouding it with sarcasm or too much humor. Make it constant, you will need to do it more than once. Make sure you are understood.

And finally, here’s the best news about 2025 for Monkeys. You are under the influence of the 太陰 Tai Yin or Moon, and the Moon can help you get your life organized, re-organized or even help you to set up a new business. The yin energy of the Moon will help Monkeys get things done that are very useful and practical, but maybe not things you would think of as fun or social media worthy. You might be doing things like filling out an applications, possibly for a business license or opening a bank account. You might not have things to show off yet but you will.

The Sheep go went through this very process last year, step by step. They can tell you there will be lots of things to do that are tedious, and yet they are very important. Remind yourself of this when you might tire of working with so many details. Get help with that if you need it.

When you have the Moon on your side and you’re feeling it, it’s time to break away from the establishment, man. Set up something of your own. Of course, when to do that is your decision. If you want to know how soon you could make money, how a potential new business fits you elementally, or when to open we could address those questions in a reading.

Note to Monkeys: For further revelations, read the 2025 Fortune for the Snake and Tiger too.

The Sheep in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The Caretaker

What the Sheep has going for them in 2025 is much like any other year – the Sheep creates a hospitable beauty out of whatever is available. Having a party but you can’t afford any flowers? Just get creative. The Sheep will go and gather wild flowers from the neighborhood and before you know it you’ve got a bouquet on the table. The Sheep seems to always have a talent for making less look and feel like more because of their ideas about hospitality and beauty. Sheep are often counselors in their work and caring is a big part of what they do.

The main element of the Sheep is yin Earth, fertile and capable of producing 10,000 things. The Sheep month comes at the end of summer, a time of ripening that comes before autumn’s harvest. This is when Earth becomes strong enough to give birth. In the year of the Wood Snake, the Sheep’s already creative nature is about to be enhanced.

Sheep, you might have realized by now that I am conjuring these images because I want you to remember what you are good at. The special talents that you have are what will carry you through 2025.

For Sheep involved with the arts in any way, lean into that this year. If you’re not involved with the arts, get involved! By arts I mean those of all kinds: writing, gardening, sewing, cooking, knitting, crochet, painting, sculpting…the list goes on. Spend time around art or visit museums and craft fairs at the very least. Arts and crafts time isn’t only for children or those who are raising them. Creativity might be your cure for 2025. Incorporate art into your work wherever you can.

To make 2025 more satisfying, you could also lean into this metaphor and apply it to your work which is making people feel warm and welcomed with the so called “little things”. Little things are what life is made of; expressions of affection and joy. The Sheep is meant to call others to join the parade of life, not lead a death march. Realistic optimism is welcome! It’s time to move on from grimness. This advice may be specific to 1955 Wood Sheep Kris Jenner, Kelsey Grammer and Bill Gates.

Being alone is never a happy place for a Sheep, and I mention this because in 2025 you might feel that way. Is it that your work (family?) gets in the way of other relationships that you enjoy more? Remember that you are not alone, you do have a choice about these things, and you can’t be everything for anyone all the time. You are allowed to have needs too. The way to work with this unsettling energy of the Wood Snake year is to be a part of a support network. You may need the support, or you may be called to support others depending on your Ba Zi. Either way, there’s strength in numbers. Don’t neglect your kinships. Not all of them depend on blood.

I know some Sheep who took my 2024 recommendation to work with Snake energy last year and I have to say, they had some good results, especially with job hunting. If you started cultivating your relationship in 2024 with a person you want to be your new boss in 2025, I think you might reap rewards from that. People who began working with AI last year may also find that helpful for finding employment in 2025. I’m not a huge fan of AI – I’m just calling it like I see it.

The Wood Snake year is going to be challenging for the Sheep. The same yin Wood that is on the top of the year pillar has the potential to crack the Sheep open so to speak. When it comes to your own power and agency, you may need to guard against self harm, conscious or unconscious. Before you get too worried, remember that all of these outcomes are potential, which means they are susceptible to being changed by your choices. What did you learn or not learn in 2015? If this is a similar opportunity for you to learn how and when to say no, take it. That will make it easier for all the next times. These patterns keep repeating you know. I know you know how to say no.

The process that Sheep are beginning in 2025 has a completion in 2027. You may not understand 2025 that way until you’re looking back from the perspective of 2028. Since I’m talking to you Sheep, I want to emphasize that I’m not saying this is the beginning of a hell ride. I’m saying this year is the start of many major changes in your life.

It might help to remember that we all have a destiny and what happens is what was meant to be all along. Connect and reconnect to people and places that are important to you. Do the small things. Remind people that you love them. In short, do what you always do – intentionally. If this sounds negative to you, I hope you know that of course life is always a mix of what we want and what we don’t want. It’s our preferences that shape our perspective, therefore if you can let go of them or be more flexible, you will find an easier path. This is how we can work with timing.

For Sheep who are feeling distracted, forgetful or foggy in 2025, you’re in good company. Let’s remove the stigma from that and get practical. Many of us now have different abilities than we had prior to 2020, but we can also take measures ahead of time to help ourselves find misplaced or lost items. You might put an airtag in your wallet or purse, or note where you parked before you leave your car. Establish a place where you keep important items and try to always return them there. Label things. Set reminders for yourself. No solution is one hundred percent effective but try to find one that works most of the time for you if brain fog is a problem.

For those who were born in a Sheep year, it may be one of your elders who needs help with memory and guarding valuables. Make a point to check in with older generations of family and help to support their well being. Visit them when they need help, but also when there is no emergency so that you can simply enjoy each other. Be careful of your health and theirs – avoid opportunistic infections and take precautions.

Check your environment and theirs for trip hazards or things that might fall from a high place. If there are heavy things hanging over the bed, or the head of the bed you might want to change that. Sleeping with your headboard on a wall under a window is another Feng Shui no no. In the case of someone who is spending lots of time in bed due to illness, they may benefit from putting the bed in a different position. Sometimes you might even consider relocating them to a different bedroom temporarily. If you’d like to know more about that, get in touch. I can help.

To make the year go more smoothly, respond rather than react when you can. Your responses (or lack of reaction?) in 2025 can calm difficult situations. In case of conflict, let the energy be spent, rather than trying to block it or counter it. Let the truth settle things. This will put you in a stronger position and you will be able to bring matters to a more satisfying conclusion. This is one of the best assets you have this year so use it unsparingly!

It’s likely the Sheep will be called to travel this year, and it might feel unavoidable. If you don’t want to travel, there are ways to dissipate that energy. In this year especially, I want Sheep to remember that so much of our luck can be changed by our focus.

As for money and investments, the Sheep will do well to avoid financial risks this year. Again, this may apply to other people in your family as well as you. You probably already know who might need your loving supervision with organizing, paperwork and other mundane yet important things. Helping them will make a big difference in their perception of any possible outcome. It will for you too. Remember that time will change everything. I mean, you’re riding the wheel up. This Year of the Wood Snake is part of the ride.

The Horse in 2025 ~ Wood Snake Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Hephaestus for the Rest of Us

Put your head up Horse. You may get lost at times, but you don’t stay that way do you? A Horse is good at running away, which is probably how they become good at finding their way home when they want to. If you have disappeared, maybe it’s time for you to come back. Back to what is the question!

I’m going to be blunt: envying the dead isn’t going to get you anywhere, but grieving will. That kind of jealousy may beckon again now, but it’s not yours, it belongs to the year. In 2025 you finally have the strength to transform Metal again.

What would you like to make out of your grief? An anchor? A shield? An axe? A sword? A dagger? Or would you like more beauty? Maybe you just want to be able to breathe clean air deeply again. In nature a horse’s sense of smell is crucial for guidance, survival, and emotional wellness. I think this is true for Horses too. Focus on breathing.

What’s new in the wind? Celebrations are still important. Joy is too. A Horse is Fire and the Horse’s work is to perform a joyous rescue. A Horse’s job is to create Earth, meaning a safe place for you to be. The way the Horse goes about this is often by starting over from the ashes as their way to make it back to peak. Yes, the process can be dramatic.

For example, sometimes the sign of Horse can indicate an athlete. Not always – you have to be able to recognize it. One pattern you may see for professional athletes is that when it’s retirement time they reinvent themselves as entrepreneurs, salespeople and/or recommit to partner and family. For better or worse, they start over with things in a big way. Some professional athletes may not make it through this transition, falling into addiction or living a life troubled by injuries. If you need help with your next iteration, get in touch.

The way of starting over that Horses practice is pretty extreme. Starting at over at zero is hard work, not to mention it is not sustainable in the long term. Young Horses will have seemingly endless capacity to start over. It’s only when they get older they may realize that it’s not a strategy you want to use for every instance. Luckily the Horse is capable of learning and redefining success. Finding ways to get things done and still avoid the limits of your endurance is usually a better plan than burning out and starting over. If you use fights as a way of ending things, this year you have a chance to change that.

Horses like to shine wherever they roam. They like to stand out and often that energy is fun for others to experience. Being embarrassed is a natural part of the Horse’s life because they attempt the jumps where others balk. A Horse that is in hiding or doesn’t want to be seen might be unwell, or they might simply be at a low point.

I know a Horse who, due to physical illness, has been making jokes about being dead since 2020. Horses are very much embodied. Maybe this is why they like to play with unconsciousness. They think it’s their only respite. While Rabbits are health conscious and often do the work when it comes to maintaining health, a Horse’s motives around health are mostly about not dying. You know the expression, it’s not a threat, it’s a promise?

If the current climate of burnout is any indication, we have generations of Horses now who have to decide whether or not they are going to make a comeback, one more time. Horses who come to mind immediately include 1942 Water Horses Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell, 1954 Wood Horses Angela Merkel, Sonia Sotomayor and Carly Fiorina as well as 1966 Fire Horse Kirsten Gillibrand.

In the last five years, Horses have experienced a series of jolts in the form of reality checks and disappointments and death, as have we all. Now is the time for Horses to relearn how to put Fire to work. The same Fire of the Horse that can lead to burnout is the Fire that creates Earth, which includes food and safety. A Horses natural energy creates stability through Earth. It moves fast but it is inconstant. It’s at its best in short bursts.

In contrast to the last five years, Horses have no major opposition in 2025. You’re not clashed, you’re not in the San Sha, you’re not particularly on anyone’s radar. Good news! This gives you an advantage and on the dial plate this year the Horse is in the position of Great Advantage. You’re sitting next to power – that’s what gives you the advantage. Consider making friends with power in a way that will fuel your endeavors.

People probably are not expecting what you’re about to come up with in 2025 because maybe you’ve been unusually quiet or they know you’ve been struggling. You will probably surprise yourself too if you commit to fueling your independence. Being a Horse, sometimes opposition and resource are interchangeable. When you don’t have either, you might be wondering where everyone has gone but now is the time for friendship – the thing Horses are not as good at. Time to learn. There is no underlying let down for the Horse in 2025. Push your luck further by making good choices. This is the way.

In 2025 Horses can stand out in the academic environment more easily. This same energy could be applied to any learning situation. If you’re looking to change jobs or offer new products or services, do your homework. It will pay off. It’s likely you’ll be more persuasive than you’ve been in some time so craft your pitch and be clear.

For the Horse, this year of the Snake is made for falling in love again. Start with your current partner if you have one – see how it goes. Get back to sharing your feelings regularly like you used to. Horses have a special charisma this year that will get you more attention but may distract others from what you want them to notice. Be aware that you may be perceived as flirtatious or as someone looking for relationship drama. Are you? Take care with laughing off serious situations that you may have instigated. That’s not cool.

The Horse is granted the blessing of the 太陽 Sun this year, so shine a light on any problems or disease you find and it’s likely you can make great progress. Play with Fire. Bring things to attention. Enact solutions. Move on to the next project! As a Horse, having the Sun might mean being your true self: wild and gentle at the same time. Learn how to be generous as you like to do, without the self-sacrifice. Change the rules to fit each rescue. If you are lonely, seek true connection instead of passing distractions.

A special power for Horses in the Wood Snake year is the ability to create something seemingly out of smoke. Since you do have resources in 2025, this means you might create something quite special. Decide by February what you want to do with that gift and stick to it. Only indecision can get in your way. For Horses who are also cooks or participate in the culinary world, you might find your star rising; leveling up your skills at the least. If Fire isn’t a favorable element for you, this may not apply.

Your luck is still changing Horse, all in all for the better. Your good luck is good enough to outweigh any challenges in 2025 as long as it’s backed by solid choices. Perhaps don’t expect too much financial gain. There are other more sustainable joys for you this year.

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