Category: Divination

The Horse in 2023 ~ Water Rabbit Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Moon Era

So you thought that the Water Tiger was going to help you out, did you? And all you had to show for it was a big soggy smoking log. Every piece of Wood you gathered in 2022 was a little damp, no? At least you can blame the smoke for those watery eyes. You’re out of captivity now, so learn to be wild again. By this time, your perspective has shifted enough to survey the damage that has been done in your vicinity since 2020. Maybe you’ve got some anger fueling your creativity and you’re no longer willing to tolerate the status quo. That’s what I’m hoping.

There’s been plenty of talk about how the Horse was the recipient of good luck in 2022. And this turned out to be true, but not in a reaping the rewards kind of way. It was more of a survival kind of way. In 2022 there was just enough encouragement to persuade you to keep going even at those moments when you were ready to chuck everything you have worked for.

Maybe you’ve figured out that simply because you’re still here, you’re special. You made it through the wash, rinse, repeat cycle without being snuffed out. The ways that this has changed your perspective might make others think you are no fun any more. Sobering isn’t it? This year you can play again, that is, if you actively continue to take care of your health.

You’re going to be glad you didn’t give up. Horses who have made it this far have learned some lessons about what independence means and how support and responsibility are part of it. If you are still feeling stuck in 2020, I want you to ask yourself if this has to do with your lifestyle or mindset. Have you come to think of yourself as lacking support? Or how about not needing it? These are probably both in error. The meaning of dependency is always under consideration for the Horse. Accept friends and be a good friend anyway.

In 2023, you finally have some ideas of your own about how to fix your situation, along with the resources to do it. Phew. It’s been hard to recover your forward motion. Hang on Horse, something new is kindling. This is a year for you to take a position. That might involve revealing your politics, getting a new role at work or creating one for yourself.

One of the most exciting things for the Horse this year is that you have the Moon on your horizon. Horse is a yang sign (so very yang) which makes having the power of yin a big deal. Instead of coming at problems head on, running away, or dragging things into the light, you’re empowered to take a more subtle approach. This may temper some of the “right now” energy that leads you into trouble at times.

With the power of the Moon at your side, you’re going to be busy, just like you like it. Horses like to work hard and sometimes this is their addiction, a problematic one like any other. A healthy Horse learns how to bring the appropriate level of intensity to the project, that is, to not push themselves to burnout every single time. Not every contest or task merits that. The cost of your addiction impacts people that love you too, not just you. If I told you that in 2023 there’s a better than usual pay off for your efforts, would you remember what I said about moderating intensity – or knock yourself out? Learn the power of regulation and natural cycles. Read this paragraph again.

The Moon will tend to benefit women most but it’s helpful for men too. If you’re an entrepreneur, the Water Rabbit year will bring you opportunities to apply the energy of the Moon when it comes to networking or organizing your own business. This is a special timing for the Horse. In a year where you will naturally attract attention and admirers, what you need to remember is your most important work happens behind the scenes, on the personal level. Expand your soft skill set. Learn to let your influence go deep.

This is a good year for the Horse to learn to keep some things under wraps. You don’t need to advertise everything or share all your advice. Keep things on a need to know basis for a change. You might find it more relaxing. Remember, you can’t control how your advice is implemented or even understood. Do your best to be articulate, clear and specific.

Despite your love of showing off, the most important things the Horse will do this year will probably not be for public consumption. Get back in touch with the most powerful foundation of your work: it’s personal. Joy is personal. Fame is a secondary consideration and not a necessary condition of your happiness.

Some masters are advising the Horse to stay away from the Rat, Rabbit and Rooster but this year I think contact and interaction are unavoidable. When you feel bold, seek them out instead. All three of them could use your help, and believe it or not you could use theirs too. In this year where you can be more by being subtle, if they do let you help them, keep it to yourself. That’s part of the deal.

Horses can make the most of the Water Rabbit year by acknowledging that there are some things that are simply over and they’re not coming back. You can’t change what already happened, so no point in dwelling on it. Find a way to let yourself stand down. You’ve been on guard for too long. If 2022 made this a live issue for you in the context of family, know that it’s time to forgive and let go, even if you can’t forget. Listen, communicate, repeat. Remember what you want.

Should you think you need a body guard or enforcer, question that. I don’t think you do. You could try to enlist the Dog, but they are probably already working for the Rabbit. Tigers may be more interested in alliance with you than usual because you’re lucky – for now. They tend not to appreciate you but you might change that this year. Your friend the Sheep has big prospects so it may be your turn to pick up your own pieces. No problem!

Money is attracted to you, and might tempt you to be over aggressive in your pursuit of wealth. This is the kind of mistake that will alienate people in positions of authority as well as those whose opinions and alliances you value. You know, those people you want backing you up in times of trouble.

Relationships are easier this year than they’ve been in some time. Seek joy and spread it. In case of difficult relationships that you’d like to improve or at least maintain, jump back in now while you can get more for those efforts. Some of your avoidance is just a bad habit; not based on your current feels is it?

If Horse is your day branch, you have an opportunity to meet someone this year with whom you could have a long term romantic relationship. There are also new alliances you can make with powerful people, more so if your day is Metal Horse.

Those with a Metal Horse year (1990 roughly) have a good outlook too. The Seattle Seahawks would do well to let quarterback Geno Smith continue to do his magic. He’s a great example of the kind of career reversal Horses can experience in this timing of Tiger and Rabbit.

The Horse has good advice to give in 2023. If your Horse is in the day or year pillar, your parents, you or your spouse will be advising. If you have a Horse in your hour pillar, it might be your children who have the good advice. If the Horse is in your month pillar, it will probably be someone at work who can help, or possibly an ex or sibling. Wherever the Horse appears in your chart will tell you who the advisor is.

In 2023, Horses have solutions to offer. The emphasis this year is in helping others. Most of the problems you encounter may not seem to be yours, and yet, there they are in front of you.

Job Title: Whisperer
Allies: Tiger, Dog, Sheep
Best months: February, March (powerfully personal), July, October.
Romance: Oh yes.

Timing for all signs: Whatever you want to accomplish this year will need to be started no later than March. Plan on finishing by July ideally, but no later than the end of August.

The Snake in 2023 ~ Water Rabbit Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Traveling Salvation Show

For the Snake, 2022 was quite…dynamic? Maybe your world has been shaken up; a reshuffling of the deck so to speak. What’s next? Is it time to for you to hit the road?

It is the Snake’s job to solve problems and give advice in 2023, and travel is somehow related to that. Although you may not be traveling to distant lands, travel is calling your name. Commuting is travel too.

Therefore, Snakes, what I want you to do this Water Rabbit year is pay attention to what’s around you. I don’t see you needing much assistance as long as you stay aware of your surroundings. Be present in time and space wherever you are. Using your enhanced powers of observation will keep you safe from harm. Trust that even if it sounds weird.

You may have a bigger view than usual, by which I mean a loftier perspective, so don’t forget to pay attention to small things too. We really need you to keep solving those mysteries. Some of them are medical. Hint hint. Can you help us get the facts straight?

The Snake in a Water Rabbit year is a Nobleman. For a Snake, this is something like being a consultant, again. You have a big level perspective and the skills to deal with bigger issues, however, most Snakes will find that their talents are needed on a more local, smaller level; in multiple locations. Throughout the year you’ll want to keep taking your big perspective and applying it in focused ways, on behalf of yourself and others. This year there could be more repetition than you’d like.

If Snake is in your month, you may be traveling for work. If Snake is in your year, maybe your parents will visit you or you will visit them. If Snake is in your day, you may be traveling for love or self development. If Snake is in your hour, maybe travel is your inner life – or maybe you have children who will travel.

Whatever the case, I know Snakes appreciate and enjoy travel and it appears to be available for you in 2023. It may be easier for you than for other signs in a year where we will see travel systems undergo a major overhaul. Travel is probably more likely in the first half of the year unless the itch runs deep for you. Can travel satisfy the longing you have now for friends and associates who are gone or far away?

It’s hard to be away from your roots, the feeling of touching them, and the people who embody them. The separation from what we knew as safety makes us all feel like we are just just barely hanging on to sanity, no matter what your belief system.

But wait, what if you’re not crazy? Maybe you’re just tired of waiting. You can feel time slipping away. Are you over it? Over everything? I hear a lot of people these days saying “I’m done”. Who even knows exactly what they are referring to, but frankly, I’m done too. What I mean is, I’m ready to move on but I’m flailing like everyone else. Let’s reorient together in 2023 for goodness sake.

Maybe a better way to describe the feeling that I’m talking about is calling it the simmering dissatisfaction that comes with having endured a situation for too long. It can turn to anger even when you’ve explored other outlets. This kind of energy can allow us to think of violence as a potential solution; anything is permissible in the interest of making change happen. If that’s where you are, I want you to consider how you can use that energy in a way that doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.

To channel that wild impatience, remember that distinguishing facts from misinformation and disinformation are very much in your wheelhouse. Present your findings. Use up this tension to fight back against the injustice that comes from lies – without killing anyone or ruining your life. Maybe it’s time to think about teaching? Maybe you should run for office. What better way to foil the bad guys? Maybe it’s time for a change of career. Has it become apparent that your values are no longer in line with your employer?

I would even suggest that directing your dissatisfaction to benefit a good cause might make you less accident prone this year. Otherwise that could be an issue. To offset potential injury, you can give blood, catch up on dental procedures and trim nails and hair regularly. If you are a cook, slow down and focus on what you are doing in the kitchen or ask someone else to do the chopping. This year you might realize that alone is not always the safe place you imagine it to be.

Your loneliness over these past few years may have been your choice. Maybe you chose it for the peace. It’s probably best to acknowledge that, if you haven’t already. And why wouldn’t you? Maybe it was just time for that in your life. That doesn’t mean you have to like being lonely. If being alone is not your preference, find a way to meet more people. Hiding out doesn’t really help with that, does it? And let’s not forget, avoiding intimacy is another way of hiding and by intimacy, yes, I do mean more than sex.

Career in 2023 may be more satisfying than relationship, probably due to the choices you are making. Are you sure you want closeness, or is it something less deep? For the masculine Snake, it appears to be a year of possibly sleeping alone. If you don’t want that, as you probably already know, this is not something that’s appropriately managed by force.* You can manage it by asking yourself what it is you’re supposed to learn from this time, or you could ask a Rabbit about intimacy. I think they will have unfamiliar, and therefore fresh, ideas for you.

While your associate the Rooster may be having a difficult year, your elemental nature means there’s a potential boost of income or at least, maybe an upgrade to your home or job. Among your associates and friends, you have the most to gain financially this year. There will be some peaks in 2023, but they may be lonely unless you’re interested in changing that. Regarding health, take some extra care not to get exhausted.

A downside of the year may be illness or loss of elders, other family members or friends. In that context, these days it’s probably best to get up to date with the people we care about on a regular basis. You never know what’s going to happen. If that kind of loss hasn’t touched your life in these last three years, you’ve been lucky. Cherish all those you love and make sure they know you do.

No matter what is going on, take your time with decisions, contracts, mergers and the like. You may be a bit prone to misjudgment so, even if it’s not like you to trust someone else over yourself, get a second opinion in case of important matters. You don’t have to follow the advice, just listen. Maybe there will be something useful.

Being a Nobleman in 2023, you can help people and there will be people ready to help you too. Snakes have advice to give about practical matters and money, but probably not about romance. It seems like that’s not your area of expertise at this time, however, Snakes who have healthy and happy partnerships will surely have some helpful tips to offer about how they got there.

Lastly, and maybe most important, Snakes have second chances that they didn’t have last year. You might apply that to anything where you want a do over or just use it to be more daring this year. Maybe apply that luck to a second chance with the one who got away, that is, if you’re still interested.

Job Title: Wandering Star
Allies: Snake, Rooster, Ox, Monkey
Best Months: May, August, September
Romance: Intimacy means you’re not afraid of committing to a position. Wait until you’re ready. June might make you think about it.

Timing for all signs: Whatever you want to accomplish this year will need to be started no later than March. Plan on finishing by July ideally, but no later than the end of August.

*It seems 1965 Wood Snake Brett Kavanaugh never learned this.

The Dragon in 2023 ~ Water Rabbit Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Fortunate Sun

Much of what the Water Rabbit year has to offer the Dragon is a clear vision. Trust in that and remember you don’t have anything to prove. Becoming known is a process so let people get to know you. Take some risks with problem solving but be patient, knowing that accolades will add up for later. With the kind of power you have this year, should you mess up, the most powerful thing you can do is tell the truth. Just get it out in the open where it can be dealt with and everything will be resolved. Poof!

In a Rabbit year, here’s what might be a nagging question: if your alliances became public knowledge, what kind of effect would that have on your career and reputation? Maybe a good one, maybe not, but know the answer to this question.

Be aware that potential trip ups this year come from associations that you fail to distance yourself from at the right time. I’m not recommending you abandon anyone, but your best friend Rooster is in the crosshairs of the year and may be willing to win at any cost. Your friend the Rat may be making harmful mistakes in the context of family or power. Take care with being an enabler. Can you be a friend and potentially let a friend make a mistake on their own, standing by to help pick up the pieces? Some people call that support. You don’t have to agree, just protect your neck.

The strongest impact of this Water Rabbit year will be psychological for you. The problems of a Dragon are the things that get in their head; it’s usually not external events. A typical problem is feeling misunderstood, and that may be magnified this year. You may even feel like people are mean to you. In each situation where this comes up, consider whether or not it’s true. Start thinking now about what you might want to do about it if it is. Maybe just let it go. What’s timely now is moving on.

With the 太陽 Tai Yang (Sun) on their side, Dragon is the go to person for problem solving in 2023. You can solve yours too, Dragon, though you might be more involved in others’ affairs than you’d like, possibly taking the role of whistle blower.* Some say that if you see a problem, that implies some responsibility on your part for solving it. Maybe that’s why it’s often your preference to ignore mundane things.

2023 may heighten that tendency. It may be difficult for you to see the point of what you’re working on because it may not be what you expected at this point in your life, or what you think you want. Your past experiences of feeling unrecognized or unappreciated may resurface. “Death by a thousand pokes to the ego”.

Jokes aside, take care of your health. A run of Wood years can wear a Dragon down or shape them to take power. It’s always your choice.

After these last few years, maybe you too are feeling like you’re seeking something that is always just out of reach. Can you extend yourself more in order to grasp it? We’re all due for stretching our capacity to help others. Should your employment make you feel like you’ve passed some peak of potential and achievement, that may be boredom speaking. This is a temporary situation if you will allow it to be. For certain.

In the Water Rabbit year, it’s normal for some endings to happen. Like you, most of us would benefit greatly by moving on from wherever we think we were, whether we’re talking about 2019 or 2022. If there’s meant to some kind of ending for you this year, remember you are the facilitator. In every case, this ending will be an event necessary to make way for a beginning. Don’t try to pretend you are pushed out or held back. You’re a Dragon after all.

So don’t give up, but do move on. Dragons can benefit from travel and movement this year, and can improve their luck by getting out of their usual haunts. That will help you get noticed, probably by those people you have been looking for in the context of work.

Dragons will benefit from exploring a new field or topic that is related to what they already do. Find other ways to shake yourself up intellectually. Seek change and the minor discomfort that comes with it unless you’re okay with missing out on the goodies the Rabbit year has to offer. If you’re having a hard time getting started, look for a Monkey to help you get moving.

Now that the Rabbit has shown up, the Dragon may want cultivate a money saving mind set. If you know your Five Elements, you’ll have some insight as to why, however, the potential financial losses the Dragon faces can be mitigated by staying in their own lane. It’s big enough! Know your friends. Know their friends. Know your enemies and their friends. Defend yourself as needed but don’t pick fights.

Maybe a Dragon’s only weakness is that they shun the supporting role. What the Dragon needs most in 2023 is grace: to give it, to get it, and to be graceful. The yin Wood of the Rabbit is in you and though you may find it annoying, or even think it’s overrated at times, you do know how to be kind. That’s the way to go if you want to support. Nice isn’t your way but kindness can be. I’m sure you know the difference.

Dragons like to play people off of each other. They like to be the one that knows the most about everyone in the room, and during these past few years Dragons may have intentionally or unintentionally hurt others who, this year, are forming their own alliances, potentially without you. Judgements will be made, so make sure your actions generate the approval or disapproval you are looking for. That’s all you can do.

If people are talking about you behind your back in 2023, give them good things to say. I wonder if you’ve noticed how lately your force might be working against you. There are times when it does. While it’s true you are a catalyst, you don’t have to prove it, however much you enjoy that. People are going to find out anyway, based on what you do and what happens around you. Bring your magic gently. That might save you some money and frustration too.

If Dragon is in your day pillar, you’ll want to find out how things are going in your relationship, unless you already know. I say this because Dragons seem to have the super power of ignoring things they find uninteresting or offensive, that is, until they decide not to. A Dragon can negate the existence of rules and things that hold other people back. This is a Dragon’s magic and sometimes, their folly.

If you do have concerns about your partnership, don’t forget that every successful one has weathered stormy times and other hardships – that’s how you know it’s successful. Find out how your partner is feeling about you and the life you share. The most persistent unhappinesses can be worn down by good communication and sharing truth. This is a delicate operation and must be approached with care, because there’s always a way to share the truth without being mean and it usually has to do with wording and timing. If there’s something you need to say, find the right words first. Let the words create a place to go with the discussion rather than ending it.

Lastly, if you’re a Dragon who hasn’t yet learned how to network, in 2023 consider directing most of your exchanges with people toward that idea. Demonstrate and acknowledge to yourself that your time with them is important to you. Do the small talk. Ask about the kids or the parents. Remember people’s names. Take notes if you need to. Take some interest. Before you know it, caring will reinforce your soft skills. You don’t have to like everyone, but you can’t exist without helpers, just like the rest of us.

Until the next episode, that is 甲辰 Wood Dragon 2024!

Job Title: Responsible Party
Allies: Monkey, Rat, Rooster
Best Months: August, September, December
Romance: Requires communication and attention.

Timing for all signs: Whatever you want to accomplish this year will need to be started no later than March. Plan on finishing by July ideally, but no later than the end of August.

*Is that you 1964 Wood Dragon Kamala Harris?

The Rabbit in 2023 ~ Water Rabbit Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Great Hare!

In the year of the Water Rabbit, the Rabbit is the 太歲 Tai Sui or year boss. The Rabbit’s element is Wood, yin Wood that is, a gentle but unceasing movement like the wind can be when it’s friendly. This means you can go wherever you want, Rabbits, wherever you dare. Be clear on facts, priorities, and alliances: yours and others’. You are being asked to take the role of a leader, in a more public way than usual this time. Conflict and competition are out in the open. Perhaps this will make it easier for you to learn about confrontation and how to handle it in a way that works well for you.

Fertility is a form of currency in 2023, and the Rabbit’s attitudes, thoughts, and values about fertility, creativity and procreation will be discussed all year. The Rabbit is often associated with health, alternative medicine, the freedom to be natural, freedom of sexual expression, and sexuality. When I think of the Rabbit, I often think of Anaïs Nin who was born in 1903, a Water Rabbit year.

You know what your values are: home, health, children, animals, security, family, love, inhabiting your body. You can learn to balance all of these things with what you want for yourself. Rabbits have career luck in 2023.

We need your emphasis on the power of meeting basic needs as the first solution for every problem. In 2023, Rabbits feel motivated to set things right, to correct what is unacceptable, and this year they can. Your projects may have to do with reproductive rights and workers’ rights. These issues will hit you on both a public/political level and a very personal level.

Being a Rabbit, it’s you who probably coined the term “soft life”. It may be the Rabbit’s nature to be more passive, and they make it work. The Rabbit prefers a quiet and often domestic life where they spend time on growing and nurturing, relationships, friends and healthy activities. If you live with the Rabbit your basic needs are provided for, seemingly without too much struggle. Maybe that’s what we all want most in 2023 – to live the soft life we think you embody.

This is the myth of the Rabbit’s soft life: that they make no effort. Maybe people have that impression because your work is usually done in private. In 2023, some will be jealous of what they think you have that they don’t or can’t. That might have to do with peace or a safe place to live, fertility or beauty, health and wellness, or sexuality and sex. There may be envy regarding your way of evading rules and regulations. Maybe it’s just that you don’t seek them out. In 2023, you may be told your natural tendencies make you dangerous to others, and there could be some truth in this.

A major challenge for the Rabbit this year is the privacy deprivation. You may be used to dealing with that at home, but in this Water Rabbit year, your life will tend to be more public than you’re used to. Get used to being questioned, invited, and asked. This isn’t inherently negative. You might call more attention to yourself by hiding away, so play that card only as needed. It could be hard to avoid this new experience, a better strategy is to make it what you want.

Rabbits will be asked to learn this year, mostly to change your perspective about yourself. This might involve formal study or training, but more likely it involves learning to exercise your authority. It’s time to learn things that will forever change how you think. Your main mission this year is to get out of your comfort zone in the pursuit of fixing “the situation”. I know you know what I mean. Fixing the situation will call for making many decisions, possibly more than you feel comfortable with, but you can do it!

If Rabbit is in your day pillar, 2023 could raise the question of whose job should take priority, yours or your partner’s. Traditionally we determine this by earning capacity. Are you sticking with that? Get comfortable switching roles or seeking a role that is usually not yours. If it’s your lesson this year to learn to take turns, it might because you keep giving yours up. Take a chance on going for that lofty goal, whatever that means to you. Seek the compensation that is commensurate with your efforts. Timing is on your side.

Rabbits have access to power, money and other high value things in the Water Rabbit year. Even if you’re not driven by that, you might want to take some on behalf of yourself, those you love, or whoever is in need in your network. Your favors will spread and multiply like grass.

If you accept it, your other big role is to provide a place for people to go for advice and/or shelter. Many people are in need of a safe place to stay in 2023 and they may think you have the capacity to connect them with it. Whether or not you agree, they know that keeping your loved ones safe is a Rabbit’s priority. And so, in a Rabbit year, Rabbits (and the rest of us), may find themselves in closer quarters with youngers and elders coming to stay. For managing this kind of assistance work, team up with Pig and Sheep. With so much on your plate, consider that you need help to make the most of the year for yourself. Accept assistance. Make it a family affair.

Much of the action of the year will be generated by you and your peers, that is Rat, Horse and Rooster. I suggest you accept that these charming and annoying people will be more involved in your life in 2023, and look for ways to make that work. You might be very surprised by the changes that could come out of these uneasy and demanding partnerships. Taking on new alliances like these will require a certain amount of fortitude to succeed, so choose carefully.

In 2020, Rabbits were on the receiving end of the Ingratitude Punishment delivered by the Rat. In 2021, Roosters were the main problem for the Rabbit. In 2022, Rabbits were overshadowed. After a cycle like that, in 2023, I suppose Rabbits might be tempted to seek revenge because the Ingratitude Penalty has come around again. This time, Rat is on the receiving end. Relationships (and conflicts) of ancestors and descendants, and of bosses and employees, are emphasized. Where power inequities exist and may have been exploited, healing is needed mainly by way of forgiveness, appreciation and support. If you want these things, it requires your participation.

For intrepid Rabbits who are ready to explore sensitive issues with family or other people who have had authority over you, I want you to keep in mind that in 2023 you’ve got the upper hand. It might not feel that way because you’re used to it not being that way. Consider taking a chance on reaching out first to end the standoff. It’s safe.

I know that health is often on a Rabbit’s mind more than it may be for others and they are often pursuing it. This year that habit will serve you well. I don’t want you to have to experience illness to shape your understanding of it, but that’s a possibility in 2023. It’s likely an old problem returning, but whatever the source, do address it with a knowledgeable health care practitioner. Open up your mind now to the possibility that you are probably not right about everything (who is?!). It’s not in your best interest to completely ignore science however limiting it might be. Not all science is western by the way.

One last thing, you’re not the only Nobleman this year so it’s okay to turn people down. You can’t help everyone. If things get to the point where you need a defender, look to your secret friend the Dog who will gladly be your henchman.

Job Title: Velvet General
Allies: Pig, Rabbit, Sheep, Dog
Best months: March (demanding!), June, July, November, October
Romance: Possible break up in March or June. Irresistible attraction in December. Vet thoroughly. Careful of matchmakers.

Timing for all signs: Whatever you want to accomplish this year will need to be started no later than March. Plan on finishing by July ideally, but no later than the end of August.

Life on Earth

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

I didn’t grow up here in Seattle and that’s probably a good thing. This corner of the country has to do with the Metal element and there’s a ton of Water too. These are elements I already have in abundance so adding more wears on my health. They are also the elements that attract me, and that’s something I’ve learned the hard way. When I was younger, Seattle was the best, most fun place to be ever. The music alone was enough. I still love the environment here. The health part wasn’t as much of an issue when I was younger and feeling immortal.

I’m kind of like the giant Antaeus who was the child of Poseidon and Gaia. He was able to beat all comers until Heracles figured out that if you just kept him off of the Earth long enough he could be defeated. If you keep me away from the dry and heat long enough, I can be defeated too. Feng Shui has taught me that in some years I can’t spend too much time in my north located office. North is Water and cold, but the 4 star is here this month so I’ll risk it. Star 4 is good for academic pursuits and writing.

Like Antaeus, I too have to touch my origin to renew my health. I grew up in Arizona where Fire and dry Earth are strong. Being there makes my body feel good, and I’ve been missing the Sun since I got back to Seattle in early April. These days I go to Arizona more often than I used to, partly to strengthen my health. When my boots hit the desert and I look up at that endless sky, I feel I could go anywhere. I feel free, like I could move in any direction at a moment’s notice. It’s so lonely though that it’s hard for me to stay. That was always the problem of being there.

No elemental situation is perfect, nor is it static. This is why it’s helpful to know yourself and to consider what to do when. We are dynamic systems. The only constant is change, however, there are patterns within change and we can use them to keep up with what is, as well as what we want. Why study destiny if there’s nothing you can do about it? I wouldn’t.

I’m still reading Ba Zi for people and doing all of my usual stuff, but I’m also teaching now, which means going over everything I’ve ever learned. I’m digging up class notes from 20 years ago because it’s time to go back to the basics: yin/yang, Wu Xing, trigrams, baguas. It’s not that I had lost touch with them, this is more like a renewing of vows; a commitment to stick with first principles.

In the context of life on Earth, I’ve been thinking about the difference between the Early Heaven Bagua and the Later Heaven Bagua. The Early Heaven version is a representation of a primordial or ideal order like Eden, while the Later Heaven version is representing how life is after Eden perhaps. The Later Heaven Bagua describes life on Earth. Maybe I will write about that another time.

In a Tiger year, here on Earth we experience the energy of Wood. The primary emotion associated with Wood is anger, but I think that sells Wood short because Wood also relates to kindness and compassion. Wood has to do with being conceived, waking up, becoming conscious, being born. Helpful stuff, but none of it is easy or comfortable. It seems important to note here that anger has a purpose too. Let’s not criminalize it.

Wood energy is most available in the east (see above), in the months of February and March, and on any day between the hours of 3-7 am. Wood qi helps us to get things started, so there’s something to be gained for everyone when Wood is present. If you are committed to accomplishing a big endeavor in a short amount of time, it helps to get up early. If you need more sleep, go to bed earlier.

Elementally speaking, Wood gives us our aspirations and ambitions. It won’t stop moving. Wu Xing deals in verbs and processes, not static absolutes, so when I think of Wood I think of the Spanish expression tener ganas, which means “to have a desire for”. If you have the ganas, it’s a physical feeling. Possession, possessing, possessions, and/or being possessed are implied, and by that I don’t mean that you’ll need an exorcist.

As a result of all this Wood qi, lately it’s seeming like it’s time to find a new…everything. For example, I’m feeling uncertain about working with people I have worked with for years, not in the context of my business, but of theirs. It’s a feeling of waking up to what was always there but is now intolerable. Because change is inconvenient and it will take up my time and energy, I feel torn between sticking with these relationships and finding new people to work with. I know that is petty. I know what to do but I’m still questioning it.

What things should be accepted out of loyalty and humanity? Which ones should be rejected because you know the truth? How long can I put these decisions off?

I think those are the questions that sum up this Wood Snake month. Fire is finally getting strong again and Fire is what will bring out the truth. Fire will express this Wood, this anger, compassion and kindness. We already know that exposing the truth is not enough to change things, but when enough truth has spread, that’s when revolutions start.

And so, lawsuits and legal entanglements are quite likely this month, or as a result of this month’s actions, possibly more so for those who have a Tiger or Monkey in their Ba Zi. Yin Earth and yin Fire daymasters may experience some anger management problems, exacerbating their potential for conflict.

What do you do? Get creative. Turn the Wood into Fire. Take a deep breath and figure out how to direct your anger to create the results you want. Events are about to accelerate.

12 Animal Fortunes for 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

How To Use The Animal Fortunes

If you already know your Four Pillars click on the animal name or your birth year in the table below to go straight to your Zodiac Animal nature and forecast. If you don’t know your four pillars please ask me. You’ll want to read the fortune for all four of your pillars. The position of each pillar will tell you how the fortune relates to your life.

Year Pillar

Has to do with your physical body and what you do with it, ancestors, family traits. In terms of luck the year pillar is said to take the first “hit” of any event, good or bad.

Month Pillar

Relates to career, work environment, training, age mates and peers, siblings, exes and your modus operandi.

Day Pillar
Yourself and your partner; relationship.

Hour Pillar
The innermost you, your children, future, dreams.

These forecasts don’t take into account the dynamic interaction of the Four Pillars that make up your particular natal chart, your elemental flow or favorable elements. Do you want to learn more about how to use your BaZi for timing and other purposes? Visit my Services page if you’re ready for a reading.

Are you setting up your house for the Year of the Water Tiger? You may also want to read about Your Good Directions in 2022 and 2022 Feng Shui Basics.

Happy New Year!

2021 Animal Fortunes

Tiger 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998
Rabbit 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999
Dragon 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000
Snake 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001
Horse 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002
Sheep 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003
Monkey 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004
Rooster 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005
Dog 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006
Pig 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995
Rat 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996
Ox 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997

The Ox in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Postpartum

Oxen have now completed their two year cycle of power. Other signs may spread out their power years but not the Ox. When it’s not an Ox or Rat year, Oxen generally stick to the course that they chose during those two years. Maybe this is why the Ox is always worried that there isn’t enough time to complete all of the things they would like to do.

If you’re an Ox who is not finished with the changes yet, I want you to know they are still possible. You always have a choice. Just because it’s not as easy to change doesn’t mean you can’t. Knowing you, you’ve got something underway but you haven’t shared the news widely. It’s likely a long term project.

The Ox in 2022 has probably taken on a new role in the last couple of years, thinking that it would possibly be a position of power and prestige. For many an Ox, this is exactly what happened. Even so, now the Ox may feel uncertainty about their choice to commit to this particular gig. The Ox is going to be doing a lot of thinking about the commitments they made or didn’t make during the last two years. If your Ox is in the day branch, it could be your significant other is having second thoughts about commitment too. That’s what being in relationship is like isn’t it? You’re not the only one.

Your uncertainty wouldn’t be such a big deal if you didn’t feel like now there is no way to move yourself out of the place you’re in. Remember this is a feeling and not necessarily a reality. The Tiger energy penetrates and pokes you and your problem with commitment may be about that. The dynamic nature of the Tiger makes commitment scary. For the Ox, commitment is demanding and uncomfortable unless it’s routine. This year is asking you to get out of your comfort zone. Make spontaneity and flexibility part of your routine.

If you’re dissatisfied with your current situation, it’s likely because you have come to the conclusion that it is not as advertised. Maybe it’s not all bad, but the Ox has rules and a big one is fairness and fair play. If you want to thwart an Ox, just do them dirty. They may be hurt and angry, but they will also try to see it from your side, even though this only increases their frustration. Those are the rules.

In February, make a conscious decision to either grab the Tiger’s tail or hide out in plain sight. Whatever you do this month will set the tone for the year. I don’t think your efforts to fake cooperation will be helpful for you at all. Try to commit to a course of action or non action. This might be your year to read Melville’s short story Bartleby the Scrivener, that is, unless you’d prefer not to.

In July, because the Ox has a lot of rules, many of which are unspoken, the Ox will run into people who are irritated by them. The Ox maintains the expectation of everyone following their rules, regardless of what they make explicit. This is especially annoying to the Sheep, who put up with plenty of that kind of stuff last year. The Sheep sees rules as a prescription for belonging. You follow the rules, they have to let you in. Once you’re in, there are no rules. Those are the rules.

The Ox’s relationship to the Tiger (both neighbor and Year Boss), is one of the most fascinating of the Chinese Zodiac for several reasons. First of all, many don’t realize the deep bond these two signs are capable of sharing. Secondly, the Tiger has very few “predators”, but the Ox is one of them. Every hidden stem within the Ox and Tiger combines. These two signs can experience a deep understanding but I doubt it’s warm and fuzzy. The Ox is capable of taking over the Tiger at times, this year it’s the Tiger taking over the Ox. This relationship could be deeply intimate, overly controlling, or both at the same time. I wouldn’t call it love though, not unless someone cares to be responsible for the outcome.

Relationships in general may be rough for the Ox in 2022 because of disagreements about what commitment and compromise might look like. You may have lost interest in trying to keep certain relationships going, possibly your partner has too. While we only exist in relationship, that doesn’t mean romantic ones are the only ones that count, so cherish them all. Let go of any that are placeholders to make room for what you want.

The Sheep, who also has an “interesting” relationship with the Tiger, might not see the Tiger coming, but the Ox lives next door. What may strike the Ox to the core in 2022 is the sudden urge to retreat. That might not be the worst idea, but are you sure you are cut out for the rural life? With your position on the compass in 2022, you might be feeling like you can’t get back to a quiet place quickly enough. The feelings of the world are so noisy as to be overwhelming. It’s hard for you to sift out your feelings from those of others’ whether they are far or near, and I know you’re exhausted like everyone else. Know that those sacred and quiet moments of clarity will come. Let the feelings come and go as they may.

Feeling consumed by the Tiger? You have the tool to get yourself free. That’s your Metal. Since Metal is weak, this is doable but likely an uphill battle. Timing wise, make your move in May if you need to get free early on. Wait until the fall if you want it to be final.

Should you choose to leave your employer, take your knowledge and training and the opportunities you’ve had in the last two years and put them together to make the kind of business you want to do, or home in on the position you want. Prior to making any move to change the status quo, define what you want to get out of the change. What are your rules? Express the most important ones. Give all the unspoken ones a rest. Prioritize your demands. Define. Try writing your own job description.

If you are an Ox who has landed in the wrong place and need to stay for a bit, find your niche. Create space or wiggle yourself into one. Again, Metal is the tool you need to change your situation this year. Use your words as a tool to cut through obstacles. Shape the situation as much as you can. Lean on your persistence.

If nothing else satisfies, many Oxen can find satisfaction in spiritual pursuits where they have premises and ideals to follow. You are in the role of Nobleman this year and spirituality or religion may be a part of how you experience that. If people come to you for advice, it may be about more abstract concepts and philosophies. Be aware that the Water Tiger might tempt you to compromise your integrity, so be careful of offering your services as a coach unless you have specific training and plenty of experience. Consider that what you have to offer could be example more than advice.

If you need assistance, look to the Snake or the Rat who could use yours too. This is not the year to start things from scratch unless you’re a baker.

Amulet: Pig

Summary: Maintain status quo or ride the Tiger’s tail? Your call.

January: Sums up 2021. For finishing things; setting in place.
February: Grab the tail or retreat?
April: Break ups
May: Craft the words you need to get more wiggle room.
July: The yin version of the Tiger. Careful of being hidebound.
August-September: Use your words.
October: A small axe.
November-January: The tail of the Tiger. Take care with health.

The Rat in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

The Wheel

Even though the Monkey is the year breaker, I think 2022 might be most challenging for the Rat who is coming down from a prolonged peak of power, strength and stamina. Why does it have to be right when you were hoping to dominate your current situation most?

This is why timing is important. Unless you understand that last year was for completion, and this year is for growth, you might be disappointed. You’ll need to depend on yourself more this year because the kind of support you had may no longer be available as consistently. There are many others looking for the same resources that you are looking for but they are not the kind of competitors you are accustomed to encounter.

Much of what the Rat experiences this year will be the outcome of what they’ve learned about power balance in relationship. How do you manage when you have the whip hand? Because you’ve had it for awhile now. You may have been called cold and sometimes maybe you are. People feel jealous of your comfort with discomfort, both theirs and yours. To you this is where you live. Consider these ideas if you want change. If the Rat is in your day pillar, this might apply to you and your current partner, maybe the feeling is mutual. Try learning their language before looking for someone new. If you need to leave, do it clean and in the open.

The Rat is the only sign to whom I will say: go with the Water Tiger’s flow. The Rat generally enjoys learning and transferring their esoteric knowledge. In 2022, that may be the best way to focus your energy. Start in February if possible. The work you’ve been consistently nurturing during these last three difficult years will become known more widely in 2022. Your work is out there and you can make money from it. Ride what you’ve already accomplished. Write and teach. Enjoy the success you can have from these endeavors. This is the part of 2022 that will be easy.

In 2022, what’s hard is Rats may feel used, used up, especially in February, March, June and July. What might be hard is having the warm relationship you crave without seeing it as a job, i.e. something you put up with for its other compensations. You might be fresh out of ideas about your next iteration. You’re at a point of completion and you know it’s time for something new, but what?

If it’s too hard to let go of the idea of being “the one” in your field for now, I think you can to trust that whatever you just gave birth to is going to be enough to sustain your momentum until you figure your next project. Let the year reveal it to you. It will require some long term commitment.

Water doesn’t have a regular form. Its shapes are endless and it is always shifting and moving. Maybe this is why the Rat is comfortable with the abstract. In a way Water is the most simple element, and yet, a snowflake can be quite complex. Try to hold onto Water and it will slip away. You can influence it, but you can’t imprint it. Like the Rat, Water wants to wash things away to make way for the new beginnings. Floods can devastate but can also return the land to fertility. A Rat can make these kind of choices too. Wait for the new pattern to reveal itself.

It’s a Rat’s vocation to give in 2022, but you might feel like that’s a bad idea because you don’t have as much support as you’d like. If relationship is your goal, do give even if you feel it weakens you. This might also sound contradictory, but make it your mission to seek opposition. Catch up with “opponents”. Find out what they are working on. This is where you will get ideas. Question everything you are sure is true. Steer clear of mining your own content and presenting it as new.

In case you receive difficult feedback about the credit you’ve taken for ideas and innovations you’ve presented, hopefully you have acknowledged your sources. If not, there are some embarrassing things that may surface publicly. If that should happen, take it as a reminder that it’s your approach to relationships that needs attention. If ideas about intellectual property and plagiarism emerge, ask yourself why. Are you cherry picking someone else’s work? Or is someone cherry picking yours? Is there such a thing as an original idea?

The Rat’s Water is both a Monkey’s tool and a Tiger’s support, so you’ll want to be careful of inadvertently being in drawn into their juvenile disputes in February and August. Steer clear of ideas about who is right and facilitate communication instead, but don’t get caught up in talk at the cost of action. As is my advice for all this year, cultivate flexibility. For a Rat, this might mean seeking a relationship with Fire as opposed to, you know, trying to put it out. If you’re caught between Tiger and Monkey, Fire is the way to go. Turn on the warmth. Trust yourself to act spontaneously. Practice that. Your turn at the top of the wheel is over for now so it’s time to change your strategy regularly.

I’m not sure there could ever be enough recognition for a Rat and I get it. There’s so much you do with out anyone asking or even noticing. There’s always that conflict between you wanting to touch others with your work, but also being unwilling or unable to be touched back. If this is true for you, consider that this has to do with your relationship to Fire. I want you to try being vulnerable to Fire in 2022. I know you can think of a million things that could go wrong, but that is true at any moment in time. You have the flexibility to make it work. Making the choice to be open to Fire could be as simple as taking on some realistic optimism and encouraging it in others. If you can learn that skill this year, I think it will save you substantial heartache in 2023.

After the first half of the year, it may be more difficult to express yourself. With the Pig in a more authoritative position than you, your normally strategic ways of communication may be too slow or go unheard. Pay more attention to the timing of your words and what you mean to accomplish with them. Maybe being right all the time is not always helpful. Predicting disaster is the low hanging fruit these days. Clash yourself by predicting happy events too.

If you want to continue to be recognized for your intentions as a helper, avoid raining on other people’s parades. If there’s anything to celebrate, let it happen. When does that future come where you say you will celebrate? Keep offering advice about caution, that is, caution as a strategy as opposed to “not doing”.

Most importantly, 2022 provides a big window opportunity to get in touch with children, parents and any estranged family members. Go with that flow, even in March when it will tend to be more fraught. 2023 will bring events and work to do in the context of family. If there are apologies to be made, or relationships to revive, break the ice now. In know you’ll be glad you did.

Amulet: Pig
Rather than thinking of an amulet as something to use, or something to protect you, cultivate the idea of a partnership with the energy of the Pig. Become versatile. Rise to the occasion. Transform yourself through spontaneity. Be seen and touched.

Summary: Bad behavior is learned through neglect. Good behavior is learned through example.

February: Take care with intellectual property, yours and others’.
March: Get in touch with family.
April: Draining.
June: Spontaneity and flexibility will make life smoother.
August: In case of conflict, careful of taking on more than you can handle alone.
September: Frustration with partnership may bring uncomfortable thoughts.
November: If it’s a creative bust, wait until next month.
December: Ending on a high note, but indiscretions of the year may be revealed.

The Pig in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Pigs in Space

This year the Pig’s mission, if they want it, is to examine their fears about intimacy and sharing space. If you feel there’s a conflict of interest for you around that idea, all the more reason to do it. The Tiger may have you feeling anxious and crowded, also smitten. Stop and consider whether that is the Tiger’s intention or just some part of their nature that’s in you too. Maybe you enjoy the scariness? In the case of secret friends Tiger and Pig, like calls to like no matter how it looks on the surface. The Tiger is probably the one person you find it difficult to exclude. This is not a problem for you with others. That alone will make for some anxiety – simply being unused to being that close to anyone.

Letting people in makes you worry because you are afraid they want to get close in order to make you more like them. That may or may not be true, however in the case of the Tiger, you might be right. In many cases, in partnership this is what the Tiger demands and what they get, or they leave. The Tiger will push you to keep up. What you need to know is not every Tiger is like this. There are going to be Tigers who show up who have learned not to make impossible demands of their partners, but you’ll have to take it case by case. On the plus side, the Tiger will be helpful in focusing your talents into one project and organizing your priorities.

2022 brings a lesson for the Pig about sharing space and making space for relationships. The Tiger and Pig are secret friends. This year it’s not so secret.

In a Water Tiger year, the lucky Pig has the most opportunities for alliance, and venues for their talent. 2022 is going to be a good year. I know you might not believe this, but I’m telling you that many things are going to go well for you. As the case seems to be for everyone this year, what is offered to the Pig is what can be learned in the context of relationship. When the Tiger meets the Pig, there are new directions for growth. What if I told you that you can fuel resistance or reduce it at will?

Pigs are off to a dynamic start right away in February, when the combination of Tiger and Pig creates the Wood element. How that manifests is unique to each natal chart, because in a Ba Zi a combination of Earthly Branches potentially creates or supports an element, and potentially reduces or removes another. What’s difficult for someone who is new to these ideas is that they think it has to be one or the other, when it’s usually both. It can be difficult for us to hold in our minds that more than one thing can be true at once. Maybe that relates to the Pig’s challenge in understanding there is no purely good or purely bad experience. My point is, if you have a Pig in your Ba Zi, you can expect some good things this year, even if Wood is not your best element. Maybe the most important lesson the Pig can learn this year is how to handle cognitive dissonance.

If at any point you realize you’ve taken on too much, make adjustments. Get advice from the Rabbit. If there are things you want to drop completely, it will be easiest in October. Unless you’ve reached a breaking point, try to hold out until then. Try not to retreat unless it’s strategic.

Although it seems like it would be obvious, when Pig and Tiger are together outsiders may not be able to tell which is which. People may perceive the relationship as one of control, but if that’s true, I think it might be mutual. Pigs empower Tigers by way of domestic resources. A smitten Pig might go so far as to buy clothes for a lover so they don’t have to shop – also because they want to decide what you wear. Pygmalion? On the other hand, the Tiger empowers the Pig, but also wants to change their nature. It is possible to control by way of support. The Tiger may want you to do better so they can look better. Appearances, including showing up, are more important this year for you. Work on your timing with that.

What I don’t recommend is letting yourself be consumed. The lesson of the Tiger for the Pig isn’t that they should “succumb” to relationship. It’s a lesson about how it’s possible to maintain your own identity and still have the intimacy you crave. Do you still not realize how resilient you are?

Keep in mind that the outcome of the breaks you get in 2022 likely won’t arrive until 2023. Until then, keep cobbling those synergistic talents and projects together. Don’t be premature when it comes to putting your product out there, but know that March will give you a preview of 2023; what it will be like when the time is right. The most happy Pigs I’ve run into are the ones who have two or three small(ish) projects that feed each other. They change them up from time to time, but whatever they do relies on their multiple talents. This suits the versatility of the Pig, who could be successful in almost any career. That’s what also makes it difficult for the Pig to settle on any one thing. Who was it that told you that you have to? Maybe it was a jealous Snake.

If the Pig is in your day pillar and you’re single, 2022 may bring a new partner. Partnered Pigs may also find someone new in their life (a baby?). It’s likely that throughout the year you might be considering a break up or overhaul of your current relationships. That energy will peak in February and November. If the Pig is not in your day, you might be exploring these same concepts in the context of other alliances: family, parents, siblings, children, employees, co workers or colleagues.

What might get a Pig into trouble is over communication or indiscretion. The Pig’s straight shooting manner is sometimes perceived as too blunt to be friendly or promote trust. The Tiger leads the Pig to be more expressive and aggressive. Be careful of alienating others through carelessness with your words. If you want to avoid hard feelings, don’t share another’s secret without their explicit permission. Like the Dragon, you are a catalyst. Acknowledge how you can soothe or stir conflict at will. If you have not realized this before, check your natural tendencies in May and do some experimenting.

No year is without its difficulties, however, this is the year to act like you know that 2023 is going to bring the peak you’ve been waiting for – because it is. What you want to keep at the front of your mind is everything that goes right this year. Make your internal narrative a balance of planning and preparation for 2023, and counting up all the breaks you’re receiving. The biggest risk this year lies in you not realizing how lucky you are. Maybe you’ve got used to thinking of yourself as the opposite. Consider whether this is a habit because if it is, you might be sabotaging yourself. Don’t do that.

Amulet: I don’t think you need one.

Summary: In the driver’s seat.

February: Potential partnerships abound. Believe it.
March: Preview of 2023’s success
May: Do you want to stir or soothe conflict?
October: Cull and harvest in preparation for 2023.
November: Possible losses. Take care with bathing and indoor swimming. If you are depleted, seek support.

The Dog in 2022 ~ Water Tiger Year

Posted on by Stephanie Stewart

Personal Best

In a Tiger year the Dog can experience support and empowerment and promotion, however, it looks like a fairly quiet year. Funny how this Tiger year has very little that is special for you other than the work you can do on relationships. It’s almost like the universe is telling you what needs attention in your life. Dogs are being asked to make a lasting change about their allegiances at a time when that might not feel right to them.

In 2022, rewards may not be as big as you’ve come to expect, at least not in the public arena. What the year has to offer you is by way of alliance so the question is how have you been treating your partners and associates? How have they been treating you? As part of the Fire Trio of Tiger, Horse and Dog you are in the company of those who can make you successful, but they don’t have to. What can you bring to the table as a group member? As with all other signs this year, the most important thing for you to pay attention is to your values in relationships.

First things first: Question who wants to empower you and why. Know who you are working for. The Tiger is capable of being the master manipulator of the Dog because being part of the same group, the Dog assumes they want the same things. This is not always true. If you’ve been fooled in this way in the past, you’re in good company. Even a Dragon can get taken in when it comes to the Tiger. The Tiger is generally empowering you to work for them, not for you. Dogs who are entrepreneurs will especially want to keep that in mind.

The return of Fire in 2022 brings you support, but this year know that the price might be that it reinforces your stubbornness. Strong Fire seems to give the Dog baked in ideas about their behavior, making it difficult to change. In 2022, overestimation of the importance of your fans could interfere with the class and social mobility the Dog likes to know is always available. Don’t let approval blind you to what you know is right or wrong.

Many opportunities are offered throughout the year. These are big and by nature may be difficult to take advantage of; it may be hard to rise to the challenges that will accompany them. I’m telling you this because I think you could be tempted to ignore the smaller, intimate and personal opportunities that are more important now. In business, progress is easy, but that’s not what will bring the change you might want. It’s process where the Dog often gets frustrated, thinking that all time is geological except for theirs. Let relationship matters unfold at their own pace. Choose what you want because you want it, not because you think it’s going to get you something you want. What I’m saying is that your private relationships are the foundation of your public self, not vice versa. I hope that makes sense.

In February, the Tiger sparks the Dog’s restlessness which will continue throughout the year. Take care with travel because you may be accident prone, especially at the times you are exhausted or depleted. Don’t drive unless you have all your faculties about you.

The Dog’s aspirations in 2022 start off strong, but what the year has to offer will likely be small. That’s not necessarily a negative if you’re interested in the repair and rejuvenation of domestic relationships. If you need healing, this is where you’ll find it.

In March you’ll want to learn how to get better at sharing. You’ll learn that being a provider includes domestic chores and other things, such as emotional labor. You may have thought these things were not your job. Younger Dogs seem to have these things well underway so perhaps this applies mostly to those of us who are older.

Dogs will become more prominent again in 2022. Look for this to peak in June. We’ll hear more in the news about Dogs and they will experience a resurgence of whatever fame they have had in the past. Be aware that the Tiger might be the first one to take that fame away or change it to infamy, too. If you leave yourself open to manipulation because what you like to feel most is approval, that is the potential outcome.

Don’t believe everything you hear or see. Dogs will benefit from taking advice from the Rabbit in 2022, because being alone with the Tiger’s brand of support makes them think they are infallible. The Tiger encourages the Dog’s tendency to keep making the same mistakes, over and over. This may serve the Tiger but it doesn’t serve the Dog. Don’t defer to another’s guidance just because you think they’ve attained what you want.

Of late, many a Dog has been fooled into thinking they are successful when in fact many of their efforts have been co-opted or used for someone else’s benefit; someone who doesn’t have their best interests at heart. Dogs who fell into this trap are starting to realize how they may have sold themselves out for a purported reward that never materialized. This kind of realization is what will lead you to rediscover who you really are. Stick with that even if it’s painful. Who did/do you want to be? Consider that if you’re finding success unsatisfying maybe you need to redefine it.

In April, remind yourself that nobody made you do anything you didn’t want to do. That could be painful but don’t avoid whatever feelings you’re having about that. Instead, let that energy loosen your routines. Accept a little instability in order to facilitate movement.

In July you’ll want to remember there is no one on earth that everyone likes and that includes you. However ill used you might possibly feel now, at this point in time you are far from being a victim. Be open about your hurts but don’t try to use them as a selling point or jumping off point for policy making.

In case of new (or returning) health issues this year, consider that you might be in a state of elemental imbalance. This implies you have agency, and you do. You can influence it. Stay hydrated. If you get too hot, know that bad judgment may accompany that state. Slow down and cool down.

When autumn arrives, if you haven’t been doing so already, cultivate peace through the regulation of your breath; consciously breathe. Take extra care with respiratory health this year. Consider air quality.

If you need to move aim for August. That means you’ll need to start planning now, but planning doesn’t mean you have to decide right away. August is the month you’ll be feeling the urge for travel, world events permitting. International travel may not be an option this year.

In 2022, seek leadership for what it is: a service role. Leadership is not achieved by way of compliance or surrender. Find out what people really need and provide it. Cut through obstacles and make space. Lead people, not corporations, countries or movements.

Amulet: Pig
Rather than thinking of an amulet as something to use, or something to protect you, cultivate the idea of a partnership with the energy of your neighbor the Pig. Look to the flexibility and adaptability of the people in your community for inspiration. Be ready to provide whatever is needed for family well being.

Summary: Life consists of small things.

February: Want to run? Slow down. Think and feel if you want change this year.
April: Boundary incursions. Is it an attack or an opportunity to learn?
June: Stay hydrated and open to the idea of your possible stubbornness. Business is good.
July: Break patterns around your power dynamic with those you see as weak.
October: Present something you’ve been working on for a long time.

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