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!