Elaine Vozar

Year of the Yin Black Rabbit

Welcome, my dears. 

Are you here for some insights into the coming year? 

Ah… maybe you don’t believe in such things.  Well, this year… maybe you should.  For this is the Year of the Water Rabbit.  And our Rabbit, she lives in the moon.  And you can believe what you like, but if the whole ocean moves with the tides, which are pushed and pulled by the moon, it is likely that you, too, will be pushed and pulled by these celestial energies.

What happens to each fish, each piece of kelp, each of us, is unique and depends on where we were before and what we bring to the moment.  This is not about telling the future, for the future will unfold all by itself.  And it is not about directing the wave; the wave is going where it is going. This is an opportunity to look at the map, watch the tides or follow the stars charting a gentle course so you can ride the wave.  And it is always easier to ride the wave than to fight the wave.

Let me introduce you to this year’s host.  The Water Rabbit comes from the East Asian calendar which is divided into twelve increments.  Each year in the cycle is associated with an animal teacher whose unique set of qualities directs the quality of the tides.  We are in the fourth year of the cycle – the Year of the Rabbit.  Everything you know, actually know, about rabbits can guide you.  Rabbits are reserved, social, gentle, and lucky.  They are associated with Spring and green - and greens! - and extended family.  They are intuitive, sensitive, and bounce when safer opportunities arise.

There are some things that you may not know about the Rabbit.  As I said before, she lives in the Moon with the Moon Goddess and so is associated with all things Yin and feminine.  She is a second-in-command: neatening her nest and smoothing out friendships with small gifts and quiet supports that show appropriate reciprocity.  She does not spend her days imagining good conduct; she acts, or does what needs to be done, sometimes discretely, maybe even a little sneakily.  Our Rabbit is skilled and the year should be full of doing small things with great love.

At the same time as the twelve-year cycle, there is a different cycle of five phases (Wood/Wind, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water).  Each elemental phase takes two years to complete: a Yang year and a Yin year.  Last year was a Yang Water year.  This year is a Yin Water year (and then we will move to Wood over two years).  Welcome to our Yin Water Rabbit year!  Understanding the cultural associations with Water can challenge one’s Western imagination.  Water’s depth includes the color black, our primordial energies and resources, and mystery.

Discerning ways to maintain health this year, the Rabbit demands we focus on the whole community.  Rabbits are sensitive in their health and naturally susceptible to contagious diseases and to parasites.  These are diseases that affect all of us together.  Expect lots of little problems in skin (bites, rashes, and fungus), digestion, and cancers.  By quickly attending with needed rest, quiet contemplation, gentle food, and appropriate medicinals, we and our loved ones will create the health and the community that is needed this year.

Do not let all the little annoyances keep you jumping all day, for they will exhaust you.  The intuitive nature of a Rabbit can get overwhelmed with the psychic static of others around them and make us all a little paranoid. To balance the sensitive nature of the year, cultivate your Qi at sunrise and sunset in a natural setting, maintain your Tiger nap regimen from last year, and find peace as you practice compassion.

Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems.  It will be tempting to eat the same thing over and over again.  Try to vary your diet: greens are a must, but also reds, or constipation and sugar spikes will rule the year.

Rabbits easily become overheated and dry, though the Yin Water should mitigate this.  Bring in water and electrolytes throughout the day, especially if you take pill supplements, as you need enough water to process them.

In relationships or situations where you feel unsupported (jobs, friendships, and partnerships), the need to “bounce” will make itself clear.  The inner emotional work will be deep, but the action will be quick. There may be a little spat at the end (those back feet are strong as they kick away!) and there may be some gossip.  Rabbits communicate with each other by thumping their feet and listening with their big ears.  However, the direct fighting that was effective last year (of the Tiger) will be frowned on.  To avoid being misunderstood and to maintain good relations, remember that acknowledging others, giving little gifts, and making clear efforts make a difference. 

The family nature of the Rabbits combined with the depth of the Water gives us several opportunities:

-          Deep discoveries of our ancestors, opportunities to heal our generational traumas, and nourishment of family support by connecting to distant relatives

-          Expanding our own families by having children or just delightfully copulating or snuggling often

-          Creating experiences in water or in nature: camping, shoreline walks, star gazing, forest bathing

-          Group movement that involves quickness and coordination with lots of rest in between: baseball, weight lifting, track, sparring in martial arts, walking dogs, and even running to catch the bus will be rewarded

-          Time for investigation into whatever we are most truly drawn to, especially if these interests are aesthetic, spiritual, or feed our inner creative soul

The years form cycles, so just as winter becomes spring today, on January 22, your year of Tiger’s independence and adventure will become a year of luck on February 4 as the Rabbit connects with community full of generous, peaceful prosperity.  Create a warren full of your favorite people, and deep resources that you build up and draw from, and a full heart.  Looking ahead: the robust stable platform that you make this year will act as next year’s Dragon launchpad into those things beyond your imagination.

The Rabbit’s prosperity and luck doesn’t need to be fancy: it can be as close and unadorned as the constant Moon.  The quiet reflective Rabbit will guide us gently in and through the year, and if you follow the guides, you can put your best (rabbit) foot forward.

I welcome you to the peace and prosperity of an ordinary year – as ordinary and plain as a common rabbit.

(Please share this if so moved, while crediting Elaine Vozar, Licensed Acupuncturist as both the writer and the artist.  This writing is one playful interpretation of the coming year, take what works for you and leave the rest. And remember there are no guarantees of success or failure ever.)

Happy 4720!  The Year of the Water Tiger.

Today, February 1, marks the first day of the Year of the Black Tiger in Asia!  Happy New Year!  It is time to wear red, eat delicious New Year foods like long noodles and wintermelon cakes, and figure out what the energies of the year have in store for you.  There are three overarching aspects of each year: the Animal, the Element (or Phase, which is often identified by its associated color) and whether it is a Yin or Yang year.  This year is the Yang Water Tiger or the Yang Black Tiger Year.

The Nature of the Tiger.

When a year is representative of a certain animal (one of twelve of the Chinese zodiac) that means that the energy and experiences of the year will be like that animal.  In this coming year, that animal is the tiger.  If you can do tiger-y things, you will have more success.  Tigers are charismatic, colorful, graceful, sensitive, brave and have a strong moral compass.  They don’t back down from a fight and are quick to start fights: they love a good competition.  Tigers contain multiple dualities.  Their opposing orange and black colored stripes remind us of the constant yin and yang duality of life.  They have a duality of movement: meditative stillness and bounding impulsive energy.  They have a duality of affection: curious loving and independent elusiveness.  They are known for eating children, while at the same time are guardians of children.  (This year will be special for kids.)  This is a Yang year, so the activeness of the tiger will feel more present.

Folks often think if they were born in the year of the Tiger, it will be their year.  (Tigers always think it will be their year because they are very confident.)  But too much of a good thing is rough.  Unless it is your 60th year (when the cycle restarts, beginning with a reprieve) being a Tiger can be challenging.  In a Tiger year, you see so much of yourself everywhere, but no one likes to see someone doing the very thing they try to keep in check.  It will be a challenging year for those born in the years of Monkeys and Snakes, and an easier year for those born during years of Horses, Pigs and Dogs. 

Nature of Yang Water.

Yin and Yang are opposites that are used to describe everything in the universe. In relationship, they can be constantly divided into one another.  This year is a Yang year (next year will be a Yin year).  Yang is associated with light, action, strength and beginning.  Yet Water is a Yin/Yin-ish substance.  The two will balance and enhance one another; Water will be more active and increase.  For example, on Earth expect sudden heavy rains and floods.  In you, expect more urinary urgency and more tears.  Water is the place where we store our deepest fears, our deepest strengths and our deepest knowledge.  Expect philosophy, the occult, genetics, meditation, and deep passions to be supported.  Water also holds our will power: you’ll be able to get things done, if you are able to seize your opportunities and act quickly.  The Yang will bring the Water knowledge in us up to the surface; it will be more available than usual.

These Yang Water energies will influence the Tiger energy.  Tigers are normally very aggressive, but they also love water and love to swim.  We’ll have a Tiger that has been exercised, making this year a little gentler but also more emotional than most Tiger years. 

Introduction and Caveats.

Not every year is the same, not every year works the same, not everything you did last year will work this year.

At its most basic, the cycles (of years, months, days and hours) remind us that every day has its own energy: its own potentials that pushes or pulls on you.  This is an exploration of a variety of energetic trends and the changes that occur as they coincide.

These energetics are described by the East Asian lunar calendar.  It has been in continual use for the last 4720 years.  It contains a twelve animal cycle, a five element cycle, and a yin yang alternation, giving us a 120 year cycle whose symbols and energetics influence macrocosms (Heaven, Humans, and Earth) and microcosms: YOU, your loved ones, and your year.  It is based on observations of patterns over millennia of the celestial bodies (stars, planets, etc.) and then widely applied. 

I share this because it is a good way for me to think deeply about these things.  However, your fortune is yours.  How you interact with these energies is yours.  I am not guaranteeing anything in particular for you; this year will have a feeling of the unknown running the whole way through.    The reason we study and talk about the year is so that we can gain understanding from tendencies and be aware of pitfalls.  You can do whatever you want, but not all things will flow as easily and others are also feeling the pull of independence so you may be on your own.  The year of the Tiger will present many opportunities, but you will need to think carefully about if they resonate with you and for you. The Tiger is not very forgiving if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Last year was a Metal Ox year.  Tigers are the opposite of the Ox: they rebel against traditions, they playfully upset stability and they scatter order.  Last year was the perfect year for making good habits.   It was a hard slog: we just kept plowing through and plowing through.  This year is a Water Tiger year: the perfect year for dream-filled naps that elucidate clear, quick actions - and then you can go back to napping.  There is much fortune to be made, but the wheel of fortune can be tricky.  As quickly as your fortune turns, it can turn again.  Enjoy the playfulness, quirkiness, and quick turns of Black Tiger and the year will speed by.  The Ox’s energy from last year built consistency.  If you use this skill from last year, you can train and focus this year’s Tiger energy into something amazing.  Move quickly!  The daily stability of the Ox year will be gone by March.  Spontaneity and play are returning!

Health and Health Maintenance.

Both illness and people are in this Tiger energy.  People will not show their sickness easily; any illness will involve a fight.  This Yang Water Year will bring out Yang Water problems.  I have already seen low back pain, urinary problems and edema starting to show up this winter.  These become worse with cold, (this is also from the Ox who rules Winter) and are harder to resolve than usual.  There will be new diseases in the spring and maybe the start of next winter.  The diseases will leave folks exhausted; I expect it will tend to leave more neurological problems in its wake.  (Maybe tremors or tetany?  Maybe mood disorders or insomnia?)  Of course, the diseases will be deadly to some, especially those that are already weak in some way.  The best way out is rest, along with meaty or mushroom-y soups (even when you think you are better), in addition to infusions and hydrotherapies.  Sprouts will also have health benefits.

To maintain health this year, short bursts of activity, lots of stretching, and even more naps are key.  Salt baths will feel good and keep the tendons limber.  Take your vitamins and drink plenty of water.

Tigers love to swim - and it is a water year - so anything involving water (swimming, boating, and, of course, outside winter sports in snow or ice) will be popular.  Tigers, like our house cats, have whole stretching routines, so make sure you are limber before you play or do short-duration, vigorous exercises.  You can also do yoga, qi gong or a martial art – all perfect cat exercises.  These will build flexibility and strength. 

Napping is also a sport this year – lounging to soak up the sun or curling up in a favorite dark forest, secret spot will have special appeal.  After a year of hard Ox work, enjoy your naps.

Emotionally, the heart of the Tiger will be worn on the sleeve – you and others will feel bursts of emotion and have bursts of insight and sometimes want to burst!  Try to give some space to others as they figure out their emotions and philosophies.  Everyone will need introverted recuperation time.  There will be some fear and heaviness.  The aspect that has been under represented for the last couple years is fire – wearing red or singing or doing anything with fire will temper weight of these challenges.

Wealth.

As I said before, this is a year of sudden turns of fortune: money will come in quickly and easily.  Be careful: it can leave just as quickly.  Many will get raises or have more money coming in, but there will still be problems coming up with enough cash.  Hold onto some of the extra - if you can - to cover those unexpected expenses.

Conflicts.

Tigers are independent, strongly opinionated creatures.  There will be more conflicts this year, especially over territorial dispute, whether we are talking about international borders or between siblings.  The conflicts will also be more violent and sudden, and the injuries slower to heal.  Your two most successful moves to avoid injury are either to watch for subtle signs of territory and wait to understand the situation, or come out fighting hard and quick to make your victory decisive.

To de-escalate or end these fights, make space for an out, in physical space or time.  Even if you won, you won’t want the conflict opportunities to continue, so make space for the other’s exit.

The nature of water is deep and the nature of a tiger is sudden.  The conflicts will not be easily resolved with placating or Band-aids.  To create long term harmony and resolve, conflict will require understanding and lots of space.

Travel.

Tigers roam across huge territories – on their own.  This is a great year for travel, especially over long distances and to exotic places.  But it will mostly be solo travel, or just you and your immediate family.    

Love.

This is the year for self-love: Do what you want, spend hours grooming your sleek hair, delight in what your body can do and feel.  Explore your passions, make time for your interests, and do it in your most beautiful outfit.

As for partnered love, are you looking for passion? Intense sex? Deep, meaningful, philosophical discussions?  The occasional date?  Do you want to make a baby? (Look out, next year is a Rabbit year…) Romantic travel?  A relationship that urges you to transform and grow?  Great, this is your year to do all those things.  But there is an alone-ness to being a Tiger, with a lot of responsibilities and territory that you have to take care of.  Although you may have deep connections that feel like kismet and moments of passion that blow your mind, most of the time you will be on your own.  Like glimpsing a tiger, you see a beautiful, magnetic beast.  Then it is gone.  That is why I list self-love first, because if you invest in yourself, you will come into a partnered love with the resources for it to be pretty awesome.

Overall, this will be a playful, adventurous year that will shake off the doldrums.  Move in it carefully, take breaks, and seize true opportunities for an auspicious year.