On January 22, we say goodbye to the Water Tiger and welcome the Year of the Water Rabbit. The Rabbit represents the 4th year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, and Water represent one of the five earthly elements - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Like the houses of the zodiac in Western astrology, the animals and elements of Chinese astrology are thought by many to dictate personality traits or, in the wider scope of things, even impact world events in any year they rule. Rabbit years include 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 and 2023.
Last year, it was predicted that the Tiger would bring a turbulent and mercurial year; a time of audacity in which nothing would be done on a small scale; and an overall uneasy year with the possibilities of major political realignments - revolutions, prospects of war, or coups. As we leave the Tiger and begin the year of the Rabbit, we can expect an abrupt change of pace as we leave the unpredictable tiger and join the milder rabbit.
Although rabbits are not the strongest animal, the Rabbit's charm and speed attract money, fertility, lovers and success. This is especially important when combined with the "Water" element. The Water element will enhance our intuition, diplomacy and negotiation skills. But, the rabbit can also be sensitive to stressful triggers and herein remains the question of how it will guide us through the minefield of current geopolitical and economic challenges.
The last Water Rabbit year was in 1963. It was one of the most pivotal years in American history, from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to the historic March on Washington where Rev. Martin Luther King delivered his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. Both watershed moments that changed and shaped the course of this nation for decades to come. 1963 also witnessed other moments, both big and small, that had lasting impacts. The Boeing 727 took its first flight. The first push-button telephone was introduced. The partial nuclear test ban treaty was signed in Moscow and ratified by the US Senate, and the “red phone” between Washington and Moscow, a hotline by the two superpowers to avert world crisis, was established.
If 2022 felt fast, hard or busy, the overall energy of 2023 offers to be more balanced. The Rabbit's gentler approach will help soothe the ups and downs of last year's Tiger. Even in the face of challenges, it is expected that the Rabbit’s quiet constancy to overcome them should help us move steadily toward our goals, regardless of any negativity or problems encountered.
Overall, the Rabbit offers a welcome change from that of the Tiger with promises of a more balanced, hopeful, peaceful, and prosperous year to come.
Fingers crossed.
(to be continued)
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