Having grown up with a herd of horses, I'm definitely a horse person (and am slowly getting back into riding as an adult), and so have always loved the notion of the Year of the Horse. I could write (a lot) about my experience of horses, but when working with cross-cultural dynamics its helpful to lean into how a symbol/metaphor is understood in that particular culture, in addition to your own experience.
You might already have encountered the basics: it is a time of "the emperor": strong, powerful, decisive action; testing the limits of authority as well as a time of 'wild and free' energy; open to sudden change; very fast and then quiet (eating is really important). Intense heat can lead to conflict and passion; burn out and exhaustion. Horses are seen as related to dragons… an especially fine and tall horse might, in ancient Chinese culture, be referred to as a dragon, suggesting the similarities of character, as well as stamina and strength.
It is a time when qualities of 'water' (flow, calm, strategy) can be especially helpful (water controls/'destroys' fire); when charm can work wonders; wisdom, adaptability, and diplomacy can help mitigate the energy of fire.
Similar to Western astrology, part of the idea is that you want to understand not just what "this year symbolizes" (speed, volatility, high energy, strength) but "how does your animal/sign fit into it." Thus, I am, in the Chinese zodiac system, a rooster. So the question is, 'how do I, as a rooster, relate to the year of the (fire) horse?" There are a lot of places online to go down that rabbit hole.
Already I hear my clients feeling that 'this year/time is a lot' energy. There are those who are already getting ready ti sit back, and do some disengaging while the chaotic energy continues. And there are those who are like: ok, let’s dive in, the time is now!
And so I want to remind you:
It’s ok to change direction.
It’s ok to make time to go deeper into your spiritual/land connection practices even when everything around you seems to be on fire.
It’s ok to sometimes go really fast. I've seen friends and colleagues getting some amazing offers - requiring very, very fast movement. Sometimes that's ok. And sometimes it's not.
It is not your job to "handle" everything
It is not your job to "carry" it all
You are carried by forces bigger than you are. By waters and histories and ancestors and Spirit.
You can get off the ride sometimes … and you might well need to.
You can float. You can experience yourself being carried.
For some of you, it will be helpful to literally float (in an ocean/lake/pool/river) to help yourself re-embody what that means. To know in advance: what are my signs that I/ my team needs to "cool down" .... and to know (ideally in advance) some of what that practically looks like?
Speaking of "really cool things" with an energy all of their own that are happening, today is our first in-person Land Justice conversation - Krissy, myself, and Krissy's daughter Rachel are co-hosting an event in our local town of Hudson around Land Justice.
