I have a friend. He is a very good Chinese Astrologer. He is also Chinese, which, they say makes a huge difference. It is the belief of the Chinese people for the most part that every aspect of their culture is informed by thousands of years of philosophical history. Thus, it is their belief that we as westerners can only ever scratch the surface of the cultural meaning inherent in any Chinese Philosophy or Art. Astrology is one of those Arts. Here in the west, we like to take all the information we can find and use it to justify why we are the way we are. We have adopted Chinese Astrology in that manner to. This particular gifted Chinese Astrologer friend of mine says that the Tong Shu almanac cycle was never meant to be adopted to vast predictions of the year ahead. Rather it is only for personal understanding of one’s own destiny. This would then require looking into the Year, Month, Day, and Hour pillar of the individual. It would further require analyzing the elements that make up the heavenly stem, as well as the elements that make up the animal described by the earthly branch. It gets complicated. Saying it is the Year of the Horse, or even it is the year of the Wood Horse, is very simplistic. It is like saying you are a Scorpio at a party,(watch them all run!)
Hey, Horses Run! What a great way to start. Horses Run.The Horse year is by nature always fast paced. Horse is associated with the Fire element. It is considered to be Yin Fire, which is a slow burning smoldering fire. Yin Fire is like lava, or coals in the fire pit and ash pit. Its nature allows for an alchemical cooking. That means in general one should work hard on your enterprises this year, and the results will be successful after a long run, not a short sprint! It is a Wood Horse year, as we know fire burns and consumes wood. Thus it should be a year where fires and heat are in the news plenty. That can be safely said, but what to do with that? This year one should rely heavily on there intuition. Intuition is ruled by water, and water will quench the fire and nurture the wood, bringing balance to your horse this year.
The Horse is a great year to start or increase exercise programs, again, horses like to run. Pay attention to your nutrition, because horses need good solid food for all the running they do. You will do well to drink your 8 cups of water a day this year to quench the fire and nurture the wood.
In the general affairs of the world, we will see bold and combative movements in general. The shootings in America are already proving to be brazen rather than the sneaky shootings of the snake year. Likewise, Russia decided to take Crimea, home of the Tartars, or Horse People, with sudden and brazen action this year. Before the year is out, we will probably see a few more sudden and bold political, military, and powerful moves by nations, for Horses don’t calculate they Run.
Most people suggest investing in wood related industries, such as logging or construction during wood years, but you might also want to consider Fire related industries as better off. These include Television, Internet, Computer App, Weapons, and Oil and Gas. These are in harmony with the fueled fire.
In terms of personal effects, it all depends on your Four Pillars. For example, someone with a strong water chart would find this year to be great, as the water will be balanced by the wood and fire. Whereas someone with a weak water chart, might find this year to be overly exhaustive. It is best to consult a Chinese Astrologer for specific guidance. (of course I can do that for you.)
Best of Luck during the Yang Wood Horse!
