Happy New Year!
Nope, I haven’t lost my mind, I know January 1st has come and gone but if you need a re-do today's your day, February 1st marks the Chinese New Year!
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year is a celebration done right! There is no single day celebration here, the Chinese New Year festivities take place over a span of 16 days commencing on Chinese New Year’s Eve and extending through to the Lantern Festival. This year it will run from January 31st through to February 15th. That said, if you are really doing things by the book then you could have kicked off your Chinese New Year’s preparations any time in the last 3 weeks, including giving the house a thorough spruce from January 25th.
This year the 1st of February 2022 will mark the start of the Year of the Water Tiger. Past Tiger years include 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010.
Now I am in no way an expert in Chinese Astrology, but I am a keen researcher around this time each year so below you’ll find my interpretation of the information I have found. It’s all fascinating and if it is of interest to you, I’d encourage you to get online and read more yourself, there is so much wonderful information to be found.
You may remember the story of how the Chinese Zodiac order came to be from our past Chinese New Year posts but for first time readers here is a quick recap:
The Chinese Zodiac considers each year to be governed by an animal and an element. The Chinese Zodiac runs through a 60- year cycle made up of 12 animals and 5 elements.
The twelve animals in order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
The five elements are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.
The Tiger is the third sign in the 12-animal cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. Are you wondering how this came about?
According to Chinese legend the Jade Emperor hosted a race to determine the order of the zodiac. The Tiger of course was so confident in its own abilities that it was sure amongst no one would be able to compete with its speed. However, confidence and energy are not everything and when the Tiger exited the river at the end of the race sure it was informed the Rat had in fact beaten him with its cunning and the Ox had come in second place due to its diligence!
As mentioned above each zodiac cycle, in addition to being paired with an animal is also assigned an element. This change of element and animal pairings can represent very different qualities. For example, a Fire Tiger will display different characteristics to a Water Tiger. More on that soon….
Let’s talk 2022…
We can’t really talk 2022 without a quick debrief of the past few years. We have collectively been through quite a journey of change and no doubt the question on everyone’s lips is “Will 2022, the Year of the Water Tiger be a better year than 2021’s Metal Ox?” After the 2 years that we have had we are all ears for any suggestion we are about to commence a smoother year ahead.
2020 was the Year of the Metal Rat. I looked back over my blogs for both 2020 and 2021 with great interest while I was writing this post. Obviously when we read into any astrology, we tend towards seeking the positive impacts various predictions may have. At the beginning of 2020 the year of the Metal Rat promised a Yang energy that would require balance along with potential for change and movement, particularly around business. I think we certainly saw this, not necessarily in the positive light we had hoped but reflected in many small businesses having to pivot their practice significantly in order to stay afloat. As we well know 2020 ended up having quite a frantic energy and the focus was not only navigating but survival in a sense of many turbulent months of change.
In 2021 we experienced the year of the Metal Ox. At the start of the year, we hoped the Metal Ox would bring an energy of steady predictability. In a sense it did. We found ourselves wary yet wise. Day to day life plodded on as it had in 2020 but with more predictability. The Metal Ox seemed to cement the fact that life as we knew it had changed, we were entering a new normal and unfortunately there was still quite a path ahead.
I’m hopeful that 2022, The Year of the Water Tiger injects some much-needed enthusiasm and energy back into our lives. It carries with it the potential for progression and change being truly achievable. After 12 months of stagnation and living in survival mode, the year of the Tiger should stimulate our urge for movement and adventure. Of course, this energy of expansion and change can shake things up in both positive and negative fashions so be prepared to tackle a few curve balls.
There is a dynamic Yang energy around the Tiger. In fact, it could be said there is a brazen nature to the year ahead which we might have to keep in check! Luckily the Water element that 2022’s Tiger is paired with should help us with that! For individuals that already have an innate self-confidence the upcoming year may see you shake off the cautious cloak you wore in 2021 and reignite your adventurous side, plunging back into life. The Water Tiger’s focus is on family and relationships. It will shift the attention towards ensuring there is overall success for family groups, teams, and communities supporting the optimal achievements of all rather than solely focusing on individuals. A little more community mindedness never hurts. We should see good career progression for most signs this year with a bounce back from last year’s downturn. It should also bear a time of abundance with many enjoying good health and wealth. Being that we are still finding ourselves in the midst of a pandemic there is potential for the year of the Water Tiger to include some drama born from people who have felt pent up for such a long time and now are experiencing the need to break free.
Are you a Tiger? Or perhaps you are due to have a Tiger child this year?
Tigers are known to be highly active and competitive individuals. They show bravery and
confidence. Relishing adventure and tackling challenges in life. Sometimes their enjoyment of new experiences can have them tending towards being unpredictable, but there is no risk of boredom! They are generous people, with a strong moral compass, a good heart, and a desire to be helpful. Notable characteristics of a Water Tiger include the focus on family and a preference for a quiet family life. While their interpersonal relationships tend to be good, they must practice patience and love. They tend to make great progress in their careers, but this is born of hard work and needing to be open to advice and support from others.
Surprisingly the Tigers are not necessarily lucky in 2022. When you find yourself in your Zodiac year it is called Ben Ming Nian. There are some hacks though for Tigers to boost their luck this year:
Wear red to drive away bad luck, invite prosperity and success. Red is one of the luckiest colours in the Chinese culture.
Wear Jade accessories such as pendants, rings, bracelets, and necklaces.
Adjust your direction. This is regarding having the Tai Sui (the God of Age Star) behind you. For Tigers this year it may mean adjusting the direction of work spaces and beds. If you are a Tiger have a read up on the intricate details of this one!
Along with the Tigers, the Snake, Pig, Dog and Monkey should be cautious around work, personal relationships, and health. This doesn’t mean all is lost but certainly a considerable amount of effort will be required to ensure goals are met.
What about the other signs?
Horses Dragons, Roosters and Rabbits should experience a happy and fortuitous 2022. If these signs focus on their goals both professionally and personally, they should enjoy smooth roads and reap the benefits of their efforts.
Here’s hoping the year of the Water Tiger is a step in the right direction for all. Remember, if you are going to do some more research on your own animal in relation to the Chinese zodiac that if you are born in January or early February that you may fall into the Chinese astrology of the year prior.
Happy research!
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