Unfolding, Momentum, and Change
The Year of the Fire Horse has arrived. How’s it going so far? Are you feeling the momentum — the heat, the intensity, the forward surge?
The energy of a Lunar New Year doesn’t demand that we become it. Last year’s Wood Snake invited slow shedding — thoughtful, deliberate release. The Snake asked us to outgrow what no longer fit. The Wood offered opportunity for subtle expansion. It was quiet evolution.
Fire Horse years are different. They are unapologetically yang. Historically, institutions shift. Systems recalibrate. (The last Fire Horse year was 1966.) Big change is possible — personally and collectively. But force is not the same as momentum.
And just as this fiery energy gathers, we approach the vernal equinox on March 20th — that brief, exquisite moment of balance. Equal light. Equal dark. The slow, almost imperceptible unfolding we’ve witnessed in these last couple of weeks - a little more light in the sky at dawn and dusk, more activity among neighborhood critters. The earth does not lunge toward spring. It tilts. It softens. It allows.
What if we let Nature's approach be our guide? Here are some ideas for momentum over force, and capacity instead of rigidity in this Year of the Fire Horse:
Get grounded in your body. In interactions with others, everyday situations, and when met with stress, notice your gut, your hands, your heart. Your nervous system knows when something is aligned. Support it with simple, appropriate pranayama. Let rumination rest.
Nourish authenticity. Eat real food. Limit what you consume in news and social media. Too much information is indigestible. Fire burns hot — rest before you scorch.
Keep releasing. Shake. Bounce. Breathe out what isn’t yours. An empty vessel is receptive to the heart’s mandate. Make space for the energy of the heart to come home to roost.
Be like water — adaptable, wise, powerful in subtlety. As we crest the equinox in a few weeks and begin sliding down the brighter side of the year, leverage balance. Let honest movement rise from steady ground. True, authentic care for yourself and those you love will create resilience, momentum, and real growth.