The Year of the Water Tiger
The Lunar Year of the Water Tiger, began on February 1, 2022. Each year is a combination of one of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) and one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. The lunar year follows a sexagenary cycle, meaning that there are sixty possible combinations. The last Water Tiger year was in 1962.
The Water portion of the Water Tiger year is Yang Water, a type of water that has great force and momentum, like a raging river or a tsunami. This is an all-or-nothing type of energy.
The Tiger is associated with the beginning of Spring, and is like a pent-up energy that suddenly bursts forth after the inactivity of winter. Unlike the Ox (the year that just ended), which comfortably plods along well-worn paths and is associated with tradition and convention, Tigers are associated with action, change, and revolution. They are determined, confident, enthusiastic, straightforward and powerful, ready to upset the status quo and blaze new trails. In the I Ching (also known as the Yi Jing), the Thunder trigram - which is associated with sudden, violent change - is affiliated with the Tiger.
Combined, Yang Water and the Tiger should make this a year of bold action, big changes, and new beginnings!
The overall climate (weather, geopolitical, etc.) for the year is Wind and Wood, with a period of Fire beginning in early May, lasting till the beginning of November. Wind is considered to be one of the six external pathogens (Wind, Heat, Fire, Damp, Dry, and Cold) and is associated with sudden movement. Fire is a more extreme form of Heat.
Health conditions associated with Wind include itching, dizziness, shaking, paralysis, headaches, allergies, tremors, and infectious diseases. Health conditions associated with Fire include burning sensations, fevers, and infections.
Wood is associated with the emotion of anger and Fire is associated with passion, so tempers may flare and emotions could run high this summer. Calmness of mind is essential this year and practices such as meditation will be especially useful.
Most of all, kindness and empathy will go far this year in soothing any sort of savage beast, whether it arises within ourselves or in those around us.
