Hello all,
Happy New Year and Welcome to the Year of the Wood Dragon. February 10th, 2024 ushers in the new year and the wood dragon along with it. Chinese/lunar new year is associated to the natural emergence of spring energetically (typically six weeks earlier than the western calendar’s association). Generally, around this time we can start to see some early signs of this new energy rising, eg, the crocuses bursting forth from the ground, changes in wind patterns and even the possibility of thunder storms.
Springtime in Chinese medicine is associated to the wood phase, the eastern direction, wind, dawn, and the green dragon. Thus, this particular year within the 60 year cycle (combination of the 12 zodiac animals and the 5 phases of wood/fire/earth/metal/water) the wood dragon embodies all the same characteristics, meaning that springtime will have a very strong energetic quality this year.
The dragon is known to be powerful, influential, insightful, assertive, and confident. It can also be arrogant, strong-willed, and quite temperamental. As a fire-breathing creature and because wood can ignite and burn easily, there is potential for destruction on one side, as well as purification and alchemical change on the other.
The wood phase, as mentioned, is associated to the east, and the rising sun (and rising energy of yang). This brings newness, creativity, and the birth of new ideas and things/events. This relationship to wind and change can also often mean it will come in abrupt and chaotic ways, requiring adaptation and freedom from constrained ways of being. Those who like to control or are not flexible may struggle and can see symptoms like allergies, dizziness, vertigo, frustration, and other signs of loss of balance physically and/or emotionally. The wood is also associated to thunder and lightning, a dual-edged sword that can harm or heal depending on a variety of factors. These climactic influences come from the pressure associated with the colliding of negative and positive electrons and discharges violently causing dramatic heat (lightning) and crackling/thunderous sound. Like most things unexpected, it can be scary and feared, or exciting and welcomed.
To not be rattled by the energetics of this year, flexibility and the dropping of expectations is warranted. Acceptance and openness without judgment will yield a smoother experience of the year to come. Try to avoid black and white thinking, as polarity creates strong judgment, and when met with its opposite, will yield powerful conflict, e.g., thunder and lightning.
Springtime is a great time of the year to realign with the energetics of nature, moving from the quietude of winter’s hibernation to the vitality and benevolent engagement with the world around us.
There are many Daoist rituals for welcoming the new year. One of my favorites is a 12 day practice to create protection over the course of the upcoming 12 months (with the sporadic leap month added in). Each year I love finding the perfect sake for it and this year “pure dawn” called to me as it is a wonderful symbolic representation of springtime, the east, clarity, and the incoming wood dragon.
Wishing you all the dawning of a healthy, prosperous year ahead.
that sounds fun
I found in the testimony of the Lady Tanaath details of Dragons in seven types, in her dissertations on "The Silver Legion", which is an army of volunteers comprised of different species predominantly humanoid in the interdimensional wars against the Draco, suspended on the web for the time being, but some videos of the past may be found.