Chinese New Year: February 12th
The Year of the Metal Rat is down to the rat's tail now as the year wane's away. The Chinese New Year begins with the next New Moon. This year will be different from 2020, but the challenges last year brought are still going to demand attention. The Ox is a different animal from the Rat. The Ox is a work animal. 2021 will be a working year. And that's OK, as long as you are ready to plan your work and work your plan. Before going too far into the unfolding of the Chinese New Year, you must consider where you intend to be in 2022 so you can anticipate the difficulties to be overcome without any consideration of giving up on your dreams.
There are many things that are being built this year. Some of these things are not yet fully up and running, and you can get frustrated. If you intend to start something new, you will have to already know how to do it or be it - to prove yourself - in order to be able to earn or keep your position. If you intend to manage your company, you must have already managed it. If you intend to perform or entertain, you must already have done so.
The Metal Ox resonates with the energy of the patriarchy, ethics, righteousness, construction, frankness, intuition, versatility, hard work and respect for others. With the Metal Ox, the spirit prevails over the heart. Faced with this slow rise in rigorism - the extreme strictness in interpreting or enforcing a law or principle - there is a question of finding the right strategy to succeed in the game. There will have to be a new blend of head and heart, old and new, tradition and transformation.
You know about waving a red flag in front of a bull, right? Same thing for the ox. Ox years can bring rushes of excess anger that cause irreversible damage. The Tiger, Horse, and Dog, as well as the Goat must be particularly vigilant about reining in their raging tempers. There will be temperament slip-ups that may lead to the loss of an opportunity, job, or relationship. Folks with Chinese zodiac signs with Yin polarity, such as the Rabbit (Hare, Cat), Goat (Sheep) and Pig (Boar) are going to find their creative urge quieted a bit so they can express their more flexible and organized qualities. The dynamics of 2021’s energy will be more methodical, ordered and consistent than 2020, but there will be a few prosperous bursts and creative displays to brighten the days.
The element of Metal is synonymous with durability, strength, and loyalty. It resonates with teamwork and interest in the community. In Chinese cosmology, Metal is associated with the planet Venus, the Autumn harvest season, and drought. Metal also corresponds to the West, in symbolic association with the sunset - including of a day, a deal, or a life. In the human body, Metal is linked to the lungs and breathing (spirit/respiration) - ergo the pandemic attacks the lungs. Yang Metal is hard and sharp, like a sword. Yin Metal of this year's Ox is more the sort of a decorative ornament or flatware, whose function is to satiate different appetites.
Think like Ferdinand the Bull and get yourself out into Nature. In 2021 it will be vital for you to make and take the time to get yourself out into the fresh air of the countryside or the mountains to recharge your batteries and stay healthy. This is different from stepping outside to an apartment balcony or other cement-encircled areas within high population density areas. The beach is better than a backyard pool and the open meadows are better than the fenced yard. As the Year of the Ox continues the Year of the Rat’s Metal element, there is coming an even more extreme danger for possible death directly connected to viral respiratory infections.
Wear a face mask when in public, covering the nose as well as the mouth, and insist that those whom you allow near you honor your health and well-being by absenting yourself should someone step into your sphere of influence unmasked. Your life may depend on this action. Well-being will be supported by the vast spaces and wild air. Conditioned air recirculates coughs, saliva, and germs from those who may carry infections. Stay where the air flows freely.
The work of the Ox, like the Water Buffalo, and Bull, requires strength and focus. To benefit in the coming new year will require that you yoke dedication to focus and commitment to accomplishment. In the efforts to rebuild your economy as you come out of the pandemic, you must create an overarching plan with methodical steps and clear prioritizations. (Plan your work and work your plan!)
Because of the plodding nature of the Ox, it will not be easy to birth new professions, projects, or products. Companies are wise to capitalize on clear mission statements and communication of those statements. The reins will be strong on new creative efforts, but that is not true for planned, methodical efforts that are inspired by righteousness and supported by the tendency to thoroughness by the Ox. Those who steal intellectual property as if it were a legitimate commercial practice will find themselves far behind the original creators and in front of the line to be prosecuted.
Medium and large companies must strive to be actively forthright, honest, and transparent when to support their staff, especially their managers. Leadership and loyalty should be supported by putting money and promotions in the forefront of the appreciation they show their staff. Initiative and vision will be the best professional assets in 2021. Agriculture, agribusiness and all the sectors associated with them are the arenas most likely to exhibit dazzling successes during the Year of the Ox.
The protection of the environment is paramount to your survival. Plastic waste must be resolved by legislation and then you must quit bringing it home. Oil and gas technologies will give way to renewable energies. Jobs will change. Work hard to make that happen via your plan. There will be drought, especially in areas where the soil has not been honored. Reforestation must increase if the planet is to breathe freely again. Humanity will commit suicide if it doesn’t quit poisoning the Earth.
Politically, people will move towards restoration of higher values like integrity, truth, and loyalty. Patriotism will strengthen as we begin to restore tradition rather than novelty. Just because things are new doesn’t mean they are better.
Politicians have the Metal element in their energy in order to generously dedicate their careers to serving the people. They may feel a need to step forward since the Ox steps forward with authority of its sheer mass and presence. Politicians can be capable of corrupt means of achieving their goals, simply because they have the power, rather than out of concern for the common welfare. Attempts to ram through rapid change may demonstrate uninspired and panicky choices, leaving their constituents floundering without their support, but supporting their lobbyists. In this arena, measures must be taken to preserve democracy in the world. The laws controlling the funding for political parties need to change. Journalists and their sources must be protected. Citizens must increase their participation in the process, beyond the making of laws and into the processing of personal data, requirements for provenance, and the quality of product labeling.
Love in 2021 declares the family to be the focus of life, especially the well-being and education of children. The Yin Metal element will resonate with sentimentality and family priorities in the Year of the Ox.
In 2021, traditional values will be restored in families. Parents, siblings, and kin will lend support to traditional ceremonies as people look to each other for the support of the herd/whole. Parents who cannot support their children’s requests for support (not just for money, but for approval and faith) will be backed into reconsidering when they run into a wall of intolerance for intolerance.
When seeking support that questions morality or generosity, there will have to be quantifiable and qualifiable merits demonstrated. There must be value to the cause. In order to define the value, people must first believe in themselves. This takes courage, stability, and confidence.
Respect for others and for the values of others will stand as the foundation of any relationship worth maintaining, whether loving, friendly, or professional. The skeptics and pessimists will be encouraged in 2021 to have more tolerance for differences, more confidence in their fellow man, and an appreciation for the responsibility and discipline of the hard working neighbor.
The most important thing you can do between now and the New Moon on February 12th is to plan your work for the year. What will you complete in February? March? June? September? and so on. Where do you intend to be by next January? How will you get there. Define the plan, the steps, the contacts, the challenges, and the benchmarks. Then break that list down into what needs to be done each week.
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This is an excerpt from my January Feng Shui Workshop. You can order the PDFs of the materials and bonus goodies, as well as the video at bit.ly/TKFSWorkshops for only $30.
