January 25th marks the beginning of the Year of the Metal Rat. What an auspicious year ahead! Leaving the Year of the Earth Pig, I'm reflecting on what it brought me. Did you have an Earth Pig of a year in 2019? Earth Pig brings the simple, physical, earthly comforts like plenty of food, a cozy home that we can root into and the loving bonds of friends and family to share our earthly pleasures with. After three years of following other people's living rules, Earth Pig has brought me the sheer freedom of once again having my own private place to live that I don't have to share. As an adult, I didn't realize how much I valued my privacy until I didn't have it anymore. So grateful for this little luxury from the Earth Pig!
That said, I'm crazy excited about this particular Year of the Metal Rat. There are many alignments taking place with this amazing start. It's a good idea to set yourself up for success in your endeavors for the next decade and entirely new life cycle! That's right. The rat is the very first sign in the Chinese Zodiac meaning this is the beginning of a completely new life cycle. Now is the best time ever to get a new lease on life, re-invent ourselves and start new projects that will grow into the coming years. If you want to begin a new business, now is the prime time. If you want to change careers, locations, your relationships with yourself, money, family, friends, virtually anything, THIS is the best time to make the change and better your life!
Since metal brings water and metal is the dominant element, this new cycle bids a time when there will be changes in transportation, money, technology, machinery and health. There may be great advances in these metal related industries. It's an excellent time in invest in a new vehicle or technology or to start a new business to create more metal money. But don't horde and hide the metal you may seek to attain. The rat likes to show off it's shiny trinkets and put them on display around it's nest. In like manner we have permission to wear our finest clothes, use our best dishes and publicly enjoy the metal wealth and prosperity that brings us joy.
Hard work and diligence are in order and rat is always busy securing what's his/hers. It's possible stormy weather may come as rats tend to abandon ship when metal brings on the water that follows. Luckily, rat is intelligent enough to know when to leave and when to stay and can creatively survive even in harsh circumstances where others cannot. Use creative intelligence and positive outlook to weather to storms to come.
It's traditional to welcome in the New Year by giving small gifts that represent the year to come (come to class on the 25th to receive :), eating foods associated with the zodiac animal (nuts, cheeses), and displaying objects that represent the zodiac year within home and work environments (metal and/or mice/rat images); doing these things helps to receive the greatest benefits from the incoming energies of the new cycle. Here's wishing you prosperity and abundance in all your pursuits so that you may live the life of your dreams in the new year, new decade and new life cycle ahead. Peace and posperity are your!
