The Year of the Yin Wood Snake
Musings on Qi of the Cosmos for 2025 - Part 1 of 2…maybe even 3…it’s a big year
The new moon in January signified the beginning of a new year in the Chinese lunar calender with the Yin Wood Snake emerging to take the reigns from the Dragon.
2025 to me might be a year of opposites/extremes and has the potential to be a time to release restrictions and remember the origins of our being, our original nature on a personal level (I will explain this further on substack…https://substack.com/@leeananz). On a more external level there maybe more restrictions put into play igniting revolution and new ways of being - as we’ve already seen. Kia kaha.
Good friend and colleague Mana Fleming gives us her break down of the main aspects for 2025 (I’ve added a bit of explanation for terms in brackets)…
YIN from the depths to rise not just once in the coming year, twice. Meaning spring comes twice in the wood snake year. That could be hidden knowledge, things to release from the individual or change at a community level. New understanding about the heart of the matter, emotions rising maybe related to a response to injustice. Will the eyes open or not? From the darkness potential. Be ware of the messages from zhi (the will is associated with the kidney system which if in good stead can indicate “the five zang {organs} in perfect balance” – Rochat de la Valle, pg 50 in The Seven Emotions) via the po (the corporeal soul associated with the Lung body system).
GREEN can be sustained if well rooted. Often arrives from nothing in a blaze of glory to then diminish. In turoa (nature, earth) the balance is gained from watering then burning if over grown.
WOOD are the children of Tane (God of the bush/forests) and are at the whim of Tawhirimatea (God of the winds). They are rooted in Papatuuaanuku (our divine Mama Earth below) and reach towards Ranginui (our Sky Father above). It’s not by accident they play such an important role in taiao (the natural balance of things). Humans have disregarded wood, taken and grown those that are expedient for gain. In time Papatuuaanuku will reclaim. Steadfast are some, tenacious are some, flexible are others. WOOD, children of Tane and influenced by Tawhirimatea.
SNAKE is active, alert and present in the heat Yang. Is restful, waiting and observant in the cold Yin. So able to operate in different ways depending on yin and yang. Is able to do transmogrification and evolve with the shedding of the skin.
Yin wood is flexible like bamboo or vines. If we think about interelationship/exchange between beings in nature. When in harmony, vines might nurture and support those that support them. If vines are not supported however, they wither when they are not strong enough to stand on their own. Vines might also smother and strangle those that have supported them in the past.
There may be relationships in our lives where all or some of these scenarios are apparent whether we are the vine supporting, or those supporting the vine. This year is a good year to check these relationships. Realigning/changing aspects to re-establish harmony for the flourishing of all involved, rather than things being one sided. Vines also need to be on the move or they wither - if you know me, you know I very much resonate with vine qi in terms of moving. Phonetically my name is a tropical vine (liana) and my astrology has strong travelling placement so I thrive on travelling qi. Travelling qi when in balance, can be used for greater learning, self-realisation and creation, learning to flow through life with ease, even with the challenges, and fine tuning intuition. ..we just need to be aware of whether there is a running away rather than running toward element to the movement.
2025 is also a Fire year with it being the 2nd year in the fire cycle which dominates for 9 years in Chinese astrology. Fire helps illuminate our path and brings potential for strong leadership. Be prepared for fast flowing movement this year which can be done with beauty and grace if we go with it. A productive way to work with this qi might be to notice where joy is lacking in a particular area of your life according to astrologer, Marlyna Los. To me joy includes passion or compassion with over-excitement being an imbalance here. Sometimes a sacrifice is required in order to bring what we are passionate about into our lives. It can be challenging to give up habits and behaviours that create a sense comfort in some way, yet cause imbalance. By working towards sacrificing the things that are often detrimental to our relationships/wellbeing/health, and replacing them with a sense of peace/joy/compassion and passion can bring a greater sense of security. Note - passion is not what is portrayed in Hollywood but what we thrive on.
Ox is a secret friend of the Snake so the ox’s grounded endurance and steadfast work ethic might be useful this year for some. Fast moving and changeable Wind that can scatter is associated with Wood in Chinese Medicine (CM) is something that we may need to work with also. Due to the CM organ system interactions this year, looking after our immune system would be beneficial. Keep warm, wrapping up the back of the neck, ears and chest are needed in windy and cold conditions. It is always good to keep the lower abdomen and lower back warm and protected from these elements also. Minimise any foods that clog and obstruct flow to counter wind effects in the body, especially if you don’t like wind and may include air-conditioning. These are foods you know create adverse reactions or are intolerant to (foods that trigger that immune response). Excess high fat and rich foods like dairy, meat, crustaceans, sugars and soy can also cloy. On the up side wind can help us distribute and scatter seeds. This qi can also be useful to help disseminate things you might have been wanting to put out there…good feeling is always a nice thing to spread around.
The snake is able to digest unexpected and surprising things with it’s bodily flexibility…new and sometimes difficult to digest information might come up but it has the ability to bring renewal of some sort. An uncomfortable TRUTH perhaps. Patience and awareness might be useful in this snake year. Sometimes with new truths, comes a tendency to venomous actions or words while there is a period of adjustment. If used in a new way or with a different intention however, the venomous qi could allow timely striking to the heart of a problem or matter, providing transformative remedy. Venom, in small doses, prepared in the correct way, can serve as remedy, but in excess is deadly. Sometimes less is better, a hard thing to grasp for many in these times of competition, consumerism and escapism where more, being busy and ascending to the top is supposedly better. Everything we bring into our lives could be seen as a type of medicine, or poison…dosage/moderation is key. Listening to our bodies can be a good way to gauge what is helpful and when.
Snake has been associated with duality, if we think about the caduceus – the 2 snake symbol with wings often used in mordern medicine. The caduceus is reported to have come from Hermes who was wise and yet deceptive…like the snakes venom can be both poison and remedy, snake can be a powerful healer if treated with respect.
Just as the rivers and roads snake through the gullies and cerviced landscapes on this earth, so too do the vessels and paths within our bodies. Snake movement allows flow within these natural paths. Play/dance/movement could be important healers this year to wiri (tremble, shudder, shake, quiver) out any unhealthy qi. Alone time may be needed (or provided..see part 2) at times to deepen into the transformative state to promote the shedding of what is not needed/helpful.
Snake year is a big year for moving and going with the changes. There maybe dualities that challenge our stability and centre but being body aware can help us to ground. Noticing our bodily senses can help guide us all realms. Learning to feel the body in a cellular way might be useful - if there are areas that seem dull, dense, numb or blank, try tapping, massaging, or holding to help create sensation, to activate qi and blood circulation. There is potential this year for greater understanding in the unseen and what creates movement - vibration, patterns, growth, decay, transformations…are all aspects of qi. If we are prepared to flow with the inner depths to shed and transform it might just create a dispersing and connection with the outer world in a new way allowing for healthy mutual connection, freedom and healing.
This is my personal view of what might be useful through the year of the yin wood snake. I am a researcher at my core so there are numerous astrological sources that have guided this information along with the knowledge and training I have received. Mostly the information comes from the tohu (guidance) I have been shown and my understanding of these. Many patients ask how I know where they are sore on whatever level we are working…my answer has always been “an educated guess or knowing”.
Big MIHI (acknowledgement) to Mana Flemming for her contribution, Te Reo translations are mostly from Te Aka Maaori Dictionary.
