2024, Yang Wood Dragon - A southern perspective
The green/wood dragon for this lunar new year carries us into an era of fire, with it being the beginning of the 9th (last) cycle of a 180 year cycle in Chinese astrology. Dragon qi has been emerging over the past weeks and even months which some of you may have noticed. My most obvious introduction this solar year was when I had the privilege of a honey bee land on my large intestine channel at the beginning of the last moon cycle. The bee gave itself a thorough clean for a good 10-15 mins then stimulated (walked across) my lung channel before flying off back to his industrious work. This honey bee’s essence and actions were very much what the year of the dragon is about…
If you thought the last few years have been full, this year that will continue with the potential for it to be even more full with doing, as the dragon likes to forge ahead. It is also a very creative year - the honey bee is an amazing architect. Planning and doing your research so you can create with precision is also possible.
Because the dragon is inherently an earth animal, staying well grounded in order to make the best use of the productivity available this year might be helpful. By being vigilent in keeping ourselves clean on all levels is good practice in helping to stay grounded. Simple everyday clearing – it doesnt have to take extra time, simply adapt what is already done…
As you shower give thanks to the waters that cleanse and feel that cleansing seep into the cellular level washing away/transforming anything that’s not yours.
The large intestine helps us to literally let go of unnecessary shite. By creating a intention/prayer/ritual (whatever you like to call it), with every movement, you can excrete waste that is no longer relevant. Give thanks to the yin/feminine Paptūānuku for her ability to transform that shite into nourishing, nurturing fertiliser for new growth…if yours goes out to sea, maybe acknowledge Tangaroa and his families. Also acknowledging your own being for being able to sort out what is useful and what is not.
Inhale the qi of the heavens, giving thanks to the yang/masculine Ranginui and all that is, as you walk into your new day. If feeling a bit flat throughout the day, breath in the warmth of the suns rays, or the colours that you pass by that attract you, to top up your resources, always acknowledging any exchange.
To me, the metal organs (large intestine and lung - thank you honey bee) are going to be a necessary harmoniser for the wood and earth interplay in our body systems this year. Metal likes order and structure and we may not see much of that in the outside world but we can create this for our inner world.
Autumn is approaching here in the southern hemisphere (if seasons are still relevant…), so to me the energetics are a bit different in comparison with the north. Going into the metal season we may (hopefully), see a bit less drama if we can support metal to get things in order, and centre in the stillness of winter qi, before the dragon matures…on the other hand...if we align with Matariki, which would make sense - new year going into springs new growth…this opens up a can of worms I won’t go into. Old Chinese ways are what I know best, though changes are needed in our Aotearoa environment. Māori are the wisdom keepers for all of us that live here, on many levels. The more we sit and share, perhaps the more harmonious things will become for ‘us’ rather than the ‘me’ of the past.
Yang wood stands tall
The Kauri perhaps stands as a yang wood kaiako/teacher for 2024 in the south. The wisdom Kauri carries from their long life. They have the ability to stand tall in their solidity, reaching to the heavens. At their height they see much that others miss. This ability to stand strong and stable maybe be tested this year with the earth influence which brings potential for instability. There is a need for Kauri to learn to bend and be flexible which may seem totally unnatural in past ways of thinking and believing. Opening to possibilities that the solid, fixed, trunks are able to flex and sway with Papatūānuku in any movement may be necessary. The more ready we are for this, the less dramatic things will likely be. We, along with Kauri are being asked to look further than what we have known and know. The things we thought/think to be true and fixed...maybe aren’t…or maybe are in that moment only... Science is coming around to the idea that nothing is fixed - an integral part of indigenous thinking across the globe. Just earlier this month, the science journal Nature published an article which calls for the science world to question and possibly ‘finally admit’ that genes are not the building block of life as was once thought...perhaps the idea of survival of the fittest and competition for survival is moving into obsolescence. Maybe every single one of us is the same level. We simply have different skills/qi to contribute to the whole.
The dragon year is a good year to find your thing(s) if you haven’t already. You are likely going to have to do this on your own which is a good thing because no one knows what is better for you, than you. What makes your being thrive with all that good feeling? This kind of feeling, is an awesome one to let become infectious and spread to those around you. It’s a great year for creating and planning the life you dream of, not so much in outer wealth (caution might be needed there) but the inner wealth and richness of being that is often taken for granted. As the dragon is a loner, being alone may end up being the best thing for any changes, productivity and new ideas/information coming in.
Gather your grounding tools and add them to your daily life, as the ability to ground quickly in any situation will help to moderate any flaring of the wood which might happen more easily with this dragon qi. We’re talking about flaring of tempers and emotions...anger, road rage, irritations, feelings of overwhelm and possibly depression. Militant and ‘rebellious’ actions are already being seen around the globe. Buying into the emotion of situations also feeds disharmonious qi. By remaining grounded while you stand your ground where ever that might be, could be the challenge of this year. Fire based compassion is likely key to harmonising the yang wood dragon qi due to it’s interaction with the earth system in 2024.
If you come up against the flaring yang wood dragon qi clashing with earth this year…aim for understanding, grounding and compassion...Atarangi Muru once said to me ‘we can never know or assume to think we know what others are thinking’. We each have our own individual life experiences. Even if multiple people are in the same space and time, experiencing the same thing, they often perceive differently. Any judgements about how another might choose to do things, is likely neither helpful or right for them simply because we haven’t lived their experiences and sensed the way they sense.
If you have wood and/or earth constitutions you might need to (depending on your other aspects), watch out for headaches/migraines, digestive issues, moodiness, road rage type temper, overwhelm, sleep issues and possible burn out. Again a good way to counter these things is to ground the earth in fire’s compassion, joy and connection for yourself and others. Listening to our body knowing, what do we feed our senses on all levels - physically, mentally, spiritually and beyond is all relevant here…at the same time, we still have human elements..mostly…compassion for the self is a good starting point.
As I sit writing this in the Yuan Lan Gardens in Ōtepoti-Dunedin, the waiata of the Dunedin City Council Roopu Waiata group practicing for Chinese New Year celebrations resounds... a very appropriate blend of culture and environment for the lead up to the new year. The tranquil water themed environment promotes grounding and centreing, while in the background we hear the busyness of the roads outside and the chorus of this group working in readiness for what is to come...
Any comments are welcomed and if there are specific things you are interested in that I might be able to shed light on please let me know.
This information is based on the astrology for the coming year from various sources (mostly grounded in the Chinese realm) some of which include - CT Holman, Sonia Tan, Marlayna Vos, Pam Gregory and our very own Alan Clay
