01/02/2022
Gōngxǐ fācái; and for my Cantonese friends, Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Happy Year of the Tiger
Today marks the beginning of the new lunar year - the Year of the Tiger.
Considered the king of all animals in Chinese mythology and culture, the tiger symbolises power, courage, confidence, leadership and strength. It is also associated with good luck, bravery, and good health and wellbeing.
Emerging from the slower Year of the Ox (2021) into the energetic Tiger year may require some adjustment as The Year of the Tiger translates into a year of bold action requiring a fairly sudden shift in focus.
The Ox is slow, pedantic, methodical and puts the focus on hard work and on taking responsibility (sound familiar?), whereas the Tiger loves speed, freedom and wants to run.
Like the tiger itself, which has short bursts of extreme activity and then needs to rest, this is a year that will be lived at high speed at times but in intermittent bursts or at least that is the ideal. We needed the Ox’s ability to plod through the things that were required of us in 2021 but in 2022, we will be looking for more freedoms, though knowing when to take responsibility and allow ourselves to rest.
The Tiger is all about speed and change and that means that there might be times when you feel impatient that things aren’t moving fast enough or anxious with the rapid pace. Whether you get the speed wobbles or feel impatient, this is when you can fall back on the Ox’s influence. The Year of the Tiger is also a year where there is a lot more focus on togetherness and can be a year when there are a lot of advances in technology and especially the technology that can bring us closer together.
With many of us already feeling weary and mentally exhausted after the last two years, it’s vital that we listen to our minds and bodies and take the breaks we need during this fast-paced year. Remember self-care – nurture yourself with regular sleep, exercise, and nourishing, regular meals.
-care
