 道 – Dào/View"All experiences is the result of karma, and it is the mind that is responsible for the creation of karma, nothing else. Every experience of passing pleasure and pain and all the seemingly small and incidental occurrences of our lives arise because of the mind. However, we have no power or control over the mind at all. We may have in our mind the intention of doing something of a very virtuous and positive nature, but if something goes wrong our mind can change instantly and become very negative. We can also experience states in which we are motivated in a negative, non-virtuous way and then find that our motivation changes and becomes positive. What really controls the mind is lung [Tib.], the ‘wind’ or ‘subtle energy’ that determines the direction that the mind pursues. Thoughts arise in our minds and as they arise and we react to them, we create karma. The Windhorse, the mount upon which the mind rides like a rider on a horse, controls or directs the thoughts arising in our minds. If we are confused about the essential nature of an arising thought, it may well be a cause for the perpetuation of samsara. If there is no confusion about the fundamental nature of the thought, the essence of that thought can free itself into dharmakaya. As the thought frees itself, the enlightened mind of Buddhahood arises. The very same thought can lead to a state of freedom or to a state of confusion, and the direction it takes depends upon lung ta, the Windhorse. When lung ta is low, everything becomes a problem: our ability to make progress with both our worldly projects and the Dharma will decrease. If lung ta flourishes and becomes more positive, then even former tendencies that brought about non-virtuous or negative karma—ordinary thoughts of the five poisons of attachment, aversion, ignorance, jealousy, and pride—can be transformed into a more positive manifestation. They arise in their true nature as the five aspects of yeshe, or 'primordial wisdom' of 'timeless awareness' (rigpa), through the power of Lung Ta." -Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche 心者，君主之官也，神明出焉 The Heart is the Fire at the Center of Our Being, the Sovereign Emperor from which the spirit radiates. -Neijing Suwen Ch. 8  Bĭng Wŭ, 丙午, Qì in the Year of the Yáng Fire Horse As of Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, we officially move back into Bĭng Wŭ, 丙午, the Year of the Yáng Fire Horse, the Traveling Horse. And of course, here is my yearly reminder – astrology is not fortunetelling – we are not here to predict but to play, to run wild and free like a Fire Horse on the open plain. But like the Horse, we are also here to build, train, and put in the work. I present the following symbols as a playful mirror – these are my reflections, but I am not an expert, prophet, or soothsayer. You must study these symbols, reflect on them, and apply them to your life and to the world. We now enter a time of dramatic power and dynamism. The Fire Horse may be the most explosive and energizing symbol of the entire 60-Animal Zodiac, for it is pure Yáng Fire. We are in for a wild ride, and that may scare some of you. But do not worry. The Fire Horse has little interest in doom or gloom, for the Horse is a sunny and optimistic symbol, and it has tremendous potential. I am, therefore, excited and welcome it for many reasons. Above all, the Fire Horse is a symbol of what the Chinese Tradition calls the Jūn Hŭo, 君 火, the Sovereign Fire of the Heart, the spark of life that animates and defines us as sovereign individuals. It is a symbol of self-possession, freedom, and personal responsibility embedded in a larger web of relationships, social harmony, duty, and self-cultivation. The Fire Horse represents a big heart, full of love and compassion, that burns with passion. The Wood Snake year, however, was a bit “doom and gloom,” for the Snake is a symbol of the subterranean underworld. But it was also Yīn Wood, which is soft and pliant, a kind of “gap” or “non-year,” which is not to say nothing happened. Many powerful and transformative things happened, and the world is a very different place! The astrological influence of the Wood Snake, however, was so minimal and hidden that what we saw was not so much the overt influence of the Snake, but rather its secret or hidden influence, what it looks like when things are unobstructed. The Wood Snake hid; it got out of the way and left us to our own devices…and then, slow and sneaky, it led us through an underworld. It was an in-between, a crossroad of internal alchemy and transformation, which now launches us from the underworld into the blazing sun of the Fire Horse! The influence of the Snake may have been minimal, but of course, lots of “Snakey” things happened, so let’s reflect! First, I have some news! Upcoming Book, Online Courses, and Social Media! The big news, if you didn't know, is that I am proud to announce the publication of my book! It is titled, Chinese Polestar Astrology – a Practical Guide to Decoding the Secrets of your Character, Inner Nature, and Fate. It will be published and available worldwide this Summer on August 25th through Shambhala Books and Penguin Random House. It is a full-length, detailed guide to practicing Chinese Polestar Astrology. In it, I walk through (almost) everything I know about how to do what I do. There is, of course, a lot more to cover in future books, but this is the big picture and culmination of over a decade of writing, study, and practice. Writing this book has been a journey. It has been bestowed with blessings and yet fraught with obstacles, as some object to its very existence! But I am delighted with it and can’t wait to share it with you! I am also pleased to announce the upcoming introduction of live online courses. The website has also been revamped, as you can see, and moving forward, I plan to run small cohorts teaching people how to practice Polestar Astrology. The courses will focus on how to follow this tradition as part of a spiritual path, but they will also cover in depth how to read charts for friends, family, and clients. They will be taught in modules over many weeks and months, and I would like to run them once or twice a year. If you are interested, please let me know and stay tuned for more details. Social Media!I am also back on social media after a purposeful year-long hiatus! So follow me on Facebook and Instagram for regular astrological updates! I am starting over from scratch, so any likes, follows, and shares would be much appreciated! Going forward, I would like to post regular musings on Astrology, Dharma teachings, and so on, but I want to know what you all are interested in knowing. Please let me know what kind of updates you may be interested in, and stay tuned, for I will be sending out a survey at some point exploring some potential topics.  Yīn Wood Snake ReflectionBack to the year of the Yīn Wood Snake, which I am afraid I may have underestimated. Or, perhaps, I was spot on. I am still not sure. Such is the mysterious nature of the Snake. Again, last year, I said that this would be a kind of “non-year.” In other words, the Wood Snake is so gentle, so hidden, so transparent that it is as if there was no influence at all, and that itself was a kind of influence. It was a mirror that allowed everyone to be and act without interference, but it also brought us into the depths and darkness of the Snake’s transformational journey through the subterranean underworld. It brought with it the Treasury of Worms that lies beneath the surface—the darkness and shadow. It also had the typical inertia and stillness of all Snake years, which made it challenging to manifest true change above ground in the Yáng world. Below the surface, however, we have been transforming and shedding our skin to emerge now into the bright light of day, into the Yáng Fire Horse. The Fire Horse is the full power of the blazing Sun, and it could not be more different than the hidden baby Wood Snake. This transition is also one of the most dramatic in the Zodiac. The flip from hidden and still Yīn to a boiling, churning, chugging powerhouse of galloping Yáng is jarring. It requires careful reflection. As always, I encourage you to re-read my blog from last year and reflect…how’d it go? Due to our unique Character and Fate, we are each predisposed to have digested the Year differently, so your experiences will vary widely. As always, I am deeply curious about your experience of the Wood Snake and how it unfolded for you…so please share! Personally, this was one of the most difficult and transformative years of my life. This year has been a profound mirror and one of the deepest journeys into the shadow world I have ever experienced. It has brought forward some of the most challenging and complex aspects of my character and trauma to work through and heal. I really feel like I was led through a deep twisting tunnel and shed my skin to emerge on the other side radically different. But it was not a hell realm full of demons, but rather a dark woodland hollow full of roots and spiders, creepy crawlies from under the rock of my own unconscious, turned up for me to look at. The Wood Snake was dark but full of narrow shafts of light piercing through the dirt and shadow to reveal the mycelium of the interconnected web of my own being. It was slow, evasive, and somewhat depressing; it often felt stagnant and inert. It felt like it was difficult to change, get anything done, and stay motivated to accomplish things. I felt somewhat bogged down and called constantly to rest. I have found it difficult this past year to maintain routines and rhythms, and many of my normal activities have fallen by the wayside. It has not been an easy year, but it somehow feels like it was necessary, important, and full of deep alchemy that is not easily appreciated or understood, yet massively transformative in the long run. I have changed more as a person this year than any other, but it has been hard to appreciate this or feel like I can move forward. I am therefore excited to welcome the Fire Horse, which brings with it strong, forward-moving, practical energy. So, that was my personal experience, but what about the rest of the world? What “Snakey” things happened this year? Obviously, there is far too much to discuss, and the entire globe has undergone a massive, Snake-like alchemy, and just like each of us, the globe is poised to shed its skin and emerge radically changed in the coming year. I know, I know, politics are deeply divided. We’re all arguing and outraged. I think what characterized the Wood Snake year for me, regarding the “news,” was a sense of uncertainty, even deception, not being able to trust appearances, combined with quick, sudden changes and events, just like the striking of a Snake. I originally wrote a detailed piece covering all the news events of the year through the lens of the Wood Snake, but I decided, again, not to discuss politics. Reviewing the events of the year, however, is a powerful way to study Astrological symbols. If you are interested in hearing my take on the “politics” of the past year through an astrological lens, please let me know. If there’s enough interest, then I can post a separate blog. However, I will warn you—I am not politically affiliated. I am not on the right or left. I am not a democrat or a republican. I am not a progressive or a conservative. I believe firmly in individual and civil liberty, private property, free markets, limited government, and the rule of law, which are the hallmarks of “classical liberalism,” not because of any ideology, but because out of all the crappy options, these objectively create the most prosperity and the least suffering. That being said, I am a Buddhist. And I am, first and foremost, interested in truth-seeking, reality, and alleviating suffering. I am deeply interested in understanding politics, history, and economics through both objective evidence and the lived experience of real people. This is what informs my worldview from the ground up. You could call me a radical centrist, and this informs how I approach everything from politics to economics and beyond. Any astrological report dissecting politics would be a call to the sanity of centrism and rational debate. If this sounds interesting, please let me know! And please feel free to share your reflections! What Snake-like events stood out to you? How do you see and understand everything that happened in terms of the Wood Snake? As the Wood Snake comes to an end, we begin our transition into the Yáng Fire Horse. As we go through the following symbol, think about the year that we have come from, the state of your life, relationships, your community, your work, and so on, and expand this out to the world. What happened in the Wood Snake year that will change, come to fruition, improve, or struggle, considering this new symbol? With that in mind, let’s jump into the symbolism of the Fire Horse.  象 Symbolism So, we now collectively move into the pattern of Horse Qì, which happens to be part of my Character, as I was born on a Metal Horse Day. But this year is the Fire Horse. Fire is the Native Element of the Horse, so this year is the quintessential and most characteristic of Horse years. The Horse is an ancient symbol of the Wind, Praṇa/Vayu, Qì, and Lung (rlung in Tibetan). In Tantra and East/Central Asian Shamanism, the image of the “Wind Horse,” the Lung Ta, is an allegory for the Human Spirit of Awakening. The symbol of the Horse is an ancient and powerful Shamanic symbol central to the cultures of Mongolia, China, and Tibet. To understand the Symbol of the Horse, we must understand the role of the Horse in these ancient cultures as a symbol of freedom and expansion. The Horse, in many ways, shaped their history, primarily due to warfare, and the Fire Horse defines warriorship, physicality, and explosive power. The Horse spoken of in Chinese Mythology is the Mongolian rather than the Arabian Horse, which any equestrian person will tell you are very different kinds of horses. The Chinese attempted to train the Mongolian horse to work for a long time, but no amount of breeding and whipping coerced them to plow straight furrows, for they had no attention span and were wild. Eventually, the Chinese discovered the ox/water buffalo from the south, revolutionizing agriculture. But what about the horse? Mongolians and the famous Genghis Khan would bring down the horse as an instrument of war. The Mongolian Horse and the bow and arrow allowed Genghis and his grandson Kublai to dominate Asia. When the Chinese first saw Mongolians riding horses into battle, arrows, and swords flying, they discovered the true power of the horse, which had been abandoned in China as a plow animal. The first depictions of the Horse were a lot like the Dragon, and many of these elements would make their way into the depiction of the Dragon, for the Horse could ride so fast that it appeared to be flying. They let the reins down, put on a war saddle, and the Horse came to life. With just a little direction rather than strict control, the Mongolian Horse became the most productive tool in the Chinese military and aided in the great expansion of the Tang Dynasty. Emperors and Generals bred them successfully for war throughout Chinese history, and they were always associated with martial arts and warriorship. The image of the War Horse represents the Horse’s native element, Yáng Fire. The Fire Horse is an explosion of force, a wild stallion, uncontrollable yet capable of immense power and control if directed with skill. Like fire, the Horse represents a powerful tool that can be creative or destructive, depending on its use. The genuine impulse of the Horse is to run free, wild, and explode out, which is why Horses and Tigers get along, for the Tiger represents a similar explosion of force. The Tiger, Yáng Wood, is an immature, childlike impulse, while the Horse, Yáng Fire, is the teenage, adolescent angst, rebellious, leaping over boundaries and running wild. Each elemental version of the Horse represents a relationship to this impulse. The impulse of Yáng Fire is to energize, catalyze, activate, stimulate, transform, overpower/overcome, surprise, rebel, destroy, and excite. All Horse Characters have this lying in their nature. I was born on a Metal Horse Day, so this is part of my Character, albeit not as potent as the Year/Hour. Hopefully, then, I can share some personal insight into the nature of the Horse, which is an integral part of me. The Metal Horse, of which I am in part, and of whom I know many (1990), the “Horse in the Stall,” has a fundamental difficulty with this explosive nature—Fire “melts” Metal, leading to a kind of self-conflict and doubt. The Metal Horse wrestles between freedom and control, but their Metal exteriors make them capable of power and self-discipline in a way the Fire Horse is not. The Fire Horse is a pure wild stallion, and traditionally, in China, those born in these Years would have been sent with Fire Tigers to the military as cannon fodder. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Water Horse, the least “horsey” Horse, is more like a Clydesdale or the Budweiser Horse, the explosion extinguished, happy to be trained and trotted around. The symbol of the Horse has a lot to do with the animal itself. Horses are big and physical; they are all muscles and tendons. Mongolian horses have huge asses and hind legs, which make them powerful runners and jumpers. This physicality represents a kind of embodiment, so Horse Qì is by nature very embodied - the Horse's impulse is to feel, be, and do immediately rather than think. The Horse's opposite, the Rat, has the opposite impulse; Rat Qì tends to think and scheme, while the Horse represents what Chan Buddhism calls “no-mind.” No-mind represents embodied action without thinking and planning. Horse Qì is “doing,” but without great premeditation, like a Chan Monk sweeping the courtyard or raking stones in the garden. Horse Qì lends itself to the non-conceptual state. Horse Qì is the Wisdom of Manifestation. Suppose the Rat represents everything splintered into pieces, needing to be organized and put back together. In that case, the Horse represents the final manifestation of this in the cycle of Time, everything manifesting and functioning efficiently. Horse is D.I.Y. and manufacturing—the strength to work and put things together. The Horse is all about working and doing, like the Ox, but they are the Yáng version—muscle, speed, and power, and they can burn out, while Oxen can slowly plow forever. Horse Qì is also the outcome of the Snake. Suppose Snake represents a cynical, piercing emptiness capable of disembodied depression. In that case, the flip side of Big Yīn turning to Yáng is a kind of straightforward, logical, no-nonsense practicality. The Snake questions whether the world even exists, and the Horse just gets to work. Emptiness roaring back to form. Why think about emptiness when there is stuff to do? The Horse represents an “edgy” balance, part wild, part trained, and this gives the Horse a certain regal dignity; they allow us to use their strength, but if they want, they can leap the fence and take off. The Horse’s strong, independent nature is extraordinarily successful when set to orderly tasks. For the Horse, stuff is to do things with, and they tend not to need anything unless it represents “work,” even if that work is spiritual. Horse Hour, from 11 am to 1 pm, or High Noon, is the full height of the Sun. It is the time of day when we are at our peak and most productive. It is the time of the day for work, labor, and getting stuff done. It is Yáng Fire, the bright, burning heat of Summer when the light is the most active, warming, moving, catalyzing. If you were born between 11 am and 1 pm, you should also consider yourself part Horse.  氣 Qì Dynamics/ Wǔ Yùn Liù Qì The Qì dynamics of this year are easy to understand. The Native Element of the Horse is Yáng Fire, and the Outer Element this year is Yáng Fire. Therefore, there is a kind of harmony and congruency this year, called Balanced Fire, or Ping Qì. There are no battling Qì Dynamics or elemental disharmonies. Therefore, things flow well overall, and the negative tendency is that the power and energy of the year are overwhelming and excess. Yáng Fire is energizing, catalyzing, activating, stimulating, transforming, overcoming, surprising, rebellious, destructive, exciting, and powerful. It rises upward, generating growth, vigor, and courage. Yáng Fire is the most aggressive, engaged, and passionate of influences. The Qì Dynamic this year is explosive and bright, and it exaggerates all the Horse qualities in all of us and throughout the world. The Wǔ Yùn Liù Qì, or the Five Movements and Six Qì, of the Fire Horse year is also defined by a massive concentration of Fire energy we can refer to as a "Double Fire" or even a "Triple Fire" year. The annual or "Great Movement," or Da Yun, which is determined by the heavenly stem Bing, 丙, is all Fire. The climatic influences for the year are determined by the earthly branch Wu , 午. The Heavenly Governor, or Si Tian, is the Sovereign Fire, the Shaoyin Jun Huo, 少阴君火. This governs the first half of the year (starting February 4) and sets a baseline of intense, radiant heat throughout the year. The Source Qì, or Zai Quan, is Cold Water, or Taiyang Han Shui, 太阳寒水. This governs the second half of the year, potentially causing a sharp clash with the year's dominant Fire and leading to sudden, volatile changes. The Fire Horse year is categorized as a "Heavenly Penalty" year. This occurs because the Fire movement is "penalized" by the branch's inherent Sovereign Fire, creating a conflict where dominant heat overpowers other seasonal elements, particularly Water and Metal. We can therefore expect extreme summer heat, potential drought, and unseasonably warm periods followed by sudden cold snaps in late winter. In terms of health, the year places high stress on the Heart and Kidneys, and we can expect things like cardiovascular strain, inflammatory conditions, fevers, dehydration, and loss of Jinye fluids. Emotionally, the intensity may lead to restlessness, impulsiveness, or burnout if not balanced with cooling and grounding activities.  形 Manifestation/Character Now that we have covered the symbolism and Qì Dynamics, let’s get into key words for the Horse and talk about how this symbol manifests in/as people—what about babies born in this or any Year of the Horse? This year, these characteristics are more available to everyone! Try to imagine what these qualities would be like applied to the whole world. What if we’re all a little more “Horsey?” So, the first keywords for the Horse are social, gregarious, yet independent. Horses in the wild are social animals, running in packs. Having a social life and seeking social interaction and engagement are important to the Horse Character. Like the Goat, the herd instinct is part of the Horse, but the social nature of the Horse is much different. Horses seek to be independent despite their herd mentality, so their social impulse is often somewhat competitive. Horses are showmen, like Clydesdales. They want to socialize, but they also want to run free and impress everyone with their speed and strength. They tend to be gregarious, friendly, fond of parties, and have fun. They can, of course, be introverted, but the direction of Yáng Fire is outward-moving. Horses can enjoy solitude, but their inward expression moves out. At their best, Horses tend to be blessed with a “sunny” disposition. They can be bright, open, cheerful, and optimistic. Yáng Fire tends to look on the bright side of life. The Horse's disposition tends toward innocence, which often attracts people to them. Their sunny optimism lends naturally to humor. Horses are often jokesters; funny is critical to the Horse mentality, such is the term “horsing around.” All the Horses I know like to play and horse around. They’re natural comedians. On the flip side, the independence and social qualities of the Horse can turn anti-social, even criminal, and violent. At their best, Horses are not loners, but the nature of Yáng Fire is hot-tempered, angry, and rebellious. Their anger can lead to outbursts, which are often thoughtless. The tendency to do/act without thinking can have consequences. The bucking bronco can stamp on people, situations, relationships, etc. If their attempts at sociability don’t go their way, they can ride off into the sunset, never to be seen again. In general, the independent, wild quality of the Horse should/can never be held in. Like the Dragon and Tiger, any attempt to box in or control a Horse will be met with disaster. If restrained, they become bitter and exhibit destructive behavior. Horses can be “tamed,” but their nature is wild inside. Self-discipline for Horses is like harnessing a wild animal. The Horse's nature is fast; they do and act quickly without hesitation. With training and proper direction, Horse Qì can be put to work and is associated with strength and industry. Horses have an immense capacity to get shit done, to be the “workhorse,” as we say. Horse Qì represents the all-American virtue of productivity—just get me back to work. For many Horses, life is about work, and without something to do, they get restless, bored, and useless. Horse restlessness can be profound; they must direct themselves to tasks and projects, whether learning, reading, building, exercising, organizing, etc. Horse Qì represents craft and trade work, D.I.Y, practical and functional art. Tiger or Monkey may represent abstract art, but Horse Art, which you can sit in or do something with, like furniture or pottery, represents the dying virtue of the craft guilds. Ming used to jokingly refer to Horses as being kind of like lumberjacks/carpenters/handymen. Home Depot could be called “Horse Depot.” Horses express themselves through creating and manifesting. If they do not create, they stagnate. Of course, not all Horses are handy, but they all express some fundamental need to manifest/create. On a deeper level, this work mentality comes from embodiment, vitality, and physicality. Horses need to move and use their bodies. They need to run, hike, work out, or do anything to get moving, or else they will get restless. Horses, by nature, are also very “outdoorsy,” for this physicality cannot stay indoors too long. Horses yearn for the great outdoors and open plains and must connect with the eternal blue sky. On an even deeper level, this embodiment represents the Horse's profound capacity to feel. Despite their strong exteriors, Horses are very emotional, but they tend to express emotion more through doing rather than saying. Ming once joked about “Horse love,” a dad letting his Son use his tools. The Horse may be affectionate, but they often show rather than tell and not always through touchy-feely means. Horse Qì may not be all hugs, and if a Horse Dad makes his son a swing set, this is pure love because he made it for him. The thoughtless, active, and embodied quality of the Horse can be accident-prone. Horses can have a carelessness that tends to “not notice.” Physically, this can lead to self-injury, knocking things over, spilling coffee on your lap, falling off your bike, and so on. Mentally/emotionally, horses may have difficulty noticing and acknowledging other people’s feelings, and they may say and act carelessly and stomp all over others. The reverse of being accident-prone is cleverness. Horse Qì represents what is now called “MacGyver” ingenuity—the ability to problem-solve practically, throwing a bunch of stuff together into makeshift solutions. They can take something broken and find ten ways to assemble it. Or not. Horses can also be very clumsy. This ingenuity also expresses the virtue of thoughtlessness, which is the ability to work efficiently through embodied skill. All the “Zen and the Art of…” books represent Horse Qì. You practice and practice and practice archery, each time getting in your own way because you keep thinking. And the thousandth time, you relax and release the arrow without effort. Watching master craftspeople, chefs, dancers, and anyone who embodies a skill is a Horse Qì ballet. This cleverness also lends itself to eloquence and talkativeness, think Mr. Ed. "A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse, of course." Horses make great orators and speakers, and they love to chat. Horse Qì can put their cleverness and ingenuity to work anywhere, including speech, and they love to impress people with this clever eloquence. This eloquence comes from a kind of direct honesty. Horses are honest because they don’t overthink. And so, their rhetoric can be very profound; they say what others feel. This often creates a kind of magnetism. Horses are attractive people. Their strength, cleverness, and ability are what most people seek yet never find, for Horse Qì is full manifestation without complication. This capacity can lead to arrogance and stubbornness, but horses are arrogant without realizing it. Horse stubbornness is a know-it-all showoff bravado, but it does not show off because it thinks it is better than people; it just loves showing off. They need to do something with all their strength. Horses are stubborn, and they are hard-pressed not to give advice or tell people how to do things—they know best. Horse stubbornness is demonstrated in the old cliche of men not wanting to stop and ask for directions or call a repairman. The Horse's personality is consistent and straightforward. Like the Ox, they tend to remain constant in their thoughts, actions, and lifestyle—they’re not prone to significant changes in terms of personality. You may not see a Horse for ten years, and no matter how much they have changed, they seem like the same old person. They may be wild, adventurous, world-traveling people, but nonetheless, they seem consistent. Some Characters, like the Snake, are a mystery. The Horse, being the outcome of Snake, is no mystery. What you see is what you get. Horse Qì is not about plumbing the depths. Which is not to say they’re not deep. Horses do not play games; they do not mislead, misdirect, or manipulate; they just are and do. All that would require too much thinking. The Horse symbol is one of power, majesty, and freedom. The Lung Ta, the Wind Horse, symbolizes the human spirit of adventure but also aggression. The Horse is raw, dynamic power and strength, pure vitality; it rides hard and can burn out in a blaze of glory, dying with honor on the battlefield. The Horse characterizes the wild shamanic nomads of Central Asia, Mongolia, Tibet, and Northern/Western China. It is the wide-open expanse of the great plains and eternal blue sky. Freedom is the Horse's impulse, dancing with the edge of restraint. Horse Qì is a turning point in the Zodiac. From here, the Horse turns to Goat, and the cycle begins to resolve itself. The rest of the Zodiac represents a kind of completion, a return to source. In terms of the Five Horses, each has its unique characteristics that contribute to the overall understanding of the Horse zodiac sign. The Wood or Cloud Horse is the most restless, withdrawn, and unfocused of Horses, and they are shy but also self-assured. The Fire or Travelling Horse is the most natural of the Horses, and they are the most outspoken, quick-tempered, and skillful, but their restlessness is profound. The Earth or Corralled Horse is daring, impulsive, and strong, and the Earth helps them to stabilize and manifest. The Metal or Horse in the Stall is the most restrained and frustrated but also the most talkative and insightful of Horses. And the Water or War Horse is the most emotional and least restless of the Horses, as the Water quells the blazing Fire. Understanding these different characteristics provides a comprehensive view of the Horse zodiac sign.  器 Synthesis, Application, and “Predictions.”  Okay, now for the fun part…what’s going to happen this year!? You tell me! As always, I hope that by presenting these symbols, I have given you enough vocabulary to think about this for yourself – so imagine into your life, the world as you perceive it, and let the symbols speak. Hold everything with a light touch - this isn't fortune-telling. As I mentioned in the beginning, we now enter a time of dramatic power and dynamism. The Fire Horse may be the most explosive and energizing symbol of the entire 60-Animal Zodiac. It is a chugging, powerhouse of Yáng. But what does this mean? To get a taste, I thought I would review what is to me the most emblematic event of the last Fire Horse Year, which, unfortunately, demonstrates the worst in this symbol: the Cultural Revolution in China. The Cultural Revolution The most iconic example of the Fire Horse was, unfortunately, the Cultural Revolution in China. In the last Wood Snake year, 1965, amidst intensifying internal power struggles in China, Chairman Mao Zedong orchestrated the Snake-like maneuvers that would launch the Cultural Revolution, which officially began in 1966 with the Fire Horse year. It radicalized Chinese society, especially the youth, as the “Red Guard” (with red symbolizing Yáng Fire), and plunged China into a decade of chaos and systematic state-sponsored campaigns of violence that killed millions of people. This was preceded by the catastrophic failure of communist collectivism in the Great Leap forward, the worst famine in human history, personally launched and driven by Mao Zedong, which killed upwards of 60 million people. In the Red Guard, millions of students formed paramilitary groups who publicly humiliated, tortured, and murdered teachers, intellectuals, and officials in "struggle sessions." The movement sought to preserve "true" Communist ideology by purging "capitalist" and "traditional" elements from society, eliminating the "Four Olds": old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. Countless ancient temples, historical artifacts, libraries, and religious sites were looted or destroyed. China attempted to commit cultural and almost literal suicide. This event demonstrates the potential for rebellious, violent, and chaotic upheaval in the excess fire of this symbol. What lessons can be learned from this? What parallels do you see today? Because there are many… Okay, now on with the show! Personal Let’s start with the personal. Part of me wants to say—put on a helmet and strap in! But let’s not jump into negative interpretations, for this is a bright and sunny symbol, and it does not have to go the way of the Red Guard. But let’s also not be naïve—this year could be wild, chaotic, and even destructive. But don’t let that scare you. Let the Fire Horse year energize and inspire you. Let the heart overflow with love and compassion. If you have been feeling depressed, stuck, stagnant, gloomy, pessimistic, tired, lazy, and so on—drop the nonsense and welcome the Yáng Fire! Welcome the physicality and embodiment of the Horse. Get passionate and get moving! Look on the bright side, as the saying goes. Remember, by all objective metrics, we are living in the most prosperous era in human history, characterized by record life expectancy, high standards of living, and a significant long-term decline in global poverty. Statistically, this is one of the least violent periods in human history. Civilization is not coming to an end. The whole world seems to be locked in conflicting patterns of social trance and cult behavior driven by misinformation, bias, echo-chambers, and revisionist histories, and there are many forces actively driving misinformation to create fake or biased content to distort reality and manipulate public opinion. So, get out of the internet algorithms that feed you doom and gloom and go touch grass! The Fire Horse represents the bright side of things—it is the blazing sun of high noon. So let in the light. The Fire Horse is illumination and energy. It is as if the Qì of the year is shoveling coal into your engine, putting gas in your tank, or lighting a fire under you. The Fire Horse is practical, accomplishing, task-oriented, and loves building, creating, and doing things, so get shit done, which is the true Horse-year cliche! This year, you can better accomplish goals, move forward, and build a better life in all worldly and practical ways. This year is excellent for personal routines, discipline, mastery, learning, and in all the arenas where these can be applied—health, finance, work, etc. This year is all about self-possession, freedom, and personal sovereignty—this year’s blog is titled: A Sovereign Fire, which refers to the Imperial Fire of the Heart, represented by the Horse. So, inhabit your own life and know yourself, find out what you want and need, and make it happen. Personal freedom and independence will be important this year. This is a double-edged sword because we must also accept limitations and do things we don’t want to do. This year may therefore be challenging. So, find a balance. Stand up for yourself, but cooperate. Don’t join the Red Guard, lol. Think for yourself and don’t follow the madness of crowds. You may feel called to burn everything down, but wait. It isn't what you think it is. The Horse is all about building things up, not tearing them down. The danger this year is getting too worked up and overdoing it. You may feel trapped, rebellious, like you need to jump the fence and run free. You may be inspired to the point of mania. You may overwork, take on too much, and burn the candle at both ends. You may pile too many tasks on your plate and overshoot your capacity. So be realistic, plan, and work within your means, but get to work! Watch out for accidents and dramatic upheavals. Have patience with yourself and others. And play! The Fire Horse is funny, playful, and social. This year is great for parties, social events, comedy, concerts, sports, and so on. Tell jokes, live, laugh, love, all that stuff. The Horse is a straightforward, no-nonsense energy that shoots from the hip and tells it like it is. It does not tolerate nonsense. Drop the stories, drop the conspiracies, and drop the dark, depressing, pessimistic cloud hanging over you…trust me, it’s there. Relationships/Family This is an overall excellent year for relationships and family, but we must remember that the symbol of the Fire Horse is independent and self-possessed. It wants to do things on its own terms in its own way. So, focus this year on being your best self. Again, remember the Sovereign Fire of the Heart, represented by the Horse. Be self-possessed. Inhabit and embody your own being fully and approach relationships from a place of self-awareness and sovereignty. Know what you want and need, and communicate it clearly—the Horse is honest, eloquent, and straightforward. No hidden agendas or sneakiness. Last year was a journey into the dark unconscious depths of the psyche, full of uncertainty and mystery, but not this year. Be plain and speak truthfully with yourself and with family and friends. Hold strong personal boundaries, routines, and self-discipline. Focus on self-mastery. Hold yourself accountable, take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions. Stop blaming others, and relationships will flourish. This is a year to show rather than tell. The Horse is not touchy-feely but rather shows love through acts of service. Do things for people. Get practical, be useful—what can you do, build, make, offer, or take care of to make other people’s lives better? Serve people with love and compassion without reservation. In terms of love relationships, this is an excellent year for fun, adventure, and teamwork. If you are single, it is great for parties, socializing, and meeting people. For committed partnerships, it is all about building a life, a future, doing projects, and manifesting what you want. I am sure that you transformed and learned a lot in the Wood Snake year, so put all that stuff to use with the people you love. This is also an excellent year all around for friendship and camaraderie, so make new friends and focus on doing stuff together rather than alone. In all relationships, look out for impatience, immaturity, anger, explosive arguments, and acting out. Don’t be surprised if you or others throw tantrums or lose control. Patience is a supreme virtue this year. Pay attention to how emotions are stored and expressed unconsciously in the body and learn to self-regulate. Watch out for violence, fights, brawls, and so on, as this is the year for things to get out of hand. Political Okay, we head into this year with a lot of contentious issues brewing in the US and abroad. The international landscape right now could best be described as one of “controlled disorder.” We have high-stakes midterm elections in the United States, and more than 40 countries, representing 1.6 billion people, will hold national elections in 2026. So, first, on the bright side, we will see a lot of change! The capacity for our leaders to actually accomplish things is much higher, so the Horse focus should be on implementing real policy with real practical concerns, like things that actually affect the now buzzword “affordability,” like housing regulations, with a focus on the nuts and bolts of economics, infrastructure, and tangible plans. The Horse is not abstract or ideological—it is practical, and with real intelligent planning, many things can be accomplished this year. So, the Horse political advice is forget ideologies—forget right and left, forget conservative and progressive – just focus on the active processes of governing, campaigning, and decision-making where abstract theories meet real-world constraints. The three Horse questions for this year are: Compared to what? At what cost? And what hard evidence do you have? Ask these, and politics will stay in the practical realm of the Horse. If we take the Cultural Revolution as an example, then we can “predict” a potential greater rise in political violence. 1966 was called the “Red Terror” in China, in which teachers, intellectuals, and "class enemies" were subjected to public humiliation, physical abuse, and torture to force confessions of political deviance. In "Red August" 1966, 1,772 people were murdered in Beijing alone, many of them educators killed by their own students, and the Red Guards invaded over 100,000 homes in Beijing, burning millions of books and paintings and destroying thousands of historical sites! Could something like this happen again? Do we see the foundation for these kinds of movements gaining momentum? I hope not, but there are signs everywhere of a "normalization" of extreme views, and political violence in 2026 is projected to intensify globally…I make no predictions, but I will say: don’t join the Red Guard! I can be hard because it gives people power, and everyone is doing it. If you don't join, then you may be on the receiving end of the mischief. "Being on the right side of history" is tempting, but it may actually be wrong…the energy of social contagion, crusading, and campaigning is strong this year, but wait! So, slow down, question your media bias, and break out of bubbles and echo chambers! Remember that the truth is full of nuance, complexity, and gray areas that do not fit neatly into tidy narratives. Because the truth is nuanced and difficult, it requires that we study and engage deeply with differing viewpoints on the complexities of history, economics, religion, culture, and so on, and this can be challenging and tedious. If we are interested in truth, we must be open to changing our minds when confronted with reality. Global So, how do we scale the Fire Horse globally? Overall, I expect a combination of dramatic change, forward progress, and intense action. On the positive side, the ability for countries to grow, expand economically, and improve is great. But the likelihood of conflict is unfortunately high, as the Horse can inspire antisocial violence, so the possibility of war and the escalation of already existing conflicts is high. The Snake was all about hard, fast strikes, squeezing strategies, and slow transformation. We saw a lot of short skirmishes and secret strikes. The Horse may topple regimes and inspire invasion and large-scale conflict, as the Horse is the symbol of riding into battle. All the flashpoints of the world can go hot, and I would not be surprised if some things blow up. Economic/Career This may be one of the more positive prospects, and the Fire Horse is the quintessential image of work and industry. On a personal level, keep the image of the workhorse in mind. This may be a demanding year that inspires a strong work ethic. This is a year to roll up your sleeves and get dirty. Your capacity for focus, physical labor, ingenuity, and problem solving are all enhanced, so you may thrive in the workplace. This is a year for “blue collar” and skilled professions to thrive. This is not a year for “information work.” So, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, construction workers, welders, truck drivers, farmers, factory workers, firefighters, police officers, and so on – jobs that “built America,” and dangerous jobs that no one else wants to do, these are all very Fire Horse. The potential for progress, expansion, and wealth is all strong—this year is all about practical human capital. So, a strong work ethic, punctuality, good communication, education, personal skills, professional experience, networks, industry connections, and the ability to collaborate effectively within a team all become powerful tools this year. If you can step up, put in the work, and focus on real skill building and craftsmanship, then this can be one of the best years for career and economic growth, perhaps the best of all 60 years. Regarding the bigger picture, there is a lot of talk about bringing industry back to the USA, and I expect a lot of movement in this regard. The potential for a lot of economic growth is there, but it is hard to say, as last year was so unpredictable. However, I expect a booming economy this year, and that we will be surprised by what comes. Technological I am sure that AI will continue to be the big focus, but in the Horse year, it will likely transition from experimentation into rigorous evaluation and practical utility, with a focus on efficiency and the emergence of physical AI. Expect robots! The Horse year could bring AI to life and make it practical and tangible, and I expect this to be a breakout year for robotics and automation. Hopefully, we can adjust as a culture, as the risks of AI are staggering, but so are the rewards. Quantum computing, too, has reached a pivotal "inflection point," and I suspect that the Fire Horse will empower a big transition from theoretical research into practical deployment and tangible engineering milestones. That is the big theme this year – jumping from theory to practice. Expect ingenuity and grand adventure. The Artemis II is projected for 2026, and it is the first crewed mission in NASA's Artemis Program, designed to return humans to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. This is very Fire Horse—big rockets and machines blasting into space. SpaceX is also publicly committed to a 2026 launch for its first uncrewed Starship missions to Mars, which is very Fire Horse! Artistic Not everyone is an artist, but this year, everyone can be artistic, because this year is all about practical art. Fixing your sink this year can be an artistic expression. Learn skills, work with your hands, and try to master something. Forget AI and think DIY. Any project or practical concern can become Horse art if you take care in the “how-to” of things. Bring back old-world skills and knowledge. Learn how to make clothes, woodwork, make food from scratch, hunt and gather, garden, and so on. Imbue these activities with artistic care and craft functional beauty. Make art that you can use, sit in, wear, or eat. Focus on skills, practice, and discipline. Don’t worry about the final product; rather, absorb yourself in the process and lose yourself in the physicality of art – brush strokes, carving, tactile sensation, textures, materials, and so on. Do this even in mundane, everyday activities, and you can imbue the year with a sense of artfulness. And whatever you do for work, get better at the craft and skill of it, and even the most boring job can become meaningful. Physical sports that require grace, style, and creative expression are also very Horsey: ballet, Olympic sports, artistic swimming, figure skating, gymnastics, breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, parkour, equestrian dressage, competitive dance – these are all forms of Horse art. When it comes to simply enjoying sports, Horse Qì is very simple and can love a good football game as well, no need to be fancy. But the Fire Horse may get really into sports stats. Stand-up comedy is, to me, quintessential Horse-art. Horses are eloquent, funny, and light-hearted, and comedy may become an artistic theme this year. I think we can all agree that Hollywood comedy is in decline, but there has been a resurgence in stand-up comedy over the past few years. I expect this not only to continue but to grow significantly. I would not be surprised to see a resurgence of Hollywood comedy and a return to the old-school offensive style of humor that the mainstream has become terrified of. People need to laugh; everything has felt so heavy and serious in the past year. So, go see some comedy! Tell dumb “dad” jokes. It doesn’t need to be sophisticated or insightful. Slapstick, "low-level" humor is very Horse. And learn to see humor in everything. The Snake sees how absurd everything is and gets depressed, but the Horse just laughs at everything! Spirituality The Fire Horse year is all about meditation in action. The Snake was spacious, still, and calm, but the Fire Horse is the opposite. Stillness will be more challenging, but focus will be enhanced, for the Fire Horse is like a speeding bullet, a laser beam. The Horse is all muscle and movement, and embodiment is the word of the year. Feel. Be in the body. The awareness of the body is non-conceptual. It is pure sensation. This is the second application of mindfulness in Buddhism – Mindfulness of Feelings or Vedananupassana. Sensations are either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral – notice the "push-pull" struggle of the mind—clinging to pleasure and pushing away pain—be non-reactive and observe this without interference; this develops equanimity, and the spiritual path need not be more complicated than this. Of course, you can practice embodiment and awareness of the sensation in seated meditation, but the Horse is all about movement. So physical practices like the various postural Yogas, Qi Gong, Taiji, and so on are all much more potent. And as I mentioned before, all the “Zen and the Art of…” books are all very Fire Horse. So, archery, for example, is a powerful Horse meditation. Practice the same physical act repeatedly until you can do it without thought, without the mind interfering. Pursue the perfect repetition. AS the old Chan/Zen adage goes, “chop wood, carry water.” Washing dishes, cutting vegetables, raking leaves or sand, cultivating a garden, and so on—all these can be embodied meditations in action. Feel the muscle, the movement, the sensation, and get out of the way. Wuwei is a Horse ideal—non-striving, non-forcing, relaxed, and effortless action. Character building is also an important aspect of the Horse, and something that often gets overlooked in spiritual development. We are often eager to jump over character development in the pursuit of transcendental experience. But the foundation of the path is being a good person, and we must work out our character flaws, trauma, and psychological “issues”; otherwise, they will come back to haunt us. But the Horse does not overthink and delve into an analysis of feelings; it gets to work. They work out their issues through adversity and challenge. Some of the most powerful therapies we can do are hard, physically challenging tasks. So run a marathon, climb a mountain, do a triathlon—anything that pushes you to your edge and forces you to overcome the odds. Doing challenging things with others in the community—volunteer to build houses or a church. Volunteer in a disaster or do a job that no one else wants to do. Step up. Build character, grit, and gumption. Do hard things that benefit others. Challenge yourself to grow and get out of your comfort zone. And do it with a heart on fire. The Horse is a symbol of the Heart, the Heart that overflows with love, compassion, and the determination to overcome all odds. Secretariat is a great Fire Horse story, so watch it and get inspired. And run wild. The Sovereign Fire of the Heart is self-possessed and defies the cages we put on ourselves and others. Don’t be a doormat; do not forsake your boundaries; do not be needless—know who you are, what you want, and make it happen. Follow your path with integrity and courage. The Big Picture The big picture of this year is difficult to “predict.” The Qì of this year is an absolute powerhouse. This Fire Horse is the most powerful, dynamic, and explosive of all 60 Qì Characters, perhaps, only outdone by the Fire Dragon. It is so powerful that it could change the world—for better or worse, but I am leaning toward better. The Fire Horse is bright, optimistic, forward-thinking, and full of love. Nothing is hidden, deep, mysterious, or deceptive in the year of the Fire Horse. Everything is obvious, on the surface, out in the open, straightforward, and clear. The Fire Horse is no-nonsense and doesn’t tolerate bullshit. So, I think we are going to snap out of a lot of our bullshit. The power of this year is a real opportunity. If we can get on the saddle and ride the Fire Horse, then it can be one of the most transformative, exciting, and positive years in a long time.  12 Animal Forecast Now, let’s go through the 12 Animals and offer a map for the upcoming year – how do we each ride the wild stallion? Outer Elements: Wood Signs (+): Mother of Fire – your outer element supports and emboldens the year; this could be draining, but more likely it will be generative and result in you positively contributing to the world Fire Signs (+/-) Your Outer Element matches the year: you flow and adapt more easily, but may tend to go overboard and get angsty, manic, or burn out Earth Signs (++) Child of Fire: generative/supportive relationship; you are empowered and bolstered, and the generative direction of Fire feeding Earth enlivens and invigorates you Metal Signs (–/+) Fire controls Metal: this year may create friction; your precise, focused, and measured approach may melt and go haywire Water Signs (-/+) Water extinguishes Fire: you are in control; your fluid, cool, and calm nature keeps the fire from getting out of hand. However, emotion and excitement may clash Please take these lightly and remember that we all contain each of the 12 animals within our experience! Your Year and Hour are the most prominent, but the following applies to everyone! Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 – Very Inauspicious (-/-) This will be the roughest year for Rats all around. Prepare for a stampede. The Rat and the Horse are diametric opposites, and this contrast is perhaps the most combative of the opposite relationships, which is unfortunately worse in the Rat's favor. The Rat and the Horse see truly different worlds, and you may find that this year pushes you into survival mode. You may find yourself saying, “wait…stop!” repeatedly, and that life may feel chaotic, unrelenting, discombobulating, and overwhelming. The Yáng Fire of the Horse is in a combative opposition with the Yáng Water of the Rat. This year has the potential to bring out the worst aspects of your Character, so watch out for conniving, dishonest behavior, or overly negative doomsday pessimism. This is a generally inauspicious year for big plans, and you should be cautious in all dealings, especially financial, legal, and romantic. Lean into the social aspect of the Rat Character, for this you have in common with the Horse. Rats can be fun-loving and charming, and the Horse is gregarious and funny. This year’s practice is to see the humor and the absurdity of everything. Expect the unexpected. Focus on rest, self-care, and light-hearted fun, and save big plans for next year. Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 – Neutral/Inauspicious (±/-) The Ox and the Horse are the Yīn and Yáng versions of strength and hard work. The Ox is the Yīn plow animal that moves slowly, steadily, and consistently. Ox is used to routine, structure, and reliability. The Horse is the Yáng powerhouse of muscle that gallops and runs, loving to work and train but also loving adventure and independence. The Ox plows straight furrows, and the Horse ditches the plow and jumps the fence. So, in terms of work, progress, and accomplishment, this is a great year for the Ox, as the Yáng Fire can enliven the Yīn Earth and put some steam in the engine. It is great for being active, busy, and accomplishing tasks and projects, but it can all fall apart if the Horse cannot be tamed. The Fire Horse is too explosive and unpredictable for the Ox, and it may feel like madness. It may feel like a power struggle. There may be too much risk and danger, as well as too much chaos and confusion, that you are trying to rein in. The Ox may feel overextended trying to put things in order and get everyone back on track. So, this year is a wash and ends up neutral in the sense that it can align with your work ethic, but it may feel like a lot. So get to work and keep plowing, as usual, and expect great things if you stay on track. But don’t get flustered when things explode. The Ox can generally handle everything, and we will need your levelheaded and steady coolness in the year ahead. Avoid excess work and overdoing it; burnout will be very easy this year. Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 – Auspicious (+) The Tiger is in a trine of compatibility with the Horse and Dog, so this is a generally auspicious year for Tigers. The Yáng Wood and Yáng Fire bolster each other, and the Fire Horse brings out the active, dynamic, and dedicated light stripe of the Tiger. Last year, the Snake brought out your dark stripe, and it was likely difficult to lurch forward and accomplish what you wanted. Last year was more about hibernating in the cave. This year brings everything forward with gusto. Tigers will be on the hunt and ready for action. This is the best year you have had in a long time, and it is a great opportunity in every aspect of life. Plan and do big things. Work hard, get enthusiastic, and be dedicated. Train and play. Go on adventures. Shake off the dark, moody gloom of the Snake, and bask in the sun. You can gallop along with the Horse, but not for too long, as the Tiger is more about short bursts of speed. Learn to alternate with rest and action and let yourself be playful and optimistic. Make camaraderie, friendship, and community a priority—crawl out of the shadows and return to the world of the living. As with all the Yáng Characters, be careful of overextending and burnout, as the Yáng Fire may feel like a huge boost. You may get manic and driven trying to do all the things. The danger this year is restlessness, impulsivity, and clumsiness. Be careful not to leap over things that require attention. Take it slow, be mindful, and things will go very well. Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 – Neutral/Inauspicious (±/-) This year may be a tough one for Rabbits, as the wild energy of the Fire Horse may be too unstable and unreliable. There is very little safety and security this year, but there is the potential to build it if you are ambitious and have a strong foundation. Rabbit predictions usually go like this—if Rabbits have security, they become more like Dragons and can step up to the Yáng demands of the year. But Rabbits are not Horses, and if they try to be, they can get really stressed out trying to keep up with the demands and fall into negative patterns. So, assess your situation. If you have built a fortress, then this year can go very well. Use your relationships and resources to manage the work. Put others to work for you. The Fire Horse is a wild stallion that cannot be tamed, and it can stomp all over everything if you are not careful. This year requires caution and planning, as it is not gentle and can easily overwhelm you. So, prioritize safety and self-care; get a helmet and some floaties. Thankfully, there is nothing dark, secret, mysterious, or unknown in the Horse year. Sudden surprises or disasters, like in the Snake year, are not as likely, but there is a steady state of action to manage. But it is obvious, upfront, and on the surface, and you’re really smart at sensing and preparing for danger. You can handle what the Fire Horse throws at you. Lean into the fun and social aspects of the year, and it can be one of recovery, full of pleasant surprises, romance, and social enjoyment. Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 – Neutral/Auspicious (±/+) This is a mixed year for Dragons, but mostly good because Dragons can handle anything, and they can most certainly match the Horse’s energy. The Yáng power of the Horse and Dragon is similar, and the difficulty is that they may become competitive. So, you may find yourself challenged, and power struggles may emerge in your life. You may be called to battle, so expect some difficulties and challenges this year. However, this has the potential to bring out the best in you, and you can rise to the challenges, emerge as a leader, and level up. The Yáng Fire of the Horse bolsters and supports the Yáng Earth of your Character, and you are perhaps the most capable of outdoing the Horse. Remember, you can fly and go beyond; nothing can match your Yáng potential, not even the Fire Horse. So, approach the year with a vision, set goals, expect to work hard, and you can make the most of the year. Stay grounded and mature, and focus your energy. Without focus, the year may be too much and inspire restlessness, compulsivity, and too many projects. You may become overly ambitious and try to take over the world. The Yáng Fire can make you want to blow fire, so emotions may be on high, and your strength can become destructive if it gets out of control. With self-discipline and focus, however, you can become like a laser beam and accomplish anything. Big, grand adventures are also possible, so this is a year to just go for it. Think big, and don’t let limitations, setbacks, or challenges stop you. Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 – Neutral/Inauspicious (±/-) You are emerging from your own year, and the transition to the Horse can be jarring. We are emerging from the hidden depths into the bright sun. There’s nowhere to hide. You were likely comfortable in the murky stillness of last year, and hopefully, you were able to slide through life unattached and unseen, enjoying all the weirdness and sudden events. But now, everything has changed. The Qì is no longer hidden and still; things are not obscured or mysterious; everything is obvious, upfront, and plain. Things are moving fast, and life may reach a frenzied pace. On one level, this is exciting and may be entertaining, but it may also be intellectually boring for the Snake, for the Horse is not deep or mystical but practical and even mechanical. The energy of the year is extroverted, and it may get annoying. You may be called to work, play, and participate. You may feel like someone is shining a spotlight on you, so get ready. Thankfully, Snakes are masters of faking it, so put on whatever mask you need and get in the game. Focus on bringing out your innovative, visionary side. Snakes make excellent engineers and inventors, so apply your mental powers to actually taking life seriously. This is a year to get responsible, update your resume, get out there, and play the game. It may feel alien, weird, and uncomfortable to stand in front of the class, but challenge yourself. Put yourself out there and let in the light. If you cannot play the game, then this year may be difficult and emotionally challenging, and misunderstandings and miscommunication can happen. This year may feel awkward and cause a lot of growing pains. If you can step up, then it is a year of growth and worldly actualization. Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2026 – Auspicious (+) The Horse does particularly well in its own year. The Fire Horse is the most quintessential Horse energy, so the Qì should feel welcome and long overdue. Expect an all-around great year. Horse Qì is not competitive with itself, so the fire-power flows smoothly and bolsters everything. The world will start to feel more sensible, more practical, and that there are fewer obstacles. Horses do well in Horse years because Horse Qì is not complicated, so there’s little friction when things heat up—there’s just more power. Of course, the danger for Horses and all the Yáng Characters is too much power. So, restlessness, wildness, compulsivity, and manic overwork are the dangerous potential to look out for. You may feel so overpowered that you make a mess, cause accidents, and stomp on everything in your path. So, slow down, plan well, be mindful, and pay special attention to relationships, because you may become a reckless, wild stallion, and there could be consequences. Everything gets a power boost, so projects, plans, work, finances, relationships, fun, social life, and so on, all get superpowered. So do all the things. Think big and make everything happen. You may find structure, routine, responsibilities, obligations, and so on, to feel stuffy, constraining, or like a prison. If you feel the need to escape, breathe, slow down, and funnel that energy into something productive. Find outlets—take up new hobbies, do arts and crafts, fix things, do house projects—be the best horse you can be! Goat: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 – Very Auspicious (+/+) The Horse and Goat make for a special “marriage pair” in Chinese synastry, so they are considered a very auspicious match, and Goats are therefore poised to do very well this year. The Horse naturally transforms into the Goat in the Zodiac cycle, and the transition from Horse to Goat is much more natural and sensible than the transition from Snake to Horse. The next two years, then, should be excellent for everything all around. The Yáng Fire stimulates and nurtures the Yīn Earth of the Goat. This year is a great preparation and support for next year, and kind of a fun, but prosperous adventure before the real work for you gets started in your year. The Horse supports everything the Goat desires, and the Goat is good at directing, organizing, and harmonizing the Horse’s production. You will be called to management, leadership, and vision. The Goat’s vision comes into being because of the Horse’s hard work, so have a vision, plan well, and conduct the Qì of the year to fruitful ends, knowing that next year you can step up and experience the real fruition of your Goat-like visions. This year, you should feel sunnier and less pessimistic. So, enjoy social life, travel, and celebrate the positive influence. Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 – Neutral/Inauspicious (±/-) This is a potentially challenging year for Monkeys. The Yáng Fire of the Horse directly controls the Yáng Metal of the Monkey, and the honest, straightforward, and hard-working nature of the Horse leaves little room for Monkey antics. At first, it would seem like they have a lot in common, as both Horse and Monkey are wild, independent, and free-spirited. But the high-octane energy of the year can cause the Monkey mind to go a bit haywire. On the one hand, the fast-moving and wild energy seems like fun, but then it puts you to work. If Monkeys are mature and grounded, then this can be a productive and good year for worldly goals. Be diplomatic and practice restraint. Be organized and focused, and the year can go well, but expect to feel manic, overwhelmed, frazzled, and on edge. The Horse is simple, and the complex mechanisms of your inner workings just don’t fit; they may cause you to overthink, overdo, and misunderstand what is required of you. Self-reflection, honesty, and discipline are excellent counterpoints to the challenges of this year, and you are called to focus your Qì. Rather than swinging from branch to branch, you are called to stay on track, like a steam engine. The more you resist this, the more you will go crazy and burn out. Be physical—move your body and get the energy out so it doesn’t all get trapped in your head. Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 – Neutral (±) This is a neutral and mixed year for Roosters, as the Yáng Fire is contrasting with your Yīn Metal nature. Yīn Metal is controlling, meticulous, and neat, and the Yáng Fire is difficult to contain. However, like the Monkey, if you can focus that energy, then it can go very well, but you may also feel frazzled, discombobulated, and that the Yáng Fire is causing you to go haywire. If you try to trap the fire, it will explode. Let it soften you. Fire melts Metal. The Fire Horse is wild and cannot be controlled, contained, or dominated. But it can be directed and focused with a relaxed light touch. If you try too hard this year, the Fire Horse will rebel against you. It will fight back, and it is stronger. So, watch out for frustration, anger, and hot-tempered blow-ups. Both Horse and Rooster have a temper, and this can bring out the worst in you. Watch out for sudden incidents, accidents, abrupt changes, and so on. This is like putting a lid on boiling water—if you turn your back on it, it will start to boil over and make a mess. So, relax…which is not easy. Let go of trying to control, and cultivate Wúwéi, action without thinking, trying, or striving—go with the flow, as the cliché goes. And get physical. Get in your body and out of your head. If you can do all of this, then the year can go well, and you can take advantage of the Horse’s productivity and accomplish great things. But be warned, they will not be accomplished through control but only by letting go and getting out of the way. Let the Horse run wild and free. Let it be. Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 – Very Auspicious (+/+) The Dog is in a trine of compatibility with the Horse and Tiger, so this is a great year for Dogs. The Yáng Fire supports, bolsters, and engenders the Yáng Earth of the Dog. They are great companions, and Dog happily runs wild and free alongside the Fire Horse. The Horse is positive and non-judgmental but also has solid integrity and is reliable and trustworthy, so the Dog feels loyal, dedicated, and encouraged. This should be a great year for all things. Expect some good luck. This may be one of the best years in the twelve-year cycle. Expect progress and a natural ease to life. Relationships can go well, and you may feel inspired, dedicated, and on a mission. Feel the power. There’s no deception or need to be on guard with the Horse. You can let your guard down more and roll over for belly scratches. Of course, keep sniffing things out. If your life is not ready for this, then you must be cautious, but the year can make great progress towards happiness. Both Dog and Horse love to train and work, so this is a great year for hobbies, skills, crafts, and health. Learn new things, start new projects, make important changes, and go for it. Cultivate close friendships and deepen loyalty. Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 – Neutral/Auspicious (±/+) This is a mostly neutral year for Pigs, but it can also go very well. The Yáng Fire is in direct opposition to the Yīn Water of the Pig, but Water controls Fire, so you are not the one at odds. The year may feel demanding and hard, but you can handle it and even take control of the wild stallion. Although it is demanding, it is fun and optimistic, but it requires balance. Balance is the word of the year for Pigs. Pigs can be very dedicated and hardworking, so let the Horse bring out that side of you. Dedicate yourself to your purpose or a compassionate cause. Love and help others. Feel inspired and let the Fire and Water produce alchemy. This can be a great year for maturation and productivity, so expect work and life goals to progress well. The Horse is gregarious and loves to have fun. It loves to tell jokes, and like you, it is an eloquent speaker. So, you can discover these qualities in yourself and find a supportive audience. Again, this year is fun and optimistic, so your social life gets a boost, and relationships can go very well. The Horse works hard and plays hard, so it is not a relaxing or lazy year. Self-indulgence and pleasure seeking are quickly subsumed, and the Horse will be on you to get back to work. So, again, balance is key—work hard, play hard, but take care, for the Fire-Water alchemy can boil away and leave you with nothing left in the tank. I wish you all the best this New Year! This life passes as quickly as autumn clouds; Family and friends are like passers-by in a market; The demon of death approaches like twilight’s shadows; What the future holds is like a translucent fish in cloudy waters; Life’s experiences are like last night’s dreams; The pleasures of the senses, like an imaginary party. Meaningless activities are like waves lapping on the surface of the water. Every harmful action I have done With my body, speech, and mind Overwhelmed by attachment, anger and confusion, All these I openly lay bare before you. While circling through all states of existence, May I become an endless treasure of good qualities-- Gathering limitless pristine wisdom and positive potential. May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. May all beings remain in boundless equanimity, free from attachment and aversion! Sarva Mangalam!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artwork Listed in Order
2 Comments
Izabela Maćko
2/17/2026 01:20:41 am
Happy Lunar New Year Gregory!
Hello Gregory! We went to CM school together briefly. Just want to let you know that I love these annual missives, and congratulations on your book! I share these blog posts with my community, who really appreciate it too… and I’m also working on a book right now. Look forward to reading yours! ❤️ Leave a Reply. |
Tiger's Play--the View Teachings of Chinese AstrologyThis page is your source for pithy articles on the view teachings of Chinese Astrology. Here, I will share everything I have learned about how to follow Astrology as a spiritual path. Archives
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