February 2024

Happy New Year!!

The Chinese Year of the Green Wood Dragon begins February 10, 2024, and ends January 28, 2025. The Chinese dragon is unique because it is the only mythical creature of all the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and is very different from the European dragon. For example, the European dragons breath fire, while the Chinese dragon typically breathes clouds. He generally represents good luck strength, and health. In China, more teachers are hired in dragon years because there are more children. Many Parents plan their pregnancy astrologically and also consult Feng Shui masters on the best location in the house to conceive a baby dragon! They want a wise, healthy, powerful, lucky child.

The dragon is a composite of deer antlers, a camel head, ghostly eyes, a snake body, a crab belly, carp scales, hawk claws, tiger palms and cow ears. Its power lies in a large, luminous pearl concealed under its chin, with 81 of its scales infused with benevolent essence (yang) whilst 36 contain a malignant essence (yin). He can assume any dimension.

Ancient Chinese people didn’t blame dragons for natural catastrophes and other disasters. Instead, they saw them as benevolent, wise, and powerful. They believed the dragon’s breath became clouds from which rain poured down and lightning flashed. You frequently see the dragon portrayed with their undulating form weaving in and out of eddies of water and swirls of clouds embodying the coveted Feng Shui concept of “Flow.” Ancient Chinese people also didn’t blame dragons for natural catastrophes and other disasters.

Each of a 12 yearly cycles is ruled by a different celestial animal and one of the five elements – water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. 2024 is ruled by a yang wood sitting on top of the Yang Green Wood Dragon. who is primarily yang earth. There two elements are in a destructive mode as wood suppresses and takes the nutrients out of the earth. This means the year will have more conflict and less harmony. Yang wood is like the oak tree, strong and unbending with a dislike for change, It is sometimes referred to as the element of chaos and crisis. Yang wood represents the head and can indicate a powerful, stubborn leader who will fight for his beliefs and not compromise. On the positive side, he is a person who sticks to his principles and is very loyal. He can be firm but honest, reliable, friendly and kind.

The dragon is an earth animal, but he has water and wood within, so the water can drain some of the yang wood’s rigidness. The combination of yang wood and the dragon brings to mind some of the current conflicts between Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia, and possibly the U,S. and China. Both Blinken and Netanyahu are born on yang wood days.

Going back 60 years to 1964 when we last experienced the turmoil of a yang wood dragon year, the Vietnam War was at its height, protests against the war and student demonstrations were everywhere, Martin Luther King received the Nobel prize for leading non violent resistance against racism, Nelson Mandela made his speech “I am prepared to die,” and Americans had just experienced the assassination of their president at the end of 2023.

Writing about China and a possible conflict with the US, reminds me of something I put in my newsletter last year about the Black Water Rabbit (2023) and the Green Wood Dragon (2024.) It is very timely this year!

“A year or so ago, I became aware of a famous Chinese prophecy book written in 660 CE., Tu bei tu. It was written by an historian and astrologer and is considered one of the most renowned works of Chinese mysticism, and is frequently being compared to “The Prophecies of Nostradamus.” The book, believed to be based on the I ching (The Book of Changes), contains 60 drawings with poems that make predictions about China’s future.

Because of the politically sensitive nature of the book that seemingly could
forecast the birth and demise of dynasties, Chinese rulers tried hard to ban it, But like forbidden fruit, the book kept circulating underground for hundreds of years and is now freely available on numerous websites.

What is interesting is the poem #43 that is considered to be about the relationship between Taiwan and China. The intriguing part of the prophecy is “The black rabbit escapes into the green dragon’s cave.” 2023 is the Black Rabbit and 2024 is the Green Dragon. The accompanying picture is of a big man walking next to a small man (presumably China and Taiwan walking together.) Like the prophesies of Nostradamus, there are endless speculations online, but many see the Black Rabbit as the United States and are predicting there will be big changes with China during these two years. Even the library of
Congress has a copy of the book!”

Wishing you a prosperous and Happy New Year!!

Love and Light, Carol