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In the lunisolar (moon and sun calendar) of Chinese culture, the Year of the Snake is one with a profound meaning, for it symbolizes wisdom, transformation, and introspection, as a blog on Buddha Stones explains. Starting on January 29 this year, this Chinese New Year for many represents a time to pause, contemplate, and make considered choices, while embracing adaptability. Stillness and cultivating resilience are ways to celebrate this period of finding balance in the midst of life’s transitions.
More than snake oil!
One of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac or Lunar New Year, in Chinese tradition, the enigmatic snake is praised for its connection to renewal, and seen as a guiding force. Its ability to shed its skin serves as a strong metaphor for letting go of the past, and for embracing change and new opportunities with confidence.
People born in the Year of the Snake are typically associated with intelligence and powerful intuition. They are also credited with inner strength and resourcefulness. Adept at problem-solving, they are often consulted for their advice and insights.
Pablo Picasso, Stephen Hawking, John F. Kennedy, Mao Zedong, and J.K. Rowling are among the well-known people born in Snake years, explains China Highlights travel guide, with the LTL Language School adding Bob Dylan, Anne Frank, Mahatma Gandhi, and Taylor Swift to this enchanted list.
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But people don’t have to be born in the Year of the Snake to be inspired by its symbolism and opportunities for personal growth, however. This year offers a chance for all to align with its energy and wisdom to inspire spiritual development, and a sense of renewal through reflection, mindful decision-making, and embracing adaptability.
Elements rule
The Chinese calendar has more than just 12 animals alone. Five elements, earth, fire, metal, water and wood, also have a part to play according to the Five Elements Theory, or Wu Xing, as the India Times reports. It also explains that the element is based on the year of birth, even though the Chinese zodiac has a 12-year cycle. Together, the zodiac signs and the elements are considered to influence personality and fortune.
As China Highlights discusses, the Five Elements Theory is a Chinese philosophy, common in Chinese medicine, philosophy, feng shui, fortune-telling and martial arts. It is used to describe interactions and relationships between everything in the universe based on these five elements. An appreciation of these five elements also forms part of a spiritual outlook that focuses on balance and harmonious stillness, as Gaia outlines.
As Pure Wow details, these elements give us even more information about the year. 2025 will welcome the Year of the Snake, but more specifically, it’s the Year of the Wood Snake.
According to India Times, The Year of the Wood Snake encourages refined taste and communication skills. It's a year to chase big dreams, collaborate in teams, and take chances.
Chinese New Year rituals welcome positive change
Snake-inspired practices for balance, Buddha Stones suggests, could include daily 15-minute meditation periods to focus on breathing and clearing the mind. This will nurture both self-awareness and tranquility. Visualization exercises in which old habits are cast aside like a snake skin, symbolizing renewal, are also a route to staying centered, aligning with the snake’s energy, and fostering spiritual growth.
National Geographic covers how, in Chinese culture, the advent of the New Year is awaited with several rituals linked to renewal. For instance, homes are thoroughly cleaned, symbolizing ridding the aura of any misfortune from the previous year, and preparing it to welcome good luck in the year ahead.
The color red, representing joy and good luck, dominates in repainting efforts, and in paper-cut decorations and lanterns, while families gather for “reunion dinners” celebrating their hopes and aspirations for the near year ahead.
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