Happy Lunar New Year! This time of year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring and can be seen as a good time to set some goals and intentions for the year ahead.
This Lunar New Year is a particularly exciting one; not only is it a new year with a new animal (the rat) and a new element (metal) to guide us, it’s also the beginning of a new decade. In the Asian zodiac, this year marks the beginning of a 60-year cycle. So, if you are ready for another lap around the cosmic track but feel ill-prepared, I’d love to share with you a little insight into what the year may hold.
The year of the Metal Rat is an auspicious time for striving to be your best self and trying to create a better world. Traditionally, the story goes that the Emperor called the animals to the Palace and that the order of the Zodiac is based on the order of their arrival. The Rat convinced the Ox to give it a ride and as they approached the gates, jumped off and bolted through to be first.
From the beginning, it has been understood that the Rat is clever, resourceful, and seizes opportunities where others might miss them. Rats are alert and full of energy, and their pace is complimented by an ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. This makes Rats fantastic entrepreneurs who can deftly sense shifts in the landscape and lead others successfully. Rats are curious, responsive, and optimistic. These traits combined with their energy, make them attractive, charming and often successful. They take great pride in how they present themselves to others and are selective with their adornings.
Some drawbacks include being poor communicators and talking a bigger game than they can deliver. Their tendency to always be on the go can lead to sickness and fatigue, which can be mediated with appropriate amounts of rest.
This year the Rat is aligned with Metal; the element of clarification. It is through Metal that we maintain healthy boundaries and tolerance of other people or new circumstances. It takes time and patience to cultivate it and the healthy judgment it renders.
Below are some areas of your life that may be influenced by the combination of the energetic rat and sobering clarity of metal:
Health
As I mentioned earlier, Rats are not the most robust creatures. They often get so swept up in their goals that they put off self-care. My advice is to aim to cultivate ways to keep a clear vision for your health this year. Nutritionally, listen to your body and eat foods that feel nourishing. Remember, food isn’t the only thing that you put in your body: try to consume positive news and social media content. Aim to build a strong foundation that will give you resilience as you move through the year. If you haven’t been to the doctor in a while, it may be the time to schedule a routine check-up. It never hurts to have another set of discerning eyes help keep the small things from becoming something else.
Work
Rats are the great entrepreneurs of the zodiac. They like the “good things in life” and have a keen “gut sense” that helps them achieve the material wealth they are known for. With the Metal element on board to clarify goals and empower decision making, this should be a good year for growth. However, when you work with other people, find that sweet spot between directing the show and cultivating the community. Be your best, intelligent, honest self and remain mindful of containing any negative reactions.
Family
In the West, rats have a misinformed reputation as being dirty, and chaotic animals. In reality, they are loyal, quiet homebodies who enjoy family and have complex social structures. If you have the urge to experience new settings and cultures, don’t hold back. It is completely possible for you to travel while maintaining a successful home life and career. These features of your life are not mutually exclusive but different facets of who you are. Time commitments are real. The challenge is to find the balance between the many things we do. No matter how many facets there are to your life, utilize your metal clarity to create healthy boundaries where they’re needed. This is especially important in work-life balance, strive to turn your phone when home life is calling.
Social
Rats are loyal pack animals that can also be individualistic at times. However, their identity within the community is very important to them. The year to come will bring change not only astrologically, but socially and politically as well. There are decisions to be made by all of us. The combination of the Rat and Metal helps us to be responsive to a rapidly changing landscape, while also standing up for what we believe in. The wisdom and clarity of Metal that we have forged over time will give us the insight to identify what needs to change and the resilience to support the Rat fighting for it. From the environment to politics, social, class, racial and gender issues, this will be a year to explore the issues that matter to you. Get to know them, close up, like the Rat does. Harness your metal by using your experiences to separate your truth from the overly opinion saturated world we live in to cultivate the life, and world, that you want.
Use your metal with its wisdom of experience to separate the truth from the b/s and take the steps to cultivate the life and world you want.
