Happy New Year of the Fire Horse!

In Asian astrology, zodiacs are done (roughly) by the calendar year, rather than by the month. The start of this lunar new year, the Yang Fire Horse, will be celebrated by Tibetans on February 18th, and by Chinese on the 17th. People born in 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918 are Horses, but the last time there was a Fire Horse year was 1966. 2026 is a Yang year. Yang years alternate with Yin years. Since the nature of Yang is rowdier, hotter and busier than Yin, and it is a fire year, we can expect a 'stormier' year with the possibility of monumental changes.

The Fire Horse is believed to bring about major changes that break old patterns and inspire new growth. Flexibility is key this year, as opportunities may appear within the chaos, yet only be available for a short time. That doesn’t mean jumping on every opportunity though! Be prepared to pivot and make wise choices when favorable circumstances appear.

Stay in harmony with the energy of the year, focus on exhibiting the Fire traits of kindness, compassion, courtesy, trust and honesty. The positive emotions of Fire are joy and happiness. When extreme and out of balance though, people may become manic. Those already prone to these emotions may be worse this year and need stronger care to manage them, especially in hot weather. Take deep breaths, ground yourself to the earth with walks in nature, meditate, pray, nap and of course, get acupuncture. If your energy is in balance, it will help you move through the year, with its varying challenges and blessings.

How can we draw inspiration from the Year of the Fire Horse? No matter your journey, this is a time to embrace new challenges, learn, and find courage deep within yourself. What better time to 'get back in the saddle'? Ride the moment, so the fickleness of the moment doesn't ride you!

The take away? Grab the reins and hold on tightly, 2026 could be a wild ride! Help yourself through the year by staying close to your herd (like horses do), and by recognizing and seizing the slower, quieter moments. Use those times to nurture yourself, along with keeping your energy in balance with acupuncture tune-ups throughout the year. The old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, will be especially important to remember this year!

Each acupuncture treatment you receive reminds your nervous system and your chi (energy) how to recalibrate itself. At the early stages of receiving treatments, we are reminding your system how to get back to balance. Once it balances and needs less nudging, your treatments can spread out and you can enjoy a better sense of well-being, receiving 'tune-ups' as needed depending on life circumstances. What a wonderful gift to be able to come in for a treatment and get re-aligned so the year's challenges can be faced with the strength and composure of a Horse.

Ready for a free 30-minute consultation to see if acupuncture is for you, or to schedule your next seasonal tune-up? Reach out to Angela at KatonahAcupuncture@gmail.com 

**Information in this post is for entertainment purposes only.