The lunar calendar 2024 will be a Wood Dragon Year. It could be a good year for almost everyone and a great year for some. Let’s look at what a Dragon year is about and what energy Wood brings to the party. The trick with each year is to harmonize with the current each animal represents and get in tune with it. So, in a Wood Dragon Year you want to be a little bit more like a Wood Dragon even if you born in a Rabbit or Rat year!
The Dragon is the most powerful and auspicious of all 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. The Dragon represents intelligence, wisdom, creativity, and innovation. The Dragon is the only celestial animal in the 12 Animals, and this shows the spiritual or heavenly nature a year of the Dragon brings. The Dragon represents transformative change and evolution with a side order of spiritual growth. Often when a Dragon appears in Chinese art it is shown as a symbol of beneficial energy and helpful wisdom.
Dragons are also powerful forces of nature or local nature deities, not only in China, but throughout Asia. The Dragon in China becomes the Naga or magical serpent spirits, embodying the sacred energy associated with natural places such as lakes, rivers, forests mountains, clouds etc. Often the Dragons or Nagas are respected at local temples. With the Lunar New Year being one of the times when offerings might be made.
A Wood Dragon year means natural forces and spirits will be empowered this year. Perhaps it will be a good year for fighting climate change. Actions on climate change could have enhanced effect provided they are positive and harmonious. The last Wood Dragon year 60 years ago saw the largest earthquake ever recorded hit Alaska. Also 60 years ago the first satellite left the Earth’s orbit to travel to Mars.
Transformative change could occur in all areas of creativity and technology including the obvious emergence of AI and the less obvious new medical and energy technologies. For all of us this is a good year to emphasize the use of our creativity, intelligence, and wisdom to create change.
Originally the Lunar Calendar astrology was for the benefit of only a single person the Emperor of China. Telling the horoscope and predicting the most auspicious courses of action for the Emperor was the purpose of the original Lunar calendar astrology system. Obviously, this didn’t last forever, and farmers found the use of the animals intuitive and easy enough to help understand the future each year offered. The year that the Emperor or Empress ascended the throne was the birth year of their entire reign. In the case of the early imperial fortune telling the animal of the Emperor’s actual human birth year was not used. Instead, the year of his or her ascension to the throne was the birth of the reign and their entire reign.
This means in the case of US presidencies that we do not consider the year the President was born when think about Chinese Astrological forces affecting their presidency, but instead the year they became president. Thus, Donald Trump’s entire presidency was a Fire Monkey Presidency because 2016was a Fire Monkey year, and President Biden’s presidency was 4 years of Iron Ox because 202 was an Iron Ox year. Of all 60 years the Fire Monkey is the most transformative and therefore most spiritually transformative. Not comfortable or prosperous but filled with disruptive change. The Iron Ox by contrast is extremely quiet and hardworking and ready to plough the field in the hot sun everyone can eat. The next president will be successful and influential to the extent that they can embody the energy of their moment. If Biden has been the Iron Ox for four years, and it seems like he has, then if he is elected to the Presidency his task will be to change from an Iron Ox into a Wood Dragon. Four years of solid Wood Dragon energy could be fantastic for the USA.
So enough about the Dragon energy, what about the Wood energy? What does the wood element bring to the equation? The Wood element symbolizes vigorous growth and development. The wood element is associated with spring and the vibrant growth and explosion of energy of the spring season. The image of Wood is of tree roots spreading into the ground and branches growing and spreading overhead. Wood energy can also be symbolized by a sprout pushing itself up from the Earth. This means more energy and growth on top of the Dragon energy for growth and change. So, it could get exciting! 2024 could be a great year for new ventures in the fields of art, creativity, growth, intelligence, wisdom, and spiritual or personal development. This also means it is a great year for building new networks and connections and branching out in new endeavors.
For many Asians this is the dream year to have a child. A child born in the year of the Dragon is widely thought to be the best of all 12 years. This means we will likely see a population boom as many parents will try to have babies in 2024. If you are expecting a child in 2024 congratulations!
I hope everyone has a great year of martial arts practice. For good luck get a few dragon statues and plant a tree or be nice to the natural world in whatever way you can!