Happy I hope it is for you. Last year (2016) was the year of the monkey. I don't know about you, but 2016 was a monkey I was glad to get off my back. Really! Hurricane Matthew roared in with a tumultuous, roiling energy that stirred everything up. After Matthew, my life was shrugging off one monkey shin-an-igan coming at me from out of the blue to the next monkey mayhem leaving me exhausted by year's end. I grew a deeper appreciation for the Yang style move called Repulse the Monkey.

2017 January 28 started the year of the fire rooster/chicken. After all that jumping around from limb to limb, the rooster/chicken brings us back down to earth and closer to our own flock. The rooster is well known to strut his stuff, taking pride in himself and his appearance while protecting his hens. This tells us that attention to appearance and caring for what we already have will allow us each to prosper and grow this year. The both the chicken and the hen need a flock to survive. Weather your flock is blood family, work family or larger community of neighbors, fellow Americans, all of life, caring for our flock this year will pay off, especially if disastrous wildfire might come rolling in. Cherish what you already have, get rid of what no longer serves you, make room for more of what you want to grow into.

The chicken/rooster is also a bird that rarely chooses to fly. Rather it lives close to the ground, close to the earth not flitting here and there like the monkey. But it can and does take flight in order to survive. The chicken/rooster likes routine and tending to it's daily needs. Living a simple lifestyle during the year will help reconnect us to the earth and in so doing, cultivate and grow what we already have. And perhaps be a little proud in what we've accomplished in our lives. Be humble, knowing there are louder roosters out there, but also acknowledge and take pride in your accomplishments. Confidence leads to strength but crowing too loud or too much brings resentment. Let your confidence and shining, healthy appearance speak for you.

The fire element of the year tells us a number of things including it will go by quickly, with power and passion. Fire is impatient, it doesn't wait, it burns up/uses/consumes then moves on to another source to feed off. So when the opportunities of prosperity come your way this year, take them. Hesitation might get you burned. Just as you should flee when wildfire is rolling toward you, hesitation might get you burned. Fire also draws attention to itself, just like the strutting rooster making appearance doubly important this year. Diligence, loyalty and hard work are all rooster characteristics so these traits will pay off this year when really used.

You could say the motto of the year is: do more, crow less! May you prosper and grow in all your endeavors this year. I'm honored to be part of your flock.

***** I am by no means a Chinese astrologer. I just read for hours online and condensed what I got out of it here for you and me :)