The Year of the Dragon is considered particularly auspicious-worthy of celebration!  February 10, 2024 marks the start of the Lunar/Chinese Year of the Tree or Wood or Green Dragon. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate a shift in overall yearly energy to one of prosperity and living into one’s personal power. It’s also a good time to assess how the upcoming year may affect us. Reviewing how last year’s energy forecasts (Year of the Water Rabbit) affected us can help us understand our relationship to upcoming energetic shifts. “The work” from the Year of the Water Rabbit was using discernment within to guide our relationships. Having worked with that in 2023, owning our own authority will be much easier this year. Each year builds upon the previous one. To see last year’s blog post about the Year of the Water Rabbit click HERE. The post also has a brief list of Chinese New Year taboos you might find interesting.

I am NOT an astrologer by any means. I began perusing Chinese New Year predictions years ago when a tai chi student asked about the upcoming one at the time. I’ve learned through the years that just reading the various forecasts helps me prepare mentally for any challenges that may arise. It also helps me take advantage of areas of my life in a growth cycle or back off those areas in a declining cycle this year. It’s proven useful in my life. I’ve also come to recognize that there’s a lot of dooms-daying out there in various predictions. They no longer make me fearful as I’ve learned it’s mostly hype and has to do with energetic not necessarily landmass shifts ;)

The Year of the Dragon is considered particularly auspicious. In the Chinese Zodiac there are 12 animal signs and while Dragon is the 5th sign, it’s considered the most powerful of them all. Though considered mythical creatures they exist in varied cultures around the world. In Chinese culture dragon is the ultimate symbol of power, fortune, prosperity and personal autonomy. In Western culture dragons are often feared and to be hunted and killed, but in Chinese culture this supernatural being has a reputation for using its astonishing and often god-like skills, talent and generous heart to help others.

The Dragon symbolizes power, nobleness, honor, luck and success.  Dragon’s supernatural abilities have no parallel in talent or excellence. With the big energy of dragons often comes big change. It’s possible in The Green Dragon Year for enthusiastic dreamers to change the world, both your personal world and the world at large. The Year of the Green Dragon is believed to foster growth, progress and abundance, and an excellent time to build the solid foundation of something new with long-term potential, like learning a tai chi or qigong routine!

Dragons supreme abilities allow them to fly through the air, walk on and live within the earth and also swim through water with ease. They have mastered all elements and can control wind, rain, water, earth and fire. So embrace potential new paths with self-assurance and using discernment trust their own inner judgment. Wood or Tree or Green element is the creative or growth element within the 5 Element Cycle-thus a good time to grow something substantial. Because dragons are adept, skillful, nearly impenetrable and unconquerable, they act from a place of self-assurance, not needing the approval of others to follow their own path. Bruce Lee, the ultimate dragon celebrity, influenced the entire world by doing things his own way, regardless of what others thought.

Dragons captivate with show and flair and often have a reputation for being hothead and possessing a sharp tongue. Use your energy, creativity and your tongue to share patience and encouragement instead of explosive fire. Dragons are considered communicators between heaven, earth and humans, able to bring good weather, good harvests and even good fortune in wealth. They could “control the wind and rain, soar through the skies, turn over rivers and seas as well as bring prosperity.” In ancient times, emperors were regarded as real dragons and the sons of Heaven. Emperors were the only ones who could wear dragon embroidered clothing. The Chinese people were assumed to be the descendants of dragons.

Qing Dynasty Emperor’s Robe — Metropolitan Museum of Art

Why Is the Dragon Ranked Fifth in the Chinese Zodiac?

According to one of many myths, the Jade Emperor held a race and decreed that the order of the animals in the Chinese zodiac would be decided by who crossed the finish line in the first 12 places. It would seem a matter of common sense that the mighty Dragon would be deserving of first place, however he did not achieve this. He came after the Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, and Rat. Why was this?...

When Dragon was on his way to the finish line, he found a village suffering from a very serious drought — even its plants and crops did not grow, and a great number of people were in famine. So, he flew across the clouds and opened his mouth to make rain and solved their hardship.

Dragon continued on in the race, but after a while, he saw another village threatened by a flood. He stopped without hesitation and opened his mouth to absorb the water. His efforts and powers moved the flood waters to the sea, and the disaster at the village was averted.

As Dragon hurried on his way towards the race's end, he saw that Rabbit was being chased by a wolf. In order to deal with the wolf and save Rabbit, he let Rabbit go on ahead. So, by generously helping those he met on the way, as is always his nature, Dragon came in after Rabbit in the zodiac race. This is why good Feng Shui indicates removing all imagery of rabbit during a dragon year. So the prosperous energy of your year isn’t slowed down by those trying to get ahead of others.

Dragon is powerful, endlessly energetic and full of vitality, goal-oriented yet idealistic and romantic, and a visionary leader. They know exactly who they are and possess the keenest sense of self among the 12 zodiacs of Chinese astrology. May your Year of the Dragon be blessed with prosperous adventures and positive change!

Go Green Dragon! 🐲 Go Green Dragon! 🐲 Go Green Dragon Go! 🐲

For those of us studying the qigong set 5 Beasts at Play or Wu Xian, recall that our first beast is the Dragon and the last element represented is that of tree or wood in the Crane. This makes the Wu Xian 5 Element Qigong set the ideal qigong set to practice for a well-rounded and balanced year! We begin and end the set with the two predominant energies of the year. Learning Wu Xian is an integral component of the Traditional Temple Training sessions. We are also currently studying it in the Free Friday sessions. Check the CURRENT CLASS SCHEDULE HERE.

This symbol means:

The Yi (mind’s focus) leads the Qi (energy).

“Where thoughts go energy flows.”