Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the Year of the Horse, a sign that promises (and delivers) adventure, excitement, luck and opportunities for growth and travel. Whatever your inspiration, hope, wish or desire—now is the time to take the steps that will help the Universe co-create what you want. Red is the color of passion and action, so wear lots of that color. And, by all means, get on your horse and go for it!
This month, in honor of the wisdom and wildness of the Year of the Horse, I’m introducing you to the guides whose wisdom, grit and grace will guide you during the next 12 months. Research them on-line, read their works and print out the quotes or information that ‘speak’ to you. Call on their reverence (or irreverence) to help you on your journey.
Oh, it’s also Mercury Retrograde from February 6th to February 28th and the usual cautions do apply– do try to avoid getting overly emotional or all worked up over little and big things. As with all Mercury Retrogrades, plans and communications screw-ups can take you on a wild and confusing ride. Since Mercury rules communication, transportation and contracts, when it’s retrograde, all manner of mistakes and misunderstandings can occur. If you can, hold off on buying (or leasing) any big ticket items. It’s also a good idea to triple check any and all plans you make. This is an excellent time for research, as those things that are usually hidden from view, show themselves more easily during a Mercury Retrograde period. Wait until Mercury goes direct before making any big decisions.
THE EMPEROR (March 21 – April 20) Your guide is author, Ursula K. LeGuin. “Nobody who says, ‘I told you so,’ has ever been, or will ever be, a hero.” Heed her quote and be mindful of the intentions of those who accompany you on your quest.
THE EMPRESS (April 21 – May 20) Your guide is the Persian poet, Rumi. “Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your false idea of who you are. Be notorious.” Please, do get out of the stagnant rut assigned you by the status quo.
THE LOVERS (May 21 – June 20) Your guide is the modern founder of Siddha Yoga, Bade Baba Nityananda. “Merely repeating holy names Like Rama, Krishna, and Govinda, even for a thousand years cannot bring liberation.” Knowledge without the correct action to verify it is incomplete and useless. Get going!
THE CHARIOT (June 21 – July 20) Your guide is author, Dr. Seuss. “Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.” It’s time to stop ‘mothering’ the world and start listening to that brilliant child who lives within you.
THE SUN (July 21 – August 22) Your guide is the Italian saint, Padre Pio. “Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.” Pray, meditate, muse, daydream—they are all connections to the Divine who lives in your heart.
THE HERMIT (August 23 – September 22) Your guide is Indian guru, Ammaji. “Many people meditate in order that a third eye may open. For that they feel they should close their two physical eyes. They thereby become blind to the world. But the fact is that the third eye will never open. We can never close our eyes to the world in the name of spirituality. Self-realization is the ability to see ourselves in all beings. This is the third eye through which you see, even while your two eyes are open. We should be able to love and serve others, seeing ourselves in them. This is the fulfillment of spiritual practice.”
JUSTICE (September 23 – October 22) Your guide is Saint Francis of Assisi. “A man who works with his hands is a laborer. A man who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. A man who works with his hands, his head, and his heart is an artist.” Your life is your canvas waiting to be made into a masterpiece—use all of yourself in doing so.
THE MAGICIAN (October 23 – November 21) Your guide is philosopher, Krishnamurti. “One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.” Be willing to sit still in the void that comes after you’ve exhausted all you know—great wisdom resides there.
THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE (November 22 – December 21) Your guide is the great sage, Sri Maharshi. “All are gurus to us, the wicked by their evil deeds say ‘do not come near me.’ The good are always good, therefore all are like gurus to us.” During this Year of the Horse, the messages that come to you will be clear and obvious—pay attention and you’ll benefit from heeding their advice.
THE WORLD (December 22 – January 19) Your guide is the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tse. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need other’s approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”
THE STAR (January 20 – February 19) Your guide is English writer, Dame Edith Sitwell. “Eccentricity is not, as some would believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.” You are unique—be the gift that you were created to be.
THE MOON (February 20 – March 20) Your guide is author, Paulo Coelho. “A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” Your inner child lives in your heart; visit and play together often.