The Year of the Snake 2001
The Chinese Year of the Snake officially begins on January 24, 2001. As each year in the 12-Year cycle corresponds to a particular energy expression, it dictates human behavior and society transformations. This is a year for reflection and contemplation. The wisdom of the Snake will shine especially vivid when it comes to making decisions. It’s a good year for finding solutions. The Year of the Snake inspires artistic achievements, scientific and technological discoveries and aesthetic appreciation. There is also romance and sensuality in the air, so watch out for its power of seduction! Since this year follows on the heel of the Dragon Year, events beginning in the Dragon year are often brought to a close in the Snake Year. In other words, we will be reaping the harvest of what we sowed the year before.
There is a certain unpredictability, which can include calamities, that is associated with the Year of the Snake. So be cautious and on the look out for sudden changes when all seems quiet and well. Go for a health check-up to unearth hidden problems and start a preventive regime. Being steadfastly committed to balancing your spiritual and physical needs can help even things out. Deliberate thoroughly before making decisions, and use prudence and virtue in dealings with people. After all, for all of its glitziness, the Snake can be downright practical as well. Allow for moderate enjoyment of the good taste and elegant offering that the year can bring to satiate the body and the mind so long as you do not over indulge and get carried away.
In my father’s translation of the great Chinese oracle, the I-Ching (The Book of Changes), he advised in Hexagram number 25, Innocence-Unexpected Happening, that “rewards and punishment, whether visible or invisible, are usually instigated by one’s own thoughts and behavior. In other words, we are our own executioners and our own benefactors. Develop an awareness of the subtle universal law and follow the true knowledge. Cultivate virtue, for it is more powerful than any natural phenomenon and is the greatest insurance against calamity.” So sit back, relax, and let the Year of the Snake begin!