2025 Lunar New Year - harnessing your power in the year of the Green Snake

On January 29, 2025, we begin the New Lunar Year of the Wood Snake. What implications does this have for our energy? In what ways will 2025 differ from the departing 2024 Lunar Year?

First, let's examine the characteristics of traditional snake symbolism, followed by an exploration of the energetics of the Wood Element. Finally, by revisiting key aspects of the retiring Wood Dragon, from my last year's blog, we can understand how the energy is set to change.

Snake Symbolism in the East and the West

Our initial instinct when seeing a snake is to back away. It provokes apprehension or even fear. Only by viewing this creature from its own perspective, free from the widespread fear ingrained in collective consciousness, can we truly appreciate its attributes. It is likely that the first lesson this year will teach us how to overcome our apprehensions.

Perhaps its poor reputation is due to its low visibility. As a crawling creature, it must stay hidden from many of its predators and operate away from the spotlight. Hence, the second theme for 2025 is that what is currently in the spotlight might have to hide and what is hidden will come to light.

The snake embodies more Yin than Yang traits, yet it is far from slow! Its renowned agility bestows upon this creature exceptional intelligence, enabling it to have the capacity to live a long live. Indeed, be it its lifespan or its impressive body length, make the snake a symbol of longevity. In the Far East, it is frequently represented as a circle of life or a symbol of 8 for eternity. Therefore, in 2025, we are likely to uncover more life sustaining secrets.

The snake of Asclepius, or the pair of snakes of the Caduceus, have long been symbols representing medical doctors and the pharmaceutical industry in the Western world. And just consider that it was Eve, Adam's other half, who's got all the blame for following the serpent, whilst we are doing it every day.

In Chinese Medicine, the snake is linked to both the Water Element, and thus the Kidneys, and the Earth Element, and thus the Spleen, as snakes can inhabit water or earth. This year, these two organs will receive a celestial boost but will also demand more of our focus. The blend of the two is beneficial for fertility, digestion, blood and liquids in the body and all transformative processes, including deep healing, within our bodies. This is an ideal year to address and heal deep-rooted traumas and chronic illnesses.

In fact, the association of snakes with longevity is referred to the physical body more so than to the spiritual aspects of our being. It is also founded on the distinctive phenomenon of skin shedding in snakes. As a result, in 2025, anticipate that people, including yourself, will change their image and the way they present themselves to the world. This transformative ability is more inherently feminine, making it more prevalent among women. It already occurs at various stages in a woman's life, when she becomes a mother, a grandmother, or matures into womanhood. And this year, anyone can have their Cinderella experience!

As a side note, the symbolism of a snake is commonly associated with a woman in both Eastern and Western cultures. Consider Eve again, who accepted the message of the serpent and gave life to first human successors. Similarly, in ancient Chinese mythology, the deity Nü Gua, known as the ancestor of humankind, is portrayed as being half woman and half serpent. In Eastern Europe, the tale of Eglé and the snake highlights the remarkable transformative power of femininity (pictured below).

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"Eglė, Queen of Serpents" by A. Algminas(40 x 30 in. oil on canvas)

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Green is the Wood Element

What about the governing Element in 2025? It will remain the same, as both 2024 and 2025 are governed by the Wood energy. Wood Element is linked with green colour, Spring, with growth, childhood, creativity, overstepping the boundaries in order to find new experiences to learn from. Wood element is associated with Liver and Gallbladder, so these two organs will continue receiving an extra energetic boost in 2025. Utilize this energy to detox, particularly during the spring season. For inspiration, take a look at my Loving-3-phase-detox for ideas of a gentle detox.

The Wood Element will add Yang energy to the Snake in 2025, it will keep the snake out of its den most of the time. The qualities of agility, reactivity and creativity will get an extra boost this year. Therefore, dedicate yourself to creative projects, move quickly by avoiding obstacles, keeping in sight your goal. Have faith in the process!

With the addition of Wood energy to deep healing of the snake, it can be inferred that the healing processes in 2025 will be rapid. The healing will be both profound and swift. The rapid pace of healing will bring a certain ease to otherwise pain-staking processes. So, make the most of this by using the ageless method of acupuncture as the healing medium for your body, mind and soul in the coming year. The upcoming year presents the perfect opportunity to release old patterns and traumas that have become embedded in you but do not align with your future fulfillment nor destiny.

The balanced Wood Element, and therefore a healthy Liver, will offset the Snake's excessive energy of the Water and Earth Elements. Water is linked with the emotion of fear and Earth with the emotion of worry. If the Liver is weak, the fearful energy of the snake is likely to freeze the growth and a successful completion of a project or a healing process. Analogically, if Liver is weak it will not be able to push through the worry. Keep this in mind when you wonder why progress, particularly in regaining your health, is lacking.

In summary, unlike the highly Yang, dynamic, fierce, and daring Wood Dragon of 2024, the upcoming year will concentrate its energy on internal realms, which are less visible and profoundly transformative. Although, it will remain rapid, expansive, and action-packed nonetheless. Therefore, in 2025 harness the power of shedding your skin, moving between your life roles, embracing a new image, navigating obstacles in an almost shape-shifting manner. In Chinese culture the Green Snake is a symbol of hope, fortune, longevity and prosperity among other, which is what I sincerely wish for all of you in the coming new year 2025!

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"Honourable Harvest" - Earth Element's higher octave of consciousness

What does the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer and the Five Elements, especially the Earth Element, have got in common? Having read the book this summer I have found out that actually the two speak of each other.

This marvellous book is written in prose but reading it is like poetry. To me it was totally music to my ears and probably not only to me, as Elizabeth Gilbert describes the book as “a hymn of love to the world”.

There would be so much to share about this book, so I only would like to concentrate on the main three reflections and insights I have had, that infuse Robin's tradition with what I know and practice in Chinese Medicine. All quotations below come from Robin's book.

The first reflection made me realise that all ancient and indigenous people, whether they are from the East or the West, had one thing in common: their relationship with the Nature. They observed the Nature attentively, its processes, cycles, in order to understand self and to understand the place which a man occupies in relationship with what is around him/her. In those times, human beings felt an integral part of an eco-system they lived in. Everything that surrounded them had a meaning and they took note of the cyclical nature of all process of the Earth. So, be it indigenous Americans, or Australians or ancient Chinese, they all lived with the same reverence in the relationship to the Nature. That means that some of the bases of the Classical Chinese Medicine (especially Taoism) are common to all other ancient and indigenous cultures.

The second insight I have had relates to Robin's call for going beyond gratitude and infusing more reciprocity in all our relationships. Reciprocity in Chinese Medicine is related to the Earth Element energetic quality. Robin explains reciprocity so well. It isn't only about "if I give you, then you will give me back" but rather "when I give you I create a relationship with you". The lack of attention to reciprocity in our-day-world has created anonymity and indifference in which reciprocal relationships are often considered more a burden than richness. So, "we are called to go beyond cultures of gratitude to once again become cultures of reciprocity". In the Chinese Classics that is the Earth Element energetics within us. Losing that sense of reciprocity we lose touch with our Earth Element, which we need for grounding and bonding with the place we live in.

My third insight into timeless and ancient wisdom is about "honourable harvest". Harvest is again related to the energy of Earth Element in Chinese medicine and philosophy. "Honourable Harvest" is an "exchange of live for life"... yes, their sensitivity whether to animals or plants, was the same. People living in true communion with the Nature knew that all harvest is taking away some form of life. Therefore, they were propenced to actions that gave that life back or to "take only what you are given and not what you need".

I know that ancient Chinese practitioners collected their herbs in the same "honourable" way as Robin describes indigenous Americans did, in order for the herbs to have that pure energy and be granted the Nature's healing potency. We practice honourable harvest every day by making choices in our daily consumptions. Whenever we buy something new think about the life that's been taken away. In return, try to give that life back somehow.

The ancients' way of living was treading so lightly as if "longing to hear the land give thanks for the people in return". Wow! Do we ever ask ourselves that question? Is the Earth actually happy with me living on Her surface? Do we realise that with each gift we were born we also hold our responsibilities for that gift? It is the Earth that makes the "paste" of our bodies, the Earth creates our gifts and we have the responsibility to use them to create hers. The plants "can't meet their responsibilities unless we meet ours". Once we realise that we live in such interdependence with the Nature, we start wondering why we moved so far away from Her.

It is that consciousness that we need to truly understand our power. As if describing the Yin and Yang of Chinese Medicine, Robin quotes: "all powers have two sides, the power to create and the power to destroy. We must recognise them both, but invest our gifts on the side of creation".

These and other insights I have had thanks to Robin Wall Kimmerer's book, confirm to me that much of the bases of the Classical Chinese Medicine do not pertain to Chinese or Oriental cultures only, they have been lived and followed by most, if not all, of the indigenous populations worldwide. The Nature's language is truly global!

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Braiding Sweetgrass - "Honourable Harvest"

Late Summer - Energy of completion

There are a few times in a year when we can start anew: the beginning of the calendar year, the beginning of Spring (end of February), for some it is also at the Spring Equinox, for others it is the Summer Solstice. Yet another time to start anew is also right now! We have got over the maximum heat and active energy of Yang during the Summer months, and now we start going back to self, back to our center.

Summer is getting out and about, meeting people, traveling, getting involved in activities that are out of ordinary, sleeping less and playing more. From the mid August, however, there is an energy of gathering back all that external energy. This gathering of the energy from the surrounding activities, situations, relationships and making best use of it for completing self, is the new year for constructing your new You.

Spirit Focus: making myself whole again

It is the time to look at the past Spring and Summer months and ask yourself:

how do I assimilate best the experiences and people I've met, into my reality? Summer months was the time to be open to, to choose and make a range of new experiences. Now, the Late Summer is here to transform them into concrete, solid and clear ideas, statements, projects, plans or relationships.

For example, from all the new persons we have met over the Summer, who do we really want to keep in touch with going ahead?

Or, thinking of this summer seaside vacation, what new has it brought to me as a person? What feelings, experiences, activities I would like to continue to repeat regularly as a result? Perhaps you have marvelled yourself at how great you felt about replacing a car with a bicycle and you wished you could use it more throughout the year. So, right now would be the perfect time to do it, to start using your bike more in place of your car. In consequence you follow your inner integrity, in body, mind and soul, and the Element of Later Summer helps you to solidify that internally into who you are becoming.

Mind Focus: ability to have a broad perspective

The Late Summer's Element, the Earth, is energetically stable, it is concrete, it supports the completion of a cycle, of an idea. It opens us up to more perspectives from which we can see how to implement pieces and make it into a whole. So, it is the time well spent on a review and reflection of recent, external events. It is also about some reality checks. Often times Fire Element of Summer feeds our enthusiasm out of proportion. Perhaps you saw a villa on your holidays and desired to acquire it. Now, it would be the time to review that idea as the Element of Earth makes us more practical about some dreamy ideas we might have had over the holidays. It is not to say we should not have dreamy ideas. Or better still, we should avoid rejecting our summer dreams as too lofty, but we should allow time and this change in season to review if it is still something that in all our integrity we want and need. Perhaps it has been an inspiration to unravel a part of you that with time you can plan to realise.

Body Focus: "I nourish myself"

The energy of Late Summer permits us to have a broad view of our body as well. We may feel it more physically, be more present in our muscles especially, which means we may notice certain muscular tensions we have not spotted until now. The Earth Element relates to Stomach, digestion and absorption of nutrients. It is NOT the time to do detox as we are now at peak of transforming food into nutrients and doing detox could give our bodies a message of lacking the substances. More than other times, we should have a varied and rich diet (in wide specturm of nutrients). The Nature provides for us too as it is the harvest season. On the other hand, we can and should reduce the excesses we could have got away with in Summer months but we won't now: that ice-cream a day, a couple of beers a day, pizza every other evening, etc. may now not go down that well and give us health issues.

Remember any symptoms arising during the change of season is linked to that change in the energy and it can be easily adjusted by having an acupuncture treatment. To book yourself for an appointment, click below:

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Harvest time - Earth Element