From the Wood Snake to the Fire Horse: Honoring the Pause Before the Leap
Within the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle, each year is associated with an animal that embodies a specific quality of qi (life force). These animals are not merely symbolic, but represent recurring rhythmic tendencies that have been observed in nature over generations. And according to ancient Chinese tradition, the characteristics of these animals inform the forces that motivate action during the year they represent. They may even affect weather patterns, group ideologies, politics, etc…
The lunar year of 2025, the year of the Wood Snake, is coming to a close and the year of the Fire Horse officially begins on the next new moon, February 17. Wood is the first element in the life cycle, representing the energy of a seed beginning to sprout, tender and green. Therefore the snake associated with the element of wood was more of a baby grass snake, over a pit viper. The year of the wood snake represented soft and gentle shedding, introspection and self-awareness. It was a time to gently gaze inside and feel into places that hold worn out habits that might be inhibiting your own growth or evolution. This pruning is intentional and slow rather than a massive purging.
2026, the year of the FireHorse, on the other hand, is a force of nature with great momentum and drive. Not only is the horse already a bold and fast animal, but coupling it with the element of fire multiplies its momentum.
The Fire Horse Is Powerful and Needs Grounding
The Fire Horse is bold, fast, passionate, and highly energized. Fire Horse years are often associated with big movements, strong personalities, and rapid change. The momentum that rides in on these years, if not tempered, can be destructive. We have all witnessed the devastation after a raging fire.
Some of the characteristics, if this energy goes unchecked, include reactivity and ego-driven action that can result in burnout and conflict.
As we cross the threshold from the Wood Snake year into the Fire Horse year, we are invited into a powerful and often overlooked moment of transition.
So often the New Year arrives with a rallying cry: Let’s go!
New goals. New plans. Forward motion. Action.
But this particular shift asks something different of us first. As demonstrated by the life cycle of a tree (or any living being), it must first be a tender sprout before becoming a towering tree.
Before We Move Ahead, We Honor What Has Been
The Wood Snake year has been one of deep subtle inward movement. Snake energy invites shedding, reflection, and quiet transformation. Wood brings growth through patience, healthy roots and steady nourishment.
Before we rush forward into what’s next, there is wisdom in pausing to take notice of and appreciate how we’ve moved through 2025:
Greater self-awareness
A more intimate relationship with our inner world
Subtle but profound shifts in how we listen, feel, and choose
Gratitude grounds transformation. There is powerful medicine in recognizing past growth, holding it as sacred and acknowledging the diligence it required . When we acknowledge what has been, we create a more conscious foundation for what is to come. The tree grows strong when the seed is nourished and the sprouting is not rushed.
First the Yin, Then the Yang
In Taoist wisdom, Yin precedes Yang. Stillness before movement. Listening before speaking. Contracting before expanding.
As Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching reminds us:
“Strength through softening.”
Before we leap into the Yang energy of the Fire Horse, we are called to honor the Yin:
Reflection
Grounding in Gratititude
Being in our five senses
These yin actions can help to balance out the rampant yang energy of the upcoming year. When we soften first, our action becomes intentional rather than impulsive. Focused rather than frantic. Aligned rather than reactive.
Waking the Fire With Value-based Intention
The energies of the Fire Horse are already stirring. We may feel the urge to move, create, speak, and act. The invitation is not to suppress that fire, but to hone it in.
An intentional spark for the upcoming year becomes:
Clear direction
Purposeful action
Sustained momentum
Leadership rooted in integrity
Rather than allowing our energy to be scattered in all directions at once, we allow the spark to gather, align, and then slowly carry us forward in the right direction.
Together, we will mark this transition consciously—rooted in gratitude for the Wood Snake year and prepared to meet the Fire Horse with clarity, steadiness, and embodied strength.
This is how we begin again.
Not by rushing forward—but by arriving fully.