The Chinese New Year begins on Saturday, January 28th this year. What will it have in store for us?
Those born in the year of the Fire Rooster are thought to be trustworthy and responsible. Roosters in general are known for their integrity, efficiency, and loyalty, and the fire element brings enthusiasm, creativity, persistence, and strength to the combination. The ruling theme of the coming year is that hard work and patience are paramount; this is likely in part due to the fact that, with an excess of the fire element, there can be impatience, restlessness, and impulsiveness. Think carefully about any changes you plan to make, and ensure you have all your bases covered — especially if those changes are around career or finances.
As far as relationships go, this should be a good year for taking the next step, whether it be starting a new relationship, getting married, or starting a family. It is still important to be patient, so if you are starting a new relationship, take the time to get to know each other before jumping in with both feet. Be very clear about your goals and intentions, as appearances will have a big impact this year.
When considering attire and decorating, red is a colour to keep to a minimum, as it is the color for fire — and too much fire tends to encourage impulsiveness, aggression, impatience, and irritability. Grounding energies will be useful, which is the earth element’s forte; colours like brown, yellow, and gold are therefore auspicious choices.
There are many semiprecious stones that can help us out this year. Some promote strength and perseverance, some aid in transitions, and some provide clarity in decision-making. Below, you will find a summary of some of our favourites for the coming year.
Any type of agate can be useful this year, as it carries a slow, steady energy which reflects the stamina we will need to maintain a hard-working attitude. Moss agate in particular is useful for new beginnings, so for those of us who are starting new jobs, new relationships, or other new situations, this stone could be particularly supportive. Another stone than can help with transitions of this kind is cross stone (aka chiastolite), especially if these changes are disconcerting or stressful in some way. As a form of andalusite, it helps balance higher and lower chakras, grounding out any excess energy as we process what is happening in our lives. Similarly, snowflake obsidian encourages perseverance while helping us re-frame challenging times in our lives in a more positive light.
Amethyst
is a helpful stone during transitions, as it protects and stabilizes us as we experience change — especially if said change is drastic or sudden. Moreover, it helps us to recognize emotional patterns that affect our decision-making, allowing us to step back and evaluate our options calmly and clearly. In a similar way, moonstone is a protective stone that can be useful in dispelling illusions. For those of us who are considering new opportunities that seem a little risky or vague, moonstone can help us to remember to examine these opportunities closely to ascertain their true nature prior to making any commitments.
Labradorite connects us to our intuition and our highest good, as well as stimulating strength and perseverance to help us through transitional periods, especially those that require hard work for longer periods of time. Another stone that is very helpful with long-term hard work is jasper. It helps us keep our energies up when we have high levels of exhaustion or fatigue, especially over long periods of time. Ocean jasper in particular encourages a positive attitude and engagement in various activities that we might otherwise find stressful, as it helps us to take things a little less seriously and have more fun with what we are doing. Fancy jasper facilitates temperance, making ordinary, mundane tasks more tolerable, as well as encouraging the prudence necessary to ascertain whether opportunities will be beneficial to us.
Garnet is excellent for grounding, giving ideas a foundation in reality. It also proffers commitment and devotion, traits which are highly useful in the coming year. Since red is a potentially challenging colour this year, we can use other colours of garnet for this support. Hessonite, being typically golden brown in colour, is a wonderful fusion of the properties of garnet with the colours that are auspicious this year. In a similar palette (and energetic vein), smoky quartz encourages practicality, patience, and organization, and tiger eye promotes discernment, strength, and practicality. All these stones provide grounding and help focus on the physical world in some way.
Anyone considering entering a new relationship this year can turn to chrysoprase for support. It helps us to recognize and process old patterns from previous relationships, find self-acceptance and love, and prepare our hearts for the leap of faith required when starting a new relationship.
Whatever challenges you face in the year of the fire rooster, remember that slow and steady wins the race! Stay grounded, and stay true to yourself. The rest will fall into place when the time is right!