YEAR OF THE YANG FIRE HORSE Bing Wu 丙 午

Last year, the year of the Yang Wood Snake, was the first FIRE year in since Earth Dog in 2018. So last year we got a taste of Fire’s optimism, expansion, warmth, and hope. But this year is characteristically different.

The Snake is about transformation, intelligence and cunning, and it contains both Yin and Yang Fire. It enables us to transform by shedding the old skin that is no longer needed. In the legend of the 12 Animals of the zodiac, the Jade Emperor set up a race to determine the order in which they would appear in the Zodiac. The Snake is the 6th, ahead of the Horse, but only because he hid on the horse’s hoof and startled him just as he was crossing the finish line, and the wily Snake slithered past to finish ahead of Horse. Ancient Daoists knew this legend held secrets as to the nature of the energy each animal would bring and depended on this knowledge to guide them as they lived and worked in each season, and prepared for the next.

We have an important clue in this myth. The powerful Horse lost 6th place in the race because it was startled. The Horse energy is strength, courage, action, and power. But there is an inherently skittish energy deeply embedded in Horse energy, and this hidden factor cannot be ignored when examining how this energy will disperse this year.

In addition to their immense strength, Horses are extremely intelligent, sensitive creatures and have huge hearts, both physically and metaphorically. Many of us have experienced horses who seemingly communicate telepathically with their humans. In ancient cultures, having a horse was a sign of some degree of wealth because they were valuable and costly. Some Horses are known for their keen sense of discernment and restraint around frail children, while other breeds carry warriors into battle, and still others plow fields.

Fire is warmth, whether warmth of heart or hearth. It is the spark of this fire that enables action. This energy is not the energy of a slow burn, but of quick action to right wrongs, release, or catapult what no longer serves, take bold steps to change the course of our life and the lives of our community.

TAI SUI
In Chinese mythology, the reigning Sit’stem and Branch for the year is representative of a specific Deity called Tai Sui, 太岁 or Ben Ming Tai Sui, if its your birth year. Each pair of Stem and Branch appears together once every 60 years, and there are 60 such Tai Sui Deities, one for each pairing. All 60 are considered to be Generals or warriors, indicating a protective influence. 60 years is somewhat concurrent with the cycle of the planet Jupiter returning to its originating spot, and this deity is also called the Grand Duke Jupiter. This year’s Tai Sui’s name is General Wen Zhe. If you were born in a Yang Fire Horse year, this is your personal birth Deity. He can be quite stern, and you must be careful to honor him appropriately. It is said he is offended by all the births occurring in his year. He can also be an ally. He affects your wealth, health, career, and marriage. This cycle is the in-breath and out-breath of the relationship of Heaven and Earth. This pattern was important to the ancient Chinese because it provided their guide to recording time, when they should plant crops, and a guide to anticipating changing weather. We have records of these activities as evidenced in oracle bone relics from the Shang Dynasty, 2nd millennium BC.

This Celestial energy flows into the earth for everyone from a specific direction of the compass, and care should be taken to keep this area of your home quiet and undisturbed by loud noises or construction. This year, Ta Sui comes from the South (172.5° – 187.5°), and a Feng Shui consultant can find the precise area of your home affected this year. It moved from last year, and will be different next year. To honor him personally, you can purchase an amulet of General Gen Wen Zhe and ideally have it blessed by a priest. You can carry this amulet in your wallet or purse of place it in the South of your home.

DOUBLE FIRE YEAR
This year is a double Fire year because the Stem and Branch are the same Element. The energy for the year can thus be determined by the character and quality of the combination of Stem and Branch. For a peaceful, prosperous year, we look for harmony between them. If the Stem is fed by the Branch, [See 5 Elements HERE], we look for a peaceful year. If the Elemental quality is the same, it is in harmony, but doubled in strength. This can be helpful or not. Even though Fire on top of Fire is in harmony with each other, we will not expect it to be a peaceful energy for the year. This will bring competition in business, and possible excesses in health and earth changes.

Yang Fire (Heavenly Stem) is the Sun. This is a powerful energy. We cannot live without this energy, but in excess it can be difficult to manage The energy will flash from warmth to excess heat in seconds. The energy is quite rapid. It can be the destructive energy of a wild fire or the rapid flow of lava as a volcano erupts. It stimulates impulsive behavior and hot tempers. This will be reflected not only in our day to day interactions, but on an international scale with political turbulence. We remember the potential skittishness of the powerful Horse.

Horse also contains Yin Fire. Yin Fire is the candle flame, a warm hearth, burning embers. It’s a small campfire suitable for roasting marshmallows. But it is also the severed electrical wire smoldering, gathering heat until it touches fuel that enables it to burst into flames. It’s that personal insult you try to subdue, but cannot resolve. You bury it deep until you no longer can control it and it explodes into a fit of rage.

Last year, Snake was Yin Fire. So the events, both good and bad, were ignited and are smoldering. This year’s excessive heat will cause many of those events to burst into flames, some controllable, some not. This can apply to one’s health, personal relationships, interactions within government, and international relations.

But we must remember Fire can only burn when there is fuel. Events of last year that have burned through will continue to smolder until the fuel is no longer available. Looking back, how do the events of your life stack up? Are they resolved? Are you at peace? Are the embers cold? Or are there unsettled pieces that burn and still need attention? Or have you built a foundation for something to continue? The challenge this year will be to retain or release those parts as you would like them to unfold. It will be easy to let go and let Fate take the reins. Relinquishing your power like this would be to similar to throwing a hot, big, dry, perfect log on top of those smoldering embers and starting a raging fire. It’s good if you need warmth, not so good for roasting marshmallows.

 

CYCLES
At any point in time, humanity finds itself somewhere within one or more related cycles of time.

One cycle in Chinese astrology is the 60-Year return of matching pairs of the Stems and Branches. Each pair is governed by a ruling General, Tai Sui, as previously discussed. 

Feng Shui enthusiasts will also recognize there is a 180-year cycle in which each of 9 Stars of the Big Dipper rotates in rulership for periods of 20 years. A home will be influenced by the energy of these stars, thus its occupants also. We won’t get into the weeds of the meaning of each Star, but they have native position in one of the eight directions of the compass, and a correspondence to the energy of one of the 5 Elements, with Earth reflected in three Stars. Each sector is divided into 3 sub sections, creating the 24 Mountains. The Stars rotate, or fly, around the compass every year, month, day, hour, and minute and are therefore referred to as Flying Stars (Xuan Kong Fei Xing, 玄空飞星 – Mysterious Void Flying Stars). See more on Flying Star Feng Shui HERE. The Period we are in now is ruled by Star 9, Nine Purple Li Fire Period (九紫離火運). This is a celestial energy, and is also Fire. See more on Period 9 HERE.

A Chinese Astrological interpretation of this year and next referred to as “Crimson Horse and Crimson Goat Calamity” (紅羊劫, hongyang jie). The term refers to the 60-year cycle, when the years of Bing-Wu (Fire Horse 丙 午) and Ding-Wei (Red Goat丁 未) meet. Historically, this combination is linked to times of war, social turmoil, or major regime changes. It can trigger violent weather patterns. On a personal level, karma accelerates its manifestation. Accumulated inner energy is likely to surface during this time, affecting one’s academics, career, or family relationships. The remedies include focus on maintaining emotional balance, fostering harmony, and performing charitable acts to mitigate negative energy. But remember this is the energetic flavor or texture of the energy, not a prediction.[See Disclaimer]

DISCLAIMER
And NOW is a good time for the yearly DISCLAIMER. First, no astrology, Chinese, Western, Hindu, is predictive. Astrology points to prevailing energies like hot, cold/ fast, slow/up, down/hard soft, etc. and the most likely result of being exposed to those energies. Astrological interpretations are derived from observation over thousands of years. Since our life here on earth is a cycle, we can look back and recognize patterns in retrospect as to what happened with cities, states, nations, and the physical earth itself when specific energies prevailed. Likewise, we can look at people we know and famous people to determine patterns of behavior and personality characteristics in those who contain similar elements in their birth charts. But even with the most astute observation, each new period is a step forward in time, bringing with it new people, a different earth, new technologies, and new cultural norms.

And finally, it should be noted that an article like this one only deals with fairly superficial factors. While the yearly energies will influence everyone that year, it will affect everyone differently. If you know your own birth data, you will have more specific clues as to ways to remedy certain factors. For example, this year is very hot and fast. If you have a hot and fast birth chart (strong Fire and Wood), you will need to seriously focus on calming, soothing practices, cooling practices in your daily life to prevent being carried away with impulsivity, anger, or some physical ailment relating to your heart or small intestine. However, if you have too much Water or Metal or weak Fire in your chart, this year will offer welcomed balance, provided you understand how to recognize and use the newly-found equilibrium. If you have too much Earth in your chart, since Fire creates Earth, you also should take care and watch things like weight gain, hoarding material resources, or stagnation of any type.

With this disclaimer, please know this article is surface level. If you are curious, I’ll be happy to help you with your birth chart if you want to know more.

 

THE BING WU PERSONALITY
The Yang Fire Horse (Bing Wu 丙午) personality is an exceptionally intense, passionate, and fast-paced person. This personality is an all-or-nothing individual. They can be headstrong, energetic, confident, self reliant, and brilliant. They can also be impatient, restless, and quick-tempered. A strong Fire will enjoy being in the spotlight. Yang Fire (the Sun) is often the center of attention, especially in realms of ideas and wisdom. The image of the Yang Fire Horse is often compared to a chariot hurtling through time and space, with an energy ready for battle, or whatever life brings them. Yang Fire Horses are charming and charismatic, although have a tendency toward tumultuous relationships.

A special word must be said about the Bing (丙) Element because it the only one of the 5 Elements that is Celestial. Bing is the Sun. The other four elements have Heavenly aspects, planets, for example. There are several factors that make this a special case in BaZi. The elements in a chart operate in relationship to each other according to the creative, controlling and exhausting cycles of the 5 Elements. But those relationships change when the Sun is involved. Normally Wood creates Fire, except in the case of the Sun, where it nourishes plant life and warms the wind thereby reversing the creative cycle. In 5 Element theory, Yang Water （Ren 壬) conquers or extinguishes Fire, except in the case of the Ocean and the Sun. The Sun loves the Ocean because it reflects and magnifies brilliant sunlight, therefore Yang Water and Yang Fire are a significant, harmonious and powerful combination. Yin Water, however, is damaging to the Sun. Yin Water (Gui癸) is fog, mist, or water-filled clouds that hide the Sun. Fire generally loves Yang Metal (Geng庚) because together, they make useful elements like machinery, weapons or tools. But Yang Fire especially loves Yin Metal (Xin 辛) which is small metal objects like jewelry or fine tableware. Its smooth shiny surfaces reflect and magnify the Sun.

The earthly aspect of Yang Fire would operate as expected in the cycle of the 5 Elements. A Yang Fire like a wildfire would absolutely be extinguished by Yang water and burning wood certainly can create a very large Fire.

It’s important to point this out in interpreting a BaZi (Eight Characters八字） Chart. It is helpful for the Bing Fire person to realize that her relationships will be different, and there will be times when they will naturally be misunderstood. These characteristics apply to the Bing Wu Year pillar and most strongly to the Bing Day Master, but they will be of influence anywhere there is Bing in the Natal Chart.

 

HEALTH
In the human body, the Heart is the Fire element. Ancient Chinese developed their theories of medicine by observation, not dissection, although in very early times, they performed autopsies. The Heart (xin 心）is the Yin polarity, a solid (Zang 脏) organ, responsible for blood circulation and mental focus. 心 is often translated as Heart/Mind, referencing our capacity to think through the heart. The emotions associated with the Heart are joy and fright and the capacity to order our lives. Remember that fire burns in an orderly fashion as directed and regulated by the nature and quantity of its fuel. So it is with our thoughts. We are exposed to all sorts of stimuli, but must choose which to respond to and what to ignore.

The Small Intestine is the Yang aspect of Fire in the human body. It is a hollow, Fu 腑, organ responsible for receiving and containing food and water. The small intestine is the generator of fuel for the body. It is said that our ability to make good decisions is guided in part by the strength and vitality of the small intestine. The small Intestine is constantly evaluating, sorting, and dispersing the food that passes through, converting some and sending it to the blood, absorbing water, and passing some on to be eliminated through the large intestine. A strong Fire Element this year will be helpful to these organs unless it causes them to over- heat, depending on your constitution. If there is excess, there can be heart issues like angina, or heart rhythm issues. It can lead to blood pressure issues. In the Small Intestine, over activity can lead to digestive issues like IBS or Crohn’s. You may have a tendency to over heat, physically, mentally and emotionally. Insomnia may be a factor. There might be the risk of high blood pressure, angina or other heart ailments. The tendency will be toward impulsiveness and reactivity rather than calm responsiveness.

The remedy for Fire ailments is to be highly aware of your actions and decisions with emphasis on responding rather than reacting. You may need to alter your food choices, balancing hot foods with cooling herbs and foods. By all means, be sure you drink enough water! You may want to adopt practices that focus on a calming breath with a longer exhale. Meditation, Yoga, Qigong, or Taiji are all good practices that help get us into our bodies and trigger a relaxation response. To avoid impulsivity, practice taking a pause and delaying your decision response. Make it a practice to wait 24, 48, 72 hours before making important decisions.

If Fire is weak or even missing in your chart, these next two years can be very stimulating and helpful. This boost of energy in the collective can be used to start those new projects, step up and take on responsibilities, finish that degree or travel the world with your new found energy. But as always, use discernment and resist impulsivity. You don’t want to be like the dog that caught the car.
METAL
Fire controls Metal which is the Lungs. A very strong Fire Element can over-control the lungs, leading to disease, especially respiratory ailments. Psycho-emotionally, the lungs hold Grief, sadness and also Integrity. If the Lungs become weak because of an over active Fire element, the resulting stagnation can make it more difficult to maintain equilibrium in the face of grief. When the lungs are weak, it will be more difficult for a person to act with integrity if it means a difficult confrontation.
WATER
Water controls Fire, and will be thoroughly involved with this relationship with such strong Fire. The Kidneys and Bladder are the body’s water Element. There is zero water Element in this year’s makeup. This will mean almost everyone will need to pay attention to proper hydration and guard the kidneys from cold. Americans love cold drinks and cold drinks harm the kidneys and the digestion in general. The body reacts to the cold drink by trying to warm itself, achieving the opposite intended cooling result of drinking a cold drink. It’s better to consume room temperature water. Harm to the kidneys can lead to general toxicity in the body as waste products aren’t expelled. The Kidneys hold fear as well as our ability to resonate with real wisdom and not simply cold intellect. Using our higher capacity for wisdom will help us overcome fear by seeing a situation as it actually is rather than through our emotions.
EARTH
Earth is the by-product of Fire. With such strong Fire, the tendency will be for excess and stagnation for most people. The Spleen/pancreas and stomach represent the Earth Element. An excess leads to sluggish digestion will lead to weight gain, toxicity, and stomach issues like ulcers. An overactive immune system manifests as allergy. In TCM, it is said that even if there is disease in the body, if the Earth is strong, the prognosis for the patient is good. Unless you have very weak Earth, this year can push you toward excess. Pay attention to getting the right nutrition for your body. The Earth Element holds our capacity for Trust, and also our tendencies for obsession and worry. A healthy earth Element will enable us to Trust our ability to care for ourselves and others and resolve worry.
WOOD
Wood creates Fire. The Wood element is the Liver and Gallbladder. In addition to its role in digestion, the Wood element holds anger, rage and resentment. If the liver is in excess, one tends to have a short fuse and tempers flare easily. If the liver is stagnant, it’s more difficult to resolve the anger. The liver also holds our capacity for compassion which can be harmed by holding on to anger. The willingness to value our compassion for others can help resolve anger derived from conflicts. A weak Wood element in your chart will be assisted by the Massive Fire energy of the year.

 

PEACH BLOSSOM 桃花 – táo huā
The Horse is considered one of the Peach Blossom Stems. If you are a Snake , Zi巳, Rooster, You酉, or Ox, Chou丑 year, this is your lucky year, because Horse is your Peach Blossom. One way to think of the Peach Blossom is as your Wing Man. Peach Blossom is primarily used to attract a spouse or intimate partner. The Horse accompanies you throughout your daily activities and makes you seem beautiful, intelligent, and irresistible to those you come in contact with. He helps put an aura around you that suitors cannot resist, even if this aura may hide your faults. Sounds great? Not so fast. This is really strong energy. Your Feng Shui 凤 水 consultant can help you activate this energy. But be aware it is indiscriminate energy because it makes you more attractive to everybody, not just the ones who may be most in harmony with you and the most beneficial for a relationship, regardless if it is a friendship, lover, business associate, or teacher. That discernment is up to you! You must use that skill, similar to a healthy small intestine to pick and choose what you want to keep and what needs to be sent away.

CLASHES AND FAVORABLE COMBINATIONS
In a chart, there are clashes (Fan Tai Sui) internal to the chart – ones that are contained in one of the pillars, and external ones that occur in a luck pillar, Year, month, and so on. If they are internal to the chart, they will be places where you wrestle internally with certain factors. A BaZi consultant can advise you as to where these conflicts are most likely to occur and when they will be the strongest. The ones discussed here refer to external clashes, which indicate something you meet in your external environment because it is assumed we are talking about how this Yang Fire Horse year affects you. As a rule, external clashes are less severe than ones internal to the chart. And your personal chart may make these clashes even less uncomfortable.

As with human nature, the nature of the yearly energy is in harmony with some places and creates discord with others. The Stem or Animal opposite Horse 午 is Rat 子. Horse is Fire and South, while rat is Water and North and they clash. Water extinguishes Fire. They clash wherever they appear on your chart, whether it is internal or external to the chart. A clash is no more than opposing priorities evidenced by the elements the Animals represent. They lead to heightened risks such as misunderstandings, setbacks or sudden disruptions. This is not necessarily a negative event, but your chart will determine the degree to which it affects you. Remedies include pausing and giving more attention to decision-making. You can also use an amulet to help remind you to be more cautious. An amulet of the Ox (Chou 丑) will combine with the Rat to nullify the effects of the clash. You can have the amulet blessed by a priest for more power, or just place it where you see it often as a reminder to use caution this year. You may also use this energy to make very positive changes in your life!

Horse 午 is one of 4 Animals that has a Self-Punishment. A Self-Punishment is making choices that are not in your best interest, even if you know better. This includes becoming lost in self-doubt and negative self talk, or always feeling less-than or inferior in most situations. It includes overthinking, emotional swings, making rushed decisions you later regret. It can also lead to eating too much or too little or the wrong foods for your body or consuming drugs or alcohol to excess also harming your body. This year will amplify these tendencies if you have a Horse Year Pillar but will apply anywhere Horse falls in your chart. The remedy is to become more conscious of these kinds of self-punishments. Seek help, if you need to, to overcome self doubt, excesses, or negative narratives that constantly play in your mind.

Two other animals that will have conflicts or disruptions this year are Ox (Chou丑)and Rabbit (Mao卯). Ox is seen as Harming the Tai Sui, which may result in interpersonal conflicts, being targeted, or minor, manageable bad luck. Rabbit is seen as Breaking the Tai Sui, which can create minor disruptions in relationships or career stability. The remedies include being aware that this year may create some challenges and be ready to either take evasive actions to potential trouble. Your personal chart will describe the nature of these conflicts. You can also use discordant energy to create a positive change in your life. For example, if problems at work arise, it may be a good time to look for a new and better job.

 

INDUSTRY
As far as business and industries as well as personal careers, Fire years are generally auspicious for many sectors. Fire is considered to portent optimism and markets like this positive attitude. As for specific industries, those considered Water industries will benefit the most because Fire is Water’s wealth Element. Examples of Water industries include Therapy, Healing and Doctors. The Arts, Music, Literature are considered Water Element Industries. Communications, including the media and advertising, are Water. Finally Brewing, Mixology, Bartending and Drinks are Water. Wood ellemt industries are the next most auspicious. These include carpentry, paper, woodworking, logging, and planting. Nex t will be Metal because metal really needs the Fire to become useful. These industries include metallurgy, jewelry,, railways, and hardware. It also includes banking, coin minting, accounting, finance, investments, railways and loans. Metal is also Entertainment, Management consultancy, perfume and poitics.