Welcome Year of the Wood Snake 蛇! The Snake is one of the most interesting and sometimes maligned animals in the Chinese zodiac. The Snake is the sixth in the cycle of twelve animals. Click HERE to read the legend. In the Lunar calendar, Snake is the fourth month, falling between May and June on the Gregorian calendar. This is the time of early summer when the warmth supports the cold-blooded snake. The cycle of time is measured in periods of 2 hours and Snake hour is 9 to 11 am, the daily time the sun has fully risen and warmed the surface of the earth, a time the snake would appear to sun itself on warm rocks.

The Chinese calendar records the passage of time in terms of the Five basic building blocks of the creation of the Universe according to ancient thought. These blocks are Fire 火, Earth 地, Metal 金, Water,水 and Wood 木, dynamic flows of energy constantly metamorphosing and transforming. Every year has a Heavenly Element and an Earthly element. The Earthly Element is expressed as one of the 12 animals of the Zodiac. [Read HERE about the legend of the Chinese Zodiac] The Heavenly Stem is expressed as one of the 5 Elements. The Elements create each other, control one another, and also weaken each other. Each element has a Yin or Yang polarity. [ About Yin and Yang HERE.]

The term BaZi 八 子means 8 Characters – 2 Characters each for the year, month, day, and hour you were born, with a possibility of 4 to 12 Hidden Stems. They express the Heavenly, Earthly and Human influence at your birth, and thus clues as to how you will interact with the world around you. A business, a city, a state, or a country will also have a chart. The way a personal chart interacts with the yearly changes of energy is based on the Element and Polarity of the Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar which represents the nature of the individual on a chart.

The energy of the year affects us all. Only general information can be given in an article like this. But you can take this information and apply it to your own chart. Unfortunately, reading a chart in full is complicated. Please contact me for a detailed chart.

This year, we have Yin Wood Heavenly Stem on top of the Earthly Branch Snake. Snake is a Fire element. Wood creates Fire, thus this relationship is a harmonious one that bodes well for this year. Within Snake, however, are also hidden elements that represent the Human influence of the year. There is metal within Snake. Pictorially, this metal is like a weapon hidden beneath the earth that can be used at any moment. Because this factor lies hidden within Snake, it portends the harmonious relationship between Fire and Wood may be interrupted by covert activities like assassination, murder, ambush, coup d’etat, or betrayal. And like the sinewy snake, we might expect many twists and turns during the year.

YIN WOOD

Yin Wood is like a blade of grass or a flower. As opposed to Yang Wood which is a towering oak tree, Yin Wood is flexible, delicate, and easily incorporated into a landscape. A Yin Wood person is thought of as being malleable, flexible, and often beautiful as a flower. Yin Wood can also be thought of as the branches of a tree or bush. These branches are often very expressive in their structure and give personality and quality to the plant. For this reason, Yin Wood people are often able to create beautiful, artistic things whether this is through music, acting, painting, speaking, or building. There are many artists and musicians with Yin Wood in their charts. 

The other hidden element in Snake is Earth. Earth strengthens Snake. There is no water in the picture and,  lacking water, the wood atop the Snake is very dry, reflecting a hostile environment that portends drought for the environment this year. Drought most often brings fires.

THE SNAKE

A person with Snake in their Year or Hour pillar is understandably thought to be extraordinarily flexible and mobile. This person is thought to be elegant, full of knowledge, and wise. It has the potential to achieve great things through teaching and advising others. It has to seek warmth from external conditions and is mostly a loner. Most snakes will not engage in a conflict unless threatened, but when they strike, it’s deadly. Snake is clever, attractive, charming, mystic, and refined. It can achieve high status in the arts. Intuition, wisdom, curiosity, and a calm and inspiring nature can help to achieve goals and dreams. Snakes can also be considerably conceited, voracious, lazy, and slow. It hides emotions and ambitions and carefully protests its privacy. Mood swings can break its concentration and disturb its life balance.

The combination of Snake and Yin Wood is compatible not only because Snake’s base Element is Fire and Wood creates Fire, but also because the flexible, beautiful, malleable quality of Yin Wood mirrors the sinewy undulating form and function of Snake. Each Branch carries its main form of Qi. For the Snake this is Fire. The 4^th Lunar month is a warm month as Yang increases substantially toward the Summer Solstice. Snake Time of 9 to 11 AM is a time when the Sun is warming the Earth. But each month may hold other forms of Qi in addition to its base Qi. Snake holds Metal as though in storage for the future Autumn months. The metaphor for this factor in its most basic form is a hard, unbending metal object hidden beneath the beauty of a gentle flower or in contrast to the undulating movements of the snake. Because it is hidden, the implication is for a surprise of some kind. For a person, it could be a hidden trait that only shows itself in certain circumstances. It could be a steely moral fiber or will that shows itself only in a crisis. But in this case, it is more like a weapon used for a surprise attack 

Famous people who have a year Pillar of Yin Wood Snake are Viola Davis, Robert Downey Jr., Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin James, J K Rowling, Madonna, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Billie Eilish, Daniel Radcliffe, Taylor Swift, and Kenzo.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH SNAKE

The animals of the Chinese zodiac gare compatible or incompatible in about the same as humans. Some like each other, some don’t. These relationships are guided by the Five Elements, so they’re not a mystery. Generally speaking, there’s friction with the sign opposite 180º each other and the signs at  90º. The animal directly opposite the Snake, is Pig. With Yin Wood Snake, the Yin Yin Metal Pig has the most significant clash, but all Pigs clash with Snake. The signs at 90º are Tiger and Monkey. These clashes will occur anywhere you have these animals in your chart. If the Pig is in your second pillar, the conflict may be with bosses, parents, landlords, teachers, or anyone who influences you. If the conflict lies in the third pillar, the issue may arise with a spouse. If it’s in the fourth pillar, the conflict may be an emotional one possibly with your career or children.

SNAKE WITH SNAKE

If you were born in the year of the Snake, you must take great care to respect and honor the Yin Wood Snake Year Tai Sui General Wu Sui, or the Grand Duke Jupiter. The Traditional cure is to carry a Monkey amulet with you, or a Tai Sui amulet. This amulet should be blessed by a priest. If it’s not possible to get it blessed, then use it as a reminder to stay centered and focused throughout the year and be flexible if things don’t go your way. [Read HERE about Tai Si]

SNAKE WITH PIG

A clash means the energy is about disruption. It is the metaphor of water (Pig) extinguishing Fire (Snake). The characteristic of a clash is change, and it’s not always a bad thing, so if you have a clash don’t despair. Changes can be good if we don’t fight them and fail to see other options that may be as good or better than our original ideas. You may have delays, cancellations, or things that break. The best response is to plan ahead as best you can, check and double-check any business papers you may need to sign, and then go with the flow. Stay Flexible. You may discover a silver lining to the situation. Have a Plan B ready for big events, so if your initial plans don’t work out, you can achieve your goal. It’s even good to be proactive. Initiate little changes in your life.

Famous people who have Pig Year are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stephen King, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Kim Jong Un. If you have a Pig in your spouse palace, you might expect trouble or conflict with your significant other. Some famous people with a Pig in spouse palace are Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prince William, George Clooney, and Celine Dion. 

It is believed that you can take the initiative and fulfill the ‘Clash energy’ rather than waiting for the energy to impact your life in an unforeseen way. That is, you can take power into your own hands and choose what to change (in your favor) rather than waiting for changes to be forced upon you. You might join a difficult martial arts or Pilates class, begin to learn a new language or volunteer at the local animal shelter.

SNAKE WITH TIGER AND MONKEY

Tiger and Monkey – If you have either Tiger or Monkey or both in your chart, there is inharmonious energy produced when they meet Snake. It is called a “Fire Penatly,” This happens wherever you have these animals – Year, Day, Month or Hour. It means something different according to where these animal lie in your chart and your day pillar.  Stay flexible, plan ahead, and initiate change yourself. The weakest solution is to wear an amulet of Monkey. Qi is built through activity. While a blessed amulet will hold energy, the strongest energy will be through your own activity. If you have an amulet, let it be your reminder to be extra conscious and cautious this year.

PEACH BLOSSOM

The Peach Blossom is an element best described in modern vernacular as a Wing Man. Each sign has a Peach Blossom/Wing Man and when this sign is incurred, it’s a significant boost to finding love. The Peach Blossom element for Snake is Horse. There are even special powerful Feng Shui protocols to assist with your Peach Blossom luck even if this is not your year.  If you are a Snake Day or Year Pillar, watch for Horse month (June) Horse days (every 12 days), and Horse hours (11 am to 1 pm). This is a lucky circumstance, most powerful with romance, but it’s a good energy for positive changes.

Sadly, the Snake does not serve as Peach Blossom for other animal signs.

NOBLEMAN

The Nobleman is another Special Star. The appearance of this star can influence a positive situation with someone who turns out to be a benefactor. This benefactor can help you in many ways. He or she can give you something like money or other gifts, or save you from a bad situation. The singular aspect of this Star is that it’s unexpected, it seemingly comes out of the blue and is helpful. Of course, even with a wonderful gift, what we do with it is up to us. Because of the ethereal nature of this aspect, it is driven by the Heavenly Stem rather than the Earthly Branch. Yin Wood is the Nobleman Star for Monkey or Rabbit. If you have Yin Wood as a Heavenly Stem in your chart, you will benefit from the Nobleman when Monkey or Rooster is encountered during the year. Monkey Month is August, Monkey day is every 12 days, Monkey Hour is 3 to 5 pm. Rabbit month is March, Rabbit Day is every 12 days, and hour is 5 to 7 am. Where Yin Wood falls in your chart will determine the nature of the assistance you might receive. If you have an Earthly Branch of Rabbit, you may find a nobleman this year guided by where they appear in your chart. Monkey’s cash with  Snake will inhibit the Nobleman Star this year.

TRAVEL STAR/SKY HORSE

There is a special star called the Travel Star or Sky Horse. Snake is one of these Stars. It is the Travel Star for Pig, Rabbit, and Goat. If you have these animal signs on your chart, you can expect movement of some kind. It can be physical movement like travel or even moving house. Depending on where it is, it may reflect a shift in a relationship or even a change in jobs or professions. If it’s confusing that Snake is the travel star of Pig with which it clashes, remember that a clash means change, and many times it’s a positive change although at first the newness of the shift may feel uncomfortable for a while.

On a macro level, a Travelling Star points to modes of transportation like airplanes and ships. Air and sea travel this year could be at risk for accidents.

The year most akin to 2025 was 60 years ago when Yin Wood Snake ruled. These are some accidents of that year:

• March 25, 1965, a U.S. Air Force crashed in California killing all 85 passengers.
• July 7, 1965, 7 Japanese fishing boats are sunk off Guam by typhoon Carmen and 209 are killed.
• November 1965, a trolleybus plunged into the Nile at Carro, killing 74 passengers.
• November 1965 43 passengers of a UA Flight 227 died in a crash at Salt Lake City in November
• November 13 1965, the SS Yarmouth Castle sank off Bahamas and 90 people died. 

HEALTH

PLEASE NOTE: as with everything about a general write-up of the energy of the year, the indications must be filtered through your entire chart. But perhaps most caution is advised in the area of health. The question for the reader to consider is “Does a strong Fire element benefit ME this year?” For example, if you have a preponderance of water or metal in your natal chart, the Fire may be very good for you because it will warm and evaporate some of the water and make the metal usable. If your Earth element is weak, Fire may be good to create more earth. If your wood element is too strong, Fire will be good to transform it, but if Wood is weak, added Fire will only consume it more. And if the Fire Element is already too strong in your chart, more of this energy will throw you out of balance. And of course, when a body is out of balance, all organs are affected.

Heart disease is when the muscles lose tone and strength. The chambers lose the ability to rhythmically expand and contract to move the blood. High blood pressure and blood clots can result. The heart is no longer able to properly create Earth, control Metal, and receive in a healthy way from the Wood element.

The Yang correspondence in the body to Fire is the Small Intestines. The small intestine creates the Fire needed to digest our food thus providing fuel for life. It also sorts through the food and digests what it can, and just as importantly, passes undigestible food along to be excreted by the Large Intestine or the Bladder. The health of the Small Intestine is directly related to the intellectual and emotional ability to make choices in life and let go of those things that we do not need and cannot benefit us. As a companion to the Heart, this is an important factor in creating order in our lives.

The Chinese Character for the heart is 心. It is translated as Mind or heart/mind. Order is the virtue associated with the Heart. This indicates the ancients knew what we as modern humans only recently discovered that our hearts function as much more to us than only a pump for the blood.  Just like a fire burns in an orderly way according to where its fuel lies, a healthy Fire element in the body leads to emotional stability for the individual and the ability to create order in one’s life. If Fire is unbalanced, it can lead to manic behavior or depression. The Heart is seen as the Emperor of all organs in the body, tasked with moving blood and lymph, but also supporting its ministers, the Lungs, Liver, Spleen/Pancreas, and Kidneys. An imbalance of any organ affects all other organs, but perhaps the strongest influence on the human being is the H,eart.

The Japanese discovered a condition they called “takosubo cardiomyopathy” or “broken heart syndrome.” It is a temporary heart condition that develops in response to an intense emotional or physical experience. They found that with severe shock, trauma, grief, sadness or prolonged stress the heart’s main pumping chamber changes shape, affecting its ability to pump blood effectively. Fortunately, this condition is reversible as the patient recovers from the severe emotional sock, with treatment, the heart reverts to its healthy shape and function. 

Summer months of May, June, and July are times of high Fire energy when we should guard against overheating and dehydration. 

Yin Wood corresponds to the Liver and Gallbladder. The unhealthy environment for the Wood this year should cause concern for the Wood organs in the body. Liver health can be protected by eating a variety of healthy foods, eating meats and fried food sparingly, avoiding heavy consumption of alcohol, drinking enough water, and getting regular exercise. The emotions of the Liver are anger, rage, frustration, and irritation. If you find yourself experiencing these emotions, you might examine your food and drink consumption to see if you can make healthy changes. The Virtue of the Liver is Compassion and you may turn to your spiritual practices to transmute your anger to compassion. 

EARTH CHANGES

The environmental issues this year may be quite drastic. As the earth and ocean waters heat up, the added energy of Fire could make the scenario more dire. Last year, we saw the heavenly and earthly elements collide as hurricane Helene wreaked unprecedented destruction in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. We saw Earth Dragon Earth element countered/controlled by Wood Heavenly element. This oppositional relationship was the setup for the catastrophic events of the hurricane in the Water Rooster month of September, on a Water Dragon day. 

This prediction is made more dramatic by the unhealthy circumstance of the Heavenly Stem of this year, Yin Wood. The Heavenly influence is an indication of the universal heavenly energy of the year. The Yin Wood, is on top of Fire, indicating it is being consumed. There is no water meaning Wood is not nourished, and there is hidden Metal in the Snake which conqures Wood, further weakening it.

The last few weeks of a year are said to be the “tail” of the year. So in the Tail of Yang Wood Dragon we experienced the unprecedented event of the California Fires in Fire Ox month on Wood Horse Day. Horse is a Yang Fire month. Dragon contains hidden Water which nourishes the Yang Wood Stem giving fuel to Fire energy.

In Tiger and Monkey month, we have a Fire Penalty with Snake. These months risk fire disasters. In the Yin Wood Snake of 1965, there were numerous mining accidents caused by explosions.

When Snake meets Pig month (day or hour) Fires and Water clash, so we may have more accidents in the air and at sea. 

POLITICS

Politics for the year may be interesting. The most prominent feature of the year may be the hidden Metal within Snake indicating a hidden danger in the form of assassination, coup d’etat, treachery, and betrayal. These activities are more likely than an unfettered war. While Wood feeds Fire, the weakened Wood indicates the relationship is not without tribulation. As we look at the ongoing conflicts particularly the Russia/Ukraine conflict as well as the Israel/Palestinian conflict, look for many twists and turns in the Snake year.  The optimism in the markets with the reentry of Fire can help abate any economic challenges.

There are some world leaders who have clashes with Snake, for either Year or Day pillar. These leaders include Zelensky, Kin Jong Un, Prince William, and Lai Ching Te, the leader of Taiwan. Whether these clashes affect their ability to govern will be seen. If they are making negotiations, it is advised they make their case for settlement in the month of Monkey when Monkey combines with Snake and thus reduces the clash.

MONEY AND COMMERCE

Metal, Water, and Fire

In Chinese metaphysics, we look to the Five Elements to determine which industries, jobs, and professions may thrive in a particular year. Since Fire is strong this year, we look to the Element that uses Fire as its wealth Element, because it can control it. Water controls Fire, so Water-related industries will prosper. Water, with its qualities of grace of movement, mobility, wisdom, and intelligence will easily use the Fire Energy. This will affect transportation industries, courier services, shipping and logistics, tourism, and journalism. Industries directly involving the water will be affected like breeding and selling fish, or filtering and supplying water whether it is for beverages, shipping, or treating sewage.

Fire is linked to space and flying objects, thus Snake will be a good year for Space exploration and perhaps new comets, planets, or even galaxies will be discovered.

The adage is “Fire melts Metal (or gold) into useful tools (or jewelry).” The Fire energy transforms metals into useful or beautiful items. The industries of Jeweler, Goldsmith, and Hardware can use this energy. Examples are the Automobile industry and Manufacturing. This includes activities that include firearms production to petrochemicals. Metal affects finance and the banking industry.

Because Fire represents hospitality, optimism, and happiness, service and hospitality fields, and mass media industries like advertising can benefit. Fire employs wind and air to exist so airlines can benefit. The quick, fast-spreading nature of Fire helps Technology (IT) and telecommunication. The overall happiness of a Fire year will hopefully bring renewed optimism about financial markets and investment in general. Because Snake is a traveling Star we may expect to see people travel more this year. This will most strongly benefit the South East areas of a country or area.

Wood

A very weak Wood appears in the Heavenly Stem of the year, and it’s not strong enough to really assist energies dependent on its properties. The strengths of the wood are its growth capabilities those engaged in consultancy and advisory services are influenced by these elements. Naturally, Wood corresponds to timber and logging business and products of plant fibers like fashion, and the clothing/fashion industry. Wood is Metal’s money element, thus Metal can’t rely on a boost from Wood, but due to the strong Fire element, Metal industries will find they are meeting customer’s needs in an exceptionally beneficial way. Wood’s money element is Earth. Of the 12 animals, 4 represent Earth, and the other elements have 2 each. so the Wood Element has a greater chance of encountering its money element.

Earth

Earth is considered a prosperous element in a Fire Branch because a warm earth is seen as productive. Fire creates earth. By contrast, a cold, damp, or dry earth will not be hospitable for its inhabitants.  Real estate, agricultural, and natural resource industries may benefit. Things made of earth will prosper such as Construction, building materials (Cement, bricks), and pottery. The Earth’s predominant quality is trustworthiness. Roles people trust might be Nurses, doctors, clergy, teachers, and other roles benefiting from the trust of their clients will benefit.

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