The year we will all be fully awake!
This new year begins on January 22nd and the rabbit will fully emerge on February 4th.
The energetics of the year in Chinese cosmology consists of three main aspects that combines one of the twelve zodiac animals, one of the five-elements, and either yin or yang.
2022 was a year of the Yang Water Tiger which brought many extreme ups and downs, sudden and rapid changes. Riding a Tiger is not an easy task and Yang Water can be aggressive, all consuming, destructive, and hard to control. The war in Ukraine, inflation, extreme weather conditions and political unrests worldwide. Many of us experienced emotional roller coasters and challenges on a social and personal levels as we emerged from isolation and started socialising again.
The Year of the Yin Water Rabbit brings an energetic shift and a new ability to focus on individual responsibilities, healing and expansion. Rabbit is seen as the most positive sign of the Chinese zodiac and is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity. It said that Rabbit years bring lucky breaks, money, success, fertility, new partnerships and lovers. Likewise, Yin Water is more calm, deep and brings stillness and wisdom.
We can also look back at year 1963 and see what last Water Rabbit year was like to imagine what 2023 could bring about. 1963. In 1963, first female cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova went into space, 250,000 people marched for civil rights in the US, JFK was assassinated, Martin Luther King gave his famous speech and most commonly prescribed drug of all time Valium was introduced.
Energetics of the Rabbit:
Rabbit represents the month of March, springtime and the hours between 5am to 7am. It is during the spring when these animals emerge from their burrows, wiggle their tails ready to explore the green grass and the warm spring air. They are fully awake and ready for foraging. Thus Rabbit is associated with the wood element, the colour green, and the cardinal direction of East. Rabbits are gentle, but can ran fast and are good at manoeuvring around any obstacles. Yet, they are not a fighters or risk-takers. They know when to retreat and when to rest. Thus, the year of the Rabbit supports strategic thinking, putting a plan into action and dong it all with cautious and gentle care.
Energetics of Water:
Water is associated with the colour black and emotion of fear. The nature of expanding energy of water is to flow, provide endurance and support changes. Water is associated with mystical energy, subconscious mind and heightened emotions. This will be a second year of the Water element indicating that emotions still might be heightened and surges of fear can create inaction. In five element cycle the Water is the mother of Wood. As Rabbit belongs to the Wood family and Water feeds Wood energy, the Wood energy will likely be strongly felt this year. The emotion of Wood is anger and irritability thus bursts of these can be expected. Learn how to manage your emotions and be gentle like a Rabbit to overcome both the anger and fear. Seek grounding energy of Earth element (controlling element of Water) by practicing deep breathing, with your feet firmly on a ground, inhaling/exhaling the energy of the Mother Earth through the soles of your feet.
Energetics of Yin:
Yin is also a colour of black. It associated with nighttime, moon, female, calm, deep, cold in internal. Yin means resting and retreating. Do find time for these this year! Yin also represents Mother Earth thus feelings of safety, being held, and nurtured, will bring the inner peace and stillness. In contrast to the 2022, which was a Yang year, these Yin aspects will help to balance the active Wood element and harmonize the energy this year. Yin Water is the most Yin, thus it will bring us deep into ourselves as well as provide strong spiritual connection to the wisdom and the universe. Yin Water is gentle, calm and soft helping us quite the mind, go within and show compassion to others.
Health:
Overall the rabbit represents strong life energy, expansion of self and fertility. As already mentioned, the energy of Wood and Water will dominate the year. The Wood is associated with Liver organ energy and Water with Kidney energy. Rabbit also symbolizes the time between 5am to 7am, which is a time of Large Intestine and Metal element. As there is somewhat a lack of Metal this year we should nurture this time and use it wisely. Metal is much about knowing one’s limits, sustain ones boarders and space, while Large Intestine is about our ability let go, both literarily and metaphorically. These early morning hours are great time for breathing exercises to help us build a vital energy for the day and an opportunity to cultivate the Metal element which is needed to control the overriding Wood energy.
Most commonly the overactive Wood would manifest as frustrations, anger and irritability, emotions that can often overwhelm our digestion system. Thus the need to take care of not overdoing, overeating or drinking too much is greater than ever this year and a way to prevent issues such as constipation, food cravings, and stomach / digestion problems.
To support the digestion increase consumption of steamed greens like kale and spinach. Introduce more sour and fermented foods. To facilitates healthy liver and digestive functions add tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to warm water and drink it first thing in the morning. For meat eaters, consider eating more pork and mutton and make broth from liver, kidneys, and tendons.
As this year is Yin Water, our kidneys need extra rest. Rejuvenate your energy through napping and getting eight hours of sleep to avoid low back pain, difficulty with mobility – especially walking – blood problems, oedema, poor memory, decreased libido, and infertility. 2023 is all about seeking balance between action and relaxation or rest. Swimming is a great activity this year as it is both active (Wood) and relaxing (Yin) pursuit in calm Water. Slow down, rest deeply, and practice meditation which is supported the nature of Yin energy. Kidney beans and seaweeds are great to support Kidney energy.
Overall, the Yin Water Rabbit assists us with the ability to learn how to harmonize our energy or Qi and solidify our drive for navigating the forward momentum of the upcoming several years, that will culminate in 2026, the year of the Fire Horse. Now is a time for healing, to turn inward, rediscover our strengths, and to cultivate compassion to others.
And finally, ‘what type of math are Rabbits good at? – Multiplication!’. Rabbits are seen as symbols of fertility. If you do think about having children this would be a great year to do so! Wherever you are on your fertility journey the year of the Rabbit will bring much energy to all things related to fertility.