Chinese New Year, the Year of the Earth Pig
Today we welcome the year of the Earth Pig!
Chinese New Year:
The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is one of the most important holidays in Chinese tradition. The exact date is determined by the lunar cycle. Usually, it falls between the days of the second new moon and the winter solstice, the 21 January and 21 February. In 2019 this is today, the 5th of February.
2019 in the Year of the Earth Pig:
2019 is under the sign of the Earth Pig. As the last of the twelve animals in the chinese horoscope, it completes a full cycle of the 12 zodiac signs, before a new one starts again with the rat. This presents itself as a great opportunity to look back over the last twelve years of your life. You can take this as a chance to learn from mistakes and declutter your life for the upcoming cycle. Where do you see yourself in 12 years? Even if it seems like a Mission Impossible, take a first step towards realizing your dreams. A wise man once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step" - Laotse. The pig is in a symbol of luck and fortune, the best conditions for a nourished and safe journey.
Further years in the zodiac sign of the pig: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031.
The year of the Earth Pig promises to be a light and relaxed year. After we had to work hard for success in the year of the dog (2018), we now will be able to benefit from the fruits of this hard labor. The earth under the Yin aspect is presenting us with wealth and happiness. Benevolence, motivation, gratitude and awareness in dealing with the abundance given to us will be rewarded this year.
The Chinese zodiac signs and their folklore:
Each year is dedicated to another animal of the vhinese horoscope / zodiac. A complete cycle of zodiac signs lasts 12 years. There are 12 animals in the chinese horoscope:
Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig
There are different stories about the order of the animals in the chinese horoscope. Here is one of the most known tales:
"The Jade Emperor had the idea to designate the calendar symbols to animals. To create an order, he invited all the animals to a celebration at the Jade Palace. The idea was that those animals arriving first should be chosen in order for the chinese calendar.
On his way to the Palace, the rat encountered a river he needed to cross to get to the Jade Emperor. Smart, as he is, he asked the ox for help. The ox agreed to carry him over. The ox should have been the first animal arriving, but at the last moment the rat jumped off the ox's back and secured the first spot for himself. Behind the ox, the tiger reached the celebration in third place because his wet fur had slowed him down. He was followed by the fourth animal, the rabbit. He was crossing the river by hopping from one stone to the other, but unfortunately, he slipped and fell into the water. He was lucky then behind him arrived the dragon which blew the rabbit out of the water onto the land. The dragon only reached fifth place, because he was helping out in a neighboring village at a competition. The horse galloped just behind the dragon, but a snake frightened him. The snake took advantage of this opportunity and quickly slithered onto land and thus took the sixth place. After the horse, the goat, the monkey, and the rooster arrived at the Jade Palace. They helped each other to get there on a floating tree trunk. The dog arrived in eleventh and second last place because he wanted to take a bath in the river. The pig reached the celebration as the last animal because on the way he stopped to eat and take a nap. "- Chinese folklore
I wish you all an enjoyable year of the Earth Pig and I look forward to another exciting time for the TCM practice Dörflinger.
Take care, Petra
