Dawn on The Year of the Yin Wood Snake

January 29th, 2025 is the beginning of the lunar new year and we are moving into the year of the Yin Wood Snake zodiac sign. This is an energy that will affect all of us, no matter what zodiac sign we are. I, myself, am a snake and I am excited to tell you all about what this means for the upcoming months.

When looking at the snake as an animal, we see that it is a reptile who has no legs. The lack of legs causes the snake to move from side to side but it is still moving forwards. Because they travel so close to the earth, snakes are able to detect subtle movements in the vibration giving them a grounded and analytical nature. When the time is right, they shed their skin which makes us think about letting go and of growth, a very transformative animal. As cold-blooded reptiles, they spend most of their days resting and basking in the sun, conserving their energy until they are ready to strike.

The element of Wood is one of growth. In the Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) model I have learned, we were taught to think of bamboo. Bamboo is strong, yet flexible. It is prolific and sends runners underground and can pop up seemingly far from the mother plant. Wood, trees, and plants grow upwards, they have deep roots in the ground to support this upward movement towards the sun and sky, being the mediary between the two, just as humans are. In TCM, humans are the channel between the earth and the divine.

Where Yang is the ethereal thoughts, the invisible movement that sparks life, Yin is the solids of life-the blood, the fluids, the flesh. Yin is the surrender, the receptive, going with the flow of life. Yin cools us down. It is the softness. It is the darkness of night. Yin relates to the moon and our intuition.

So what does this all mean for 2025? Get ready to transform and shed your old skin! Whether this be the habits, people or situations that are holding you back to being who you are evolving into. You cannot force this process, it will happen when your timing is right so be sure to make time to listen to the inner voice of intuition of when this shedding is happening. When you feel friction, that is a good time to slow down and pause. Conserve your energy for the activities that move you forwards to your goals. This is a Yin year, which means things will move more slowly, move slowly with it. Be flexible like bamboo and open to pivot in your life, remember the snake moves from side to side but is always moving forwards.

Acupuncture is a great way to rest and build up your energy reserves! The Oakland Acupuncture Project will be here for you in this Yin Wood Snake year whenever you find yourself feeling stuck, needing to recharge your batteries or in the midst of transformation. Gung Hay Fat Choy-Wishing you prosperity!

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