As we move gently through this seasonal shift, we wanted to share a few reflections that may resonate with how you are feeling both on and off the mat.
We have just experienced the first new moon of the lunar calendar (in Aquarius in the Western zodiac), alongside Chinese New Year. We are now in the Year of the Fire Horse and have also witnessed the first partial solar eclipse of the season. Ramadan and Lent are both beginning - all at the close of what felt like a particularly sheddy Wood Snake year.
Several rare celestial alignments have also been occurring recently, so if you are feeling slightly out of sorts, it is likely more than just the weather.
But do not worry. Perhaps this is a gentle nudge from the universe asking you to slow down - to rest, though not for too long.
I invite you to take a moment to acknowledge and honour all that has changed for you over the past year. Send it love and gratitude. It can be difficult to see things clearly when we are close to them; often, with time, the wider picture becomes far more apparent.
Now, let us speak about the Fire Horse year.
I have read a great deal about it online and, as a mini astrology enthusiast, found much of it conflicted with what I personally felt when tuning in. Much of the generic information circulating (which I suspect may well be AI-generated) describes a wild, untamed, galloping energy. Yet, in conversation with friends, what emerged instead was a feeling of slow and steady wins the race. We were not sensing chaos or recklessness, but something more grounded.
Here is my interpretation.
If the Snake year taught me anything, it is that all is not always as it seems, and that it is vital to slow down and consider oneself with intention - rather like the Irish saying and practice of "minding myself".
Firstly, I would encourage rest. We are still in winter; we are still integrating the year that has passed. Put your phone in a drawer. Daydream. Nap. Allow yourself small pockets of quiet each day, if you can.
When I think of horses, I think of Shire horses - powerful, strong, and heavy, yet moving with remarkable grace. They often stand in a league of their own in films and literature. There is dignity in their strength.
Combining these elements, we see a figure - perhaps you - stepping into their power. You know your path. You have made your choice. You are ready to move forward with intention. Perhaps you resonate instead with a more agile horse, clearing hurdles with confidence.
Either way, this year carries motivational firepower. However you choose to harness it, there is creativity and strength available to you, enough to fulfil your potential.
Spring is around the corner. Now is the time to call your energy back to yourself, to assess your reserves, and to lay the groundwork for a steady, victorious beginning.
To close, I would like to share three tarot cards that appeared in a recent personal reading.
- The first was The Hanged Man (XII) - a card representing surrender, perspective, and necessary sacrifice. It speaks of pausing, of understanding which shift in viewpoint is required before true forward movement can occur.
- The second was The Sun (XXI) - a card of vitality, success, abundance, and radiance. You have the strength required to realise your plans and achieve your goals, whatever form they take. Yet there is also wisdom in remembering that not all success must be dramatic. Sometimes simply standing in the sunlight and feeling its warmth is enough.
- The final card was the Four of Swords - a reminder of rest and restoration. However, it cautions against slipping back into old patterns of thinking that no longer serve you. Rest to regenerate, not to retreat. Pause, but do not remain asleep.
May this new chapter invite you to rest when needed, rise when ready, and trust the rhythm of your own becoming. However this season unfolds for you, may you move through it with steadiness, intention and the quiet strength we continue to cultivate together at New Energy Yoga.
