2014 Lunar New Year – Year of the Horse

The Lunar New Year is the most important festival of the year in many Asian countries.
This year of the Horse began Friday, January 31, 2014.
The Chinese Years of the Horse are 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 and 2026.

HORSES IN HISTORY
For most of mankind’s history, the horse has provided transportation of people and commerce for thousands of years. Even today in various parts of the world, the horse remains a major mode of transportation. This was especially true of the horse in China. Some of the most famous sculptures and paintings of horses in the history of art in the world, are from China.

The Chinese people love the horse for its friendly nature, its strength, its beauty, and its ability to undergo hardship. In Chinese martial arts, one of the first types of training that the student undergoes, is maintaining the “ma bu” (ma is the Chinese word for horse, and bu means step or stance) or horse stance for long periods of time. This stance has the feet wide spread apart, as if riding a large, wide girthed horse. The reason for this is to strengthen the legs and to maintain a strongly balanced posture.

Some beliefs Buddha is said to have left this physical plane riding a white horse. Also in Buddhism a winged horse is often depicted carrying the Book of Law.

The Year of the Horse

The Direction of the Horse is South. The color is orange.
The time of the Horse is from 11 am to 1:00 pm.

The Chinese Year of the Horse comes galloping into our lives. Our new steed last arrived on the 31st of January 2014. The element associated with this year is wood, so it is a Wood Horse as well.

In Chinese Five Element theory, Horse is in the Fire group. Horse month is in the middle of summer. Horse is the strongest Fire animal in 12 zodiacs. 2014 is year of Wooden Horse. Wood can help Fire to burn. So Fire can last longer. When Horse meets Tiger and Dog, then they will form even stronger Fire. Too much Fire implies the hot temper and no patient. If the element of Fire is favorable to the person, then the person should have a good fortune in 2014. If Fire is unfavorable to the person, then 2014 will bring big trouble to the person.

Another interesting thing is that the month usually associated with the Horse is the month of July. Our current president, George W. Bush, was born on July 6, 1946. He was born in the year of the Dog, and dogs, usually are very compatible (astrologically speaking) with the Horse. Thus, I interpret this as portending that the month of July, 2002, has a strong tendency to bring either something very good politically , or something very tragic for the presidency.
It is interesting that the Year of the Horse follows the Year of the Snake, two animals which, in the real world, do not get along too well. Horses are very easily frightened by snakes and the real world has many examples of riders being injured after being thrown by a horse spooked by a serpent. This juxtaposition of the two animals leaves an uneasy transition around January 30th, the last day of the Year of the Snake. Horses tend to be showy creatures and very much the exhibitionist, the extrovert.
The year following this, will be the Year of the Goat, a generally very introspective animal. Thus, we can expect 2014 to start out with some tension, some possibility of danger around mid February. We believe that in July, we can expect something to happen on one of the two extremes — either something very good or very bad — probably in the first half of the month. This will be almost at mid-year in the Chinese calendar. We can expect another event around the first two weeks of December in 2002. But, with the unpredictability of the equine nature, these dates could shift a week or so either way.

Characteristics of the Horse

Cheerful, popular and quick-witted, hot-tempered and headstrong at times
The unpredictable horse can fall in and out of love easily
Warmly appealing, has a love of sports, outdoor activities and animals
Natives of this sign are often called playboys or playgirls
Skillful in business as in love
Can be impulsive and stubborn. known for an explosive nature
The intelligent horse is performance and success oriented
Quick to build up speed and quick o lose interest

People born during the Year of the Horse are usually friendly, easy going, have a lot of friends, cheerful, likeable, and hard working. The Horse is about moving, and thus people born under this sign may tend toward the world of politics. Furthermore, Horse folks are good with money and can make quick, correct decisions often based on their intuition and the hunches they get. This sixth sense ability to think on their feet, serves them well if they do decide to get into politics at any level.

Something that does not come in handy is the fact that people born in the Year of the Horse can have rapid mood changes and can show a flaring temper, and when they do, can seem to be quite the “horse’s rear”. But, these events can sometimes be soothed over by their sense of levity. People born in the Year of the Horse have a good sense of humor, and rhyming with a horse’s whinny, is their sense of whimsy.

Early in life, people born in the Year of the Horse, often feel the need to exert their independence and may leave home early, striking out on their own. Their first twenty to thirty years of life can be quite tumultuous, but things tend to settle down for them after that. Horse people love children, they are drawn to the Arts, both performing arts and graphic arts.

Combined with their immense store of energy and vitality, the person born in the Horse year, is all in all, a very attractive person. But there is also the potential for much discord, especially in the younger Horse’s life.

Although they have great passion, they also tend to get bored easily with people and situations. Another negative side to Horse natives is that they tend to lose the overall picture of situations and can be easily distracted or sidetracked by little, rather insignificant things. Although Horses are hard working animals, this tendency toward distraction and loss of concentration means that they need some sort of structure that will keep them on track if they are working on long term projects which may have implications or effects on a large scale. Pictures showing a horse rearing on a hill with their mane flowing in the wind and hooves raised defiantly, definitely capture the spirit of the Horse.

Horse Relationships
Horses, being spontaneous, have a tendency to fall fast and hard for others. They tend to give themselves fully in each new relationship a quality that ends up chipping away at their inner being. Fortunately, this exhausting trait mellows with age and relationships are stronger and more stable later in life.

Compatibility with other Signs
The Horse is most compatible with folks born in the Years of the Ram, the Tiger, or the Dog. The next most acceptable combination is with people who are Roosters, Monkeys, or Boars. The one combination to avoid for sure though is the Horse with the Rat. Birth years of the Rat include 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, and 1996, 2008. Birth years for those born under the Year of the Horse include 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014.

Horses and the 5 Elements
* Metal Horse – Years 1930 and 1990
Free-spirited in every sense of the word, commitment is the easiest way to scare Metal Horses away. They prefer jumping from one relationship or job to the next. Because of this, Metal Horses make better friends than partners.
* Water Horses – Years 1942 and 2002
Adaptable yet indecisive, Water Horses have a tendency to flow like the current. They have trouble making up their minds and as a result, they always seem to be confusing others. And although this behavior can be frustrating, Water Horses are fun to be around so most people just get used to it.
* Wood Horses – Years 1954 and 2014
Stable and strong, Wood Horses are better able to make decisions. They interact well with others; a trait that enables them to have more successful personal and professional relationships.
* Fire Horses – Years 1906 and 1966
The fire is always burning inside Fire Horses. They love living on the edge and are always ready for change as change always is more interesting. They are incredibly opinionated and one place you will never find Fire Horses is standing on the fence.
* Earth Horses – Years 1918 and 1978
Earth Horses will work to meet their goals, no matter how long it takes. They have the ability to view situations from all perspectives and this ability is especially useful when it comes to making decisions. They are very adaptable and they are funny too.

Health
Horse people should have stronger body and mind than the previous year. If they have slight illness, they should be able to recover quickly, as long as they have enough sleep and rest. But Horse people in the Horse year usually do not have a long-lasting good mood, which could impact their health. So do not forget to do the annual physical examination. A caution star arrives to Horse people in 2014 so they have better drive very carefully on the road and try to avoid dangerous sports.

Career
While this promises to be a good year for you, it is important for your sign in 2014 to know when to restrain your competitive spirit. Horses enjoy positions in which they can interact with others. They aren’t fond of taking orders and they will run from jobs they consider routine. They are able to grasp new subjects with ease making them capable of handling most any job. They are effective communicators and they enjoy power. Good career choices for Horses include publicist, sales representative, journalist, language instructor, translator, bartender, performer, tour operator, librarian or pilot.

In Closing
The year of the Horse promises to be a year of ups and downs, as we ride the back of the galloping horse. 2014 is predicted to be a relatively good year for Horse people, but it is highly advised to practice being quiet and patient. There is potentially some challenging energy that can negatively affect your work life.

It is hoped that the vitality, the charm, and humor of the horse, along with its spirit of hard work, will help us to stay the course and triumphant over the adversities and challenges of this coming year. One thing we know, horses have good stamina and are great at jumping the hurdles which are placed in their path.

Gong Hay Fot Choy (greetings of riches for the Chinese New Year)!
Choc Mung Nam Moi (Happy New Year in Vietnamese)!