Chinese New Year 2021 occurs on Friday, February 12 and it is the Year of the Silver Ox. In ancient Taoist astrology every year is not only assigned an animal to represent its energy and potentiality, it corresponds to one of the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and to a color.
Ox is considered to be a yin year. Yin can be described as more receptive, inward, introspective, and mysterious.
The color of the animal will always be either a yin or a yang aspect/hue of the element’s color which is associated with the year (according to TCM). For example, Metal’s color is white, however white’s yin aspect is silver with its yang aspect remaining white. To clarify this understanding of color yin and yang in TCM, let’s take Earth as another example. Earth’s color is yellow, therefore its yang aspect is yellow and its yin aspect is gold.
Metal element years end in zero and one. Silver years end in the number one, therefore 2021 lends its color, silver, to the Ox and it is a Metal year.
Many centuries ago, humankind’s relationship with animals was necessary for survival. Animals became domesticated and the Taoist priests took note of their qualities and characteristics.
Ox is blessed by the compassionate Chinese goddess Kwan Yin because of Ox’s gentle nature. The ancient Taoists harnessed the ox for their labor but never milked the Ox since they held great respect and honor for this hard-working, robust animal.
Through the Taoists priests’ careful observation of particular animals combined with astute astrological observations they developed a system in which they assigned every one of 12 animals chosen to each year in a 12-year cycle. They also concluded that various human physical and temperamental attributes matched with particular years in this 12-year cycle.
Ox represents the beginning stages of a plant’s growth, the seed’s struggle to break out of confinement and sprout. Ox’s qualities are steadiness, determination, perseverance, discipline, hard work, valuing family and accomplishing for the common good.
Ox symbolizes the yin attributes of contemplativeness and wisdom in the Taoist tradition.
If you were born in the year of the Ox and are more specifically a Silver yin Ox, you should know that balanced silver Ox is fair and patient. You’ll want to aim to be less opiniated, to accept change, and become practiced at releasing the past. Construction emotional expression will be key for you.
The year of the Ox means it’s time for real diligence as we go about our work, service and daily lives. Ox indicates that it is through our steadfast diligence in these things this year that we will achieve success.
While world events invite, even beg for change, the year of the Ox opens the window now for the global transformation we desire. But first we must pave the way for that transformation on a microcosmic level–in our own homes and in our individual lives. This year is not a time to be lazy or to procrastinate with the simple things we know we should be doing such as creating structure in our lives with a routine we’ll actually enjoy.
Perhaps we can look back to see what we may have done in the past that worked in our lives and which somehow we lost sight of and then reincorporate those practices into our daily living.
The Year of the Silver Ox is a time to get well grounded in structure so that next year, the Year of the Tiger, we’ll be well poised for what is new and perhaps more “leading edge.”
If you feel to create new projects, Ox would indicate that you carefully think them through and plan them out well. Set your goals and don’t relent until you achieve them. The persevering energy of Ox will assist you.
When we create this well rounded structure in our lives, it leads us to realize Metal’s balanced attribute of knowing that all is well indeed.
This Year of the Silver Ox is a time to realize high morals and standards for ourselves and a time to increase our individual honesty and integrity.
Though there will always be uncertainty, tap into Ox’s energy and know that rewards always come as a result of steadfast effort. Try not to feel frustrated when things seem to take a long time to realize.
Considering the tumultuous and often confusing current events and upheaval of the world and especially the U. S., is it any wonder that this year is the year of the Silver Ox? We think not. There really is no such thing as coincidence. Take the Silver Ox’s pointers deep into your life and living and see if it can’t guide you successfully through 2021 every step of the way.
Each one of us contributes to the whole therefore may the energy of Silver Ox guide us well through 2021 and lead us out of this epoch in time into a new and brighter future.
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Endnotes:
Levitt, Susan, and Jean Tang. Taoist Astrology: a Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. Destiny Books, 1997.
Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash