Year of the Water Snake

Image Source: Lena Sokol via Mystic Medusa.

Happy New Year to Chinese and other Asian readers who celebrate the Year of the Black Water Snake today and in coming days of the Spring Festival. Last year, Fukushima gave an object lesson during 2012's Water Dragon.

Chinese New Year greeting card by Alex Bernstein. Image Source: Behance.

Chinese Fortune Calendar states:

Chinese said the dragon fell down from the sky and then became a snake. Therefore, the snake is also called a little dragon. Just like the dragon, the snake doesn't like people seeing its body. So people think snake is sly, c[al]m, quiet, lonely and humble animal. Snake attacks other animal only when it's hungry. If we keep the distance from it, snake won't hurt people. Snake has the ability to swallow an animal bigger than its size. So we cannot underestimate snake's ambitious. Snake is a no-limb animal with fork-like tongue. Chinese treat that spitting tongue as a sign of argument. Actually, Snake uses its tongue to smell. But in the Chinese zodiac, the Snake implies the potential trouble of libel, dispute or slander, especially, when it meets Tiger or Monkey.

What is in store this year, according to lunar calendar astrologers? Among other things, they describe the trends in terms of predominance of five different elements (Wu Xing, (五行): wood, fire, earth, metal, water). From Chinese Fortune Calendar:

Chinese Astrology is a Balance Theory of Five Elements. Each animal can be converted into Five Elements. Snake contains mainly Fire. It also contains some Metal and Earth. Snake is in the Fire group. Water of 2013 and Fire of Snake are opposite elements. Therefore most of people will experience mix of good and bad fortune.

Water Snake is Fire under Water. Snake is a c[al]m, shy, cautious and low-key animal in Chinese Horoscope. Snake won't attack its opponent, unless it's disturbed or hungry. If Fire is not your favorite element, then you should keep a distance from Fire in 2013. Otherwise, if you fool with Fire, then you may get burn.

You can find your personal Chinese astrological birth chart and prediction for 2013 - here. You can see more general predictions, depending on your Chinese astrological sign, here, here and here. The main Chinese television broadcast devoted to this event is the CCTV New Year's Gala, see here.

McDonald's Year of the Snake promotional image by artist Jing Jing Tsong. Image Source: The i spot.

Image Source: Reuters via Asia One.

Image Source: The Star Online: Malaysia News.

Predictions from The Star Online:

THE new energies of the Year of the Water Snake slithered in at 12.15am on Feb 4, replacing the tumultous zeal of the Water Dragon.

Will the year be better? More importantly, are there wealth opportunities and will the tides of change bring about better developments?

Joey Yap, the founder, CEO and master trainer of the Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics says that globally, problems will not dissolve in 2013. In fact, it will be prolonged to 2014.

“When we look at the Bazi chart for the Water Snake year, the prominent elements this year are wood, metal and fire. There is especially a lot of wood, which is likened to a big tree.

“The wood is like a small knife. Hence the year is defined as a small knife cutting a big tree,” says Yap. ...

 

“In America, it has a debt problem. It is unable to settle this debt. The wood element is wealth. So the abundance of wood represents that it cannot control money. When wealth is too strong and the self is weak, this means you cannot control your wealth.
 

“So it is like a rich house with a poor person. That is the image of how America looks like. It is a rich country but the people are poor,” says Yap. ... So the United States will think it is recovering, but later on discover that the small knife cannot cut a big tree, so this illusion of a recovery disperses. Hence they become disillusioned,” feels Yap.
 

In the United States, it is an issue of people losing confidence in their politicians. They do not see light at the end of the tunnel.
 

Hoo also feels that America will not see much progress. ...

 

As the opposite of the West is the East, the opposite of the United States is China. When the United States is not doing well, China will do well.
 

In China, there is Star 3, which represents growth. The problem with Star 3 is that it is a Fighting Star. There is fight for power.
 

The problem in China is about who is in control. There is a lot of corruption. Star 3 is also a star of corruption.
 

There will be a lot of scandals, with people in power losing their grip, parties being divided two to three-folds,” says Yap. ...

 

Now, in the middle of China and the United States is the Middle East and Europe. This area is governed by Star 5. Star 5 is a star of change and renewal. Picture the entrance of a new king.
 

Yap foresees Europe continuing to remain on a standstill with no improvement. Everyone continues to look inward.
 

“Hence wars in the Middle East get worse. There will also be a dose of natural disasters. People will be divided. This poison will spread to Europe, and hence there will be change.”
 

“Germany has been the one which has been in power, but it is now losing its grip. It will affect its stability. The 5 Yellow star is present in the entire eurozone area. This star does not represent growth. He says Germany is focusing very much on its internal issues. Correcting its own scandals, throwing out the rubbish. “They are looking inward this year.”
 

Meanwhile, in France, it is governed by the Horse animal sign. “This year, the Horse has nobility stars. Thus despite all its issues, it will get its act together. The tides turn to its favour.

Image Source: Lunar New Year.

 

Image Source: How to Build a House Blog.