Today, January 31st of 2014 begins the Year of the Wood Horse in the Chinese
calendar as part of the sexagenary cycle of sixty 2-character terms. Each term
consists of a “Heavenly stem” character and an “Earthly-branch” character;
these combine to generate 60 unique terms that then repeat; in this case every
60 years. This means that the Year of the Wood Horse will only occur every 60
years. I was born 60 years ago, so this is very much my year!
The Horse (馬 午)
In
Chinese culture, the Horse
symbolizes nobility, class, speed and perseverance.
The magical horse is heroic, strong and can fly. Think
Pegasus, Tianma, Sleipnir, Epona’s horses, the Hippocamp, the white horse of
Rhiannon, the unicorn, the dragon-horse of Xuanzang, the kelpie, and the bailongma. The white celestial cloud horse, sacred to the
Chinese Goddess Kwan Yin—goddess of compassion—flies in the heavens and brings
peace and blessings. The horse is linked to Varuna and equated to the cosmos.
The white horse is also believed to be the last incarnation of Vishnu. Buddha
is said to have left this physical plane riding a white horse.
Horses love to run, or fly in the case of mythic horses.
They love freedom. They’re sexy, elegant and beautiful and embody the qualities
of power, grace, nobility, strength, victory and freedom. In Native American
lore, the horse symbol combines the grounded power of the earth with the
whispers of wisdom found in the spirit wind. The Celts considered the horse
noble, embodying qualities of stability, honor, trust, intelligence and
strength. The horse was considered a vehicle and guide for transcendence, able
to invoke courage and determination. The Celtic Ogham equates the horse with
the Oak tree (a strong, stable life-affirming symbol, recognized for its
tendency to attract lightning, symbolic of divine light and spiritual rebirth).
Some metaphysical writings describe the Horse as a “triangle” or “trinity” of hypostases: 1) bearing the
gift of presence, elegance, and journey; 2) offering the energy of freedom,
nomadic spirit, and endurance; and 3) holding the magic of telepathy and spirit
messenger.
The Wood Horse (木馬 午)
2014 isn’t just the year of the Horse; it is the year of the
Wood Horse, also called the Green Horse (wood being related to a
growing tree and the color of young growth). The wood element is associated
with spring, growth and vitality.
Wood represents
the first phase of Wu Xing, an
ancient mnemonic for systems with five stages or movements, used to explain a
diversity of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between internal
organs and from the succession of political regimes to the properties of
medicines. The five elements include wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
As one of the generative cyclical engendering five elements,
wood feeds fire; fire creates Earth (ash); Earth bears metal; metal enriches
water (e.g., water with minerals is more beneficial to the body than pure
water); and water nourishes wood.
Wood is yang in
character and associated with the planet Jupiter (and Zeus, the god of thunder
and lightning), the color blue, green, wind. It is also associated with the
Azure Dragon (Qing Long) of the east, one of the four mythological creatures of
the Chinese constellations. The Azure Dragon is represented in the Kiyomizu
Temple in eastern Kyoto Japan, where I visited in Spring 2013.
In Chinese
Taoist thought, Wood is characterized by strength and flexibility (think
bamboo and willow). Wood reflects qualities of warmth, generosity, co-operation
and idealism. Wood heralds the beginning of life and embraces springtime and
buds, sensuality and fecundity. Wood needs moisture to thrive. Wood, in turn,
feeds fire. Wood burns. A Wood person is considered expansive, outgoing and
socially conscious.
The wooden
horse is a potent symbol. Perhaps the best known wooden horse is the Trojan
Horse, used by the Greeks in the Trojan war to gain entry into Troy and destroy
the city. As told in the Latin epic poem The
Aeneid by Virgil: after a 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge
wooden horse—the emblem of Troy—and hid soldiers inside then pretended to
leave. The horse was apparently left as a peace offering to the Trojans and to
the goddess Athena to ensure safe passage home. Despite the priest Loacoon’s
warning—“Don’t trust the horse! I fear Greeks, even those bearing gifts”—the
Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the
elite force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the
army, which had hidden under cover of night. The Greeks won the conflict as a
result of this brilliant subterfuge. This is why malicious computer programs
that trick users into running them as useful or interesting are called Trojan
Horses.
Today, the
Trojan Horse that stands in front of ancient Troy (Truva) symbolizes vigilant
peace and freedom. It is a daily reminder to thousands of tourists of the power
of deception in the guise of candy-coated “truths”. The ancient Greeks cleverly
subverted a noble symbol of honor, grace and power through crafty deception.
The noble Wooden Horse, like any symbol, is only as good as those who embrace
its original truths and noble meanings. Think swastika, the pentagram, the
cross.
Were you born in the
year of the horse?
Horse years include: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954,
1942, 1930, 1918, and 1906. Horse people are bright, cheerful, popular and fun
loving (big giant grin). People
born in the Year of the Horse are smart fabulous speakers who have a gift for
getting through to other people. They find people and crowds exciting
and love parties. Hehe… Horse’s childish innocence, sunny disposition, and
natural charm attract many friends. HAR! I'm loving this...The horse is a very intuitive animal;
horse-people follow their hunches. Luckily our keen judgment and natural
intuition help us make the right decisions with those crazy hunches.
Rules constrain the proud horse that needs freedom to run.
Horse people are quick-witted and right there with you before you’ve had a chance
to finish what you’re saying. Horses are elegant, beautiful and highly
intuitive animals. Horse people are frank and will tell you exactly what is on
their mind; they dislike hidden agendas.
The horse is complex and paradoxical: considered proud yet
sweet-natured, arrogant yet oddly modest in their approach to love, envious but
tolerant, conceited yet humble. They want to belong, yet they need to be
independent. They crave intimacy, yet refuse to be corralled or tamed. One
astrologer tells us that “The Horse
will give up everything for love.”
According to astrologists, if you were born in 1954 (like
me) or your child will be born in 2014, the influence of Wood Element provides the
Wood Horse with more patience and creativity than the other Horse signs. While
other members of the Horse sign are burdened with indecisiveness, the Wood
Horse can pick a direction in life and work towards a clear goal. The Wood
Horse takes this determination into her personal relationships, to which she is
heavily committed. With gifts of understanding and a calm demeanor, the Wood
Horse is very successful in cooperative social situations.
The Wood Horse remains adventurous and isn’t afraid to
commit fully to the unknown.
What does it all mean
for You and Me?...
OK. So, what does all of this have to do with you, 2014 and the
Year of the Horse? Why, nothing… Perhaps everything.
I expect no middle ground. It’s a year of extremes, strong
fluctuations, general chaos and great opportunity. A time of fast victories and
unexpected adventure. A year to travel, especially off the beaten path. A year
to connect with Nature and embrace Gaia’s radiant energy. Decisive action, not
procrastination, brings victory. But you have to act fast to catch up with this
horse.
I was born in the year of a Wood Horse. The colour associated with the Wood element is green,
one
of my two favorite colours. It is associated with Spring, when I was born.
Spring represents new growth and beginnings; I feel it in the air in my new
career teaching at university and college and other pursuits and developments
currently in my life. Wood is nourished by water; since I was a child I have
been attracted to water. I started a book about water last year (the year of
the water snake). It is half-written and I will finish it—and get it
published—this year. I’m turning 60 this April, another fire month known for
impulse, high energy, leadership and spirit. These traits are so close to Horse
traits, it makes me dizzy with excitement.
Horse energy is pure unbridled spirit. Playful, wild, and
independent. Horse has a refined instinct
that flows through action and movement. Leap. Fly. Follow your instincts. Chase
your dream. Catch it by the tail. Finish that novel. Send it off. Present that
proposal. Go to that convention. Meet that publisher or agent. Assert your
honesty and openness. The horse demands it.
I wish you an exciting and wonderful 2014!
Nina Munteanu is an
ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and
essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the
University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.
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