The Year of the Dog

Happy Lunar New Year. It is the Chinese New Year and we are going from the year of the Rooster into the year of the Dog. This is the 11th animal in the animal cycle. In Chinese astrology, there are 12 animals in the cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Are you the year of the Dog? In just thinking about dogs, in general, they are man’s best friend, loyal, honest, good-natured and give unconditional love. I will admit that I am a dog person, enjoying their company. One thing that I think of is service dogs how helpful they are to their owners. That they help in reassuring their master to keep moving forward even if they don’t want to. A woman that I look up to was born the year of the Dog, while I was born the year of the Rooster. She is brilliant, kind, and has a great nature. I hope that you have someone in your life that is born the year of the Dog.

There are many books and websites, that you can look at to find out what animal cycle year you were born in. Just like western astrology sun signs, there is a lot of information that you can get that is more than just about your year. It can be broken down by month, day, and hour as well. It depends on how deep into this you would like to go, as with all kinds of information out there. I will not be going into any detail on people born under this year or any other.

Also as in western astrology, there are elements connected to each of the animal cycles. They have wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. So this year is not just the year of the Dog it’s actually the year of the Earth Dog. Again there is a lot more to information out there and you can do research for more information. Just a heads up there is a lot of information out there and trying to figure out what is real versus what is made up can be very difficult. So remember to take it with a grain of salt.

Now let us look at what they say about the year of the Dog in general for us all. Below is a look at the year of the Dog from The Art and Practice of Chinese Astrology Ming Shu by Derek Walters.

“This year - presents an inauspicious time for nations to consider attacking enemy territory, as resistance will be vigorous. The Dog, remember, is a sign of defense and protection. On the other hand, it is a favorable time to review and improve defense systems. At this time, governments would also wisely decide to increase the extent and powers of civil police to protect public order.
In business, the areas most likely to be profitable are those concerned with property and real estate, and preferably housing. Security services and those providing defense equipment are also in a favorable position.
In financial matters, it is particularly worthwhile checking securities and investments to see whether these need revising in the light of any recent market trends. The Dog is situated exactly opposite the Dragon in the astrological chart, which indicates unfortunate portents for speculation or high-risk ventures.
On a more domestic scale, it is a time to examine houses and buildings and to see whether these afford adequate protection - not only against intruders but against inclement weather, too.
This is generally a favorable year for those concerned about their health, as the Dog symbolizes inner-strength and fortitude.
For those with marriage in mind, now is an ideal time to settle down with one’s partner. The Dog is the symbol of faithfulness and devotion; and the Chinese believe that marriages contracted this year will be happy and fortunate.”

With that information it makes me think about my own changes that I am moving to accomplish this year. I hope to speak at least at one convention, finish editing a book, make a passive income on Steemit, and write another book. To move forward I think I’m going to need to get my house in order and that includes my computer which seems to not like me on most days. Protection also seems like a big deal that comes across and not only for the individual but the community as a whole.

The Chinese New Year is the largest human migration in all of Asia. That means that it is the time of year when everyone travels. Its a great time of celebration both with family and friends. To put it in perspective the entire USA would be traveling at this time to equal out how much travel that is going on this time of year. For those of us in the USA the closest thing that we have is traveling around Thanksgiving.

This is a great time of celebration for everyone in the lunar new year. Many people around the world celebrate this event. There are times throughout our lives that we should take a moment. People in the USA and other westernized areas usually celebrate like this during the solar new year. It can be a time to reevaluate our resolutions. Take a look at where you are going and what it is that you had wished to accomplish. If things are still where you wish they had been kept it up, otherwise change tactics.

I wish you all a very happy new year of the Dog, with good fortune and great joy.

Helpful Websites:

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/
http://www.feng-shui-institute.org/Chinese_Astrology/free4pillars.html
http://www.psychicscience.org/pillars.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac

Helpful Books:
The Art and Practice of Chinese Astrology Ming Shu by Derek Walters
The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes by Theodora Lau & Laura Lau
The New Astrology: A Unique Synthesis of the World's Two Great Astrological Systems: The Chinese and Western by Suzanne White
The Chinese Astrology Bible by Derek Walters

(All the images are from https://pixabay.com)