Published by ETC Publishing
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Copyright (c) 2011 ETC Publishing
ETC Publishing House.
Ebook ISBN: 978-1930038-41-7
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Cover design by Gary Dunham and Donna Stellhorn
Concepts presented in this book derive from traditional Chinese, European, and American metaphysical and folk lore. They are not to be understood as directions, recommendations or prescriptions of any kind. Nor does the author or publisher make any claim to do more than provide information and report this lore.
Table of Contents
Friendship and Love in the Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac Signs and Compatibility
Now that we have spent a year following The White Rabbit through the maze of 2011, we find ourselves face to face with a giant black, Water Dragon. He lives in the “...caverns of inaccessible mountains, or coiled in the unfathomed depth of the sea; he awaits the time when he slowly rouses himself to activity. He unfolds himself in the storm clouds; he washes his mane in the blackness of the seething whirlpools. His claws are in the fork of lightening, his scales begin to glisten in the bark of rain-swept pine trees. His voice is heard in the hurricane, which, scattered in the withered leaves of the forest, quickens a new spring.” (Okakura: The Awakening of Japan, pp. 77-78)
Considering this description, it's no wonder we are already missing the gentle, little rabbit. With this image of the dragon in the forefront of our imagination, we can almost see the fire-breathing foe battling the brave knight; the child flying on the back of a winged beast towards new adventures; the mighty dragon, so large than when he lies down, his back becomes a mountain range. Or, if we really stretch our imagination, we can perhaps see ourselves holding the little pet dragon who fits in a pocket. Indeed, all of these images are aspects of the Dragon energy that is coming.
Dragons are formidable creatures, not to be taken for granted. In Dragon years we want to set high standards and focus on our most elevated goals because dragons can fly all the way to the stars! This is a year when we can make our dreams come true since dragons have the wisdom to carry out plans in order to achieve successful outcomes.
This is a year to discover and explore the healthy parts of your life and to expand on them, because dragons are said to hold the secrets to longevity. Stories say: “It takes a thousand years for a dragon egg to hatch, so they understand patience.” Dragons are magnetic and can attract anything they want.
Yet, when Dragons fail, they fail spectacularly! So, not surprisingly, Dragon years make us nervous. So much power is being unleashed to swirl around us and our lives. And this year, you will be challenged to see positive potential in the midst of all the noise of apocalyptic predictions. This is not surprising for a Dragon year. Remember, our last Dragon year was the year 2000, a year that started out with Y2K!
2012, Year of the Black Dragon
This Year of the Black Dragon begins on January 23, 2012. Dragon's natural element is Wood, but this is a Water Dragon year. So we have a fearless dragon to lead the way—a dragon that wants and expects wealth and material success.
Fearless 2012’s Dragon may be, but with a focus on wealth and success, Water Dragon is not an impetuous dragon. A particular quality of this dragon is patience; to study a situation, and make smart decisions is the objective. Of all of the dragons, this one is less selfish and ego-driven than the others. He enjoys the art of negotiating, and he prefers to seek a win-win outcome.
And, remember how I mentioned in the introduction that dragons have the wisdom and patience to carry out plans in order to achieve successful outcomes? You have now heard the story: “It takes a thousand years for a dragon egg to hatch.” Dragons have another significant attribute: they are magnetic and can attract anything they want!
However, Water Dragon, the Black Dragon, tends to be too optimistic. He imagines (and firmly believes) he will ultimately build castles in the clouds. So, as we all enter into his energy field, we will share in his potential to enjoy great successes as a result of our ability to envision possibilities. Yet sometimes we'll be forced to decide what is really working, what is bringing us success, and what must ultimately remain a dream.
After our own country's financial meltdown in 2008, we've all been a little jumpy. We want things to be going better, and we have grown impatient; we want life to be easier and struggles to go away right now! Still when we check out the news or search the internet, we mostly only find the scary stories or a dour analysis of the situation.
We have certainly had multiple opportunities to see and hear that, according to the Mayan Calendar, time is reaching the end of its 5,126-year-cycle in December, 2012. Everyone seems to be holding their breath to see what happens.
And there's more. To add to all the anticipation, astrologically, at the time of this same Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012, the Sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way—something that hasn't happened for 26,000 years!
Plus, not to forgot the Biblical references, there are a few bits about dragons mentioned in the Book of Revelations (although I do want to point out, the verses refer to a 'Red Dragon'. And we won’t have a Year of the Red Dragon until 2036. Thank goodness, at least there's one less thing to worry about...)
Many people, like my client, Stephanie, are more than a little worried. She's downright panicked. After the losses she experienced in her 401K during the stock market crisis a few years ago, her house is now underwater (mortgage-wise, not literally under water). She has already come to me for reassurance, and to get some tips on how to deal with her situation during this Water Dragon year.
I have suggested that she display a small dragon statue in her living room. This will bring the positive aspects of the dragon into her space, such as strength, wisdom, and protection for her home. I have advised her that she should place the dragon statue in a way that allows the dragon to face the front door.
This is a question I hear these days. So, let's take a few minutes to talk about the Mayan Calendar, and the subject of “endings” in general. Let’s think about how we might differentiate between the concept of something ending, and our concept of a cycle. Think of the movement of the minute hand on a clock, just at the point it clicks between one minute and the next.
When we look at the face of a clock there is a point in time during each minute of time when that minute will end. But then a new minute begins. This is one way to think about the concept of a cycle. Cycles happen or exist all around us, but in this modern age we don't pay as much attention to them as our ancestors did.
Our ancestors noticed the Moon would disappear from view in the heavens above them for a few days each month, but then it would reappear.
Spring would come; the weather would grow warmer towards Summer, then hot during the height of the sunny days. Days and nights would cool with Autumn; and then things would die or freeze in Winter. But after each Winter would come Spring.
So the way people thought about time and life was more: “after an ending there will be a new beginning”.
Then came the age of linear thinking. People began to say that the hour which had just gone by was gone forever. They began to believe that when something came to an end, whatever it was just didn't come back, ever again. People began to believe that we are hurtling towards a specific date and time when all things will stop. This is actually a relatively new concept, one which really took hold around the time of the Renaissance.
The truth is closer to a combination of these two concepts. Things do end, but new things emerge. We may stop working at one company, but then find another job. We may leave a relationship, start living our 'new' life as a single person for a while; and after a time, a new relationship can come into our lives. People we know die, but then new people are born.
So now many people are looking at Winter Solstice, December, 2012—some of them fearful and wondering if everything familiar will just end and disappear? But it won't. What will happen and what is happening is: this world is changing.
Power is and has been shifting. And during this time it's very good for us to be awake and aware of the shifts, to look out at our future. We need to check to see whether our road is clear, and if it isn't, to find any blocks and get them out of the way!
In more practical terms:
If you see your job future is unstable, it's time to learn new skills and make new contacts.
If you are having problems with important others in your personal relationships, then it's time to bring those problems to light and work on them, so you can become clear about whether to stay in a specific relationship, move on to another, or take some time on your own.
If you haven't been taking care of your health, this is the year to start to make that effort.
If you haven't been connecting to those you love, this is the year to reach out.
There's an old saying, “It’s hard to hit a moving target”. It means, if you're in motion, you can much more easily handle whatever comes your way! This is important to keep in mind because it's not an apocalypse that's coming in 2012, change is on its way!
Now that we have shifted the thought of the threat of Armageddon out of our way, let's get to what this Black Dragon year is really about.
The dragon is often seen as the only mythical beast in the Chinese Zodiac menagerie. However the Shuo Wen Dictionary (200 A.D.) lists dragons among the 369 species of reptiles; and Hildegard von Bingen's Physica (1100 A.D.) also lists dragons, saying, “It's breath is so strong and sharp that it immediately ignites when it comes out.” (She goes on to say that the dragon is not good eating.) These and many other accounts lead us to the assumption that dragons did exist, but now are extinct.