The Lunar Chinese New Year begins February 10th, 2024 and ends January 28th, 2025. This is the Year of the Yang Wood "Green" Dragon. In this next lunar year we'll reap the fruits we've sown in 2023.

The Year of the Green Wood Dragon probably won't be an easy ride but consider it a self-expansive, even spiritual journey. With the right attitude, you can be resilient during this potentially turbulent year.

This Chinese New Year 2024 may be "baptized with blood and conflict . . ." --Gahl Eden Sasson in The Astrology of 2024

 We'll probably experience a number of natural calamities, ideological clashes and turbulent frequencies. However, we experience major events like this every year. There is rarely a year that doesn't bring us major challenges. And wrapped inside every challenge is the golden nugget of growth, new opportunities and expansion. 

 Green is the color of hope sprouting new life. Yang Wood needs all of the Elements for balance, this year may bring us a solid intensity but at the same time also brings birthing of new life and hope for an innovative future.

Many of the beneficial seeds, which have already been sown in the previous year will begin to sprout this year! So, while the year may bring its challenges, we also have an innovative pioneering year to look forward to also.

Keep in mind that the Dragon is offering us its bold, mystical energy. An opportunity to open a window, harnessing its bold new birthing energy and use it to our advantage.

In Chinese astrology the aspects of the Lunar New Year differentiates the aspects of the Dragon by the five elements.

The element of Wood (one of the five elements in Wuxing Chinese philosophy (1) symbolizes and embodies growth and development. It's color green agrees with this very optimistic and positive sprouting of nature and new budding life.

Aligning yourself with the Yang Wood "Green" Dragon's energy this lunar year and enjoy enormous self-growth. You'll experience the budding of many new revelations and grow as a person.

In the Yang Wood Green Dragon years, a lot will seem very enormous--victory as well as mishaps, misfortune. However, the noble Wood element offers mercy, kindness - to get us through with flying dragon colors.

The element will also support us to gain more awareness and understanding of objective reality during 2024.

How the Chinese Zodiac Works 

The Chinese New Year begins with the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice every year. For this reason, the lunar New Year always occurs late January to mid-February.

Twelve zodiacal signs make up the foundation of Chinese astrology. The Dragon is the fifth of the twelve.

Each sign is associated with a different animal. And each animal demonstrates five elemental aspects. Each aspect corresponds to one of the five elements of Wuxing philosophy (1) (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

The Chinese lunar calendar circles back to the same animal sign every 12 years. This circling back responds to the ruling cycles of the beneficial planet Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.

Since there are five elemental phases, every 60 years, the same combination of animal and element returns.

Clues for this Year from 1964

This 60-year cycle mirrors the astrological cycle known as the second Saturn return. So grasp the significance of the year, look back to the Yang Wood "Green" Dragon years 1964, 1904, and every 60 years back thereafter. 

In 1964, the U.S. Congress authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate against attacks and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia (Vietnam)(1).

". . . more America servicemen were dying, and after three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi, the president signed the Civil Rights act of 1964. But this did not stop the violence as it continued to increase in many American cities.

 

Lyndon Johnson was also returned to power after a landslide victory. This was also the year The Beatles took the world and America by storm . . . Beatle Mania went into overdrive as they released a series of number one hits including, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and "All My Loving'.

 

Other British groups also found success including The Rolling Stones and The Animals. . . Together with the American talent of The Supremes and Bob Dylan, many say this was one of the greatest years for music in the last century.

 

Also one young loud talented boxer by the name of Cassius Clay won the Boxing World Heavyweight Championship from Sonny Liston" --- The People History

• The first race riots of the 60s in America took place in 1964

"In 1964, two weeks after the landmark Civil Rights Act passed, outlawing racial discrimination, police in New York City shot and killed a black teen, sparking a six-day-long protest-turned-uprising in Harlem and other large African American communities around the city." -- Farrell Evans in The 1967 Riots: When Outrage Over Racial Injustice Boiled Over at the History Channel

 Race riots broke out not only in Harlem but in Rochester, New York, Elizabeth, Paterson and Jersey City, New Jersey, Dixmoor and Chicago, Illinois, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

• Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize. And Nelson Mandela and seven others were sentenced to life in prison in South Africa.
• South Central Alaska experienced the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2 on Good Friday that year.
• Ford Motor Co. produced its first prestigious Ford Mustang. It was an Immediate massive hit of success surpassing sales predictions.

Potentials for the Lunar Chinese Yang Wood "Green" Dragon Year

Dragon is notably the only supernatural creature among the twelve zodiacal animals.

Symbol of authority and power, depicted holding a magical pearl in its mouth. The pearl represents both the Moon and the Sun, and the Spiritual Essence of the Universe.

For these reasons and more, Dragon years are believed to be the most auspicious.

This Chinese New Year 2024 us a Yang/Active/Masculine energy year, Wood being a Yang element. We may see a lot of activity and some bold moves.

Change and Transformation will be the provocative theme for the year.

No matter your sign of the zodiac wheel, you'll feel the restlessness of the Green Wood Dragon year. If you're a tuned in person, you might make many changes in your life.

Many people will decide to move, get new jobs, or get married. Some people will do all of them!

The Yang Wood Dragon Year of 2024 won't be exclusively tumultuous with obstacles or challenges at every turn.

You should find more opportunities and good luck, increasing health, strength on the rise in your life. All of these and more are associated with the color Green and the Yang Wood energy.

But the year brings with it an eclectic energy. And the atmosphere that electricity creates can bring forth foolishness in peoples' minds. So be cautious when considering making gambles and taking risks, which come in part with this year, all packaged. Don't overvalue your abilities while undervaluing the abilities of others.

Dragons, as everyone can easily perceive, is mighty. This Mythical creature will boldly usher in surprises for the year and upset the status quo.

Clues from the Yang Wood Element

Wood is a creative element and its color green symbolizes life, change, growth, authenticity and self-discovery.

The bold decree of realization, "I AM!" is a natural product of the influences of the color, element and animal. But take care to be humble with the bold, bodacious statement at the same time.

Green Wood Dragon will inspire us with its natural characteristics: 

•  innovation
• creativity
• compassion
• kindness
• harmony
• beauty
• boldness
• tolerance
• steadfastness
• idealism
• organization
• competitiveness

The Year of the Yang Wood Green Dragon will be great for relationships, but only if you allow them to naturally develop.

If you already have a partner, the year should be interesting. The year's energies will evoke a need to apply firmness and empathy at the same time with your partner.

Trees (the element of Wood) grow both upwards and downwards until they die. Trees and Wood embody the yang/masculine principle of expansion. The Dragon itself is a masculine sign.

For this reason, 2024 promises to be a year of expansion and action.

"We are looking at an action-adventure packed year filled with thrilling sequences, spectacular CGI and superhero feats." --Gahl Eden Sasson in The Astrology of 2024

 

The Dragon In the World's Cultures

Dragons, echoes of the dinosaurs and memory buried deep in our DNA, have captivated the imaginations of many cultures.

In Japan and China, the Dragon is auspicious symbol of power, wisdom and fortune. These cultures also believe Dragons are so powerful they can also control climates.

Much folklore speaks of dragons who stand for the conquest of fears and overcoming challenges. And they are often portrayed as wise mentors.

European folklore portrays dragons in duality. They're usually fire-breathing benevolent or malevolent creatures to take counsel from or defeat.

Attributes of the Yang Wood Green Dragon and 2024

The attributes of the Yang Wood Green Dragon will definitely shine brilliance in 2024.

Dragon years typically align with Dragon's legendary status.

We'll probably be going through periods where we feel a pool of energy. And we'll find ourselves perhaps more curious, passionate, and adventurous.

But we might also go through bouts of pride, arrogance and excess. Keep humbleness in mind, make thoughtful decisions, and recognize you're not infallible.

Watch out for these more erratic swings, especially in the Spring Months - March thru April, and the Fall during the eclipse periods - September thru October.

This Lunar New Year begins and ends with a retrograde. Many people feel that launching new projects during a retrograde is ill advised. If you believe in retrograde energies affecting you, you may want to keep this in mind.

Consider working with jade and malachite gemstones to embody the essence of the Yang Wood "Green" Dragon and live in Harmony with this auspicious Chinese New Year 2024.

Endnotes:

1. Wuxing (pronounced woo-shing), usually translated as Five Phases, Five Agents or Five Elements, is a five-fold conceptual scheme used in many traditional Chinese fields of study to explain a wide array of phenomena, including cosmic cycles, the interactions between internal organs, the succession of political regimes, and the properties of herbal medicines.
2. Three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the U.S. Destroyer Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin and the U.S. Congress authorizes war against North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Sources:

Dragon Horoscope 2024. N.p., Alina A Rubi, 2023

Numerology and Chinese Horoscope 2024. N.p., Alina A Rubi, 2023

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Astrology: A Handbook of the Authentic Chinese Tradition. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1997

Theitic, Andrew. The Witches' Almanac 2024-2025 Standard Edition Issue 43: Fire: Forging Freedom. United States, Witches' Almanac, 2023.

The Astrology of 2024: A Cosmic Navigator Guide to Piloting the Once and Future Year. N.p., Ghal Eden Sasson

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