This year the Chinese New Year is unusually early beginning with the new moon on the 21/22 January. Soon after that, 4th February marks the beginning of the first month of Spring and a change into the energy of Water Rabbit.
Being born in the year of Rabbit myself I associate myself much more with a Hare than a Rabbit. Hares seem more independent, wild and stronger. On the other hand, many other qualities these two animals do share.
Hares and Rabbits are calm and peace loving animals therefore they are associated with diplomacy. They symbolise luck, probably due to their fertile predisposition. They symbolise good health probably due to their bodily agility. They are also associated with patience and dedication. They are intuitive and decisive. They are also said to be intelligent and vigilant. The combination of all these qualities make them a symbol of success in achieving goals and plans, especially the long term ones. In fact, this year we may feel like making some long-term plans, despite the recent unpredictability of life.
This year will be Yin Water element. Yin Water relates to "lesser" water such as rain, lakes and rivers. Yin Water is of black colour so this coming year in China is also called the year of the Female Black Rabbit. Water element magnifies the Rabbit qualities of intuition, diplomacy, creativity, decisiveness, agility, charm. So, these qualities will come particularly easily to us in the coming year. It will be easier to get into a flow of things.
2023 will be the second Water year (after the Water Tiger 2022, about which you can read here https://www.dorotao.com/post/lunar-new-year-improving-your-health-with-the-energy-of-water-tiger) and then 2024 will change into Wood element. In the cycle of Five Elements Water corresponds to Winter energy and precedes Wood, which is Spring. As you imagine Water and Winter time is a time for preparation before the great "resurrection" of the Nature from dead into life. This year will be a step before that, a great preparation for "all go" the next year.
This preparation is gathering the strength, recharging, getting our firmly founded health and identity, which will be so necessary the next year when much wind will blow in all directions (Wood Dragon year).
However, Rabbit itself in Chinese Medicine is associated with Wood element, the Spring and Yin energy. So, it is associated with Liver (Wood element) but also with Large Intestine (Metal element). According to the Five Element cycle Metal controls Wood. This trend continues from the last year, only this year there will be much more emphasis on the Wood (growth) than on Metal (contraction). Rabbits are not ferocious nor potent animals (such as Tiger) and their strength lies in Yin qualities.
Rabbit is legendarily linked to the Moon, therefore emotions and menstrual cycle, the cycle of life and renewal. The origin of Chinese word for rabbit means "spit babies", so it is an auspicious year for the fertility. The Yin Water element adds to it by nourishing further the semen and egg energy.
Although the nature of Rabbits is akin to the qualities of Water, Water and Winter is not a particularly accommodating element to the warmth and grass loving Hares.
Body-wise, we will need to watch out for cold and humidity which will give rise to more conditions such as arthritis, rheumatisms, damp-related headaches, influenza, common cold and stomach congestion in summer, swellings, water retention and funghi conditions may get worse. Pay a lot of attention to the organs related to the Rabbit: Liver and Large Intestine. They are two very important organs for detoxification (Liver of blood and Fatty Intestine of liquids). The more scraps you eliminate this year the more ready you will be for next year.
Persons with general Yang deficiency (so especially women) will need to watch their Yin/Yang balance by keeping warm, doing regular physical activity and avoid excessive amounts of Yin foods (sugar, dairy and raw foods in winter). There will be a tendency for damp-cold accumulation which will lead to phlegm and further complications. Kidney Yang and Spleen will need to be top notch to cope with the damp-cold conducive energy.
But importantly, black Female Water Rabbit is healing, so it is a chance to heal new and old emotional wounds, if you are ready. The Lunar energy of Rabbit will definitely help you connect with your emotions, understand them and transform them better in 2023 than any other year. Practice moon-gazing and tree-hugging for easier connection to own emotions.
For the mental health, Rabbit year will instill more hope, provided you take care of the Yin/Yang balance as the excess Yin may make some people predisposed to depression.
All these conditions (physical, mental or emotional) are successfully treated and prevented by the Classical Chinese Medicine. To book yourself for a in-person appointment or an on-line consultation, just click on the appropriate button below:
