Happy Chinese New Year - The Year of the Rat!

We wish you congratulations and prosperity in the New Year!

The Chinese Zodiac comprises of twelve signs are used to divine information about personalities and also to give meaning and context to the events that occur over the course of that year. 

​Check here to find the sign of your birth year.

I've been thinking about how the Year of the Pig in 2019 closed the 12 year astrological cycle, and how it 2020 might represent a year to wrap things up, end old patterns, and be ready for a new life. I've been reflecting on the themes of the last 12 years, and the profound shifts that have happened. I've also been feeling the urge to remove objects that lost their importance as a way to mentally prepare for this next cycle. I'm excited to see what this next 12 years will bring.

In the year 2020, we greet the Rat. The Rat is the first of the twelve signs. This means we are beginning a new 12 cycle. According to legend, the Jade Emperor set a challenge to create the order of the signs – they would be arranged according to their arrival to his celebration feast. The Rat and the Cat hopped lightly up onto the Ox’s back, unbeknownst to her, and hitched a ride. As they were crossing a river, though, Rat bumped Cat off into the water. When the Ox was about to cross the finish line, Rat jumped down and landed before the Emperor first! 

What does this story mean to us? - The Rat is a bit tricky and opportunistic, but also quite clever and resourceful. Being first in the cycle, he represents the dawning of a new day, with plenty of Yang energy. Rats’ ability to multiply in numbers makes them a potent symbol of fertility and abundance. 

​Gong Xi Fa Cai! 

​Each circle of twelve years also brings through a new cycling of the elemental energies that develops over the course of a 60-year calendar. Rat of 2020 is Metal. Metal rat is relatively grounded and stable. On the surface, he is always positive and sure of himself, but in secret, he worries that he is not always in the right.

Rat’s optimism and dynamic personality make him popular, even though his way of expressing himself might seem a bit brash or even downright rude. Rats know how to make the best out of a bad situation. They like to hoard rather than spend. This can be thrifty, but might also lead to hanging on to things that aren’t essential.  Time to keep only objects and people in your life that spark joy. 

Rats tend to run around in a burst of energy and then get tired and sick. They also tend to get busy and forget to eat, and then eat too much of the wrong things. So, let’s all remind ourselves to pause frequently for rest and nourishment, setting ourselves up to do well when it’s go time.

From San Francisco Integrative Medicine, we wish you good health and all the very best that the New Year has to offer!





Photo credit anonymous pintrest photo