Some weeks, certain themes show up again and again. This week’s motifs seem to be working together and not overestimating our strength. Great opportunities arise when we keep this in mind.

Monday 2/7 :: Lunar 1/7 :: Rabbit Day :: Divide :: The Bow/Deer :: Hexagram 62 Small Succeeds/12 Obstruction

“Fledglings should not attempt to fly too soon.” Acting too big for our britches puts us in danger today. If we feel held back, wait. By pushing forward, we may mistakenly work against our own fate. “Good people are temporarily held back.” Constructive loss may occur the way a snake sheds its skin. This necessary vulnerability makes us stronger in the long run. Pause and be humble. Humility + time = patience. If you’re finding patience difficult in Tiger Year, think of it as strategy—retreating now ensures a successful hunt later. The deer totem is about bow-hunting and divination. Deer also introduced us to precious herbs and mushrooms. Allow the deer to lead you to today’s medicine. Rabbit day offers enhanced inner listening. It’s a good day to bathe, clean house, give gifts, take herbs, consult a doctor, initiate austerities (fasting, silence, retreat), cook, garden, wildcraft, and hang out with family.

a hidden pathway
following the deer into
the wilds of my heart

Tuesday 2/8 :: Lunar 1/8 :: Dragon Day ;: Full :: The Wings/Serpent :: Hexagram 62/ 45 Assembly

Today’s power lies in community. Nurturing connections brings mutual benefit and epiphanies on all sides. The qi is forming patterns. Inviting collaborators makes the patterns stronger. This is a gathering phase; allow things to come together. Good auspice relies on inclusivity. Keep commitments, mind your manners, and show your loved ones you care about them. Move deliberately, and the snake won’t strike. The Wings constellation highlights concerts and musical performances. It’s also auspicious to give gifts, get married, rely on superiors, acknowledge helpers, take office, see the doctor, and harvest a garden.

floral industry
the hum of a family
gathering nectar

Wednesday 2/9 :: Lunar 1/9 :: Snake Day :: Level :: The Chariot/Earthworm :: Hexagram 62/35 Advance

Today we experience some of the first expansive and progressive qi of the year. On the heels of a stodgy Ox winter, this should feel good. We may sense that anything is possible, and no dream is too big. And it’s true! We can accomplish a lot. The only danger lies in overestimating ourselves, which happens more easily when ego meets momentum. As long as we observe our limitations, everything is auspicious (except procrastination). The earthworm symbolizes constant industry, so git’r done! Get married, have babies, build or buy a house, start school, take office, travel, give money, pay debts, buy a new car, study, buy property. Funerals, memorials, and burials bring true peace. Stay in the pocket, and everything prospers.

coming up for air
after a long day at work
the earthworm takes flight

Thursday 2/10 :: Lunar 1/10 :: Horse Day :: Settle :: The Horn/Crocodile :: Hexagram 62/16 Comfort

The year’s first appearance of the Horn/Crocodile (today) always brings good fortune, as it heralds the beginning of Spring. The Spring dragon’s glare inhibits untimely events, like miscarriages and early births, to ensure healthy babies, renewal, and growth. It is a good day to begin anything: a course of study, a garden, construction. Propose to them and make your case. All activities relating to children prosper. Today we are faced with the inspiration and risks that come from success. It’s easy to recognize true leaders because they share their power. What kind of leader are you? Find the line between enjoyment and indulgence, and stay on the right side of it. Keep expectations low, pay attention to details, and don’t let ambition drain you. Other auspicious activities include marriage, planned travel, gatherings, emotional recovery, and new romance. Action taken with preparation is bound to succeed.

unexpected smile
my son brings cherry blossoms
out of the old man

Friday 2/11 :: Lunar 1/11 :: Goat Day :: Maintain :: The Neck/Dragon :: Hexagram 62/Consult the Oracle

Today’s constellation, the neck of an enormous dragon, governs New Year’s retribution. It’s about overestimating our strength, which causes miscalculation in warfare. Don’t stick your neck out. Withdraw and plan, or withdraw and don’t plan (retreat). A situation has great potential but so far nothing has happened. We can accomplish a great deal unexpectedly through an action of studied precision. If we have not studied and cannot offer precision, it’s best not to act. Today’s deity is a shaman/alchemist holding a peacock. Spend your day conserving, regenerating, and renewing. Going to battle (literally or figuratively) causes tremendous casualties. Consult the oracle for more information. Auspicious activities include staying home, working around the house, entering retreat, receiving news from afar, signing contracts, finalizing divorce, planning and analysis, subordinating, creating artwork, planting trees and gardens, and consulting a doctor.

sticking his neck out
no matter what the day brings
the dauntless giraffe

Saturday 2/12 :: Lunar 1/12 :: Monkey Day :: Destroy :: The Root/Badger :: Hexagram 62/20 Observance

What happens when we ignore all caution and operate far beyond our means? If we lead with our ego, today we find out. A delicate situation requires careful attention to detail. Observe protocol and be willing to make sacrifices. The Badger is one of five animals who control infectious diseases. Today’s good auspice has to do with acknowledging precedent. This can mean traditions, ancestors, earth, teachers, mentors, etc. If we’re not already in our place, the Root constellation puts us there. Roots are experts eat getting low and exchanging nourishment with their environments. If this is not our current position, today can feel like punishment. Recalibration sometimes does, in the way that Covid has caused an overhaul of personal and global priorities. We are being initiated into balance with our ecosystems. A natural kindness emerges from balance. When our priorities are in order, a gentle Spring rain comes to bless us. Auspicious activities include housecleaning, leisure, simplifying, gift-giving, consulting a doctor, cleansing, finalizing divorce, making resolutions, composing memorials, and burials.

early morning dream
I whisper a prayer into
the roots of a tree

Sunday 2/13 :: Lunar 1/13 :: Rooster Day ::Danger :: The Room/Hare :: Hexagram 53 Gliding/8 Alliance

Another good day for all group efforts. The Room/Hare invokes the righteous and timely demand for success and reward. This does not mean going Karen on your boss for more money. More like how Spring festival demands a good year. During the first two weeks of the new year, people give gifts of money, release grudges, and pay off debts. The lion dance exorcizes everything false, and people light firecrackers to scare away ghosts. Generosity and intention automatically bless us back. We can demand success through daily conduct: Practice random acts of kindness, show up for your community, make amends, and mind your relationship with alcohol and other substances that spirits like to ride. This exorcizes and rewards us with no need for aggression. Do yourself a favor, and let the good stuff in. That’s the part most “generous” people forget. Don’t be a martyr. If we’re not on the receiving end of generosity, we’re not truly generous. Today’s hexagram shows us the first migration of a gosling. Awkward innocent mistakes are easily forgiven. Auspicious activities include feng shui adjustments, acquiring luxuries, medical treatments (especially food/herb cures), and making investments. Excessive ambition and ingratitude are contraindicated.

the first daffodils
harvest a generous rain
to share with the squirrels

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

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