Happy New Year of the Yang Water Tiger

03 Feb Happy New Year of the Yang Water Tiger

3 Feb 2022

Happy New Year of the Yang Water Tiger!

(Rén[Stem], Yín [Branch])

Hexagram 11-䷊Tài- Peace/Advance/Good Opportunity.

There are many positive predictions for this year, so let’s see how we go!

2022 is the Year of the Yang Water Tiger. The Tiger is a ferocious animal and is often referred to in Chinese as “baishou zhi wang” or “the king of one hundred beasts”. In Chinese art it is commonly depicted with the Chinese character for King (王) on its head. It is believed that a person that is born of the Year of the Tiger tends towards being brave, strong-willed (potentially to the point of stubbornness), outspoken, playful, enthusiastic, impulsive, impatient and fearless with a strong sense of justice. The Tiger is also the animal representing the “exorcising of evil/detrimental influences,” which I’m sure we could all do with after a couple of years of challenges with COVID-19.

Each animal year occurs once every 12 years and combined with each of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) creates a 60 year cycle. All have different qualities and aspects depending on the mixture of influences they represent.

We will give a deeper analysis of the year ahead, based on ancient Chinese philosophy, which is rich and meaningful, and at times mysterious and cryptic.

I won’t lie- some of this information is obscure and a bit cryptic, and some very practical. In some cases the points listed need to be meditated on, but I feel providing this information conveys a bit more depth, as opposed to a light hearted “the tiger is ferocious and agile, blah, etc”

Lots of ancient Chinese philosophy is based on the laws of correspondences which have been drawn together over large spans of time. By extracting the different meanings of all of the correspondences that are associated with Chinese Astrological years, and analysing that information, we can bring forth a number of guiding points that correspond to the particular year. By analysing all of those different points and their meanings, we can gain understanding of the different qualitative influences that manifest, and can give predictions on what influences may affect a particular year, or what we should do to navigate that year and its strengths, and challenges, with grace.

We will list several points based on various correspondences as opposed to interpreting it ourselves too much, and we will allow you to put together this essential information to come to your own astrological predictions for the year ahead!

This year (2022) is a Yang Water Tiger year.

Yang refers to activity, creativity, exuberance, warmth and light.

The quality of Water is moistening, nourishing and vivifying. It can represent movement or stillness. It can be liquid, ice or steam depending on its environment and external influences. But most importantly, as understood the world over- water is life. Do your best to cultivate these Water qualities in this year. Be prepared to expect some more influences of Water in your life during this year.

The Tiger, as described above, is ferocious, brave, strong-willed and fearless.

The deeper aspects of the Tiger according to Chinese philosophy…

+ the opportunity to awaken life,

+ being the shelter where the energies of Heaven and Earth meet respectfully,

+ provision of the first contact between the seed and its surrounding,

+ the action of receiving and giving peacefully without asking why or how

+ governance of the Lung organ in the human body.

+ The energy of the Tiger represents freedom based on a firm structure, meaning that through structure one can create freedom (this is up to one’s interpretation how!).

+ The energy of the Tiger provides people with a good opportunity to have an easy social interaction with social self-confidence.

+ In harmony, the Tiger’s energy represents and manifests peace.

+ In discord, the energy of the Tiger may involve influencing the natural order (Heaven and Earth) to benefit one’s self, thus leading to some form of harm where life can become constricted and condensed. This can bring grief, guilt, despair and suffering in social life, which can develop into emotional and physical claustrophobia or can develop into over-confidence.

+ The Tiger is the animal representing the “exorcising of evil/detrimental influences.”

This year of the Yang Water Tiger- It is a Rén (Stem),Yín (Branch) year in the Chinese system of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, which is a system that gives us further understanding of combined influences of differing years in the 60 year cycle, to provide yearly predictions and other important information.

An explanation of the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch influences of this year:

The Rén (9th) stem symbolises a man carrying a yoke on his shoulders, fatigued by his troubles. It also symbolises a hidden time of conception.

Other symbology is the combination or dynamic balance of acceptance and conflict. It also represents a time to receive Heavenly Qi for personal creation. The Qi of Life, is hidden deep inside, and the energy qualities are flowing, soft, nourishing, easy, but with intelligence.

It is connected to the Yang aspect of the Water element, and the organ in the body represented by this Stem is the Urinary Bladder. The “Unlike Qi” balancing pair for the Urinary Bladder Stem is the Heart. They have a special connection. Therefore it’s recommended to look after the health of the Bladder this year, with adequate water intake and hydration to encourage healthy urination. Be mindful of the emotion of Jealousy, which is the emotional state associated with the Bladder, or which can affect the Bladder. Do your best to process and transmute this emotion as it should not be combatted nor controlled, lest it gets worse. Within jealousy lies the ability to transmute it into a source of creativity and vitality- therefore explore the emotion and do your best to overcome it through self-knowledge.  Look after the Heart, and keep your emotional state balanced (which is important for the Heart). Cardiovascular exercise (like walking) that tones the Heart is recommended (whilst maintaining decent fluid intake). The “Like Qi” balancing pair for the Urinary Bladder is the Yin aspect of the Water element – the Kidney. Looking after the Kidney also involves maintaining hydration, as well as maintaining warmth in the lower back region (use of a hot water bottle can be helpful!) to assist its function. Appropriate intake of minerals is also important for the Kidney, as well as overcoming and transmuting the emotion of fear.

In Chinese Medicine, when we talk about organs they are not separate from their associated acupuncture channels. This means that when we take into consideration the Urinary Bladder organ and its care, we also need to care for its associated acupuncture meridian. The Urinary Bladder acupuncture meridian commences its trajectory at the inner part of the eyeball, passes the inner eyebrow, then passes over the top of the head and continues through the neck and then covers the whole surface of the back of the body and then passes down the back of the legs (glutes, hamstrings, calves, achilles tendon) and ends at the little toe. Taking care of the Urinary Bladder meridian involves protecting it (the scalp, neck, shoulders and posterior of the body) from cold and wind and improving the circulation in this area with regular warm showers. Care also involves strengthening, stretching and lengthening the muscles of the posterior chain of the body. Make sure that this is a focus during this year. For some more information on looking after this area of the body and more, please check this previous blog article – https://tonikahealth.com.au/boost-your-health-in-autumn-winter-spring/

 The Yín (3rd) Branch, as well as symbolising the Tiger, symbolises two hands meeting under a shelter, paying respect, visiting, greeting, welcoming and receiving new awakened life, and also symbolises the potential of a coiled earthworm ready to expand (as they appear in Spring). The organ in the body represented by this Branch is the Lung. Therefore, as mentioned above, cardiovascular exercise such as walking, but including rhythmic and complete breathing will benefit the Lung (which is a Metal element organ), as well as breathing practices in general. Another important connection of the Lung is the Skin, and the nose, so looking after nasal health and skin health (with moisturising and paying attention to sun exposure- not too much, not too little) will be important. For some basic tips on Lung, Nasal and Skin health, check this previous blog article: https://tonikahealth.com.au/7-autumn-health-tips-from-a-chinese-medicine-perspective/

The emotional state connected to the Lung is sadness/grief. Once again, focus on processing strong emotions that are present in order to overcome them. An important lesson of the Metal element (primarily the Lungs) is about taking in and absorbing and distributing what is good and useful for the body (air/oxygen) and gathering and expelling what is no longer useful in the body (carbon dioxide). On an emotional and mental level and on a level that can be applied to life, during the Year of the Tiger, focus on taking in all that is good and pure and beautiful and true on various levels and expel what no longer serves you and what is detrimental or no longer necessary for you.

The “Unlike Qi” balancing pair for the Lung Branch is the Urinary Bladder, therefore, as mentioned in the Stem section above, about the Urinary Bladder, please take care of it! This makes the focus on the Urinary Bladder and its associated channel in this year important for multiple reasons, so therefore, consider Urinary Bladder care as doubly important this year.
The “Like Qi” balancing pair for the Lung is the Yang aspect of the Metal element – the Large Intestine. The same emotional states as the Lung are also connected to the Large Intestine, therefore the advice on the Metal element above also applies. However, maintaining a balanced gut microbiome (with quality probiotics and fermented foods) and adequate fibre intake for healthy bowel motions will strongly assist the health of the Large Intestine.

Therefore, it’s evident that the year of the Yang Water Tiger should involve care for the Metal (Lung+ Large Intestine) and Water (Kidney + Urinary Bladder) Elements of the body.

We now move our gaze to the wisdom of the Yi Jing (I Ching), and what it holds for us related to this year.

The Yi Jing (I Ching) is an ancient Chinese book that represents a coding system of divination that is based on combinations of Yin and Yang lines (unbroken and broken), and explains meaning and significance based on the qualities of combinations of those lines that form a type of code. There are Trigrams based on combinations of 3 lines (of which there are a total of 8) and there are Hexagrams based on combinations of 6 lines (of which there are a total of 64).

The Yi Jing (I Ching) Trigram associated with this year is Xun ☴ (Wind/Gentleness/Wood). The qualities of this Trigram are gentle, entrance, gradual, penetrating, honest, simple. These are the qualities that should be cultivated in this year, but not to excess. Balance can be provided by the Trigram below.

To balance the Trigram above, consider the Trigram of Zhen ☳ (Thunder/Arousing). Those qualities are arousing, initiative, inciting movement, activity, excitement, growth, shaking, expanding. To balance the Xun Trigram activity, consider the activity associated with the Zhen Trigram.

The Yi Jing (I Ching) Hexagram associated with this year is Hexagram 11 ䷊– Tai (Peace, Advance, Good opportunity), which is the Heaven Trigram placed over the earth trigram, representing a balance of Yang and Yin influences, and harmony and balance. This hexagram represents good fortune, progress and prosperity and denotes a time free of tension, with antagonistic tendencies subsiding and harmonious relationships existing and great and beneficial influences flowing towards us abundantly and detrimental influences dispersing. [Any opposition to this Hexagram (eg. war, etc) would be considered to be significantly against the proper order.]

However, it’s a very important time to be watchful of our inner attitude, and not become lazy, but maintain conscientiousness. Sometimes times of peace cause us to become overconfident, and thus careless of our responsibilities.

The inverse Hexagram of Hexagram 11 is Hexagram 12 ䷋– Pi (Obstruction), which is the Heaven Trigram placed under the Earth Trigram, which is a disharmonious position, where obstruction and stasis occurs. Even though this Hexagram “balances” Hexagram 11, it’s preferable to have a state of harmony of nature (Heaven above Earth), by adhering to the advice related to Hexagram 11. Please consider the advice of the last lines mentioned for Hexagram 11, and this will allow you to avoid changing/transitioning into the state of Hexagram 12. That is- watch the inner attitude, maintain conscientiousness and avoid laziness, and you will stay in a harmonious and victorious state.

So all in all, we have a lot of wisdom that we have drawn from Ancient Chinese philosophy and applied them to the year of the Tiger for you to glean some assistance in your year ahead. We wish you blessings of health, wealth, prosperity and abundance in the year of the Tiger.

For this article, great appreciation goes to JD van Buren and Joan Duveen for their teachings on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of Chinese Philosophy and its application to Chinese Medicine. I will also give thanks to a few different translations of the Yi Jing/I Ching by various authors/translators  – Brian Arnold, Carol K. Anthony, Gregory C. Richter, Richard Wilhelm and Alfred Huang.

Article written by:

Peter Scarselletti

BAppSc (TCM)

Acupuncturist

Chinese Medicine Herbalist

If you would like to book in a treatment with Peter sometime soon please visit our online booking service.

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