Year of the Horse

Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Horse! I dabble a bit in Chinese astrology but I’m no expert, so I won’t be offering an in-depth discussion on that subject. However, I can provide a little information to set the stage.

Chinese astrology, like Western astrology, is not just about the main symbol of a particular sign. Where Western astrology incorporates four elements into its zodiac signs (Fire, Earth, Air, Water), Chinese astrology incorporates five elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. The concept of Yin and Yang also affect these elements. Yin falls in odd numbered years and Yang falls in even numbered years.

Each month of the year also has an animal/element representative. Each segment of the day (in 2-hour increments) also boasts an animal associate. For more information, I recommend Susan Levitt’s web site: http://susanlevitt.com/astrology/horse-year-2014/

The Year 2014 is a Yang Wood Horse year. The Element of Wood is the East. It is associated with the season of spring and the color green.

In this blog, I will share some symbolism and imagery of horses from my oracle decks.

Druid Animal Oracle

In the Druid Animal Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Bill Worthington (Simon and Schuster), the Horse (Each – pronounced Ech) is a gray mare with the chalk hill figure of the White Horse of Uffington, Oxfordshire, in the background. Key words for this card are “The Goddess, The Land, Travel.” The Carr-Gomms write, “The horse-goddess is patroness of the complete life-cycle of birth, death, the afterlife and rebirth.”

A personal story about this card
When my father was diagnosed with lung cancer many years ago, I pulled a card from this deck to answer the question “What lies in store for my father?” The Horse came forward and I immediately thought, “He’s going on a journey.” I meant this in a figurative sense, although he did travel to doctors in different states seeking advice and treatment. He passed away within a year. The funeral home chosen by my mother was located on White Horse Road.

In the Animal Messages deck by Susie Green, with illustrations by Csaba Pasztor (Cico Books), the Wild Horse is “the epitome of male sexual energy and of the soaring spirit which dance sets free.” Advice provided by Susie Green: “Speak your passion aloud and defend those whom you love in word and deed.”

The Animal Powers Meditation deck by Monte Farber and Amy Zerner (One Spirit) gives the keyword “Strength” for the Horse. The card references physical strength, stamina, and dedication – plus the “uniquely human ability to harness great forces, natural and mechanical, to assist us.”  Farber and Zerner tell us that we should meditate on the Horse when we need the strength to stand up to those who are trying to break our will or keep us from being ourselves. The Horse also speaks to our spirit of adventure, to forging new trails and exploring uncharted territory.

Steven D. Farmer’s Power Animal Oracle Cards (Hay House) gives the keyword “Freedom” for the Horse, along with the statement “You always have a choice.” Additional associations are listed as “Integrity; Compromise; Speed; Agility.” Steven D. Farmer tells us that the Horse can encourage us to “let go of the illusion that you’re somehow a victim.”

Worthy of mention here is a white celestial cloud horse believed to be sacred to the Chinese Goddess Kwan Yin. This horse flies through the heaven, bringing peace and blessings.