By Dale Lucht

Astrology, as we know it is a monthly occurrence. Twelve months, twelve different Astrological signs. Chinese Astrology differs in that their zodiac is an annual occurrence. By no means am I an expert on Chinese Astrology. The astrological sign for the coming year is the dragon. Now of the twelve astrological signs only one is a fictional, or a non-existent animal, and that is the dragon.

Next year the Year of Dragon will begin February 10, 2024 and last until January 28, 2025. The year is highly anticipated for it is said to be one of the luckiest and most prosperous of signs. It should be full of unprecedented possibilities. You should go after your dreams with courage and confidence.

To confuse things more, each zodiac year is linked to one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This is the year linked to wood. So, this is the year of the Wood Dragon. The element of wood means growth and progress. Dragons embody strength, intelligence and prosperity. It will be a year of tremendous changes and opportunities. Like the Dragon, being positive can help us to achieve more abundance and success. Dragon also teaches us to value our relationships and connect with those that share our vision. By supporting each other, we can achieve more together.

The year of the Wood Dragon is likely to emphasize environmental concerns and sustainability. Green industries should have an exciting year, sustaining the environment, minimizing waste and emissions and fostering safe and responsible production. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, works to develop good governance in developing industrial and business practices. Of course, they also have an acronym for this also. CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. This also includes workers’ rights to have a safe and healthy place to work and also fair wages.   

However, in life there is always duality; happy and sad, young and old, life and death and many more. There is an old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.” We definitely are living in challenging times. Critical events such as presidential elections and international conflicts could motivate people to make their voices heard and fight for the values of democracy and civil rights.

The war in Ukraine continues on, unfortunately Putin was born in the Year of the Fire Dragon. Hopefully this means he is going to burn out and not burn up Ukraine. But a lot could depend on our own presidential election. Our current political predicament does not bode well for us. This year should stimulate movements for social change and justice. Supposedly, given the energies of the Wood Dragon, this year is expected to bring an increased requirement for charismatic and courageous leaders. That doesn’t appear to fit well with our current choices. But don’t worry; challenges are just opportunities in disguise.