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The Year of the Rooster

February 9, 2005 ushers in the year of the Green Rooster. It is Year 4,703 since the beginning of the Yellow Emperor’s reign. The year of the Rooster follows the Monkey year, and while the celestial and terrestrial ‘energies’ attributed to the monkey were predominantly impulsive, the rooster is more predictable.

Right now we’re in a transitional period between the ways of the monkey and the rooster, behavior within us and without is still somewhat impulsive, with a propensity for pugnacity beginning to establish itself as our inner rooster stretches and begins surveying its domain.

As 5 Element Theory advises, during any transition period, it’s important to be centered and balanced in your body and mind. This happens naturally when you take time to breathe slowly and deeply, and use Chi Kung exercises to sink and concentrate your energy (Chi) into the lower parts of your body.

Yang and Yin - Rooster and Hen
Like everything in nature, the Rooster has two aspects - Yang and Yin; which in a practical sense is it’s masculine assertiveness (Yang) and feminine nurturing (Yin). So be prepared to feel both aspects of this creature this year: from inside yourself and from others. In what proportions is unknown.

You always have choices regarding how you act and react to what’s going on in your life. In this Year of the Rooster, there’s a proclivity to being a cocky rooster or a nurturing hen. The choice is always yours.

Some things to be aware of during this Year of the Rooster:

The ‘rooster’ is very territorial and its strategy is to dominate through quick, surprise attacks. By understanding it’s strategy you can better craft your own for those times when you or others get the hackles up.

Spend time doing Chi Kung and Tai Chi to cultivate the attributes of the ‘hen’ - protecting, shepherding, nurturing - and use these qualities to your cock-fighting strategy, when needed, to ward-off and redirect unbalanced energy coming at you - inside and out.

When you feel the desire to project your authority and ‘strut your stuff,” it’s best to rein in that feeling as soon as you can to avoid offending others. And keep in mind that it’s highly likely that you will eventually be the recipient of some cock-eyed behavior. When you feel your hackles rising, avoid a cock-fight by taking a few deep breaths, and feel your inner ‘hen” to protect and nurture yourself until any unruly rooster you meet - inside or out - swaggers away.

From a health point of view, the potential for conflict this year will have some impact on your nerves and Liver. And rather than getting in the habit of using alcohol or other ‘self-prescribed’ medications to calm yourself, find out about the effective ways Oriental Medicine has to help you manage any excessive bouts of anger, annoyance, and frustration you may experience.

Remember: The Year of the Rooster describes possibilities—positive and negative. What actually happens has everything to do with decisions you make and paths you take. And if you follow your compass in the direction of balance and moderation, it’s very likely you’ll enjoy yourself very much along the way.

And if you need help, you can find it at BIOM:

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