The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, begins on February 10th, 2024, and lasts until January 28th, 2025. The Chinese New Year has a history of over 3,000 years, and many of those traditions have continued into the present day.
The date of the Chinese New Year changes every year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th. The date is decided by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon, and the New Year is on a new moon day, usually the second after the winter solstice.
A Chinese astrology chart is comprised of four animals. Many people believe they are simply animals based on the year they were born; this is incorrect. A person’s chart is made up of a year, month, day, and hour animal. Each animal influences a different stage of life: the year animal relates to childhood, the day animal applies to adulthood, the hour animal pertains to the later years (after age 60), and the month animal influences your overall life. The following information regarding specific animals will be most beneficial if you focus on the animal relating to your current stage of life.
2024 is the year of the Yang Wood Dragon. The Yang Wood element represents growth and development, and in Chinese tradition, the Dragon is a respected symbol and is known for its power, wisdom, honesty, kindness, auspiciousness, and success.  Thus, the year’s energies bring about growth, power, and leadership. However, with only Yang elements present in the year’s chart, an imbalance can result in aggression and the lack of flexibility or willingness to negotiate, compromise, or work harmoniously with others.Â
The 2023 Year of the Rabbit signified being out and about in the world – enjoying the prosperous, opening qi. As we move into 2024, the Year of the Dragon, the mystical dragon rises and recharges our qi. The dragon represents rising yang qi and fast-growing life energy. 2024 will bring authority, prosperity, and good fortune. The Wood Dragon year, combined with the nourishing Wood element, brings evolution, improvement, and abundance, making it the right time for new beginnings and setting the foundation for long-term success.
Dragons are strong and independent figures who yearn for support and love. Recent years of the Dragon are 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, and 2036. The personality traits of people born in the year of the dragon are charismatic, intelligent, confident, and powerful, and they are naturally lucky and gifted. The Wood Dragons, more specifically, are skilled, introverted, and have strong reasoning abilities. On the flip side, they can also become domineering, temperamental, self-centered, and gullible as Dragons believe themselves always to know best.
Being a Wood Dragon year, there can be more irritation and aggression. This can be mitigated by engaging in grounding exercises such as forest bathing, qigong, meditations on Mother Earth, etc. The wood element is all about getting things done, physical exercise, embracing change, and following your passions. But it’s also important to keep an eye on your emotional well-being and look after your Liver and Gallbladder health. Also, the Wood element can exhaust the water energy (Kidneys) if a person is too active and driven. To prevent digestive and Kidney issues, follow a routine regarding eating and sleeping. 2024 represents 7 am to 9 am, breakfast time, which is the ideal time to eat your most substantial meal for the day. Digestion includes the information we ingest. Be mindful of what you choose to watch or listen to, including the opinions of others.
The drama of 2024 increases with a new 20-year feng shui cycle that lasts until 2044. Dominated by the element of fire and the number nine, these 20 years will complete a full 180-year cycle. Fire is all things related to life, power, and comfort. Chinese culture believes that the number nine is auspicious and signifies completion luck, so you can be sure that what you have started will be completed successfully. Nine is also associated with the element of fire. Fire represents anything bright that gives out light and is symbolized by summer, heat and warmth, and sunshine. Activate this number by hanging a picture that shows a multiple of nine.