Get Ready for the Year of the Fire Horse
Even though 2026 already started in January per the Gregorian calendar, the lunar cycle of the Chinese New Year is also in play. Are you getting ready for the Year of the Fire Horse? Coming soon: based on a Lunar calendar, this year Chinese New Year begins February 17.
Wait? What?
We are still in the year of the snake marked by introspection and contemplation. Yes, it is true. The snake year has been a time of strengthening your intuition and becoming clear about what matters to you. All kinds of things ended during the last year. Illusions fell away. Circumstances changed. Things came to light that we must now deal with and resolve. Maybe the snake bit you in 2025, and you are still recovering. In 2026, there is a chance to transmute energies—meaning change the “poison” of the snake bite into wisdom, learning and healing—and basically just be different now.
Like the skin of the snake that has been shed, there are things to leave behind.
In the “shadow of the snake” (meaning as the Wood Snake Year ends), it is a great time right now for deep cleaning, making repairs, and hauling junk away. It is time to clear the air and settle your debts and stand in integrity as best you can.
Sometimes, clearing the air is not just about dealing with physical clutter, but simply communicating clearly with your family and work relations and being clear about your purpose in the moment. Purpose can be simple: be harmless, be loving, be solution-oriented. This is a way of living your basic human goodness and protecting and cherishing life moment to moment.
The Year of the Fire Horse is about moving forward with purpose. Fire can mean quick changes and pivots this year. The seemingly random events may move us toward positive outcomes. The Fire element is associated with the heart, which is known as “The Commander” in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is awakened and nourished by bitter foods, like chocolate. Connecting with others in a heart-centered way (“coming from the heart”) is very much what is needed right now. The Year of the Fire Horse will provide many opportunities to do so.
It is a time to come out of your shell!
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse
The Fire Horse year will be a time to:
Get out there and be confident. Be seen.
Experiment and learn as you go.
Learn from mistakes and “failures” and simply keep moving.
Express yourself (use your voice!) and boldly channel your own charisma.
That said, while the Fire Horse rewards an openness to adventure, it also rewards consistency. Stay alert to opportunity! Do things your way, but be reliable and work hard. You may get invited to more gatherings or social demonstrations to stand up for what is close to your heart.