The phases, of the Five Element Theory, describe movement, not moments. Last year was Wood + Snake = introspection, discernment, shedding. This year is Fire + Horse = expression, momentum, embodiment.
As I write this post, in the midst of the transition — with Eclipse season amplifying the threshold — the energetic shift is both palpable and undeniable.
2025 carried the quiet intelligence of the Wood Snake. Even if we did not track it consciously, its influence was running in the background. Wood Snake energy was strategic. It was observant. Economical in movement, as snakes do not expend extra effort on meaningless tasks. Instead they refine, recalibrate direction before advancing, and above all else — they shed. Snakes shed not because they are restless, but because they have outgrown their skin.
Last year was one of discernment, of asking ourselves what is essential. And, on the flip side, ascertaining what is misaligned, what must be released before the next expansion can occur. But shedding is not the end of the story. There was also the energy of Wood. Wood grows, and it also matures. Over time, it strengthens its grain. It condenses and solidifies into structure. What was once green and pliable, becomes ringed, rooted and resilient. Wood is not only structure, it is refinement through time.
When Wood transforms into Fire, the refinement does not disappear, it ignites; for seasoned wood burns differently than green wood. It does not struggle or smoke, it catches cleanly. What has been strengthened through time, becomes luminous. And when Snake transforms into Horse, Snake sheds what no longer fits and Horse advances with what remains. Where Wood matured its inner architecture, Fire expresses it. Where Snake turned inward to discern, Horse moves outward to embody. This is not impulsivity, it is integration in motion.
“It is a ritual of resurrection. As the flames kiss the wood the silent slab breathes again, transforming into a masterpiece of light.”
-Author Unknown
For many in the West, Chinese astrology and Five Elements Theory surface as symbolic headlines, often distilled into personality traits or predictions. But these cycles are more than mere entertainment. They describe the energetic climate we are living within. And even if we do not personally subscribe to this cosmology, it is worth recognizing that millions of people, across the world, do. For millennia, entire cultures have oriented ritual, agriculture, medicine, governance and daily life around these cycles. And as we’ve all experienced at least once in our life, belief shapes behavior, behavior shapes culture, culture influences the collective. And what is held in the collective does not remain abstract, it weaves in and through all that is.
So what do we do with this?
For those who were consciously working with the energy of the Wood Snake, who discerned, released, recalibrated, this is the year to move! Trust what endured and advance with what remains. The Fire Horse rewards those who have done the quiet, albeit difficult and even painful shedding. Actions will require less exertion. Decisions will arrive clearer. Momentum will feel unhindered.
For those who were less (or not) consciously engaging with the Wood Snake energy, the starting point may look a bit different — and fortunately Fire reveals. Consider it an invitation to notice. Notice where there is drag. Notice where momentum feels forced. Notice where/when the nervous system feels overheated. These are cues, and the invitation to pause, stabilize and strengthen — before getting back in the saddle.
2026 Year of the Fire Horse is not about speed alone. it is about sustainable momentum.
It is an invitation to tune in. To regulate. To stabilize. To move forward.
The Fire Horse is not reckless, it is primed. And when tuned, it runs surefooted, far and free.
