This year, February 10th marks the start of the Lunar New Year in 2024! And what an exciting year it’s going to be as we see the Water Rabbit exit and welcome the Wood Dragon! In Chinese culture this sign is an auspicious one, as dragons are regarded as the givers of abundance and longevity. Dragons represent power, success, honor, and luck. Therefore many people want their children to be born in Dragon years, including myself!

Dragon people are highly ambitious with lofty goals and have the self-reliance, confidence, and charm to win over people, succeed at business dealings, and generally enjoy life. They are generous and idealistic, usually striving for the benefit of their community. They are wise and adventurous and, at times, temperamental and impulsive. They posses natural authority and can make for tough bosses that will hold their people accountable.

Dragons are strong and independent figures, but they desire support and love. They need indulgence. They’ll be loved and admired by many but find it difficult to return such affection. This may be one of their most important life lessons. Even though they may not care to invest in relationships, Dragons cannot stay alone for too long without feeling lonely and isolated. Once they find that special someone, Dragons will guard that person as their treasure horde.

Image credits: ga-den and 春風るぅat Pixiv.net

The Lunar New Year is the start of a calendar year that follows the moon cycles, based on the lunisolar calendar. It’s observed all over East and Southeast Asia and even in the Middle East and cultures vary in their zodiac and traditions. Most commonly known as the Chinese New Year, it is also the Spring Festival, chunjie (春节). The first full moon of the lunar year marks the end of the new year celebrations and is known as the Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节) or Lantern Festival (灯节). Traditions of the New Year often include eating dumplings, receiving money, setting off fireworks, and decorating or wearing the color red. Red is for protection and fortune! My own personal tradition is to order take-out and practice a bit of origami. This year, we’ll throw a small gathering for friends to celebrate with us.

Unlike the solar calendar which always begins the calendar year on January 1st, the Lunar New Year’s beginning can vary across the months of January and February. If you were born in the years: 1940, 1952, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, or 2024 then you are a Dragon sign (depending on when the new year actually started).

Similar to the 12 Western zodiac signs, the Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao, is represented by 12 animal signs. The legend of the zodiac is that the Jade Emperor summoned the 12 animals to race to his palace for a banquet. The order of the zodiac is the order that they arrived at the palace: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Although, the rat was said to have cheated by riding on the back of the Ox before leaping in front across the finish line!

On top of the zodiac animals, the new year is tied to one of the five elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, or Wood based off of the Wu Xing philosophy. All the elements are interconnected and there is no hierarchy. The goal is simply balance and harmony. These elements bring out certain traits within the zodiac signs and some elements are more compatible with signs than others.

According to astrologer, Susan Levitt: The element of Wood is the lesser yang character of the Five elements, which begets the element of Fire. It stands for springtime, the color green, windy weather, and the Azure Dragon (Qing Long) in Four Symbols. Wood represents the direction East, the planet Jupiter, and represents beginnings, growth, and vitality. In Chinese Taoist thought, wood is representative of action, idealism, imagination, and compassion. Its emotion is anger, and people who are wood types needs to learn to control their anger and channel it in positive ways. Wood’s position on the feng shui ba-gua represents ancestors and family relationships.

So what does the combination of the Wood element and the Dragon sign mean? According to my favorite horoscope app is Daily Horoscope (also in the App Store), this will be a year favorable and full of opportunities for all signs. It’s a year of fresh starts, perfect for setting ambitious goals, embracing risks, and chasing your wildest dreams! Yet while there will be personal growth, there will also be setbacks. Be cautious of conflicts and quarrels and try to maintain balance and calm. The Wood Dragon will teach us to adapt to almost any situation, even the most difficult. Seize opportunities, stay focused, and you’ll see your potential unfold! I find this app in particular to be eerily accurate for my own readings. It provides both western and eastern zodiac readings, plus Druid. Check it out, it’s a lot of fun!

Lucky things for Dragons

• Colors: cyan blue, purple
• Directions: West, Northeast
• Numbers: 6, 8
• Flowers: Bamboo, Cyclamen

UnLucky things for Dragons

• Colors: black, red
• Numbers: 4, 9

Finally, here are a couple of books to enjoy that reference the Chinese zodiac: The New Astrology by Suzanne White and the Fruits Basket manga series.

Thank you for reading! Happy new year to all! May you be blessed with good fortune!