The Year of the Fire Horse. A Gentler Way to Begin

Until about fifteen months ago, I hadn't given Chinese astrology much thought. When the Year of the Snake became prominent, however, I immediately sensed its meaning: feeling squeezed and constantly needing to shed and adapt. My friends and I called it "working your way through the belly of the snake"—a time that felt pressurized and demanded continual release of old patterns.

You may know exactly what I'm talking about.

Welcome now, to the Year of the Fire Horse! The Instagram astrologers and the spiritual pundits predict things will begin to move quickly, it's going to be fast, you're going to cover a lot of ground.

That is quite the shift from the deep squeeze of the snake. At first, it might seem as if everyone will be mounting their horses and galloping off in some unknown direction. Yet, I see myself standing in the corral watching this occur, and the truth is, I don't feel connected to this rush just yet. I believe there is an alternative perspective for appreciating the strength and beauty of Fire Horse energy.

It's Not the Speed. It's the Heart.

Did you know that a horse's heart is enormous, that the muscle itself is so large it creates a heart-regulated electromagnetic field around the horse's body? This is why horses are amazing healers, helping children with special needs, calming people carrying high anxiety and post traumatic stress. There is a coherence that flows from the heart center of a horse, a vibration that creates a regulated field. And when your heart enters that field, something begins to shift. You can affect the horse, and the horse can affect you.

I spent years of my life on a fast track to somewhere I never consciously chose. Much of what was cleared in the year of the snake has made room for finding coherence with the life that I am building rather than one I just accidentally arrived at. So, why would I immediately jump on the back of a horse, a fire horse no less, and do it again? Why would I gallop toward the next destination without asking whether it's actually mine?

Instead, why not pause, be still long enough, co-regulate with my fire horse, and say, so, where are we going this year?"

As soon as I began to lean into this something shifted. I stopped feeling anxious and alone in my journey forward. I lean into her wisdom. She is an energetic partner and she was designed for this moment in time.

In meditation I imagine my horse, this mythological power, and I have selected each other on purpose. She is fawn colored with a blonde mane and the most striking eyes. Not too big, not too small. Sometimes she comes to the edge of the fence calling me to her. And other times I take my chair out to the pasture and sit with her, daydreaming about what is coming. I am confident that this is not delay. This is alignment.

Your Horse, Your Choice.

I'm inviting you to an alternative. An awake, aware and conscientious approach to the year of the fire horse, which could feel uncomfortable if you think everyone else has left the gate. There is real anxiety in choosing to sit in a field with a horse who is just looking at you when everything around you is saying hop on and run. I understand that.

But remember, this is your fire horse. A mythological energy that has been gifted to your year and your life. And this energy has wisdom, kindness, patience, and will carry you forward in coherence, in alignment and awareness. That's my kind of energetic partner.

What you may find on the other side of this is something you didn't expect. Empowerment with coherence, co-regulation. A life lived with intention rather than urgency. And the power of a beautiful horse to carry you to places you might not have known you were going, places that some part of you has actually been dreaming about. You can feel safe and feel forward movement at the same time.

Pause. Form your own relationship with this energy, with your horse, with your life in this upcoming year. There is coherence available to you. There is wisdom. There is support. And there is all the power you need to take you wherever you choose to go.

She is waiting for you.

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 If this resonates and you'd like support forming your own relationship with what's coming this year, I'd love to work with you.  Free Discovery Call:

Elaine Bracken is a holistic healing practitioner based in the mountains of Western North Carolina with over 25 years of experience in somatic bodywork, craniosacral therapy, Reiki, and intuitive healing. She works with clients in person and virtually through Elaine Bracken Healing.