Today marks the Chinese New Year, welcoming the Year of the Wood Snake (乙巳年) - a time of shedding, transformation, and deep wisdom.

The Snake teaches us that growth requires releasing old skins, embracing change, and trusting the unseen path ahead.

In this article we'll discuss how this date determined, how to maximize the energies, the added significance when viewed through the lens of other cycles and integrated with other energetic modalities, and what to expect.

How Is Date of the Chinese New Year Determined?

It's based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, with Chinese New Year always aligning with the first New Moon of the lunar calendar, which is the second new moon after the December solstice.

As the date shifts each year, the New Moon's placement through the lens of the I Ching (also Human Design) flavors the energy of the entire cycle (year), providing insight into the themes we’ll navigate collectively.

To celebrate, you can wish someone a Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin:

🧧 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè) – "Happy New Year!"
🧧 恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ Fācái) – "Wishing you prosperity and good fortune!"

Do’s & Don’ts for Chinese New Year

✅ Do:

• Wear red for luck and positive energy.
• Give red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) with money to children and younger family members.
• Eat lucky foods like dumplings (symbolizing wealth) and fish (symbolizing abundance).

❌ Don’t:

• Avoid sweeping or taking out the trash on the first day - it’s believed to sweep away good fortune.
• Don’t argue or use negative words - words set the tone for the year ahead.
• Avoid breaking things - shattering objects is seen as bad luck.

2024’s Chinese New Year: The Year of Revolution and Year of the Dragon

I believe astrology to be data, meaning can gain a lot of insight into the future through looking back.

Last year, the 2024 Chinese New Year and New Moon were in Human Design Gate 49, I Ching Hexagram 49 - Revolution (革, Gé). View article on this energy.

This signaled a year of radical change, upheaval, and the breaking away from outdated systems. Gate 49, called the Gate of Principles, is about dismantling what no longer aligns with truth, initiating reform, and demanding justice.

In the I Ching, Hexagram 49 speaks of revolutionary transformation - not change for its own sake, but necessary upheaval when old structures no longer serve the collective.

2024: The Year of the Dragon – Bold, Expansive, and Revolutionary

The Dragon is a mythical, celestial being associated with power, vision, and massive change. As the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the Dragon carries the energy of big leaps, destiny shifts, and radical new directions.

With Wood as its element, 2024 was a year of:
🔥 Expansive growth and reinvention
🔥 Breakdowns of old systems to make way for something new
🔥 A call to step into leadership and personal sovereignty
🔥 High volatility—power struggles, innovations, and unexpected turns

The Dragon brought dramatic shifts, requiring people and businesses to embrace bold moves, take risks, and elevate their visions.

2024 laid the groundwork for global shifts, systemic breakdowns, and the emergence of new paradigms in politics, technology, and consciousness. Cyclically, we can see this emergence occurring as 2024 was the year we shifted into a a Feng Shui period 9 (2024 - 2044) which I discuss later in this article.

2025’s Chinese New Year: The Year of Sensitivity and Year of the Snake

View article this energy.

This year, the Chinese New Year and New Moon align with Human Design Gate 19, I Ching Hexagram 19 - Approach (临, Lín).

🔹 Gate 19: The Gate of Sensitivity & Interdependence

• Gate 19 is deeply attuned to emotional needs, resources, and the energy of collective support.
• It highlights the importance of community, collaboration, and emotional bonds, signaling a year where partnerships and alliances will be crucial.
• This gate can bring heightened sensitivity - both emotionally and energetically - calling for deep self-care and discernment in relationships.

🔹 Hexagram 19: Approach

• In the I Ching, Hexagram 19 symbolizes progress, preparation, and stepping forward with wisdom and care.
• It represents a time of opportunity, where doors begin to open, but also cautions that wisdom and patience are needed to navigate the path ahead.
• There is a sense of something new emerging, but it must be nurtured with responsibility and long-term vision.

2025: The Year of the Snake – Shedding, Strategy, and Deep Wisdom

Now, the Snake follows the Dragon, bringing a much more subtle, introspective, and strategic energy.

Where the Dragon creates external revolutions, the Snake works behind the scenes, refining, consolidating, and making precise moves.

With Wood as its element again, 2025 will be a year of:
🐍 Shedding old layers - deep personal and collective transformation
🐍 Refining strategies - less action for action's sake, more precision
🐍 Mastering the unseen - intuition, hidden knowledge, and deeper wisdom
🐍 Lying low when needed - knowing when to move and when to wait

While the Dragon’s change was external and explosive, the Snake’s transformation is internal and profound.

This is a year to:
✔ Trust intuition over force
✔ Master patience and timing
✔ Cut away what no longer serves
✔ Navigate with intelligence rather than brute strength

2025: A Numerology 9 Year – Completion & Integration

Adding to the significance and energy of 'completion' - in numerology, 2025 is a 9 Year, the number of completion, endings, and integration.

In numerology, nine is a number of transformation, completion, and altruism, urging us to give back and integrate wisdom from past experiences. As the final single-digit number, it signifies the end of a cycle and the preparation for a new beginning, embodying both growth and evolution.

Nine carries a spiritual and selfless energy, empowering us to reflect on our journey, extract meaning from our experiences, and apply this wisdom with purpose. It encourages deep introspection, allowing us to make more enlightened and impactful decisions.

Symbolically, nine is linked to September (the ninth month) and the sign of Virgo, known for its meticulous, service-oriented, and introspective nature. In the Tarot, the number nine corresponds to The Hermit, a card representing inner guidance, solitude, and the pursuit of higher knowledge. The Hermit’s wisdom illuminates our path, urging us to seek truth within and embrace personal fulfillment through deep understanding.

It’s a year to let go of the past, close unfinished cycles, and clear space for what’s next. The Snake energy amplifies this theme, encouraging deep personal evolution.

Feng Shui Period 9 – Fire, Transformation & the Rise of the Feminine

We have also entered Feng Shui Period 9 (2024-2044), a 20-year cycle ruled by fire, innovation, and spiritual awakening.

This period brings:

🔥 The rise of feminine leadership & intuition
🔥 Rapid technological and societal shifts
🔥 A call to align with soul-led purpose and deeper truth

As we step into this era, adaptability and resonance with higher consciousness will be key.

Bringing It All Together - What This Means for 2025

Where 2024 called for revolution, 2025 invites us to approach the future with sensitivity, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. This is a year to:

✔ Strengthen relationships and community bonds
✔ Align with causes and people that resonate deeply
✔ Balance emotional awareness with strategic action
✔ Move forward with wisdom, patience, and a long-term vision

The Snake’s energy of shedding and transformation, the Numerology 9 Year’s call for completion, and the Feng Shui Period 9 shift toward innovation and spiritual evolution all converge with Gate 19’s sensitivity and Hexagram 19’s steady progress.

This year is not about forcing change, but about moving with intention - being receptive, yet discerning, and ensuring that what we build is sustainable for the long term.

新年快乐! May this year bring transformation, connection, and aligned progress! 🐍🔥✨