Rabbit 2014
Who is a Rabbit?
Years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011.
Month*: March
Hour: 05:00 am – 07:00 am
Day: ask us
* Caution:the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.
What is a Rabbit?
The Rabbit is yin wood, essentially gentle and domestic. Her time is early morning; the legend has it that she and the Rooster swapped places which is why the cock crows in the Chinese Zodiac not at dawn but at dusk. The Rabbit rules the Spring therefore – think of March Hares and Easter Bunnies – and the Rooster the autumn.
The Rabbit is subtle, in keeping with her yin nature. She provides service readily and is often suited to catering and caring. But her preparedness to roll up her sleeves makes her the unexpected queen of networking. If you want to be introduced to the person in charge, ask a Rabbit.
The Rabbit can wait her turn; vigilance and patience are typical.
Her natural allies are the Pig and the Sheep. This is a house-proud team and the Rabbit is a team player. Her unexpected friend is the Dog who values her ability to charm without threat.
The Rabbit also belongs to the gathering known as the Flowers of Love (or Plumflowers) along with the Horse, the Rooster and Rat. She may often find herself clearing up behind these three extroverts and quite often the cuddle-bunny will obtain a life partner from the leavings of her more obviously glamorous colleagues.
The Rabbit tends to be conservative with a small “c”. Early rising is typical but this tendency to the yang of early alertness may be demonstrated by the yin of sleeping in. Lazybones or insomniac, sleeping is an issue.
Because of the unflattering connotations of the local word for Rabbit, in Vietnam this branch is called the Cat. Intuitively this does not sit right. The ideogram so clearly has ears. Yin wood relates to the eyes and to the Spring, leaves and flowers and grass, none of which are feline attributes.
In some ways the Rabbit epitomises yin. Yang wood may be best characterised as an upwards movement like the growth of a tree. Yin wood is more of an outward expansion like the spreading of grass. What these two expressions of wood have in common is irresistibility. But they are very different types of irresistibility. To counter yang wood we need yang metal: an axe will cut down the biggest tree. But you could attack a lawn with that same axe and not remove all the grass in a lifetime. This is the power of yin wood.
Wood is both stubborn and flexible. Yin wood (as characterised by soen, the wind of the South East) is thorough as well as organised. Hexagram 53 of the Book of Changes, Gradual Progress describes this: the tree grows against all the odds either because it throws itself absolutely upon the mercy of the tao or because it has a detailed plan that it follows meticulously. Or both.
The Dragon is said to lose money when the Rabbit arrives. This may be because the Dragon is distracted by his neighbour who is so apparently different in nature. This is not a great pairing but the fact is that the Rabbit sitting between the Tiger and the Dragon shares qualities with both. Partnership with the Tiger is sometimes formalised as the House of Diplomacy. The Rabbit offers carrot while the Tiger wields a stick. This arrangement exemplifies the truism that more is achieved with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.
Wood represents bone, spine and hair as well as eyes: the light is fire but the receiving organ is wood. The Rabbit is often not strong in these regards, unlike the Tiger. This is yin and yang.
Rabbit in Wood Horse Year.
Stars include: tian xi Happiness, xian chi Extravagance.
In 2014 the Rabbit is in demand. Events could run away with you. It’s important to impose your own pace while the Horse is tugging at you like an ambitious parent. Previously-domesticated Rabbits may feel the need to strut their stuff. Self-justification is one issue in this year of self-examination.
Master Shen Yen advises the Metal Rabbit of 1951 in particular not to get involved in argument. This highlights an often-missed characteristic of all Rabbits. Arguments form around you. Does this mean you’re argumentative? Well herein is the gift of the year. What is around you is like you. You may think you are the calm at the eye of the storm. If you’re so calm, why so many storms?
Which may relate to your special role this year. You are Toe Far or Flower of Romance to the Horse. This year you are the matchmaker. You may also be the match. Your already proven gift for putting the right people with the right people is in great demand. But don’t as you often can, ignore yourself at the back of the queue. This year you could find true love. Know it when you see it. And acknowledge. The Rabbit comes out of the burrow into the sunlight this year. You probably don’t seek limelight but you will find it.
But watch out for hurry. You could trip over yourself trying to make the very best use of the many opportunities that will be arising for you.
Grand Master Raymond Lo counsels not guaranteeing loans or lending money. He sees scandal and conflict in your path. I’m not sure I’d go all the way with that; you always have the facility to make good decisions which will generally pre-empt drama but the warning is sound.
What I would draw from Grand Master Raymond is a review of the way you receive advice. There is a difference between following sound counsel because it comes from an informed source and respecting the source of what on its own terms is worth heeding. There is something slavish about you. Remember that your choices are yours whether you acknowledge it or not. Be as the Book of Changes has it, “firm and correct”. This might be more clearly expressed as “sincere and well-informed.”
Much is expected of Rabbits this year. You have every chance to excel. 1987 Fire Rabbit Andy Murray may for instance stretch to a 2nd Wimbledon title. We’ll see.
Health: sound.
Money: flowing.
Relationship: top marks.
Feng Shui: your home territory in the East holds the uplifting Fortune Virtue as well as the Toe Far. Your partner the Sheep is host to the Sun. spend time in either or both of these places and activate them. The force is with you.
Readers’ Digest Version: hard to stumble.