Happy Year of the Dog!

Even if you don’t believe in astrology, the Chinese New Year is an opportunity to consider your goals for the year and the best ways to invest your precious energy. On Feb. 16,  the passionate Rooster ends the zodiac year, yielding to the loyal, straightforward Dog. Famous dogs include Winston Churchill,  Benjamin Franklin, Confucius, Mother Teresa and Donald Trump. Incidentally, the year of a Zodiac sign is generally considered to be bad luck for those born under that sign.

Chinese astrology has its roots in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), one of the longest and most powerful dynasties during which a golden age in the arts, technology and Chinese medicine flourished. The 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac — with each year representing a different animal — offers insight into human characteristics and behavior.  

Like most humans, those born in the year of the dog have two sides to their personalities. On the positive side, dogs are loyal, generous and friendly. The dark side of the dog’s personality may include being quick to anger, critical, stubborn and deeply emotional. Therefore, 2018 will include a mixture of such positive dog traits as loyalty and service, as well as a fair share of quarrelling and aggressiveness.

 All Chinese zodiac signs — and human personalities in general — represent this variation of the spectrum of Yin (which represents stillness, darkness and cold in Chinese terms) and Yang (action, light and warmth).

So what should we prepare ourselves for in 2018? As yin and yang constantly strive to strike a balance, one is always free to associate with the darkness or light, the calm or the storm. As the dog can represent a sense of ethics and idealism, expect 2018 to be a time for increasing social awareness and interest in the less powerful, under-represented members of society. Look for a heightened sense of right and wrong and opportunities to help others. Key words: Generosity, selfness, tolerance, innovation. It’s your light, and you can shine it wherever you like.