We welcome the Year of the Tiger from February 1, 2022 to January 21, 2023. If Year of the Rat was about survival through resourcefulness and agility; and Year of the Ox was about building anew and grounding ourselves in a new reality, with hard work and clear intuition; Year of the Tiger will be about big changes, and risk taking. Whether those changes feel like adventure or unsettling chaos depends to some extent on the degree to which you are able to inhabit the Tiger.
What does change look like? On the one hand, we are getting our groove back after exceedingly tumultuous times; we are fired up and ready to go, but no longer interested in striving only for ourselves. Tiger brings the spirit of generosity to an all-time high, and makes social progress seem possible again. That’s because Tigers are loyal and fierce protectors of those entrusted to their care, and are less interested in glory in general than in what can bring the greatest good to the highest number.
On the other hand, expect change to also come in the form of disruptions in marriage/romance, career, home life; as well as aggression and political conflict in the world. Some will thrive in the uncertainty and shifting ground beneath their feet; others may stumble, fall, or feeling themselves burning to ash. Tigers are the ultimate Yang energy - hot, active, divine masculine - and are full of vigor and valor. Imbalanced, the tiger may tip into destructive forms of heat and aggression.
Lucky for all the signs, Tiger is supremely intuitive, and offers us the gift of intuition, as well, to navigate both the opportunities and the trials the year will bring.
People born Year of the Tiger do things their own way, and don’t like to be told what to do. This is often with good reason; they are cautious, but decisive, have high self-esteem and self-efficacy, great ambition, and indominable spirit. They can start from scratch over and over again, undaunted. They are bold and fearless, frequently falling naturally into leadership positions. Logical and determined, they are often successful in helping others to maximize their own potential.
This Year of the Tiger falls under the Water element, the defining characteristic for which will be curiosity in the face of change - change elicited from within or imposed from without. Either way, to be successful in the Year of a Water Tiger, you must remember the old Chinese adage that “ The willing heart is the dojo.” And that “beginner’s mind,” which is a key principle of Zen Buddhism, will serve us well. That means having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceived notions when studying a subject or executing a task, even at an expert level. The Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki said it best: “in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few."
With beginner’s mind, we open ourselves to seeing things with fresh eyes, and tapping in to the curiosity and wonder that brought us here in the first place – just the way a child or a beginner would. The practice of beginner’s mind transforms any activity and gives us better experiences; better relationships; a greater sense of curiosity, peace and gratitude; and less anxiety. The nice thing about beginner’s mind is that you don’t have to be an expert to start doing it right now. What are you waiting for?
Switch careers, get creative, forge new connections, chase your wildest dreams. The Water Tiger will carry you far.
My first paintings to kick off Year of the Tiger are the ones above; Charging Tiger, Prowling Tiger, Crouching Tiger, and Stalking Tiger.