Here comes the Year of the Red Monkey ... starts February 2016

We are awake and enjoying a slow, delightful start to our new Sunday. The rain has started up again after a few hours rest in its continuous flow flow flow. Weather people say the Pacific Northwest is experiencing record-breaking rain. Pete has toasted himself a grilled cheese sandwich made with a very nice aged cheddar sent to him by dear sister (his) Margaret. The smell of toasting bread and the melt of cheese is one of my favorite smells. But. My body does not tolerate what my nose blisses on. Too bad, so sad. Instead I have chopped celery, leaves of Romaine lettuce, and sprigs of Italian parsley; sliced into one of the gleaned apples still crisp and sweet. All of this went into the Vitamix along with some not quite hot water. Blended to a warm slurry I had my greens in a drink. Sipping and then crunching on roasted cashews for a satisfying oily chew. We ate and drank our separate morning breakfast.

We are so different my Pete and I. What balances him does not do the same for me. He is a pole bean, I am a dumpling squash.

Winter is freshly born. The season is unpredictable in its patterns. The forecasts for next week seem foolish. The Elementals laugh at our wishes to control them. "Ha, ha. Do they, those Uprights in footwear believe they can control us as they attempt to control Pigeon and Gull from depositing their lime?" Oh challenged the Pole Bean Man this morning, "I will take my wire cutter at night, climb their roof tops and nip off all those metal detractors. The Exclusionary Principle, ha!"

The Chinese New Year begins with February. To my usual way of computing I look at the second New Moon after Winter Solstice and point "There!" as the start. Using this method the Year of the Monkey starts, February 8, 2016. There are other, and perhaps more accurate and at least different ways to count. This morning over grilled cheese Pete asked me where I was (on my Internet search)? I said, "China. I'm calculating the start of the Year of the Monkey and playing with the Elements to see what I might need for Balance. Here is what I found this morning:

"...This Chinese Astrology uses the balance theory of Yin-Yang Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) to predict people's future. Not like other horoscopes, this Chinese Astrology won't tell your personality or your relationships with people, which you should know better than any Astrology. Here we are interesting in telling something about yourself, which you never know before..." Master Tsai Chinese Astrology 

It seems it is Fire I need to balance my life. According to this approach

"... Here we select an element from the Five Element chart as your Lucky Element. The Chinese Yin-Yang Five Elements describe the BALANCE. When the Five Elements are balanced, they are in harmony and you will be lucky. When they are out of balance, they are in conflict and cause you trouble. So your lucky elements are the ones that bring the Five Elements into balance. Usually the lucky elements are the ones with a lesser weight (score). Here we want to pick Fire as your lucky element, because your Five Elements have a better shape when the weight of Fire increases. Using the balance theory, we can predict the rise and fall of your entire life.

I have been aware of my reluctance to embrace Fire. I am writing a medicine story now that has at its core this thought, and the motto for the Sun Magazine: "What is to give light must be willing to burn." The messages are multiple, and repeat themselves to me. I answer, "Give me courage to change, Gods." Pete says something that makes a lot of sense, "You gotta wait for the fire to burn." So true, waiting is not my strong suit, but I am getting lots of practice.

The Year of the Red (Fire) Monkey comes.

"Those born in Monkey years (1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004,2016) are clever, sharp, mercurial, and entertaining. They are wonderful to be around because they are fun, creative, and bring the sparkling energy that only Monkey can provide." 

I like to think of the Year of the Monkey as a year when we are encouraged by the monkey to be creative in the use of our gifts. How about you? Are you born in Monkey years? Do you see how a creative use of your gift will balance you? Which is your lucky element of balance?

Here is something to consider (I'm sorting the possibilities, the application)
When Fire is Deficient
The Spirit of the Water Element
The Season of Metal Energy
The Season of Wood Energy
The Season of Summer Energy