Happy Lunar New Year - It's the Year of the Wood Dragon

Happy Lunar New Year to all of you. We now enter the Year of the Dragon - a most auspicious year for many of you, but probably not for all. Let's spend an enjoyable morning exploring the Year of the Dragon and Chinese astrology as it relates to this new year. 

Chinese New Year is the most important day on the 
Chinese calendar. It's a time for celebration and 
contemplation, to join loved ones and strangers, 
and to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 
upcoming year. 

First of all, it is not only the Year of the Dragon, it is also the year of wood (each year has both an animal and an element assigned to it). So, to be precise, it is the Year of the Wood Dragon. Dragons signify power, beauty, strength, vigor and charm. If you were born in a Year of the Dragon, you share those traits with others of your year. You also, of course, have your own astrological month sign which also is influenced by the specific year. What Chinese astrological sign are you? Here's your reading for the upcoming year, according to the "Times of India". 

We are now into the Year of the Wood Dragon, a year of 
great possibilities to be guided by strong personalities 
and to float above the maelstrom like a small piece of 
wood in a vast ocean. It'll be a year of challenges, and I 
have no doubt that in many ways we'll be grateful to see 
this year end in 2025. 

Let's break down the year ahead by your astrological sign. Now ... I'm not in agreement with the breakdown they present here (it's from the "Times of India", so they're probably right and I'm probably wrong), but you can make your own determination. Here is the year ahead for you, based upon your astrological symbol - Western and Chinese. 

Rat - Sagittarius

 Rats get along very well with dragons, so you'll have a prosperous year if you are a rat. You will do great in the physical world (finance and business), but not so good in your personal life because of a lack of communication skills. 

Ox - Capricorn 

This one is DH, so I looked carefully at this - LOL. It's going to be a tough year for the Ox - they are diametrically opposed to the energies of Dragon. But, income will increase, so that will make DH a happy man. 

Tiger - Aquarius

There might be some challenges in this year, but your finances will be secure. Be picky about those you meet, but behave nicely with everyone you interact with (probably wise words for all of us). 

Rabbit - Pisces

The year ahead will share good and bad equally, so be cautious with investments, watch your bank account carefully, and seek advice from elders or those with wisdom before jumping into things. My Father was a Pisces, and he was very good with money. 

Dragon - Aries

My mother was a Dragon - I'm sure she's celebrating in another dimension today. If you're a Dragon, you'll have a year of achievement, advancement and revitalization. 

Snake - Taurus

I'm a Taurus, but I'm also a Horse in some writings of the Chinese zodiac, so the demarcation lines of this article must be a bit different than ones I've seen in the past. Still, I can deal with being a snake, I love snakes and adore their flexibility. For snakes, 2024 will be a year of personal and spiritual development, and you'll keep in closer contact with family members, giving gifts and helping when needed. Sounds just about perfect for me! 

Horse - Gemini

The year of the Wood Dragon may be a challenging one for the Horse. New situations will require adjustments. But, when they look back, they'll realize this year was one of the best in their lives. 

Goat/Sheep - Cancer

It will be a year of ups and downs for goats, with some emotional upheavals. However, at the end of the year, you'll be happier than the start of the year, so hang in there for that "happy ending". 

Monkey - Leo

Monkeys get along very well with Dragons, so it should be a great year for you. Both personal and professional success will come, but set something aside for that "rainy day" that you know will come. My aunt (my father's sister) was a Leo. 

Rooster - Virgo

It's a mixed year for roosters, but your charm will pull you through when mixed with your kindness. Don't back away from the challenges that you will face, you'll feel better after you've passed through them. 

Dog - Libra

Dogs and dragons don't get along extremely well, so it will be a year of challenges. Be careful to not get bogged down in your own thoughts this year. 

Pig - Scorpio

You'll have a year of growth and expansion with some good opportunities coming in Spring. Be open to a new love interest as well. 

So there you have it - in a synopsis. I'm sure other reporting sources will say different things, and they will all be right, and all be wrong. That's the beauty of fortune-telling - you're neither right nor wrong, you're like a wisp of smoke - there for a moment, then gone with the next gust of the morning breeze. Have an excellent New Year and a wonderful day. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Happy New Year of the Metal Ox!

Happy New Year to all! Today is the first day of the Year of the Ox and we leave the Year of the Rat behind us. Here's a lovely story of how the Ox became one of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac and how he helps humanity thrive. I'm hoping this link works, because it was an adorable short animation. 

Today is the first day of the Year of the Metal Ox. I'm 
giving you two different links, one (above) to a delightful
animation about the Ox and the Jade Emperor and how
the ox became such a helper to the farmers. The other
link (below) will take you to an easy-to-read Chinese
horoscope for the Year of the Metal Ox. Let's hope
this year will be a good one. 

While researching the Year of the Ox, I also found out that it's not only the Ox, but it's also a year of Metal, thus making this the Year of the Metal Ox. Who knew? In Feng Shui, it is a 6 Reigning Star Yin Metal year of the Ox. Whew! That's a lot to say, but I'll make it easier and give you another link to follow which will explain all of that with a full Feng Shui  and Lo Shu forecast for the year ahead (and actually, some very interesting reading that's not too in-depth to wrap your head around). 

The Year of the Ox can mean prosperity, but also is a 
warning to watch your savings carefully. The Lo Shu 
numbers have some cautionary aspects, so be warned. 

Basically, it seems quite upbeat, that we'll turn a corner this year. But it also moderates the optimism with the understanding that we'll still be vaccinating, still be wearing masks, and that we're still finding our footing in this brave new world. That seems reasonable to me, and I found  it interesting, so hopefully you will too. If you continue down past the 6 Reigning Star section, it will go through several other numbers of the Lo Shu Square for 2021 Year of the Ox, and it makes for a thorough and fascinating look at the year ahead in this one interpretation. 

OK, this is just too cute. You can actually get a Lego 
for the Year of the Ox. It's a limited edition and only 
available for a limited time, but dang! So cute! 

Of course, as humans, we're really lousy at telling the future. But anything giving a positive spin for this next year, I'm totally in favor of. We all need some positives in our lives right about now, as people stress over Covid and whether or not they can or will get vaccinated. I'm all in favor of positive strokes and attitudes. So on that note, have an excellent day. Be kind, stay safe and wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Picture Blog of Jewelry and Horoscopes

It's Friday and poor DH spent more than seven hours snow shoveling and pulling snow from the roofs yesterday (we got dumped on with a 4" snowfall from 6:00 until 11:00 am. It was crazy fast snowfall that whipped through here like lightning but left lots of cleanup behind. Because he worked so hard and it's a Friday (and I'm feeling lazy) I'm doing a photo blog today.

I'm bouncing all over with my pics today, but who can resist true
love? This little Tim Burton contribution will remind you that
Valentine's day is fast approaching. 

Happy New Year! Today begins the Year of the Horse, the fifth time in
my life this year has come around. It is my personal year and I'm
delighted, since I adore horses. I hope the Year of the Horse is a
good one for all of my friends. 

I got word this morning that Valeri Tomofeev has died. A Russian-trained jeweler, he
made some of the most exquisite plique-a-jour enamel work I've ever seen.
Take a look at his website and drool. We've lost a real treasure. 

Plique-a-jour is magical and one of my favorite enamel techniques. When
done well, it looks like small pieces of stained glass put together, but
instead of cutting sheet glass to make the item, you are making small metal
cells and filling them with powdered enamel which you then melt under
very high heat. If I am ever able to actually retire, I look forward to being
able to work on my enamel work again. 

And because we are saying good-bye to the Year of the Snake, a lovely
golden snake embellished with precious stones for all of you to enjoy. 

Have a great New Year, and take a larger look at Chinese Astrology here. Curious about your own sign and forecast? You can plug your numbers in here for your personal Chinese horoscope.