 2009 is the Year of the Ox in Chinese Astrology. The Ox year starts on January 25th. It is year 4707. "The Ox often has a yoke around its neck. It plows the fields at the direction of its master. The Ox looks neither left nor right, but stares straight ahead and keeps an eye on the task that lies ahead.
The Ox is a beast of burden. It bulks up in order to carry the heavy load. The Ox can be content in its lot, never looking for anything more, or it can become frustrated at its lackluster life.
The Ox needs to take the yoke off in order to be free. The Ox seeks independence and freedom, and can't do it when she's behind the plow (for the Ox is a yin energy in this study and will be referred to as "she"). She develops a deep anger that will eventually surface; a resentment for having been denied her destiny.
Being behind he plow for so long, the Ox can be immature. Not the wild, crazy kind of immaturity, or the self centered type - but, because she has been single-focused and staring straight ahead for so long, she has missed out on a lot along the way. Being essentially stifled and held back, there is a sense of being naive, of not being exposed to life, not having experienced enough variables to make quality decisions.
The Ox is competitive and wants to win. This archetype will not shirk from the task. The Ox can become frustrated and angry when things don't go her way. She can lash out at others when she's held back from accomplishing what she wants. But surrport her in growing in to her full potential, and you'll have a contented Ox who glories in the creative process.
The Liver is the organ and acupuncture meridian that is the focus of the Ox energy. It takes the feelings of repression and turns them into anger. The Liver meridian not only controls the function of the organ, but also rules the autonomic nervous system. "Liver people" can be rash and impatient and not think things through. They can have one course of acton one day and another the next. They chafe at being kept from living their lives to the fullest and yet sabotage their best efforts of getting ahead.
The Ox affirmation i "I am liberated, independent and free". It deals with being open, free and autonomous. The Ox needs to go beyond the mundane and reach the stars. The Ox needs to grow to its full potential and not be stunted in its growth. To be creative is to have infinite possibilities, to be bounded by nothing. To be stifled and repressed leads the Ox to be morose and angry, snorting and pawing the earth over its frustration. "
"
excerpted from my book, "Chinese Power Animals - Agents of Transformation", copyright 2000, 2nd printing 5/07, all rights reserved.
No matter what year you were born, there is Boar energy somewhere in your chart: Ox - The Ox finds s/he is often like his paternal grandmother or maternal grandfather. They are responsible for helping him to be liberated, independent and free and not repress him. Tiger - The Tiger can have a stepfather who's an Ox, who can be supportive and provide. They also find their mates have Oxes for employees, employers or coworkers. Cat - The Cat has friends who are Oxes, and the sibling one older than s/he is. Dragon - The Dragon has a father who is an Ox. Also the CEO can be an Ox. These 'dads' can be good providers. If he isn't, he was burdened as a youth. Snake - The Snake has the Ox in its house of travel, sports, law, politics and higher education. They can find Oxen here who really encourage and support them....if not, there is a wounded ox involved here. Horse - The Horse has an Ox in the area of sex, and looks for someone supportive.. Sheep - The Sheep tends to marry Oxen, no matter what the Chinese texts say. In the western astrology chart, the Ox is opposite the Sheep. The Sheep has a solid citizen in the Ox can rely on him/her to provide a solid base. Their second child has Ox qualities. Their mom's mom and dad's dad frequently display Ox tendencies. Monkey - The Monkey works with Oxen, or has one for a boss. Rooster - The Rooster has children who are Oxen, particularly the first. Dog - The Dog has an Ox for a mother. That can be a little over bearing to the little dog, but if she's determined to provide and support her little dog, it can be rewarding. Boar - The Boar has Oxen for siblings, and the first one in particular. They also find Oxen in the neighborhood, or at their child's school. Rat - The Rat has financial advisors who are Oxen, which is great if they are solid, grounded and free.
In more traditional Chinese Astrology you are told not to marry someone of the opposite sign, which in this case, is The Sheep. But when you overlap the Chinese chart over the western astrology chart, it becomes obvious, since the 7th house represents mate, and The Sheep is the seventh animal from the Ox, that the Ox will be drawn to The Sheep, and vice verse.....even if in Chinese terms, they shouldn't!!
So, Ox, don't write someone off who's a potential mate, just because they are a Sheep,
or a Scorpio (which is Sheep energy). More often you marry the animal energy that's opposite that at the time of your birth, which is more reflective of your personally; but the Sheep is part of the picture. A person may not be born in that year, but their, month, day or hour animal may be that energy or they can have a lot of planets in that area. After awhile you'll be able to recognize just who represents the energy and who doesn't. In some books, the Ox is attributed to Capricorn, but I correlate it to Taurus. I was told by someone who knows that the Chinese use the animals as predictors of business and what's in store for the year ahead, they didn't use it for personality types, until those of us in the west were interested in it. So, there are at least 3 different interpretations out there of how to assign the animals to the astrological signs. Since I'm a student of acupuncture, and the 5 element system, and the Time of Day Wheel, I looked at the fact that in the fable, the Rat came first to the Buddha and the rest followed. Western astrology starts with Aries, and when you put the two together from an energy point of view, they come together very well. When you look at the organ of the body and the animal and the monthly astrological sign, it's just to uncanny. So, mine may be different than other books, but it has its foundation in the 5 element system on which acupuncture is based.
In the year ahead, you'll find that the area where your Ox energy is located, is where and whom you'll deal with this year. Sometimes I'll be going too fast on a short interpretation offered and will look at the Year, and say someone was born in the Year of the Dog, let's say, when they were born in early January in the Year of the Dog. But, this isn't cut and dried. You aren't a Rooster on one day and a Dog the next. People born at that time are shapeshifting into the next sign. So by January the Rooster characteristics are giving way to the Dog; it would be like a Dog with a little look of the Rooster left. This applies to all birthdates at the beginning of the year before the next Chinese New Year takes place. copyright 2003-2009, Pamela Leigh Powers, all rights reserved.
For your own personal Chinese Astrology reading for the Year, send $35 plus $4.99 P&H for a half hour tape. If you would like a full reading including western astrology and your year to come, please send $99 + $4.99 P&H for a 90 minute reading on tape or cd, giving a natal interpretation, the year ahead, and how the Chinese Animal totem fits in. Send to Pam Powers at P O Box 2235, Benicia, Ca. 94510-2235. Include complete birthdate - day, month, year, time and place along with areas you'd like to concentrate upon. See the Year of the Horse, 2002. See the Year of the Sheep, 2003. See the Year of the Monkey, 2004. See the Year of the Rooster, 2005. See the Year of the Dog, 2006. See the Year of the Boar, 2007.
|