Praks in Wonderland

The snake has always been a deeply symbolic animal – regeneration through physically shedding skin. The year of the snake, as such, is seen as a time for us to grow, adapt, change; it is a time of rebirth and renewal; we embark on new journeys while learning how to leave our old skins behind. Growth, as is evidenced by the stretching and removal of the snake’s complete outer layer, is not easy and it is not painless.

Personally, I can hardly begin to fathom the ways in which who I am has evolved in the last 12 months. There are too many changes to even begin to list them all here in a silly article, and I know I am not the only one that feels this way. It seems like, for many of the people I am close with, the year of the snake was vastly transformative.

It was also, at least for me, a very introspective year. There was a lot of time spent learning who I am, who I have been, and who I want to be. It was a year of making decisions after sitting with them first and truly understanding why I was making them. I didn’t want to continue making excuses for things or trying to shy away from who I am. There were truths about myself that have been difficult to face but a part of me knew (and now continues to know) that facing those things would be the only way to grow out of them and from them.

In many ways, the year was a time of release as well. There are things about me, and things in my life, that no longer serve the purpose they once did. This year made me really understand some of those things, so that I could begin to let them go. It also brought into focus some of the things that I do want to keep, some of the things I value above others. The snake’s shedding is not only about getting rid of things, but also about developing something stronger. I learned about what I want in a partner, what I want in a home, what I want in a job and I think of these things as the fresh new skin that formed under the layer that is being shed.

Overall, I am genuinely content with the changes that I have undergone in the last year. I am confident in the idea that the things I have spent a year unlearning, and learning, have formed not only a skin that I am ready to shed, but one underneath that I am excited to move onwards with.

This leads us in to the Year of the Horse. Based on the typical depiction of horses, this year promises to be action-packed and highly energetic, with a very intentional forward momentum. We are, essentially, galloping towards our future selves. To me, this means embracing that new shiny skin of mine that I just finished shedding into and taking life by the reins (horse pun entirely intended).

One of the things that is often emphasized in discussions about the symbolism of the horse in Chinese culture is that it is not passive. It is not quiet, or meditative – it is action-driven, intense, and does require you to steer to get you where you need to be. Sitting back and waiting for change, waiting for good things to happen to you, won’t be enough. (Metaphorically speaking, you might fall off the galloping horse!) We should know where we want to go, ensure that we’ve placed the footpath to get us there, and then guide ourselves to that place.

The horse is not about luck, it does not mean that things will just *happen* to you. It is more so an indicator of the speed of progress. Decisions will be made quickly, change will be rapid. To head into this year, I find it incredibly crucial to consider the transformation that was brought about by the snake. Without the shedding and growth from the snake, it may have been easy to ignore whatever signs the horse will point us to. However, after having gone through that introspection and learning, I know choosing the path we desire for ourselves will be much more straightforward.

I truly believe that the internal work that I (we?) did last year, was in preparation for the coming year. As someone who is chronically indecisive and always considering every possible outcome of any scenario, finding that next layer of who I am has let me begin to plant the seeds that I will till the rewards of this year. Even though many paths remain open to me, I am confident that I will be able to take one that I will be happy and successful in.

And to be honest, I don’t think I would have said that a year ago. So, thank you to the snake, and cheers to the horse – let’s see where this chariot goes.