Stand well back.
Drum roll, please!
Make way for the grand entrance of the magnificent Black Tiger.
That’s the Year of the Black Tiger, of course, which bounds into the world on the 1st of February 2022, and swaggers on through until the 21st of January 2023.
It’s been 60 years since the last Black Tiger padded sinuously – in 1962 – out to greet the dawn. Over half a century of watching and waiting.
If you’ve been feeling a little lacklustre, a little jaded, as the old Year of the Ox that was 2021 finally lumbers off the stage, this could be the most exciting news in months. As Ox years fade, life often feels a bit stagnant, a bit dull. All that dutiful plodding, making progress – but painfully slowly – drives some signs crazy.
Well, if it’s action you’ve been longing for, you’re in for a treat. The Tiger of 2022 charges into the world like Lewis Hamilton roaring out of the pits for his umpteenth Grand Prix. Tiger energy is strong, bold, and fast-moving.
Tiger wants to get things done, NOW! After a full year of mind-numbingly patient slog, the Tiger arrives like an ice-cold shower to wake us all up, and kick us into action. 2022 is the year to throw off the gloom, come out from under the duvet, and start living life like a fearless striped carnivore!
If you’ve got plans, if you’re looking for adventure, this is the year to get out there and make it happen, with Tiger energy powering you every step of the way.
So, What Just Happened?
Well, for a start, we’ve just lived through probably the biggest global upheaval since World War II – courtesy of the revolutionary Rat of 2020 – intent on tearing down existing structures in order to replace them with something new. Aided and abetted, 12 months later, by his quieter companion… the Ox of 2021.
No wonder we’re glum.
Although, at first glance, the Rat and the Ox look like polar opposites, and you’d expect the years they rule to be completely different, in fact, these two end up working as a team. Rat years and Ox years tend to operate as a pair. Rat starts the tumultuous process of change, often in dramatic style, then hands over to placid Ox to calm things down, smooth things out, and complete the job in an orderly manner.
Ox years are about endurance and putting in the groundwork to create a solid base through discipline, attention to detail, and a steady, methodical pace. Admirable qualities, of course, but after a whole 12 months of teeth-grindingly slow progress, enough is enough!
So, now we can wave goodbye to the Dodgy Duo and welcome in a potent new energy, just fizzing with vigour.
Tiger to the Rescue
According to the Chinese, the Tiger is the King of beasts. The God Tsai Shen Yeh is usually pictured riding into the world on a black tiger bringing wealth and good fortune. So, Tiger years are regarded as fortunate – though unpredictable – and Black Tiger years are even more favoured by the God.
Traditionally, Tigers are also associated with justice, so a lot of wrongs are set to be righted in Tiger years, and the big cat is also believed to be the guardian and protector of children. To this day, Chinese toddlers often wear shoes and clothing decorated with images of tigers to keep them safe.
To a certain extent, Tiger’s care also extends to the weak and vulnerable in general. So, anyone harming these innocents is likely to feel the wrath of the Tiger this year.
Above all, Tiger energy arrives to heal the spirit-sapping lethargy of the departing Ox year and replace it with exuberant, life-affirming action. Bold, decisive moves are favoured; dithering and delay get penalised.
But just one note of caution. Don’t get too carried away. Another Chinese proverb warns: ‘If you ride the Tiger, it’s difficult to get off.’
In other words, tread carefully and make sure you can finish what you start!
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Do you want to know how you can take most advantage of the opportunities that 2022’s Chinese Year of the Tiger has to offer? Then Linda Dearsley’s latest Chinese Zodiac book, detailing 2022’s horoscope, is just for you.
