2023: Year of The Water Rabbit

Happy Lunar New Year of the Water Rabbit!

Marked by the New Moon that appears between January 21 and February 20 in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, this period is known as the "Spring Festival" and signifies the beginning of Spring. Although the Spring Equinox does not occur until late-March, Asian cultures consider seasonal beginnings to occur before it’s full manifestation. In this sense, Spring truly begins after the Winter Solstice, as the sunlight increases and the days grow longer in the northern hemisphere.

In Asian medicine and cosmology, the twelve animals of the zodiac are seen in relation to a system of energetic correspondences. Each animal is seen as part of a larger energetic quality, expressed in the stars, the earth, and the human body. From this perspective, the Rabbit corresponds to the 2nd lunar month, the Large Intestine, the hours of 5-7am, and hexagram 34 (Great Strength). All of these correspondences reveal the nature of the Rabbit as an energetic archetype expressed through all of nature.

In Asian folklore, The Rabbit is said to hold the essence of the Moon. It is said that the Rabbit lives on the Moon and that it’s shape is reflected there. In Japanese art, the Rabbit is shown depicted under the Moon grinding ingredients for rice cakes in a mortar. The Moon is the ruler of fluids and essences in the natural world and the human body. Thus, the Moon is closely associated with herbal medicine and the "soma" found therein.

The Rabbit is a peaceful, quiet, diplomatic, and contemplative being—qualities reflected in those born in the Year of the Rabbit. Through its eliminative powers, the Rabbit readily discards the unnecessary, renewing itself with quiet strength.

May this new year bring peace and strength wherever it is needed in your life

Artwork: Rabbit Pounding Rice in a Mortar, Hokugen, 1855.