2022 – The Year of the Tiger
Jefferson Breland
(1/2022) The Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year or Chinese Spring Festival), one of the traditional Chinese festivals, is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people. It originated during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC), and it is an important time for families to gather, similar to Christmas Day for Westerners. It is also a time to hope for the return of spring, to welcome prosperity, wealth, and longevity, and a time to remove any negative qi (pronounced "chee") from the past. There is even a tradition prior to the New Year for every family to thoroughly clean the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes of making way for good incoming luck.
Chinese calendar history: The Chinese calendar was originated by the Yellow Emperor Huang Ti, and has been in use for centuries. The Chinese calendar is called a lunar calendar but is really a calendar based on both the moon and the sun. The Gregorian calendar, which the world uses today (originated 430 years ago) is purely a solar calendar. (The Chinese Lunar New Year always begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice, in case you were wondering why it’s on a different date every year.)
The twelve animals of the Chinese calendar: The Chinese calendar is made of five, twelve-year cycles. Each of the twelve years of the Chinese calendar is appointed one of the following 12 animal’s names (in this order): rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon (the only mythological animal), snake, horse, goat/sheep/ram, monkey, fowl/rooster, dog, and pig/boar. The animal that rules the year of your birth is said to exercise a major influence over your life, and that year in general.
There is a legend of how these animals came to be in the Chinese zodiac. In it, and there are a number of versions, either the Buddha or the Jade Emperor (the Emperor of Heaven), held a competition open to all animals to see who would take their place in the twelve positions of the zodiac. How these animals competed gives clues to their strengths and their inner natures. Some people take the meanings of the animals more literally and base life decisions on their interpretation. Others, use the concept or lens of the animals’ natures as a way to live more fully and become more aware of certain aspects of their lives.
(For the sake of simplicity, I shall be using masculine pronouns to refer to both tigers and tigresses.)
On January 31 the year of the Ox will come to a close. The Ox, generally speaking, represents hard work, predictability, honoring traditions, and quiet, fair, leadership. The third sign of the Chinese zodiac, the Tiger, on the other hand, represents quite a different set of qualities. The daring, powerful, and passionate personality of the Tiger can be a exhilarating presence. February 1 through January 21, 2023 is the Year of the Tiger.
I find it very interesting that the stability of the year of the Ox is followed by the dynamic, rebellious, colorful, and less predictable Year of the Tiger. This can be seen as an example of Yin Yang Theory applied on a cultural level. The Ox with its deliberate, no-nonsense nature represents qualities of Yin energy. The Tiger’s less predictable, questioning, vivacious nature represents Yang energy.
Tiger Personality: If you were born in one of the following years, your sign is the Tiger
February 13, 1926 – February 1, 1927; January 31, 1938 - February 18, 1939; February 17, 1950 – February 5, 1951; February 5, 1962 - January 24, 1963; January 23, 1974 – February 10, 1975; February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987; January28, 1998 – February 15, 1999; February 14, 2010 – February 2, 2011
The Tiger is know for being impulsive, fiery, and whole-hearted. People rarely have a neutral experience of a Tiger. You either love him or hate him. Either way, he loves being the focus of attention. The Tiger’s impulsiveness and joie d’ vivre are very contagious. He represents the fullness of life on the edge of society reminding us how exhilarating it is to throw caution to the wind and live moment to moment.
Always ready for action due to their fearless and restless nature, the Tiger is treasured for being able to fend off the main threats to a home: fire, thieves, and ghosts.
Curiously, the tiger has a softer side as well. He is a lover of babies, endangered species, sick or orphaned animals, exotic plants, and anything that catches their imagination or attention. You may feel slighted by his attention to his passions if you are not one of them. He will always commit himself to whatever is in front of him.
There are no half measures with the Tiger. They are "all in" all the time unless they aren’t. Paradoxically, the tiger’s two main imperfections are rashness and indecision. If he is able to learn moderation, the world will be the Tiger’s oyster.
When sad and dejected, the Tiger will need lots of sympathy of the most sincere kind. Don’t try to rationalize with him, logic does not work with the Tiger. He will listen closely to your advice, and may not take it. It is the Tiger’s nature. Simply be there for him, listen, console, hold his paw, until he is finished speaking. Once he has collected himself, he will kiss you, hug you, and you will feel as if you have saved his very being.
At his best, he is warm, sensitive, and sympathetic. At his worst, he is obstinate, unreasonable, and selfish without being aware of it. Tiger has a huge ego, great success means nothing if his ego is hurt. When wronged or defeated, the Tiger can be a mean and petty bully. He will seek revenge by any means necessary. Little slights may enrage him while letting larger issues go without a word. Tigers hate being ignored.
At heart, the Tiger is a romantic; simultaneously playful, passionate, and sentimental. They can be over-possessive and quarrelsome when jealous.
The fundamental nature of the Tiger serves them best in his younger years as he pursues his dreams and make a name for himself. If a Tiger can learn to relax and let go of regrets later in their life, he will be peaceful. If not, look out.
Overall, the Tiger’s life can be very dynamic. Every emotion will be expressed at the fullest level. Joy and laughter, despair, tears, pain, grief, anger, and sadness will be obvious to all who witness. The key here is to never feel sorry for the Tiger. He doesn’t need it. Living life to the maximum is how he loves to live life. No matter what challenges befall him, he is an eternal optimist who will bounce back for more of what life has to offer.
The best Chinese zodiac animals for the Tiger to befriend are the Pig/Boar, Horse, and Dog. The Tiger will also get along well with the Rat, Sheep, Rooster, and even another Tiger.
The least compatible animal is the Ox. The Snake is also not a good friend. Though they share a suspicious nature, there will never be harmony between the Tiger and Snake. The ever wise-cracking Monkey will have a field day making fun of the Tiger who will lose his temper and make a fool of himself.
Notable people born in the Year of the Tiger: Ludwig van Beethoven, composer; Dwight D. Eisenhower, soldier and President; Stevie Wonder, musician; Tom Cruise, actor; Marco Polo, explorer; Oscar Wilde, writer; Karl Marx, political theorist; Kenny Rogers, musician, Leonardo DiCaprio, actor; Lady Gaga, musician/actor; Kathleen Breland, my sister: Marilyn Monroe, actor; Queen Elizabeth II of England; Drake, musician; Amy Adams, actor; Agatha Christie, writer; Charles de Gaulle, French soldier, President; Beatrix Potter, writer.
General Predictions for the Year of the Tiger: 2022 will be a dynamic and favorable year for the Tiger. With proper attention, all goals are within reach, especially with monetary rewards and personal relationships. Tigers will experience good health. Vacations with family are highly recommended, though I think this is always a good idea.
Be well.
Jefferson Breland is a board-certified acupuncturists licensed in Pennsylvania
and Maryland with offices in Gettysburg and Towson, respectively.
He can be reached at 410-336-5876.
Read past editions of Complementy Corner
