New Year, New You! Just Not Yet?

Good bye 2025, the year of the Wood Snake, the year that for many was full of bumps and uncomfortable experiences meant to (not so gently) shed our proverbial skins and open wounds we didn't even know we had. The year that asked us to destroy the patterns we outgrew, close the doors on what no longer aligns, of being laid bare and raw. All with the purpose of moving forward with clarity, of endings, of healing healing so we can build anew, and to be ready to be propelled into 2026, the year of the Fire Horse.

The Fire Horse is what arrives after non functioning systems are torn down, inviting you to step into a more aligned life with momentum and purpose...only...not yet?

In today's Europe and US we immersed in messages of 'New Year, New You!' The Holiday's are over, forget the fun, forget the stress, let's go go go. Midnight has struck, get working on getting that promotion, get started on that workout for that body you always wanted, fix this, fix that, <insert goal here>, just make sure you get going NOW!

So why is every fiber of my being in opposition?

Granted, even in my young adult hood I never truly aligned with celebrating the New Year,

and now in my 40s, I value my sleep way more than ever. I go to bed at my regular time and wake up 5min before midnight to wish my kids and husband a happy new year, because what kid who has at least a rough bedtime doesn't relish in staying up late and for my kids any excuse would do. This time however there is an extra silent rebellion in me that I am not quite accustomed to and as I scrolled through social media in the first week of 2026 I found that many in the Spiritual community are feeling the same. We are feeling a need to rest, to process, to gently and slowly process before moving forward. It doesn't feel strange, it feels natural.

So why is there always such a push for action in January? I have some (maybe) radical ideas about that, but that is a story for another day. Instead of focusing on the 'why' let's focus on the should be. The actual Chinese New Year in 2026 is on February 17th, so logically the Fire Horse energies wouldn't really hit until then. Let's take it a step further though. We have, here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal Equinox not happening until March 20th. The Vernal Equinox being the day that marks the turning point 'when daylight begins to win out over the night'. In other words Spring. The time when we see the natural world renew itself. Right now in the Norther Hemisphere we are still in the throws of Winter. Nature is asleep, and here in CT it's freaking cold. We've got snow, we've got cold biting winds, we've got a sunshine that, even when it shows up, doesn't quite warm the heart.

It shouldn't be surprising then when I say that maybe the Gregorian calendar is wrong, maybe the true start of the new year should be when everything around us awakens. This may not be a new concept to many of you as it's not something I came up with, but maybe some of us need a gentle reminder, or maybe it's something you haven't ever really considered but somewhere deep within yourself it feels aligned.

So, if you're feeling pressured to zip or you're feeling like you're just not ready to step into all the things the net is saying about 2026 and the Fire Horse, know that it is ok. You are not alone. I invite and welcome you to rest, to allow yourself the space to integrate the lessons and changes of the past year, to make tiny steps forward and take your time. Forward momentum is coming, just not quite yet.