2025 Lunar & Chinese New Year of the Green Wood Snake
Happy Happy Chinese New Year – a children’s book by Demi (author).
Chinese New Year 2025 of the Green Wood Snake – a year of growth, creativity, expansion and transformation. In vases for Chinese New year – plum blossoms, bamboo, orchids and chrysanthemums – in shades of berry red, nightfall violet and sunlight yellow – these signify the florals and colors for the Lunar Chinese New Year.
For countries that observe the lunar calendar (as opposed to the solar Sun calendar), January 29, 2025, is the Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year are the same celebrations. Within these cultures, the Lunar New Year (at new moon time) is the most important festival of the year. I will focus on Chinese New Year as it reflects most of the same information in all the countries.
An illuminating culmination to the Lunar New Year is the Lantern Festival celebrated at the full moon (Wednesday, February 12).
2025 – Year of the Snake. Snake follows Dragon Year (2024) and precedes Horse Year (2026). Lunar New Year celebrations begin with family visitations, lion and dragon dances to expel evil spirits, fireworks, firecrackers, gift giving, and the offering of red envelopes filled with money, all to usher in good fortune and prosperity.
Lunar and Chinese New Year is a Spring Festival, a cultural event of family reunions, traditional foods and festive decorations (red in color), marking the beginning of the lunar new year.
The Wood Snake, the sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac, is orderly, intelligent with a refined and artistic sense of taste, style and design. Snake represents wisdom, metamorphosis and, like Scorpio, deep intuition. Snake presents to the world a certain mysterious charm and grace.
Lunar Snake Years are – 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, 1917, 1905. Years of the Wood Snake are 1905, 1965, 2025.
Following are books and folktales on Chinese New Year and/or snakes –
Happy Happy Chinese New Year, by Demi (2003); Legend of the White Snake, by Q.E. Zhao, (classical Chinese love story by multiple authors, ancient and new);
Lady White Snake, a tale for Chinese Opera; The Rainbow Serpent, by Charles Hulley; The Year of the Snake: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac, by Oliver Clyde Chin (2013). Another rainbow serpent book, an Australian book, a tale from Dreamtime, is The Rainbow Serpent, by Dick Roughsey.
ARIES: There is a book by Alice Bailey (scribe for the Tibetan Teacher Djwhal Khul) entitled “Serving Humanity.” It’s one of the first books, actually a compilation, given to new aspirants seeking to study the Ancient Wisdom teachings. In creating the astrology for each sign each week, your chart showed great emphasis and interest in community, the future, and a dedication to help care for and serve humanity. Since you’re being ‘called,’ this book will serve you.
TAURUS: There is an attitude and method of action that would assist you in the tremendous amounts of work appearing and needing attention in your life. The attitude that is best is to “just do it,” small daily consistent steps; this method helps us to have patient and conscious (thus wise) control of time. The results are that we grow in courage, strength, dispassion, recognition and love for what is real. Then our light increases, which is what Taurus, is all about – illumination- the harmonious Buddha mind.
GEMINI: It is good for you to seek perfection in action. During Aquarius we are summoned to serve humanity and your sign of Gemini, receiving the light of Ray 2 (Love/Wisdom) from the Big Dipper, loves humanity. You are called not to spectacular chimeras (daydreams) of service but to the instant application of doing perfectly what is in front of you. You realize life progresses by small steps and that each step taken at the right time creates accuracy. You are then impressed with the entire picture of life, and a rare beauty emerges.
CANCER: Your task is adaptability allowing you to step up and out of judgment, which actually creates good clear judgment. Part of the wisdom of all who serve is to remember that we all pass through the Hall of Learning before entering the Hall of Knowledge, then into the Hall of Wisdom. All of our contacts, interactions, actions and endeavors are part of our training. Each day we gather past life talents, abilities and knowledge. Each day we add to this body of knowledge. A daily task is to notice inspiration arising from knowledge. This is the gift of Pallas Athena.
LEO: Leo’s, when the Soul is directing their personality, serve with love, care, compassion and most of all, the fire of spontaneity. Should you find that your influence is somehow shadowed, know this is a temporary preparatory stage for greater leadership and influence and to a greater gathering of power in service to humanity. Leos are leaders, they lead intensely, they love deeply and so they must be trained with a special spiritual intense focus. You will serve all who seek your aid when the need arises. As this has already begun, rest when you can.
VIRGO: You are aware the path to your inner self (place of refuge, inner sanctuary and sanctum) is the way of outer service. We are dependable servers if we walk in the light of our own Soul. Attempt to step away from any sort of extremity which makes for an unreliable disciple. Instead, be always in contact with the Soul, which offers direction, guidance, and comfort. The Soul also reveals the ‘love that underlies the happenings of the times.’ When this is known, true esoteric service and harmlessness result. These you seek.
LIBRA: There are days when quietness and contemplation become your strength. In our present times, with constant adjustments occurring in everyone’s world (yours especially), necessity arises and calls for those who harmonize, think clearly, have accurate discrimination and proceed toward the undisturbed inner life. These are creative attitudes. They offer a deep service to humanity and provide a model of undisturbed trust. These you can do and be as you balance life on the “razor’s edge,” all of which teach you kindness.
SCORPIO: After many lives, and as experiences of betrayal mark your heart forever, you will see that personal(ity) aspects of your life fade out and your main preoccupation becomes “What is my service at this time, this life, this week, today, this moment?” “Who are the people or kingdoms (animal, plant, mineral) I can help?” “What aspects of the work should I give most attention to now?” The answers arising from these questions are based on your balanced intelligence and intentions for Goodwill. Think on these many questions, answers and things.
SAGITTARIUS: Being the philosopher of the zodiac, you ask so many questions of your life. And so here are some answers. When you have learned to be silent (The Archer is one of two signs of silence) about yourself and what you think and feel and do, then the richness of your contribution to life itself, to love, to humanity, and to the earth will be so great that your field of service and your power to cooperate will become expanded to the point that your heart will break (again). So that more Light (and more service) can be offered by you.
CAPRICORN: While serving others, have the daily patience to tend to health and well-being. The true disciple (one called to serve) is known by the influences made upon one’s environment. The true Initiate (Capricorn task) is known by the wide scope of world service. You are distinguished by such service even as you work on primary relationships, fulfill family obligations of ancient origins, and thus “clear the deck” for a more comprehensive and uninterrupted service to humanity at a later time. Know that our lives are spiritually complicated and all that we do is always good. At the end of the day, the day is always good.
AQUARIUS: You are the sign of serving humanity while Pisces is the sign of saving humanity. One builds upon the other. It is good to know the difference so when you interact with a Pisces you know your separate tasks apart from Pisces tasks. Even though you may think you are not doing effective service on the outer planes of life, your very life itself is a service. Hardly anyone tells us this because it is not realized by most. Even great thinkers fail to see that our very lives are dedications to service. Can you, will you remember this in the future?
PISCES: Simplicity is to be your guide. Where you find yourself is where your service is. Reach out not to the entire planet but to those around you to fulfill present needs and your spiritual tasks. Before sleep each night, remember your daily review. This means thinking backward, reviewing the day from end to beginning, night to morning. Where situations did not contain Goodwill, re-visualize them occurring with Goodwill intact. This exercise prepares us for our final hours on earth and the Bardos (transition toward the light) that follow. Ohm. Every day is a good day to die. Then we are ready.
