“Hallo, Rabbit,” he said, “is that you?”

“Let’s pretend it isn’t,” said Rabbit, “and see what happens.”

•  A. A. Milne

Yin Water Black Rabbit ~

If  2022’s Tiger year brought us intensity and some exhaustion, then we certainly welcome 2023’s Year of the Rabbit and its good fortune, whether it comes in the form of wealth, fertility, or productivity. Rabbit years can be creative and fueled with energy, but it emanates great patience and tenderness.

In the Chinese Zodiac, the Rabbit is the fourth animal. In the legend of the Great Race, Rabbit was gentle and not competitive in the race, and still placed early!

Rabbit can be seen in the symbol of the moon; perhaps in its shadows, you can see it and represent reflection mixed with confidence, earnestness, and creativity. This year, the past sacrifices will be rewarded in a forward motion and good fortune. But you must let go of old patterns and embrace Rabbit’s ability to be agile.  Let go and let it flow!

In addition to the Rabbit’s peaceful energy, the Water element brings intuition and inner peace. Water is all about tapping into our inner wisdom and trusting our instincts. It causes us to tune into our emotions, sensitive to those around us.

Remember, Rabbits can hop around any obstacle using ambition, effusive energy, and skill.

General Energies

Rabbits must live with at least one other rabbit at all times to feel safe. As social animals, they also enjoy eating together, grooming, and lying down together to keep each other warm. Living together will also make sure that they have companionship. Our year 2023 will be influenced by this energy, with couples coming together, groups forming, and political alliances strengthening. The development of unions and associations will be slow-forming, like a leisurely river system, but their depth will be profound.

To escape the cold and keep warm, rabbits often find shelter in underground dens they have lined with grass, straw, and twigs for insulation. We, too, will find parts of the Rabbit year where we are drawn to the safety of hibernation. Although couples and groups may be forming and are very important, do not neglect the importance of alone time and independence. This deep Yin time will stir creativity this year.

Prosperity

Depending on your unique zodiac animal, financial forecasts will vary, but generally, a rabbit year is fortuitous for investing and developing wealth. Be sure to consider mother nature in your investment strategies in this yin water year; environmentally-conscious funding will be rewarded. Think wind, solar and other alternative and nature based investment strategies.  Rather than striking out on your own, consider financial planning with partners and professionals this year.

Self Care

Take that Rabbit compassion you’re known for, and water yourself with it! Since this is a Water and Yin year, and water is ever-changing and flowing, we need to keep our Qi and blood flowing along with the energy of the year. Cue Qi moving activities like Tai Qi, qi gong, acupuncture, swimming, dancing, anything that gets you hoppin’ and bouncing like a rabbit. Tap into the water nature of this year by taking walks alongside oceans and rivers, take off your shoes, and feel the rushing water surrounding your feet as you breathe in deeply, nourishing Yin energies. If you haven’t tried the ultimate Yin Water activity of a sensory quieting floatation tank, this is the perfect year for it. Guided meditation with water themes would fit the year, dive into our Water meditation in our 5 Element Guided Meditation series for a reflective moment of watery peace.

Social Spirit

Another Yin year means another year of the feminine. Women’s rights, reproductive rights, and children’s access to education are all social justice movements that will be supported by a rabbit year. Rabbits do not participate in fighting; rather they stomp their hind feet in protest. Thumping the back foot is a natural reaction by rabbits to perceived danger they have smelled, heard, or seen. Rabbits stand on all four feet, sometimes even alert in a tip-toe position, with their ears reaching upward. They  lift their hind feet and thump to warn other rabbits about danger. This community spirit, speaking out when someone else is in danger, and alerting each other to injustices, will prevail this year for all of us listening.

Medical Breakthroughs

The year of the Black Water Rabbit has an opportunity to affect the population in many positive ways. Rabbits, as social creatures, will influence widespread medical developments, like continued vaccine breakthroughs and new medical cures. The Kidneys and Urinary Bladder organs and meridians directly influence the Water element. In Chinese medical theory, these organs affect fertility, children’s development, low back pain, knee pain, and sexual health conditions like erectile dysfunction and healthy libido. A Yin— female— year, coupled with a Water sign, could lead to medical breakthroughs in sexual health functions and the elimination of sexually transmitted diseases that affect many people. It should also lend an energetic hand in further acceptance of the fluidity of gender choice and identity.

Congratulations to all of us! We completed a challenging 2022 year of the Tiger. It was full of provocations, and some of us may have been a little too eager to pounce. We now collectively transition into the 2023 Rabbit year, a time to come together and look out for one another while celebrating collective achievements. Remember, a single bunny is a lonely bunny, so get together with the energy of new and treasured loved ones, animals or pets, and the spirit of mother earth this year if you feel off.

When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, But REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” – Velveteen Rabbit

Written by author Katherine Factor and acupuncturist Kerry Boyle.  More about Katherine’s work and services: https://kfactorwrites.com/.  More about Kerry and  Integrative Acupuncture at acupunctureinvermont.com.

Sources:

Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander), 1882-1956. Winnie-the-Pooh. [New York] :Harper Children’s Audio, 2003.

Salten, F., Cooney, B., & Chambers, W. (1988). Bambi. Aladdin Paperbacks.

“RSPCA KNOWLEDGEBASE.” RSPCA Knowledgebase, https://kb.rspca.org.au/.

Williams, Margery. 2004. The Velveteen Rabbit. London, England: Egmont Books.

“Yin Black Rabbit Forecast 2023.” Lotus Institute, https://lotusinstitute.com/blogs/faces-and-places/yin-black-rabbit-forecast-2023.

Special thanks to Donna Stellhorn and  CT Holman at Lotus Institute,

For more information, consider a deeper understanding of Chinese Astrology with Chinese Metaphysics Career Coach Paulynne Cheng, whose lecture on January 17, 2023 with Pacific College informed some of this content.

Disclaimer: This is intended for entertainment purposes only. We cannot guarantee outcomes around these predictions, and you are solely responsible for your interpretation. This newsletter is no substitute for medical treatment or advice.