Year of the Ancestors

We have just stepped into the Year of the Wood Dragon, but what does that mean?

The Year of the Wood Dragon is supposed to be one of growth and expansion but it being a heavily yang energy kind of year (Wood element = yang energy + Dragon = yang energy), an overabundance of yang energy can make finding and maintaining balance challenging. We may experience more tension, conflict, highs and lows, and burn out not just on a personal level but on the collective, global level as well. It can and probably will feel very overwhelming at times, and so it will be important to make time to rest, relax, recharge, and integrate what we are experiencing. We may have to make a point of even deliberately scheduling this time into our busy schedules so we do not miss out from the multi-level benefits of rest. One of my mentors, Mimi Young of Ceremonie, cautions us to make time for intentional pauses so we live the year rather than have the year “live” us.

For a more in-depth understanding of what to expect from this Wood Dragon Year from an awesome, intuitive, animist spirit medium and teacher whose work is rooted in Taoist spiritual practices, I highly recommend checking out Mimi’s YEAR OF THE WOOD DRAGON: FORECASTS FOR THE LUNAR YEAR 2024-2025 workshop that was offered live but is still available as an on-demand offering, and also check out some of her other amazing offerings.

What does my year ahead look like at this point?

Looking ahead, I already know that it’s going to be a year of growth and change for myself and my family. Now that we have settled into our living space and the new rhythm of our daily life (we did a big move in December), we will be working on establishing deeper roots to this land and community; catching the kids up at the their new schools; finding new activities and friend groups for the kids; starting our youngest son in preschool in the fall; I will be coming off of maternity leave and going back to work in a few months but will be working from home and having to juggle work with caring for my baby who won’t even be one year old yet. My partner’s new business venture is really starting to get going and I will be continuing to help support its growth and manage some projects while also taking on some of my own. And who knows what else will come up as we go! It’s going to be A LOT, and as a triple Fire sign (Leo Sun, Sag Moon and Sag Rising), I will be go-go-go and multi-tasking like mad as usual, so this rest thing…it’s going to be crucial. Getting better at scheduling while remaining flexible and open to changes is one of the strategies I will be working with through the year, as well as deliberately setting aside time throughout the day and week for self-care and activities that “refill my cup”. Holding sacred these boundaries will also be part of this work. Perhaps consider ways in which you can incorporate more rest and recharge in your own life, even if it’s just setting aside 5 minutes daily to settle yourself in your breath and in your body. It’s a start!

Another tool I like to use is intention setting, trying my best to stay present in the moment and be purposeful in my thoughts and actions. While this can be applied to the day to day, I also like to consider intention/purpose in terms of the yearly cycle so that I have a touchstone, a framework, an anchor, and safe place to return to when things start to get out of hand. When I find myself feeling a little crazy and overwhelmed in the thick of it, what will be able to bring me back to center and refocus my energies. For me this year, it will be all about the ancestors and feeling myself embraced and supported by the ancestors in all that I do. Thus my Wood Dragon year will be the Year of the Ancestors.

What is the Year of the Ancestors?

Yes, it’s a term currently being used by the wonderful Nancy Hendrickson who wrote Ancestral Tarot and Ancestral Grimoire–two resources I will be working with this year. Her work coincidentally (or not so coincidentally!) found me just as I had decided to go deeper with my own ancestor work so it is fitting.

Quite simply, for me it just means that my spiritual focus for the year will be on deepening my connection to my ancestors and cultural heritage, continuing personal and lineage healing work, engaging in quality family time, and also reclaiming ancestral power and joy. It’s a continuation of what I have been doing the last few years but where before I felt like I was in a more exploratory phase, I now feel like I am ready to cycle deeper. My personal studies around Taoism, slowly learning the Cantonese language, practicing tai chi and qi gong, and engaging in ancestor work will not only continue but will be a bit more guided and disciplined as I work through various courses and workshops I have found and keep finding (there’s more out there than I ever thought!). I hope to check out more online offerings and groups to see what else and who else is out there in hopes of finding community and expanding my network, and while that part can feel a little scary in terms of having to find the courage again to put myself out there in new and unfamiliar spaces, the inner work I have been doing the last 6 months has only helped remind me that I am entirely capable and ready for this expansion.

I have a whole new set of tools and resources to leverage and I will be using this space to share them as I go along, in hopes of signal boosting and maybe helping others find the tools and resources they need to do their own work. Now, it might seem like I am just piling more “work” on top of the slew of life happenings I mentioned above, but in all honesty, tending to my roots in this way–strengthening my foundation, healing, and empowering myself–only makes me stronger and more capable of serving the wider community, which includes my family, me Sisters, my fellow humans (especially those in dire need of others to show up and stand up for them right now–Guardian energy, rawr!). I love it. I am grateful for it. My ancestors continue to live through me and it’s my responsibility to live this life to the fullest and pass on what I have learned to the next generations. I truly believe that. So this “work”, is really about me experimenting with the various above mentioned tools as points of connection with those who have come before so that their strength and wisdom can come through and help support my living through life now and building towards a better tomorrow.

My family book

Spirit, mind, emotions, the body…all interconnected. Past, present, future…all interconnected. Those who came before, those who are here now, and those who will come after…all interconnected. I personally choose to put a lot of work into tending to my spirit because I know it ultimately feeds and supports the other aspects of my self and my life. One of my teachers, Orion Foxwood (whose Under Country ancestor healing work as part of his Faery Seership teachings has been instrumental in my own personal healing work), always says that we cannot curse our roots and bless our fruits. I take this to mean we cannot expect a hearty, bountiful life if we don’t tend to our roots, whether those be our foundations and core aspects of our life (things like health, physical security, financial security, etc.), ancestry and family connections, or coming to terms with shadows of our past. Of course, what this looks like for each person is different–your mileage may vary based on many factors–but this type of healing, strengthening and reconciliation work is just as important as working on the “now” things and planning the way forward.

I will share bits of my ancestral work in this space that may be interesting or perhaps helpful for others, among other things. ♥