The Year of the Snake: Shedding, Completion, and Trusting What Falls Away

In Chinese astrology, the Year of the Snake is associated with transformation, intuition, and shedding old skins. It is not a year of flashy growth or instant reward—it is a year of truth. A year that invites us inward. A year that asks us to sit with discomfort long enough to learn what it’s trying to teach us.

The energy of the Snake also mirrors the completion of a nine-year cycle. Nine is the number of endings, closure, and integration. It represents the final chapter before a new beginning—where we gather the wisdom, release what no longer serves, and prepare for the next evolution of self.

For me, this past year embodied that energy fully.

I experienced loss in many areas of my life:
clients I once served with enthusiasm but had outgrown,
romantic relationships that no longer aligned with my values or nervous system,
friendships that felt rooted in old versions of me,
and job opportunities that looked promising but felt misaligned in my body.

Each of these endings came with grief. There was sadness, disappointment, and moments of questioning myself. There were times I wondered if I had done something wrong—if I hadn’t tried hard enough, compromised enough, or held on long enough.

But the deeper truth began to emerge:
misalignment isn’t failure—it’s information.

The Snake teaches us that shedding isn’t violent or dramatic. It’s natural. Necessary. Quiet. The skin falls away when it can no longer support who we’re becoming.

This year asked me to trust that:
anything meant for me will find its way to me,
and anything not meant for me will fall away—no force required.

Letting go doesn’t erase the love, the lessons, or the gratitude. It honors them. It acknowledges that something served its purpose, even if it couldn’t come with me into the next chapter.

From Shedding to Movement: Welcoming the Year of the Horse

As we move into the Year of the Horse, the energy shifts dramatically.

Where the Snake is internal and introspective, the Horse is expansive, powerful, and forward-moving. The Horse represents freedom, vitality, momentum, and trust in one’s direction.

I imagine the Horse standing at the gate of a race—stomping the ground, snorting, muscles engaged, breath strong and fiery. Not frantic. Not impatient. Just alive with readiness.

That image feels deeply resonant right now.

The Year of the Horse is not about hustling or forcing outcomes. It’s about movement that comes from clarity. Motion that’s fueled by alignment. Progress that’s rooted in everything we released to get here.

The shedding of the Snake year created space.
The Horse year invites us to run into that space.

With intention.
With power.
With trust.

Closing with Gratitude

As I consciously close this chapter, I do so with gratitude.

Gratitude for the lessons.
Gratitude for the people who walked with me for a time.
Gratitude for the versions of myself that did the best they could with what they knew.

And gratitude for the person I am becoming—more honest, more discerning, more rooted in alignment.

May we all honor what is ready to be shed.
May we trust the doors that close.
And may we step into this new year ready to move forward—with clarity, courage, and an open heart.