The Year of the Iron Rabbit is transitioning into the Year of the Water Dragon. Above, our sticky rabbit friend seems reluctant to let go, so he is imitating a fire-breathing dragon.
We never know what any year will bring. Trying to find out is what keeps diviners in business. For a long time now, I have entertained a doubt about Asian astrology in general, to the effect that it is one year "off." What I mean by this is last year, Year of the Iron Rabbit, was in many respects more like Year of the Iron Tiger in its characteristics. So, if you believe that, this Year of the Dragon will in fact be more like a Year of the Rabbit.
I have never found anyone who agrees with my suspicion, save a JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, California) scientist I met online once. He uses JPL's computing power to pin down lunar dates, and he claimed that this was, in fact, correct: all Asian lunar calendars are one year off.
The ubiquitous Wan Ni'en Li, found in almost every Chinese household, is no longer current -- the last entry for this book published annually since 1912 is January 22, 2012. Doubtless, there will be new editions.
By all conventional calculations, Monday, January 23, 2012, marks the first day of the lunar year Water Dragon. We have already published our Tibetan astrological assessment of the year, so consult that if you are interested.
In the meantime, enjoy the holidays. Asia is more or less closed for the next month so cares will be difficult to find. This is a good time for family, meetings with friends, earnest practice, and... give that sticky rabbit a rest before he gets into any more mischief!
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