In the lunar Chinese Zodiac, 2025 has been the painful year of the wood snake – a year of shedding what no longer serves, leaving behind what we will not take with us into the lunar new year of the fire horse. Powered by fierce elemental fire, 2026's horse will race forward unencumbered by old ways of being.
Photo by Alexey Demidov
The image of the snake shedding its skin and the ourobous curled around itself with its tail in its mouth, has long been a symbol of transformation, rebirth and eternal return. The mysterious snake is both sinuous and wise, as the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians knew – snake venom can both harm and heal, as can their saliva. The snake on the staff of the Greek healer Asclepius reminds us that healing wounds may require debridement or surgery…effectively, shedding. Combined with the growth, flexibility and vitality of the wood element, there is a sense that the wood snake encourages us to shed what doesn't serve our futures. The purification of this shedding positions us for the very different energies of the fire horse.
Photo by EduRaW Pro
For millennia, horses have represented freedom, strength and untamed spirits, accompanying humanity on their journeys between worlds, both material and spiritual, across cultures. The darker side of horse energy is how they have also accompanied humans through generations of war, battle and destruction, as much as horses have also helped us domesticate the wilder landscapes. The enduring image of the four horsemen of the apocalypse: Conquest, War, Famine and Death remain relevant archetypes in human consciousness.
Photo by Emre Ayata
Horses have a natural affinity for fire, with their passion and power. 2026 is a double fire year, as the fire horse burns away the old to rebuild and dramatically transform in non-synchronous and chaotic ways. I view the fire as also necessary to burn away the lingering energies shed by the wood snake, completing the cycle of change embodied by the ourobous.
Photo by Björn Austmar Þórsson
Personal transformation is messy, ugly, and quite frankly, distinctly unfun. You might call it going through the dark night of the soul, dancing with your shadow, or maybe even just the universe having a laugh. In the midst of this immersion in the dark, it can be hard to appreciate the depth of the change we are going through. No wonder why 2025 has felt so heavy and challenging for so many of us. The transformational energies of the wood snake are so powerful and strong that we are challenged to change, whether we wish to or not. In the process of the snake shedding, we are confronted with what lies beneath that skin – the hidden secrets, shame and pain that we would really rather not meet. And these personal experiences have played out on a global level…are you moved by images of children being on the front lines of wars, or would you rather scroll away? The snake is relentless, showing us what needs attention and healing, both personally and in humanity. We can no longer hide away or hide from the open wounds that still bleed or fester.
Photo by Deanna Arroyo
I was reminded by a wonderful friend recently, that perhaps I had focused too much on my own shedding over the past year and not enough on what I had gained from the shedding. She wondered out-loud if perhaps, I took enough time to celebrate my gains and taken time to be grateful for me.
I was taken aback. I practice gratitude regularly, and thought I'd gotten fairly good with appreciating what the universe provides…and then I clocked what she was saying. I'm GREAT at appreciating others – the people in my life, synchronicities and happenstances, as well as the free coffees that I'm occasionally offered at my coffee haunt of choice (IYKYK!). I'm a whole lot less great at appreciating me. Perhaps I'm better at recalling the painful than the joyful? Ulp!
Photo by Ivan Siarbolin
As my friend pointed out, none of the past year would have happened without my involvement and knowing my propensity for charging onward onto the next target, she reminded me that perhaps I needed to take a pause and reflect on what I've achieved. This is weird for me. When I was in the corporate world, this was the time of year when I would dread the last minute requests for 360 feedback queuing up on Friday night, due Monday…and the last write up would always be my own evaluation. I got better over the years at keeping track throughout the year, but writing about my achievements was always an existential crisis…because I struggle with appreciating me…
Photo by cottonbro studio
Many athletes use a visualisation called the wall of achievement. The wall is built brick by brick, from early foundations of all their achievements. Each time, they build the wall brick by brick, reminding them of every step and every goal attained, locking in their own appreciation of self. The wall is secured and solid, so that by the time they step out into the world stage to perform, they remember what they are capable of. Every time they remember their struggles, blood sweat and tears, they ALSO recall their outcomes and successes. And it is dawning on me that I don't do this enough.
If I adapt the wall of achievement (and you're welcome to go ahead to experiment with your own wall if that feels appropriate for you too!), and focus on what I've shed with the powerful energy of the snake, and reflect on where that's taken me, then I have a view of what I'm taking with me into 2026 to be empowered by the energies of the fire horse.
Photo by Rishav Singha
Shedding the Snakeskin
In no particular order, here are my ponderings on some of the key things I feel that I've shed in 2025:
- Getting out of survival mode – no more lying down on the floor for lectures because I simply didn't have the energy to sit up and focus. My inner shoe geek has many opinions on the shoe choices of my very understanding peers!
- Weekly meetings with multiple medical teams for long covid recovery. Brain fog and exhaustion ruled my life for years. The multi-year journey to recovery reached a turning point this year, and I'm finally back to being me, without having to measure my breaths, steps or pace myself!
- My medical timetable spreadsheet to keep track of when to take what and how…
- Having my lovely legal teams on speed dial for 25 long months, whilst navigating a rather challenging and uncomfortable divorce (don't miss you but am VERY grateful to you all!)
- Insomnia. 2025 was a low sleep year as stress stole away rest. Having thrown everything, including the kitchen sink into sleep (that's an article for another month!), I'm finally back to restful sleep.
- Involuntary nap times are no longer a regular requirement! I have often felt like a cranky toddler over the past year, when I haven't taken a nap, and am glad that I'm back to voluntary napping!
- So many, many emotions. Anger, sadness, pain, and grief have been frequent companions during my sojourn in the dark. We need to feel to heal, making space for all of my feels has been both needed and exhausting.
- Weekly lectures as part of completing my 5 year training as an integrated transpersonal psychotherapist (more on this below!)
Photo by Average GUY
Foundations
What has fallen into place as I have gone through my shedding…
- Beginning to build my private psychotherapy practice
- Rebuilding my coaching and meditation practice as I return to work
- Setting up a Community Interest Company In8 Shala with my business partner to build a community around traditional hatha yoga and meditation. (Yup, I do know this is the 3rd startup in my orbit!)
- Creating a sanctuary in my new home
- Integrated daily personal practice of yoga, yoga nidra and meditation
- Functional training sessions in the gym with my trainer, and feeling energised rather than exhausted afterwards
- Playing the piano again, without feeling as if my arms were made of lead
- Singing without having to measure my breaths
- A sleep routine that works, with uninterrupted sleep – so so so grateful for this!
- Starting to specialise by starting my MA in child and family therapy…and back to weekly lectures!
- Connection and community: I feel that I am fortunate to have found my soul family, bright souls who have gone out of their way to support, encourage me, and hold me up during the most challenging periods, even during my period of hermitting, of cocooning in the dark.
- And underlying all of this is my sense of a deep self-compassion, joy and freedom. This past year has been tough, and it's given me resilience, peace of mind, and a core certainty in myself.
Photo by Ioana Motoc
As we transition into the lunar new year of the fire horse on 15th February 2026, I feel supported by my foundations that will keep me grounded and on solid ground, as the firey fire horse launches forward into the next lunar year.
Who knows how next year will unfold?
Who knows what the future might bring?
What I do know, is that I am at peace with myself, and I've returned home to myself. And in that vein, I really am grateful for me – I kinda think I did good ;).
I invite you to take stock of what you have surrendered or shed under the auspices of the wood snake, and what that has brought you to as you launch into the creative and powerful year of the fire horse. After the shedding, we unlock rapid change , embracing the fun part of change!
Photo by Polina
I wish you joy, compassion and freedom as you walk free of the wood snake and run towards the friendly fire of the fire horse. May the lunar year of 2026 bring you the warmth and flames of the racing horse.
Main – Photo by Daniel Duarte
About the Author: Winnie Man
