Tigers of Chinese Astrology are truly a force of nature. They are dependable, unpredictable, fearless, stout-hearted, tender and loving. Tigers have the ability to think on their feet and have a primal desire for adventure and first hand experience of life.
The well-known striped coat of the Tiger reflects yin and yang: the theory/practice of opposites: yes/no; go/stop; high/low; fast/slow; now/later. For those of us who believe animals can think, we can see—even in our housecats (a smaller version of the Tiger)-- that they are constantly making decisions. When the cat has identified her prey, as she gets a lock on the goal, her tendons and ligaments tighten as she gets ready to run or pounce, she mentally calculates how fast to run, how high to jump, when to attack. It’s decision-making at the highest order. The wild cat that is slow---or wrong---goes hungry.
The springtime (Wood Element) embodies all these decisions too: nature is “deciding” when to emerge; how fast to grow; when to blossom; how much to show itself. Groundhog Day, which is always in the same week as Chinese New Year, is the American equivalent of this decision-making. The groundhog, hearing and feeling the expansion of tree roots, decides when to emerge, and whether to stay out or go back in. With the cues of longer days and the occasional warmth that sporadically appear in late January, the groundhog emerges (at least Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania) to engage in his ritual decision-making.
As we emerge from Winter, we need to use our cleverness. Is this the right time to take off your coat? Is it right to go from being a couch potato to running the marathon? Is it time to leap into action in the garden? We are beginning to get restless as the winter seems to drag on; cabin fever starts to set in. It is so tempting to burst forth too early. Those who do will get sick: taking off the coat too early will leave you vulnerable to colds and flu. Planting the garden too early will yield dead plants as frost can continue well into late March, not to mention sore muscles and tendons from working your body after a long, lazy winter. Telling others your plans too early will leave you bored with them before you actually begin. The spring is a time of tender beginnings. Doing things too soon will yield “a hungry cat.”
Watch how nature slowly emerges in the Spring. There is order, timing, and vulnerability. Emerge slowly and wisely. Make good decisions about when and how to emerge. And when you do, be assertive and embody the power of the Tiger.
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