Year of the Water Tiger
Kado island with Abbot Daian Sayama Roshi’s bonsai “Myo” at 2021 Art Show.
By Norma Kaweloku Wong Roshi
2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger. Already upon us, the Tiger is impatiently taking up the space the Ox was unable to occupy in its blessed and cursed deliberateness. Ambitious and desirous of covering more and more ground, the Tiger’s energy is about engaging and driving ideas. Although the Water Tiger is more easy-going than most, the rhythm will still be unpredictable… asleep at times, with bursts of aggressive pursuit. There will be fits and starts. The Tiger will claim the center and fight for it, but how does this play out when there are multiple and opposing views of center? Such are the times.
In most years, the people born in the sign at polar odds in the zodiac have inherent challenges. This is the Monkey’s year to feel the grit and rub. The Monkey will feel constrained by the paradox of danger and missed opportunity in the expansive fields of energy that humans are inclined to eagerly meet at times, only to disengage with no apparent reason—at least from the viewpoint of the Monkey. That said, Monkeys will shine if they embrace supportive roles as their insight bridges gaps and are valuable for those who are otherwise caught up in the Tiger’s rapture.
The Snake will similarly feel the discomfort of not having much control at all in the year’s free wheeling rhythm and kiai. Since control is the operating system of the Snake, this will mean that the Snake will frequently be in a fight with self. The challenge and opportunity are about unclenching and allowing for play. If open to working with others, then satisfaction may be found in being a valuable part of directing actions, though not necessarily with responsibility for implementing actions (which would be vexing for all who are not Snakes).
Which brings us to the Tiger—joyful, excited, competitive, creating an emotional roller-coaster by just acceding to the natural impulses of the year. This may very well mean that commitments made by the Tiger—though well-intentioned—will not hold in the long-term. The seemingly bountiful and generous environment could cause the Water Tiger to spend through resources with little regret until well after the fact. To self-mitigate, a wise Tiger will engage trusted counsel to ask, pause, and listen before giving up or leaping.
Sheep will be mostly happy, though challenged by the highly charged environments and high stakes (as seen through the Sheep’s lens). This is a better year for Sheep to make connections of people and ideas than to advance pursuits. Getting a head start on things whenever the energy is quieter and rhythm slower will give the Sheep the head start needed to make modest progress on a handful of projects.
The periods of fast-moving rhythm and charged kiai will bring drama for the Rat, messing up the order a Rat craves. Others will experience the Rat as holding on to too many small things. Judicious pruning of the many to just a few will bring more satisfaction and success. If the Rat is able to shift perspective and let go of judgement of the large egos and short attention spans that are endemic in a Tiger year, then Rat can be a valuable asset to self and others.
The quickening kiai will bring some relief to the burden the Ox has carried for an entire year and longer. Staying close to home, the Ox can get the respite needed before taking up the work again. This is the time to pause, release tension, and be open to new friendships. With less tension, the Ox can take more chances than previously possible.
The Dog will again rely on the strength and loyalty to the pack and have fun in the process. Emboldened by Tiger year energy, the Dog may overreach, and unintentionally slight friends by assuming things, or acting without inviting others. The first part of the year will fully occupy the Dog, and the end of year will lazily play itself out without much interest in attending to the affairs at hand.
The Boar’s kiai and enthusiasm align with the Tiger and accentuate the inherent generosity of the Boar as well as whatever indulgences that are their signature desires. This may result in blind generosity, over-commitments and grandiosity that won’t be regretted until sometime down the line. The Boar needs friends and partners who will help put on the breaks when needed without dampening all of the Boar’s joie de vivre.
The Rooster will rejoice in the many opportunities that will present themselves. This will be an energizing year, though tiring, unaccustomed as the Rooster is to the quick turns in pathways, ebbs and flows. Think of a Rooster who can’t decide which side of the street has the best food. Though tempted, the Rooster should not start new ventures with unknown partners as the following year of the Rabbit won’t be as conducive for the Rooster.
This will be an active, entertaining and socially abundant time for the Horse. The Tiger energy is a stimulant that fills the Horse with nearly boundless possibilities. If left unchecked, this may result in a high spending year. The Horse’s enthusiasm may be dampened but will nonetheless be well served by exercising discipline of time and budget. This will have to be self-discipline because the Horse is unlikely to take counsel in such a high kiai year.
This will also be an exciting and enjoyable year for the Dragon, who will have a good time riding the surges and the pauses of Tiger rhythm. The only trouble will be if the Dragon detaches, forgets, or actively ignores the Dragon’s formidable instincts. Paying attention to the flow, the Dragon can act in advance of the sudden turns that can happen in the Tiger year.
Which brings us to the Rabbit, who will both see and take advantage of openings more than any other. This will be an adventurous time for the brave part of the Rabbit, even though the high emotions that are likely to occur for many will be uncomfortable. Because of this, the Rabbit will naturally migrate to close relationships who are steady in their demeanor, though still high in spirit.
There is the usual and foundational warning that this is not a prediction as much as it is a forecast. It is possible to have foreknowledge because the rhythms and energies of the universe and their impact on human behaviors have been studied over thousands of years. Ultimately, we are intended to be humans—not Monkeys or Dogs or Rabbits. So it is in our best evolutionary interest to understand the probability of habits as they may present in a given cycle of the universe, and choose how we will be.
This year’s forecast would be remiss if it didn’t take note of an auspicious historical confluence. In 2022, Daihonzan Chozen-ji will celebrate its 50th anniversary, in the year of the Tiger, as co-founded by an Earth Tiger—Tanouye Tenshin Rotaishi—and a Wood Dragon—Omori Sogen Rotaishi. They were a once in a lifetime human and kiai partnership, and we continue their great hopes in the foundation they laid as we enter this year, the Year of the Water Tiger.
