What a start to the Year of the Dragon 🐉

So by now, everyone has heard about the M7 quake that rocked eastern Japan, well it actually shook the entire mainland. I live approximately 412KM away from Ishikawa prefecture and we had a long steady shake 🫨. What a way to start the New Year. I figured the year of the dragon would bring some surprises ( well like most years) but I didn’t expect it from day 1. Some may argue that a day is just a day and time is an illusion but I do believe there is some significance between dates, the celestials, zodiac signs aka astrology. For instance, a year before the pandemic, a student of mind feared for the year 2020 as it was the year of the rat. In his mind and the mind of many, rats represent disease and scavenging. So I guess he was on to something. The rat actually represents procreation, fertility and riches in the oriental culture to be fair.

The dragon on the other hand, in western culture represents evil, but in the orient it represents wisdom, strength, good luck and fortune. So you see how these animals representing the Chinese zodiac can be interpreted differently from person to person depending on culture and paradigm. The way I see it, each year brings its yin and yang. For instance, the pandemic brought about a fantastic opportunity in stocks and crypto, but if you were crippled by the woe is me syndrome, or actually got the virus you would have missed the opportunity right in front of you. So no matter what this new year brings, we have to stay focused and not get distracted by the noise and pulsation of bad news, we must keep the vibe alive to strive. Of course, show empathy along the way, but Keep the vibration high and your eyes on the prize. And always give thanks 4 life, guidance and protection.

_{Photos taken on my recent temple trip on January 1st and 2nd 2023. On the 2nd, today, I woke up early and went for a walk and stopped by the nearby temple to see if people would be out, they were. The picture with the lien was taken yesterday ( Jan 1st )}