2009 The Year of the Ox

The world works in mysterious ways. So much so, that not everything is explicable. For all you skeptics our there, grab a cup of tea and read on- this might just make sense.

This year, we have seen a complete and utter economic meltdown- similar to that of 1929 and the Wall Street Crash. It has been devastating and, to some, completely unfair.

In 2009, countless people around the world have lost their jobs due to the plummeting economy. More-so, finding a new job or getting one for the first time has become something impossible to do. I, for one, have been a victim of this downturn along with so many of my colleagues and friends. What was once easy, true, dependable and stable has now become something resembling a Jenga Tower in the last stages of the game- one wrong move and it all comes tumbling down.

Families have been affected, old people have been affected. Animals have been abandoned; homes have been sold or given away. Cars have been replaced with scooters or bicycles and luxuries have been replaced with absolute necessities. Four-ply has become one-ply. The cappuccino has been replaced with the humble cup of black tea. A holiday abroad? No longer. That new car that you have been saving for has materialized into groceries. It is no longer a case of gliding, lazily, down a smooth stream but rather a case of staying afloat in times of turbulent rapids. So why did I bring up the year of the Ox, you wonder? You think that an ox has nothing to do with swimming, let along buying groceries or your new Merc... But it does. It has everything to do with everything at the moment. We could all learn a thing or two from our hard-working cloven-hoofed friends!

Here is what I believe. I think that the world has been moving so fast for so many years. We have all enjoyed the fruits of a technological revolution: This blog is one of them. Things have been made so much easier for us, and so much faster and more accessible. With the turn of each new year, new inventions and discoveries are made to make life on earth that much more amazing. It's a race to see who can sell more and make the most money. It's a competition to see who can be the best at what they do and how many followers they can get. It's a wonderful competition- until the world starts to crumble beneath the weight of all these new discoveries and things start splitting at the seems. We have all been saying if for a few years now, but no one has really acknowledged it properly. Today, we are forced to deal with our own realities of being poor, unemployed, homeless and under far too much stress- more than the human body was built to maintain.

It is no coincidence, however, that all of this has happened during the 2008/2009 period. We had this coming all along and CHOSE to press 'snooze' on the theoretical alarm clock of the world. 2009 is the year of the Ox for good reason. Mother Nature, the stars and the universe are cracking that old whip on human kind and shouting "Mush!" to all of us down on earth. She's making us work for the things we have 'achieved'.


In Chinese astrology, every year (in a 12 year cycle) belongs to a different animal. I was born in the year of the Tiger (which explains a lot of things about me) and this year is the year of the Ox. Characteristically, an Ox (or bull or bison) is a stable, persevering and reliable animal that does things slowly, methodically and with success. They are hardworking and forgiving animals, and very slow to anger. Once angered, however, they are tirelessly strong and final in their attacks.

"Invariably solid and dependable, Ox people are excellent organizers. Oxen are systematic in their approach to every task they undertake. They are not easily influenced by others' ideas. Loyalty is a part of their make-up, but if deceived they will not forget. Oxen do not appear to be imaginative though they are capable of good ideas. Although not demonstrative or the most exciting people romantically, they are entirely dependable, and make devoted parents. Oxen are renowned for their patience, but it has its limits - once roused, their temper is a sight to behold". One famous Ox-born person, funnily (or not) enough, is Barack Obama. Coincidence? I think not.

What this year is all about is returning to our roots as humanity. Through all the hardship, we are being forced to radically simplify our lives and do away with the frills and the fancy things, leaving us with the bare essentials we need for life. The Ox is all about prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Something that those who are succeeding in these trying times are getting right. It is no longer easy for us to be rich and prosperous- we now have to work hard for it and, as a result, enjoy the 'win' that much more. The year of the ox is about following your head and not your heart. It's about getting back in touch with nature, and as an ox is famous for, using the land to live on. Emphasis should be placed on the earth and what that can bring to us- leaving material components behind.

Have all of your electronic things been failing you of late? Have the batteries kept dying? Have electrical things just stopped working for no apparent reason? This, friends, is no coincidence. We are being forced (yes, against our will as we wouldn't do it out of choice) to return to a simpler time. The dive in the economy will see us return to a time where bartering is king. "I'll mow your lawn if you'll fix my car". "I'll give you a sack of potatoes if you give me three chickens". The universe has taken us, like a small misbehaved child, by the earlobe and is steering us the direction that we have neglected to take for ourselves. That sting in your back pocket every time you pay for groceries is the Great Mother cracking her whip on your behind.

Although slightly odd sounding, I think that all of this does have a point. We need to get back to simpler times, re-evaluate what it is that makes our lives full, and stick to that. I can guarantee you it won't be your i-phone or the constant updates on twitter. It won't be the tiptronic gear-lever in your BMW or the speed at which your laptop operates. It won't be your talking fridge that reminds you to buy fresh milk every four days. You'll find that the things that make your life full will be the people in it and the small joys that life, and nature, have to offer. Fostering your relationships with friends and families will stand you in good stead and investing what little money you do have in something to do with the natural world will yield a happy crop of positive emotions.

I am not suggesting that we all abandon our lives and move back to a time with no electricity and those horrible, dowdy blue dresses and bonnets. I think that we should heed the universe's warning and slow things down considerably in order to make sure that we are still here tomorrow. Energy focused on ourselves, our relationships, our earth and communication will be energy well spent and energy that will eventually be the catalyst for change.

The year of the Ox whispers a very powerful message to all of us: Prosperity through Fortitude and hard work. Calm, method, patience and tirelessness are all things we can practice. Turn inwards and evaluate, not outwards in order to sing praises. Being honest, candid and open-natured will quieten the shrill cries of Mother Nature.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way...

_{Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities 1859}