The Chinese Year of the Horse begins on the Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17. While many people are already celebrating and noting that 2026 is the Year of the Horse, we really have more than a month before it officially begins.
I was born in the year of the Wood Snake, and this is actually quite appropriate for my personality. The traits are that I’m strategic, thoughtful, observant. I prefer planning, subtle influence and value privacy, depth and control. I move slowly and deliberately.
I’m also a fan of snakes, and well before I knew my zodiac sign I had an aquarium of pet garter snakes in my bedroom when I was in elementary school. I also had a bad habit of searching for and catching wild snakes. One regularly retold family story is of my near miss in Northern Michigan on Bois Blanc Island where we took summer trips at my aunt and uncle’s cabin. One day while out exploring, I captured a snake and brought it back for them all to see. I don’t recall exactly how it went down, but my uncle quietly said to me, “Tricia, please let that one go.” So, I gave it one final turn in my hands, and placed it on the ground, where it slithered away. I later found out that I’d caught a northern water snake, a venomous snake that, thankfully, didn’t bite me. I’m pretty sure my later walks were accompanied by a guardian, which back in the ‘70s, was atypical. Children were generally let run amok back then, which was why I recall my childhood so fondly, and also why I sometimes reflect on my good fortune to survive to adulthood.
But back to preparing for the Year of the Fire Horse, which is described as fast, bold, outspoken, restless. It favors action over analysis. In public, it’s expressive, impatient and moves quickly and visibly. This creates tension, but also creative friction. Kind of the exact opposite of me.
So, imagine a wood snake and fire horse meeting on a wooded trail. The snake would likely move out of the way on the horse’s approach, but what if one side of the trail had a steep drop and the other side was a rocky outcrop. In that case, the snake would have no choice but to encounter the horse face-to-face.
This mismatch may result in the snake feeling rushed or chaotic in its effort to escape. There would be pressure to make a quick decision, take a chance on falling down the cliff or being trampled if no purchase was found in the rocks. The snake would be unable to make a plan, and its emotional reaction would be intense. The danger for the snake is feeling pushed into decisions or overexposed.
On the positive side, the Fire Horse energy could pull the snake out of over-analysis and help it to bring long-held plans into motion. Maybe it was meandering down the trail without a destination. Now, it had to decide immediately whether to sunbathe on the rocks that afternoon or head down to the stream for a swim. The immediate response would reward quiet confidence paired with decisive action.
As it turns out, snakes often win in Fire Horse years by letting go of perfection, acting when intuition says “yes,” even if conditions aren’t ideal. (A good thing!). The best strategy for a snake in a Fire Horse Year is to act on well-prepared plans you’ve been refining, choose one or two bold moves, but not too many, protect your energy and boundaries, and use your natural diplomacy to smooth conflict.
This year, snakes are to avoid rash financial decisions, overcommitting socially or professionally, and avoid power struggles (Fire Horse energy escalates quickly).
So, as I await the true start of the Fire Horse year, I’ll ruminate on these positive outcomes and cautionary advice to map out the year ahead. Today, Monday January 5, is back to work after a lovely two-week break, and we’ll see what 2026 brings.