b'.IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (from our January 2021 on-line Newsletter)IpersonallyhavehopethatTheto one myth, the Jade Emperor saidreigning Ox may personally influence Year of the Ox will bring better thingsthat the order would be decided byyouinthefuture.Sourcesinclude for us all in 2021 compared to the ill- theorderinwhichtheyarrivedtochinahighlights.com or thechinesezo-fated Year of the Rat of 2020. hisparty.TheOxwasabouttobediac.org and many more.AccordingtoChineseAstrology,thefirsttoarrive,butRattrickedOxen are traditionally hard work-the Year of the Metal Rat began onOx into giving him a ride. Then justing and steady, and undemanding of theChineseNewYear,January25,astheyarrived,Ratjumpeddownpraise, so that is the theme for the 2021 2020. It will last until the 2021 Lunarand landed ahead of Ox. Thus, OxChinese New Year, which extends un-New Years Eve on February 11, 2021,becamethesecondanimal.(Source:til January 30, 2022.when the Year of the Metal Ox begins. Chinesenewyear.net/zodiac) TheReaders Digestquotes Susan TheChinesezodiacyearencom- The 12 zodiac animals in order areLevitt,professionalastrologerand passing 2020 was also the Year of theRat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake,author of five books including Taoist Gengzi which occurs every 60 yearsHorse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, DogAstrology, as explaining, In agricul-and brings with it natural disasters,and Pig. tural societies, oxen are reliable and warandgeneralcalamity.(Source:There is a fascinating amount ofstrong work animals. They were re-star.com, Vancouver, March 6, 2020.)informationonlineaboutChinesesponsible for the survival of human-Forexamples,thefirstOpiumWar,astrologyingeneral,andtheYearity. So what was happening in the Rat the American Revolution, a famine inof the Ox in particular. You can lookyear continues over into the Ox year India that killed 10 million people, andupyourzodiacanimalsignonato complete it, ground it, bring it to its the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, allzodiacyearcalendarchart,basedresolution.(Source:articlebyTaylor occurred during Gengzi years.onyouryearofbirth,andcheckMarkarian, Oct. 29, 2020)Duringthe2020RatYear,theout predictions to research how theThe reference to Ox as being re-followingwasforetold:healthaf- sponsible for the survival of human-flictionsmostlyrelatetothelungsity brings to my mind our frontline and the breathing. (Source: thelightessential workers, our heroes during clinic.org/2020)Thisisaperfectthe coronavirus pandemic.description of the predominantThequoteaboutbringing COVID-19 symptoms. theRatyearinfluencetoa Im sure that we all haveresolution during the Year sadmemoriesof2020of the Ox gives me a glim-extendingbeyondthemer of hope for the even-physical,mentalandtual end of COVID -19.financial destruction ofResearching Chinese thepandemic.Therehoroscope sites for the have been so many fa- Year of the Ox online, I tal accidents and livessee a pattern of agree-lost from other causesment that this will be a as well. But we do notperfect year to focus on needtodwellonthisloveandrelationships. now.WecanpreparePerhapsthepandemic ourselves for the Year ofhas taught us that family the Ox, and the end of theandfriendstrulyarethe Gengzi. As always, my at- mostimportantthingsin titude is one of optimism. this world.The Ox was supposed to be the first animal in the lineup of theBy Lynn Campbell, 12 Chinese zodiac signs. AccordingYear of the Goat36 FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2021'