Happy New Year! Yes, again… but this time it is the Chinese New Year, providing us with a chance to once again

welcome wealth and prosperity into our lives. One of the most interesting customs of this holiday, at least to me, is that of gathering with your family. During this auspicious week, all over the world, millions of people are getting into cars or planes or trains, to return to their parent’s home to welcome in the Year of the Water Dragon. Honoring your ancestry is the center point of this tradition, and I just love the dedication to family inherent in this shared celebration.

This festive is an opportunity to let go of the old or negative traits holding you back, and allows you to soar into the possibility that lies ahead. Red and gold are the dominant colors of Chinese New Year decorations, with gold signaling prosperity and red indicating life. Wrap these colors around your body and mind and feel these rich hues blasting you into the new.

Dragon years are know to be especially prosperous, a time when money flows freely in and out of pocketbooks. After surviving years of a downturned economy this is welcome news. This is a year for babies too… all this good fortune flying around will be brought back to our ever-growing family. So what  about this element of water on the dragon? “Water exerts a calming influence on the Dragon’s innate fire. Water Dragons are more open to other people’s opinions than other Dragons which gives them the ability to channel their personal charisma into real leadership qualities” (http://chineseculture.about.com). Sounds like a sensible yet powerful year, right?

Who doesn’t love these mythical and magical creatures? Who doesn’t want to ride on their backs into the big blue sky? I think my brother summed it up best when he said, “Dragons? I love dragons… time for good stuff to fly through the sky and the heart…”  I’m most certainly am ready to fly…You?