Year of the Dragon

This is the Year of the Water Dragon, which evidently is a very big deal in Chinese culture.  I confess that my knowledge of Chinese astrologer doesn’t extend far beyond what’s printed on the placemats in Chinese restaurants, but I do know that I am a Dragon which made no sense when I was younger.  It’s only now that I am aging that I see the Dragon within me.  But that’s another story…

Evidently the Dragon year is a very popular year during which to have children because it is thought that Dragons will be successful financially.  Dragon years are periods of growth and change, and evidently attract events that are larger than life.  It’s interesting to me that mainstream publications that don’t traffic in Western astrology will often make a big deal out of Chinese astrology, such as this one:

According to CLSA, Asia-Pacific Markets, the word for “Dragon,” in Chinese is spelled “Lóng.” Automatically that is a good sign for markets, as we are always hopeful for long markets and lots of profit. The Chinese Zodiac takes into consideration all five elements of metal, fire, water, earth, and wood, and in the Year of the Dragon, the zodiac predicts that markets will steadily drop until about mid-August when a huge surge will take place and a “Lóng” market takes us well into the next Chinese New Year. Predominant elements this year are water, which could douse any fire in the markets, and is expected to be a powerful force in February and March, and so the Dragon says to liquidate (yes, liquidate) any funds you have during that period (CSLA).

There’s an interesting corollary between the Chinese Year of the Water Dragon […]