A new year means a new zodiac animal. Giddy up. Photo AF Reeves - @afreeves23

AF Reeves - @afreeves23

Just in case any of you have been living under a rock, I thought I’d let you know it’s now the Year of the Horse. A fire horse, nonetheless. Wonderful news, I’m sure we can all agree. But why, you may ask? What does the horse signify? What, if anything, can I expect? After writing a pun packed piece on shedding our skins when we welcomed in the snake last year, I thought I’d gallop into this year with the same schtick.

It’s fair to say I’m one of the least mystical people you’re likely to meet. I firmly believe in coincidences. The biggest impact 'energy' has on my life is the frequency with which my phone dies. It’s unlikely you’ll see me promoting my macramé hangers on Hà Nội Massive any time soon, and you won’t catch me humming my way through any gong baths either.

For most of us, the zodiac and the idea of animals representing years in a way that can influence our lives is not something we’ve ever had to consider. Yet moving east has made me more tolerant of the impact that life’s unseen forces seem to have on the lives of others, well, aside from astrology girls anyway. The only thing I learn from you telling me I’m a Scorpio cusp and your aura is in vertigo is that this really isn’t going to work out. Take your moon racism elsewhere, thank you.

I’ve only recently gotten over the fact that a close friend of mine gifted a notably expensive sword to the fortune teller tasked with informing his family of the omens for his impending marriage. Good work, that, if you can get it. But the news made him happy, it reassured him, and people do seem to take comfort where they can. In a world where most headlines feel as surreal as they are evil, I won’t sneer at a little joy.

So, the horse. If you’re hoping for a celestial guarantee that everything will suddenly click into place, I’m sorry to report the horse is not a miracle worker. What it is, though, is a decent symbol for momentum. It’s tied to drive, independence, and that stubborn refusal to sit still and wait for life to improve on its own. It’s the 'crack on' animal.

And then there’s the fire bit, which is where things get lively. Fire takes that already restless horse energy and adds heat to it: more appetite, more courage, more impulse. Brilliant if you’ve been meaning to commit to the projects you keep talking about. Less so if you’re prone to saying yes to things you’ll regret by morning, like “just one more beer” or “sure, I can fit that in”.

So what should you, my ever sceptical expat readers, do with this information? Take the wholesome route and use it as a permission slip to be bolder. Build routines. Learn the language properly. Chase the work, the hobbies, the friendships. Or take my route and treat it as a narrative trick, a way to reframe the chaos as character development. Just try not to channel your inner Bojack.

Either way, if the Year of the Fire Horse offers anything, it’s this: forward motion counts, even if it’s messy. Especially if it’s messy.

May the horse be with you. VNS