From Insight to Action: What 2025 and 2026 Ask of Our Growth

As we move through 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, and prepare for 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse, we’re also moving through a familiar cycle in therapy and personal growth: understanding first, then change.

2025: The Year of Insight

Snake energy invites us inward. This year favors reflection, awareness, and honesty with ourselves. In therapeutic terms, 2025 is about:

• Naming patterns

• Understanding emotional responses

• Exploring old stories with curiosity rather than judgment

Many people have found themselves thinking more deeply, revisiting the past, or gaining clarity about why they feel stuck. This is not wasted time—it’s foundational. Insight creates choice.

The Turning Point

There comes a moment in growth when understanding is no longer enough. We can see our patterns clearly—and still feel the pull to live differently. This is where the energy begins to shift.

2026: The Year of Embodied Change

The Fire Horse year asks for movement. It’s bold, fast, and action-oriented. In therapy and real life, this looks like:

• Practicing boundaries instead of just talking about them

• Choosing differently, even when it’s uncomfortable

• Letting behavior—not insight alone—create change

Horse energy doesn’t ask for perfection. It asks for courage.

Why Both Years Matter

Personal growth needs both phases:

• The Snake helps us understand ourselves

• The Horse helps us trust ourselves

Skipping either leaves us unbalanced—either stuck in analysis or rushing without clarity.

A Gentle Reflection

As we close out 2025, it’s worth asking:

• What do I understand now that I didn’t before?

• What am I ready to do differently because of it?

Growth isn’t just about healing the past—it’s about practicing a new present. The Snake shows us the truth. The Horse invites us to live it.