Year of the Wood Snake

In 2025 it is the Chinese Year of the Wood Snake. As the Chinese zodiac has 12 animal signs and each one is associated with one of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water. These elements are a fundamental part of Chinese cosmology and are believed to influence the characteristics and fortunes of individuals born under each sign.

In Chinese philosophy, wood is considered a dynamic and growing element. It is associated with spring, growth, renewal, and vitality. Wood represents characteristics like creativity, strength, flexibility, and compassion. It is also connected to the Five Elements Theory, or Wu Xing (五行), which is integral to Chinese metaphysics. Each element interacts with others in a cycle of creation and destruction. For example, Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth (ash), Earth contains Metal, Metal holds Water (as a container), and Water nourishes Wood.

Each animal sign goes through a cycle of the five elements, which repeat every 60 years. And this five elements here leads to different “types” of Snakes (or any other animal in other years) depending on the year, such as Wood Snake, Fire Snake, etc. The wood element adds specific traits to the Snake’s characteristics, such as increased intuition, a nurturing disposition, and adaptability.

So, the Year of the Wood Snake combines the traditional attributes of the Snake with the qualities associated with the Wood element. Last year by the way, was the year of the dragon.