Fire Horse

Navigating Times of Turbulent Change.

We are living through the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac calendar. The Fire Horse symbolizes rapid change, passionate energy, and bold action. The last time this energy graced our world was 60 years ago. Cast your mind back to 1966 — what a tumultuous year it was. It marked the start of China’s Cultural Revolution and the founding of the Black Panther Party. The war in Vietnam escalated dramatically. The women’s rights movement surged forward, energized by the momentum of the civil rights movement.

In a recent article in National Geographic, Fire Horse years, also called Bing-Wu years, historically “disrupt the existing order” of our societies. There is no shortage of evidence that such disruption is already underway — in politics, health, education, climate, and conflict around the world. In my long and deeply blessed life, I can only recall a few times when the future felt this unknowable: 1966, and 2020 when Covid arrived and I wondered if humanity would survive.

Life is inherently unpredictable — and so, within our Edgewalker community, we cultivate the sacred art and skill of “Knowing the Future.” There are three core approaches that people, particularly those in business, draw upon to gain a sense of what lies ahead.

The first approach is what we call the Traditional method. It predicts the future by projecting forward from the past, operating from the assumption that tomorrow will largely resemble yesterday — with modest adjustments for new information or emerging initiatives. This approach relies on linear thinking and statistical modeling to forecast a likely future. It serves us well in stable environments with rich data, and has long been the go-to method for businesses and large institutions.

The second approach is the Intuitive method. Every one of us carries intuition within us, and it is a capacity that deepens with self-awareness and with the courage to act on your hunches. Intuition is often somatic — felt in the body — and it speaks differently to each of us. For some, it is that “still small voice.” For others, it is a pull of the heart or a feeling in the gut. Some leaders access this inner knowing through prayer or meditation; others find it in the quiet of nature. And perhaps more often than you might expect, leaders quietly consult intuitives, mediums, and astrologers — gifted practitioners who have developed extraordinary sensitivity to what is emerging.

The third approach we call Co-Creating with the Universe. This resonates deeply with the wisdom often attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Quantum physicists Dean Radin, Bruce Lipton, and Lothar Schäfer point to our remarkable human capacity to attract and manifest reality through the focused power of the mind. Practices like affirmations and visualization are not wishful thinking — they are creative tools that actively shape the future we are building together.

At the heart of knowing the future is a genuine love of it. Edgewalkers are drawn irresistibly to what lies over the horizon — to what can be sensed but not yet seen. They sharpen this gift by asking bold questions of themselves and others. In the midst of turbulence, they have trained themselves to look not only at what is breaking down, but at what is breaking open. My beloved mentor Mel Toomey had a question he would offer whenever something unexpected and disruptive arrived:

“And what does this allow for?”

Sit with that for a moment. It is a truly transformative question.

None of this calls us to be naïvely optimistic or to look away from hard realities. We must not ignore suffering, injustice, or danger. Compassion is not a soft add-on — it is a grounding force, both for ourselves and for those around us in times of rapid change. Keep your seatbelt on. Put on your own oxygen mask first, then reach out to others. And even as you do, hold the larger invitation: to create something that has never existed before.

The year of the Fire Horse is alive with power and possibility. With consciousness and intention, it can be a year not just of change, but of genuine transformation — a time to come together in our local and virtual communities and co-create a world that is more harmonious, more equitable, and more deeply flourishing for all.

Each month we host free, virtual Edgewalker Cafés where we support one another in bringing our Edgewalker qualities and skills to the work of co-creating a more desirable future. We’d love to have you join us. Visit www.edgewalkers.org for Café dates and to learn more about our vibrant, growing community.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/year-of-fire-horse-lunar-chinese-newyear#:~:text=The%20last%20Year%20of%20the%20Fire%20Horse%20was%201966%2C%20a,escalation%20of%20the%20Vietnam%20War.