Chinese Solar New Year

RITUAL: Feng Shui | SOLAR TERM: Li Chun | SEASON: Winter-Spring

February 2 -5

Li Chun is the Chinese Solar New Year. It occurs between February 2 - 5. Although the date has been standardized to February 4th, like the Chinese Lunar New Year, the official date can vary by a few days from year to year.

Energy cycles through the four seasons throughout the year. These shifts from yin in the fall and winter seasons to yang in the spring and summer seasons can be seen in nature and affect our life experience, emotions and health. It’s important to note that between each season is a brief transitional period.

The four pivotal days - Winter solstice, Spring equinox, Summer solstice and Autumn equinox are connected by the twenty-four solar terms of the Chinese calendar, called Jie Qi. Each of these solar terms lasts about 15 days. Unlike the lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon, the solar terms are based on the position of the sun in the sky.

February 4 - 18

An annual cycle ends when the earth completes one revolution around the sun and begins again every year during the first week of February. The new solar year begins with the first solar term, called Li Chun. February 4th marks a change in seasons from Winter to Spring and a shift in energy from yin to yang. Even though Li Chun means “Beginning of Spring”, it actually occurs during a transitional period between these two seasons.

In these first weeks of the new solar year, it’s important to balance your energy by focusing your intention on honoring the Earth element. This is because Earth is the element associated with the transition between each of the four seasons. Mother Earth, Yellow Earth and Mountain Earth all have balancing effects on shifting yin and yang energy.

The transition from Winter to Spring is specifically associated with the Mother Earth element. It’s a transitional time between the cold, energy conserving hibernation of Winter and the warmer temperatures and new growth of Spring. Like the receptivity and fertility of Mother Earth energy, the “establishment of Spring” is a period at the end of winter in which the hard, frozen soil thaws and softens, moistening the seeds so they can begin to germinate and sprout.

This time, at the start of a new year, also allows us to slowly ease into the warmer months of energy renewal ahead. We can begin shedding some layers of clothing and pounds of insulating body fat. We can begin waking up a bit earlier to greet the sun and get a head start on our day. We can nourish our bodies to support their changing needs. And we can make some changes to our home environment with Spring cleaning, feng shui remedies and enhancements and gardening.

Live in each season as it passes:

breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit

and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Originally, when the Five Element Theory was depicted, Earth was located in the center, surrounded on four sides by the other elements. Each of these elements represent one of the seasons - Spring by Wood, Summer by Fire, Fall by Metal and Winter by Water. Later, when the Five Elements were repositioned in the pentagram to show their relationship to each other in the three cycles, Earth was moved between the Fire and Metal elements.

Earth has a balancing and stabilizing effect on the change in the weather and shift in energy that comes with each season. The two and half weeks between each of the four seasons provides a brief moment of reset and respite when the energies of yin and yang can come into balance before one of them moves into the more dominant role for a season.

Earth is the fifth season. These transitional Earth periods of 18 days, have specific dates during the calendar year that we can use as quarterly resets. Between Winter and Spring the dates are January 18 to February 4. Between Spring and Summer the dates are April 18 to May 5. Mountain Earth’s Indian Summer occurs between July 20 to August 6. And between Fall and Winter the dates are October 21 to November 7. Combined, these days constitute the Fifth Season. These weeks between the four seasons allow the departing energy to “return to the earth“ and create space for the arriving energy to become established. While the dates remain the same, the seasons are reversed in the Southern hemisphere.

February 4

In feng shui, the Chinese Solar New Year on February 4th is the date to place your feng shui remedies and enhancements for the year. The two most important are adding your annual 5 Yellow and 2 Black metal remedies and turning on your outdoor water fountains to activate the flow of wealth. Feng Shui remedies and enhancements can also be placed during the first solar term of the year, February 4 - 18 for the best effectiveness.

Utilize this brief period of balancing Earth energy to transition out of Winter and prepare your life, your home and yourself for the Spring season ahead.

Life

Get your hands dirty. Starting working with the soil to prepare it for Spring planting. Add mulch to flower, herb or edible gardening beds. Fertilize fruit trees. Plant seeds to germinate inside so you can transplant the seedlings into your prepared beds later.

If you don’t have a yard, get some pots and bags of soil to grow plants on a sunny patio or deck. Or, add some more potted flowering plants inside. Place some potted herbs in a kitchen window. If your potted plants have outgrown their pots, transplant them to bigger pots.

Like the Imbolc tradition of planting seeds and burying handwritten intentions, as you plant your seeds you can hold them in your hands and set intentions about the things you’d like to see grow and blossom, thrive and flourish in your life.

Home

It’s customary for people to clean their homes before the Chinese Lunar New Year. Sweep out the old to create space for the new. It’s also a great time to declutter and organize your personal items. Then, cleanse the energy in your space before welcoming in the new energy that arrives on February 4th.

You can read more about how to prepare your home for the new year in my New Year’s Feng Shui Guide, included with your purchase of my 2023 Annual DIY Feng Shui Guide.

Next you’ll want to place your annual Feng Shui remedies and enhancements for the year. Many of the remedies and enhancements from previous years can simply be repositioned in your home or on your property. To find out how to Feng Shui your home, request your copy of my 2023 Annual DIY Feng Shui Guide or get professionally feng shui’d.

In the annual do-it-yourself feng shui guide you’ll discover the areas on your property where you don’t want to disturb the earth. Disturbing the earth includes, digging holes for trees, pouring concrete for additions and excavating for ponds or pools. This is one of the most vital aspects of classical feng shui. Not knowing this information wreak havoc in people’s lives, resulting in accidents, injuries and financial ruin.

YOU!

This is the time of year to work with the Earth element. Stand barefoot on the Earth, if you can. Do some gardening. Cleanse your crystal collection and work with your favorite crystals. Make sure your self care includes detoxifying clay or mud masks. Start exercising more daily, even if it’s just some graceful qigong or gentle yin yoga or an am or pm walk outside or in nature.

The Earth element is associated with the sweet taste. Interestingly, both milk and bread are considered “sweet” foods in traditional Chinese medicine. These are the two foods consumed by those who celebrate Imbolc. Chocolate is another sweet treat that is enjoyed in February on Valentine’s Day in the West. make a mineral rich hot chocolate with raw whole milk and organic cacao, vanilla bean paste or cinnamon and a little raw local honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or another natural sweetener of choice.

Since this time of year is specifically associated with the Mother Earth element, it’s important to support your digestive system. Practice acupressure for digestion by pressing on the points: Zhong Wan, San Yinjiao and He Gu. Practice bamboo tapping over your stomach and spleen. Drink peppermint tea. Take digestive enzymes and probiotics. Eat warming and nourishing foods like yam or sweet potato, millet or rice. Avoid raw, cold and sour foods.

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Dara Eden is the author of HER Rituals for the Divine Feminine, a periodical guide created in December of 2021. The 8 Elements, her life’s work, provides guidance about how to honor the essential needs and highest values of your personal feng shui element. Inspired by an Internet challenge designed for men, she created 365WISE, a daily self-care practice that supports women in honoring their needs and listening to their inner wisdom.

In HER Rituals, she offers insights, ideas and intuitive guidance about ways to honor your needs, values and unique expression of the divine feminine.

HER Rituals is a Womb Wisdom KeepHER’s guide to cyclical rituals for sovereign women. It provides insightful information, inspirational ideas and intuitive guidance on daily and seasonal rituals you can practice as a form of self-care. Read about ancient wisdom and philosophical principles, holistic approaches and traditional skills, slow work and intentional living, embodiment practices and immersive experiences.