February 17 marked the Lunar New Year, and, as you’ve probably heard by now, started the year of the Fire Horse. This energetically intense event occurred in an exceptional configuration: On the same day as a New Moon solar eclipse in the sign of Aquarius. So… it’s all happening! At once!
The Chinese Lunar calendar celebrates 12 animals each year (you’ll recall that we’ve just emerged from the year of the Snake). In addition, each animal is associated with one of the five elements: Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water. This current combination—of Horse and Fire—only occurs once every 60 years. And it always marks change, and sometimes a bit of drama. “The transition from Snake to Fire Horse is not gentle. It’s intense. It shakes. It forces you to let go of a skin you’ve worn too long,” says spiritual coach Stefano Attitude, founder of the Coaching Academy.
Indeed, the Horse is a “yang” energy: dynamic, vital, bold. It’s an animal that symbolises strength, freedom, forward motion, courage, and power. These characteristics are amplified by Fire, a flamboyant element that represents boldness, passion, and action. From now until February 6, 2027—when we’ll enter the year of the Fire Goat—things will speed up, old patterns will fall away, and transformation will take shape. But this is also an intense dynamic that can be disruptive if not tamed.
Here are five things to avoid during the year of the Fire Horse, according to Attitude.
Five things to avoid during the year of the Fire Horse:
Impulsive decisions
“With the Fire Horse, you may feel an urgency to act… not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s overflowing inside you. Sending that message, quitting that job, being radical in your decisions… At the time, it may [feel] like clarity. But often, it’s more like saturation. An aligned decision soothes the body even if it’s frightening; an impulse quickly relieves you, then complicates your life. This year doesn’t ask you to move fast; it asks you to be aligned before moving forward. Moving for alignment transforms life; moving to flee only moves the problem.”
Going in full steam ahead with no direction
“This year, when everything is going to speed up, standing still will become almost uncomfortable. So you might think you simply have to go faster… when the Horse is asking you above all to go in the right direction. You can fill your days, make a thousand decisions, and still be far from yourself… Because moving fast isn’t always a sign of progress. The real question is not, ‘What more can I do?’ but, ‘Is what I’m doing taking me towards the life I feel is deeply right for me?’”
Making unrealistic promises
“With Fire, everything seems possible at once: healing yourself, changing your life, finally becoming yourself… But often it’s not a vision, it’s an energy spike. The Fire Horse gives momentum, not constancy: it reveals what still holds when the excitement subsides. Many will make great promises and then disappoint themselves because they came from emotion, not commitment. The Horse isn’t asking you to believe more; it’s asking you to take small, repeated actions every day. Your transformation will come from what you repeat in silence, not from what you declare in intensity.”
Doing it alone
“With the energy of the Horse, you may want to do everything alone in order to finally feel free. But the Horse is not a lone wolf. He needs space, yes… but also links aligned around him. This year, many will call ‘independence’ what is in reality a [closed-off energy] to avoid being touched. But Fire amplifies everything: alone, you’ll burn out faster and spin around in your head longer. Your strength lies not in not needing anyone, but in consciously choosing with whom to move forward. Isolation protects the ego, relationships evolve the soul.”
Confusing intuition with reaction
“Over the next few months, you’ll often say to yourself, ‘I just don’t feel it’… and believe that it’s your intuition talking. But often, it’s just the fear of being seen differently and assuming a truer version of yourself. Intuition can be scary, but it opens you up. It never locks you in. Reaction, on the other hand, contracts you, pulls you back, and makes you find excuses to stay the same. The Horse follows the heart even when it’s uncomfortable, not when it’s reassuring. So [before making any reactive decisions], ask yourself, ‘Does this help me grow… or does it shrink me?’”
