Chinese Year

of the DOG:
Lunar Year 4716
The Chinese zodiac sign of the Dog, symbol of intelligence and protection, can also turn the year 2018 into a
sensitive period, during which activists and students, but also ordinary citizens, feeling deprived of hope and
socially excluded, won't hesitate to demand radical changes to their life conditions, and to preserve the future of
their children.

It is often said that the Years of the Dog are carriers of violent conflict. Actually, only the Years of the Metal Dog
can be related to warlike and destructive energies, because of their reinforced metal. The next planned year of
the Metal Dog is in 2030.

Indeed, Chinese Zodiac 2018 energies are dominated by the Earth element in its Yang form. It's an eventful
year, marked by security concerns and the rise of social conservative movements within society.

Many voices around the world rise to highlight the importance of the universal values of dialogue and
solidarity, which are characteristic values of the Chinese zodiac sign of the Dog. Selfishness, greed and ignorance
being a major source of inequalities on Earth, only a social and cultural impulse, at the individual and collective
level, can give a new hope to the millions of people in the world who are still suffering from neglect, indifference
and the rejection from their community.

Repeated once every 60 years in the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Earth Dog is a powerful marker in men
and women's lives, offering when it occurs a new interpretation of our human condition. Strength of
character, education, morality, social life, health and caring for our elders are all fundamental questions which
should be revised and improved during this pivotal period. The emergence of new authors and philosophers, as
much as the reissue of forgotten texts by great classical writers and poets, should wake up and feed this
collective awareness.

We can also expect to witness the birth of new ambitious industrial projects, completely remodeling the
modes of production and exploitation of energy resources, particularly in the field of solar energy, which now
matured enough to become one of the main cheap sources of electricity both in transportation and at home. All
initiatives showing their contribution to reducing pollution and improving the quality of life are encouraged and
funded by most states, major industrial and financial institutions worldwide.

Actions based solely on individual drive and demagogy are unmasked and rejected by the majority, giving way
during this period to the more universal values of empathy and social justice.

Source: https://www.karmaweather.com/2018-year-of-the-earth-dog/