How to Navigate Through the Year of the Fire Horse + Why Cultural Understanding Matters
Raised within the Vietnamese diaspora in Germany, Berlin-based TCM practitioner Jenny Trinh shares with us her perspective on Lunar New Year and the deeper context around the upcoming Fire Horse year.
Having grown up within the Vietnamese diaspora in Germany, Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán in Vietnam) was the biggest festivity. Making sticky rice cakes (Bánh chưng), buying peach blossom figs, eyeing red envelopes for lucky money and insanely loud firecrackers. Lunar New Year was celebrated big, loud while wearing red, always inside our homes, within our communities.
This upcoming new year will welcome the Year of the Fire Horse. And things feel different this time.
I can’t recall ever seeing so many horse emojis in digital spaces. Various brands are placing Chinese symbolism and aesthetics at the heart of their campaigns. On top of that, I got three invitations for hotpot dinners to celebrate the Lunar New Year (Gong Xi Fa Cai in Mandarin). Interestingly, these invitations came from friends who weren’t born into an Asian diasporic community, but who have spent a long time in China. It seems that people without this experience are now more open than before. In fact, the proportion of people with a positive impression of China rose by about 6% from 2024 to 2025 and social media has only been enhancing this fact by telling us that we’re in a “very Chinese time in life”.
Seeing things in context
While I appreciate the current interest, it can also feel hollow because visibility doesn’t mean understanding. Especially in the age of social media, things can get flattened to be made palatable. Taking things out of context doesn’t just strip away lineage and wisdom, it also takes away benefits.
Anchored in my work as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, I believe cultures are meant to be shared and with that comes understanding. Chinese astrology is rooted in Daoism and classical Chinese philosophy. Having studied these time-proven lineages with great appreciation, I trust that the more we understand their deeper meanings, the more we can align with their guidance and use it in ways that support our lives.
Lunar New Year and the general energy for the year of the Fire Horse
Lunar New Year is celebrated according to a lunisolar calendar, where months follow the moon’s phases while the year is adjusted to the sun to stay aligned with the seasons. It is known by different names across countries and cultures, each with its own traditions, yet every year is universally defined by a specific zodiac animal (one of twelve) and one of the five elements of Chinese philosophy (wood, fire, earth, metal, or water), which together describe the dominant energies and themes influencing the year.
The horse represents freedom, direction and velocity, so this looks to be a year of creativity, movement and breakthroughs. Fire, as a symbol of transformation, brings inspiration, change, confidence and motivation.
“Year of the Fire Horse” sounds self-explanatory, almost self-announcing but this is where depth and contextual lineage are required. Otherwise, one might risk getting burned (pun intended).
5 Important Notes to Make the Most Out of the New Year’s Energy
Illustration by Anna Rupprecht @annarupprecht_studio
1. Understand your Ba Zi (birth chart)
Chinese astrology isn’t fortune-telling. It’s a guide that helps us understand the kind of time we’re living in, so we can respond with awareness. A Fire Horse year does not affect everyone the same way. Each person carries an individual Ba Zi, the combination of zodiac animal and element they were born with. Your Ba Zi shapes your physical, mental and emotional constitution and how you interact with life. The key is knowing your constitution and balancing it with the energies of heaven and earth.
It’s not: “Is this year good or bad for me?”
But: “How do I live well within this year’s conditions?”
2. Choose clarity over speed
Fire Horse energy brings courage and movement, but wisdom comes from discernment. Pause before moving and let decisions mature.
3. Set boundaries with others and yourself
Fire is connected to the small intestines in Chinese medicine, which separates the pure from the impure, what is necessary and what isn’t. Clear boundaries on your time and energy are important. Where attention goes, energy flows.
4. Stay grounded
Fire relates to the heart and Shen (spirit or consciousness in TCM). Excess fire without grounding can lead to restlessness, anxiety, insomnia and scattered focus. Cultivating Yin, rest, reflection and nourishment, is essential this year. Goji berries and chrysanthemum in tea are your friend.
5. Continue releasing old patterns and beliefs
Until the new year arrives, the current Year of the Wood Snake asks us to take a closer look. Release what’s heavy, face what’s unresolved, and shed the last layers of who you’re not.
Moving Through This Year
The Fire Horse asks for bold moves, but also staying grounded, so we can live and share from a place of connection.
About Jenny Trinh
Jenny is a licensed naturopath (Heilpraktiker:in), TCM practitioner for Acupuncture, and yoga teacher based in Berlin.
With a background in creative project management, she now redirects her attention to helping people through Acupuncture and the time-proven methods of Chinese medicine as well as creating immersive retreats to share TCM in more depth.
