- “Ride the horse in the direction that it’s going.” ~ Werner Erhard
Last year was not light work.
The snake medicine was about:
•Death and rebirth
•Letting go of old identities
•Saying no to misaligned work
•Releasing impostor syndrome
•Healing trauma (both big-T and small-t)
•Finding safety in the body after violation or betrayal
•Shedding karmic density from the nervous system
Personally, I said goodbye to offerings and roles that were not aligned with my deeper soul trajectory. Even things I was familiar with and that I was good at.
Snake medicine asks:
What must die so that truth can live?
Across my four international retreats last year, the common thread was clear — people were done carrying old stories.
Some were grieving.
Some were leaving corporate paths.
Some were reclaiming their bodies after trauma.
Some were dismantling lifelong self-criticism.
Snake clears the soil.
and now the Horse plants the seed.
🔥🐎 Enter the Fire Horse
The Fire Horse is movement.
Freedom.
Acceleration.
Passion.
Risk.
Unbridled life force.
The last Fire Horse year was 1966 — a year that radically reshaped culture and power structures worldwide:
•The Cultural Revolution in China upended social order
•The war in Vietnam escalated
•The Black Panther Party was founded among growing movements for civil rights in America
•The National Women’s Organization formed to end sex discrimination
•Psychedelic and counterculture movements exploded
•The Beatles revolutionized the global music industry & culture
•Star Trek debuted, expanding humanity’s imagination of the future
•Fashion shifted from the 1950s conservatism to personal freedom through miniskirts and casual wear.
1966 was not calm.
It was catalytic.
The Fire Horse does not preserve the old world order — it challenges it.
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🔥 Fire as Digestion
In yogic wisdom, fire is Agni — the force of digestion.
This year, we will digest quickly.
Lessons will metabolize faster.
Truth will surface faster.
Misalignment will burn through faster.
If you avoid your healing, it may erupt.
If you face it, transformation can be quick.
This is not a year for slow avoidance.
It is a year for conscious courage.
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🐎 Horse as Spirit Ally
In Tibetan and Himalayan traditions, the horse carries prayers to the heavens (Lung Ta — “wind horse”).
In shamanic cosmologies, horse medicine symbolizes:
•Freedom of the soul
•Power in motion
•Emotional truth
•Partnership with spirit rather than domination of it
A horse cannot be bottled up.
It must be ridden with respect.
Try to control it, and it rebels.
Ignore it, and it drags you.
Work with it, and it carries you far.
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⚡ The Shadow Side of Fire Horse
This is not a year to be reckless.
Fire Horse energy can manifest as:
•Burnout
•Rash decisions
•Emotional volatility
•Overcommitting
•Scattered direction
•Nervous system overload
The image I keep seeing is this:
A race car driver on a unpredictable winding road.
You must be swift.
But not rushed.
Quick responsiveness — not impulsivity — is the medicine.
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🌍 Collective Mirror
Globally, we are already seeing Fire Horse themes:
•Old political structures being questioned in all parts of the world
•Power abuses surfacing publicly
•Cultural polarization revealing systemic cracks
•Social unrest challenging outdated authority
•Global conversations about human rights and dignity
The Epstein files, for example, symbolize something bigger than individuals — they represent humanity’s intolerance for shadow power dynamics and exploitation.
The Fire Horse exposes where power has been misused.
And in the destruction of the old — a new reset will emerge.
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🧭 A Personal Reflection
I recently re-sprained my right ankle — symbolically linked to being pulled into too many multiple directions.
The message was clear:
I’m being pulled in too many directions, with too much speed. And I need to choose wisely.
Opportunities are multiplying this year, and with that my discernment must multiply with them.
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🌬 The Deeper Invitation
This is a year to ask:
•Am I willing to let the wild call of my heart overrule the fear of the unfamiliar?
•Am I willing to follow my soul’s call over the the ego’s desire for stability?
•Am I listening to the signs that the Universe is showing me, or am I resisting my path?
If you don’t choose your destiny, the Fire Horse may choose for you.
Not as punishment.
But as a necessary initiation to push you into a new train track.
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🐎 Five Pillars for Riding the Fire Horse
Let’s anchor this energy in something practical.
H.O.R.S.E.
H — Heart-Led Action
Choose what enlivens your heart, not just what feels safe.
O — Oriented to Truth
Face the real story behind your old patterns and symptoms.
R — Responsive, Not Rushed
Move quickly with clarity, however never from a place of panic.
S — Stewardship of Energy
Freedom is not avoidance of responsibility.
Honor your duties while expanding your life. You can do both.
E — Embodied Wisdom
Listen to your body signals.
Each sensation will direct the next action.
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🌿 Final Words
The horse does not plow the same field forever like an Ox does.
It runs towards the vast horizon.
But it also knows when to rest, graze, and breathe.
Your work this year is not to escape your life.
It is to liberate your life.
Ride with awareness.
Ride with heart.
Ride with spirit.
And let the Fire Horse remind you:
You were never meant to live small.
With Gratitude,
Johnson Chong
Upcoming Events:
Shamanic Breathwork Journey with Live Cello March 15, 2026
Blue Mountains Shamanic Medicine Retreat March 27-29, 2026
1 Day Shamanic Medicine Retreat April 11 & May 16 (email for more details)