Gentle Strength

“Ox, working steadily, nurtures the ground he walks upon, Gently, Carefully, Inevitably”

Happy Chinese New Year, fellow Souls having Human journeys! This one is special for me, as it's the year of the Ox, same as my birth year (I'm also a Taurus Sun, go figure).

I identify with this energy in a lot of ways. Ox is massive, slow, and stubborn. It is incredibly difficult to stop an Ox once they've started moving, but they take their time to choose their path. They are delighted by beauty and will respond to gentle guidance, rage against forced demands. They themselves, despite their indomitable strength and size, are mostly gentle. They tend the Earth, often pulling plows, hauling goods, eating weeds, nourishing the soil with their droppings. Across the world, they and their kin allowed themselves to be in intimate relationship with humanity. They were instrumental in teaching us agriculture.

Ox medicine is to live in harmony with a sustainable, growing earth. To enjoy the nourishment of the earth. To respect the basics, the fundamentals of life. To work hard and sleep deeply. To enjoy simplicity. To know when they are right and to stand immovable in defense of it, while still being gentle. Gentle Strength.

Ox kin is Buffalo, Cow, Yak, etc. The earliest we know of their domestication is through the vedic lore. Yoga means, "to yoke," which is in reference to taming the mighty beast.

So I hope we can all respect where we came from and use that as a foundation to where we are going. Our roots are important. Fundamental. Yet, sometimes our roots are so buried in politics and burocracy. It seems we need to dig deep to find them.