The Karmic Nature of the Year of the Snake

The Karmic Nature of the Year of the Snake

Each year of the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac is characterized by a particular animal. Of these, the Snake is particularly ominous, because the snake is considered to be a karmic animal.

The year of the Snake is therefore considered to be a time when problems come to a head, when unresolved issues require resolution, when the Dialectic of Thesis and Antithesis give rise to a Synthesis.

Following is a list of some historical precedents. As will be observed, the karmic effect of the year of the Snake will sometimes spill over into the year of the Horse, e.g. 1953-1954, and 1989-1990. Interestingly, the Russian October Revolution of 1917 was preceded by events in the previous year of the Snake (12 years earlier).
 

Historical Precedents 

1893:  "Panic of 1893" marked by collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing, resulting in a series of bank failures 

1905: Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905  (Battle of Tsushima May 27) was responsible for the 1905 Russian Revolution 

1905: Russian Revolution , October 1905 General Strike in Moscow / preceded by Bloody Sunday in St Petresberg January 9th 

1917: Russian October Revolution 

1929: Great Depression begins 

1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbour (Dec.7, 1941)


1953: Stalin dies in March, ending 20 years of terror. Kruschev introduces more moderate version of Communism.
1953-1954: The French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu (October 1953 - May 1954)  

1965: Escalation of the Vietnam War, massive bombing over North Vietnam begins 

1977: 22 July 1977, Deng Xiao-Ping was restored to the Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Military Commission and Chief of the General Staff of the PLA 

1989-1990:  Student protests in Tien-An-Men square and subsequent massacre; Fall of the Berlin Wall, Collapse of the Soviet Union 

2001:  Dot.Com Bubble burst (March 2000 to October 2002) ;    9/11 “Terror Attack” ;  China joins WTO (Dec.11)