YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE: AN INTERVIEW WITH JADE BRUNEL

This week I interview Jade Brunel, a BaZi specialist, on the Chinese Year of the Horse. You can find Jade and her work here.

To book in for a chart reading and a deep experience into self-understanding through the lens of astrology, head here. You can follow me on IG over here. 

Transcript

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Hi, how are you? We have something a little bit different this week. This week we look at the year of the fire horse, uh, through an interview that I did today on Sunday with Jade Brunell, who is a specialist in Chinese astrology. You'll find links to all of her work, in the show notes and. Yeah, it was great to talk to a specialist in this area about what this fire horse is, and then to begin to get an understanding of this system, which as a nerd who loves pattern recognition was a great joy for me. I hope you're all well, we are in between. Eclipses and I'll be back next Monday to discuss the upcoming full Moon and lunar eclipse in Virgo, which is going to be brilliant and wonderfully strong. Okay, I hope you'll enjoy this. Bye. Hi, Jade. Hi. It's so, so nice to have you here with us. I thought, It would be a great place to start with you introducing us to your work and, and you, so I, I came into first the wave of tea, which was my first entry point into, um, the Chinese way of living and, and relating to nature. During a very important part of my own personal grief and healing journey. So I think I was looking for something that would help me understanding the importance of being with whatever life brings up to us in the transience of life, or understanding the transience of life and the elemental language and archetype was really helping me finding peace finding. A sense of resonance with nature. And I found that in tea. I found that in, um, just the different, the different other practices that I was getting to know when I was living in Asia at that time and at Qigong, and eventually, eventually Bata. So. I feel like it's hard to describe what I do, but I, I've kind of touched upon different things that really help me and hopefully help others that I work with. Connecting with the elemental language in a way that helps us understanding the transience of life and the permanence of life, and also, um, the beauty in all the phases. And connecting with all the phases, either through the spirit of tea, either through the language of Bata and the sex legendary cycle, which is how time is being kept, and how we form the pillars that form our inner landscape, if you will. Mm-hmm. And also through movement, through different forms and movements, through Qigong and also through art. So I will. Often create different little taliman to support different practices also that I do. And um, so that's kind of all the scope of what I do. I guess it's all these different little modalities and languages that meets me and, and help me creating space for people to be in alignment with their own nature, within the scope of the larger nature of life. Mm-hmm. That's, that sounds so beautiful. We have been, and we continue to be in such, uh, interesting times and it feels like a lot of people are, as things become sort of heightened, it feels like a lot of people do turn inwards to try to understand. Themselves within the framework of so much movement and, and change. I think it's so interesting with the Chinese system. I was gonna call it Bji, so that's the Australian way of saying that. How did you pronounce it? Bati. Botsu. Botsu, okay. Which stands for? It stands for eight symbols. Eight symbols. Okay. It's so interesting how, at least within the scope of my world, which is, which is more like it's western astrology, evolutionary, and psychological. So I live within a, an astrological bubble, let's say, but I just find that it, it, it, it appears that so many people became aware of. The year of the snake and it, it, it felt like the year of the snake was so resonant to, so many more people than I, than I had ever witnessed. I couldn't even tell you what the year before that was, but it appears that the year of the snake is like just took hold within people's, consciousness and was really, really playing out. Could you explain. What these years symbolize because I, I was, I was thinking about it and I was wondering, like, is so, so we've just entered the year of the fire horse, is this a transit or is this, there's the elemental aspect, but then is it, like a preeminent archetype for the year? Mm-hmm. Yeah, really good question. So the bats system is not, it's, it's an astrological system, but we are not really working with the movement of the planet. So we work according to a different timekeeping system. That's probably the most ancient in the world. That dates from the Chang Dynasty, which is 4,000 years from now, called the Sex Ary Cycle. It's basically the formation of 10 heavenly stem, then influenced from the sky, and 12 influenced from the earth forming 60 pillars. That gives you a kind of a quality of time. So it's archetypal, if you will. Every pillar carries one influence from the sky, one influence from the earth that represent what will be the quality of time at that given moment. So every year, every month, every day, every hour, there is a pillar that represent the quality of time. And your bird chart in Botsu is formed of by four pillars of these 60 pillars. One for your, for your, um, year of birth, one for your month, one for your day, and one for your hour. Mm-hmm. So, collectively, when we change and enter a new year, which is not on January 1st, as you know, it's on, it follows the solid term calendar, which means the influence of the sun according to 24 different points in one year cycle. So it's usually, um, the first week of February. That in Chinese Midap six, we consider the beginning of the year now, and in more popular system, we go with the lunar calendar. To represent the beginning of the year. So it's a loony, solid calendar. We use the sun and we use the moon as well. Mm-hmm. So there is two technically beginning of the year, and one is according to the sun, which is always, um, the solid point called beginning of spring le, which is the first week of February, and then the beginning of the year for the moon is always, um, changing. It's always the, the first, the second new moon. New Moon following this the winter SALs? Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah, so when we enter the new year, we enter a new pillar of these 60 pillars. We have one influence from the sky, one influence from the earth. This year we just entered being war, which is yang fire horse, which means we have the influence of yang fire, which is the sun as a archetypal representation of yang fire. We utilize the sunlight as a symbol and then the horse, and there's 12 animals, right, which represent the 12 moon cycle in one year. So the horse represent our nature. On Earth is receiving the influence of the sky. The pillar is one influence from the sky, which is kind of the quality of Q of the sky at that given moment, and the animal represent the quality of the Qi of the earth at that given moment. So the archetypal nature of this year, which collectively is supposed to influence and kind of gives, give us information about. What may happen or just let's just keep it to, I don't like so much faith calculation, but I see it more as a, as a eco astrology. Like this is what nature tells us this year to pay attention to, you know? Yeah. Um, is young fire or archetype and could you explain what that is? The young fire horse. There's different always different ways to approach how the archetype could be communicating to us what they could be trying to tell us, but. Just to, as a kind of simplified version of that yang fire is the sunlight. So the sun is touching all things on earth. We even see the sun at night reflecting on the moon. So it's kind of an illuminator. It tries to make us see things. So it's the light of awareness and consciousness. Um, it helps us seeing the thing we may, may not have paid attention to. Mm-hmm. And the sun or yank fire in that system is the only element that is not physically present on Earth. Even so, we see it everywhere. So there's something about reminding us that. Even if so, we may not be able to touch or see something. It doesn't mean it's not real. Mm-hmm. So people may become more into spirituality during these times. They're trying to seek something beyond this realm. Hmm. Something that can illuminate or expand their way of seeing the world. Hmm. And then the horse. The horse carries two elements. Every animal carries their own elemental nature. The horse as yin fire, which is seen as the candle or the light in the dark, the yin expression of fire, and it carries also yin earth. Which is like the soil of a garden, the rich soil, and from which you grow life. So the horse, if you make, everyone talks about this energy being only fire, but no, it has earth. And that's the key, important point of the horse. Because if the horse, um, only it lies this fire without looking up for the, for the earth, it burns out. It becomes reactive. It becomes overly boil and creates, serves no purpose. It's a very. Um. It is an energy that wants to encourage us to connect to the other, to goward, to express ourself. Sure. Um, to be creative, to seek a sense of liberation and freedom, so to speak, our true voice. Sure. Okay. But from an embodied perspective, and that's where the earth comes in and reminds you. You can only if the fire, because in the cycle the five elements, fire becomes earth. It nourish earth. And in order for it to nourish earth, it needs to come from a place of integration and digestion of experience. So what the horse kind of reminds us here is. Things may move a lot this year for us, we may feel a lot of insights. We may feel a lot of inspiration, a lot of the impression that their speed is really fast, and we may wanna do 10,000 things, but we need to approach it from, we have to pace ourself. We have to approach it from embodiment. We need to allow enough time and space to rest and to integrate our experiences so they can turn into wisdom. Mm. That's beautiful. That's so interesting because in transits that are happening this year in the western system, there is so much fire at play. And as you're talking, it does feel a lot like the transits that are happening in Aries and Leo specifically. when I think of the horse without knowing that system, but it's just, as an image, it's like, it's an energy that can bolt or it can get us places faster, but if we are unaware of our intentions or how we're using that fire, that action energy, we could get lost faster. So it feels like a, a time where. Especially with Saturn just entering Aries as well. We, it, it's like a masterclass in how to utilize our will and our action energy and it brings in this influence of, of temperance. Rather than just being like impulsive or wanting to devour everything, you know. That's so interesting how. There are these kind of similarities. Would you mind discussing the elements? Because I know in, in this system there's wood, fire, earth, water and metal. I'd be so interested in hearing about the wooden and the metal specifically. So in bath, so there's 10 evenly, some which are yin and yang expression of the five element. And then you have the 12 animals and each animal carries elemental nature as well. Mm-hmm. So we have, um, we have J, which is Yang Wood, they all have a name. And then we have E, which is yin wood. And GI is like the very ancient tree that have very, very, very deep roots into the earth. So it, it grows upright. It's very stable, it's very strong. It's very ancient. It's very anchored. Um, it adds a lot of strength. Um, it adds a lot of clarity. It knows where it's going. It's the beginning of spring. Uh, it's symbolized by the animal of the tiger. The tiger has strong yang wood also other elements, but it's key element is yang wood. Um, uh. The pig also has yang wood, but it's hiding. It's complicated. I'm not gonna go too much into that, but, um, so wood is the beginning of the cycle according to this system. And the first element is, yeah, so yang wood followed by yen wood. So it's always a yang energy and then a yin energy and then, and continues like that until the end. So we have yang wood, ja yin wood, and then we have yang fire. Y So next year will be a yin fire year, basically.'cause we're in a yang fire year. And then we have yang heard yin earth. So yang fire again is the sun. So I've forgotten yin wood. Yin wood is the flower, or it's more like the form of wood expression that is not that deeply anchored and is more cyclical. Um, there's a more transience to it. Imagine yang wood is being the oak tree, so it's. Kind of always there never goes away. It's always anchored. It's very ancient. The tea tree also. And then yin wood is more like the flower, seasonal, so it'll die in winter and come back. So it, it lives more in the moment. It's more, it's more ephemeral. So there's more of a creative communal energy. It can be, y wood can be seen also as the pathetic plants that grows on a host without taking from the host. But there's a sense of community creativity. Um, and delicateness also, uh, and expression of the yin wood energy. So very different than yang word. It's almost as it's a different element when it becomes its y or its yang expression. At least you notice that in people when they carry, for example, so much of one energy, it's gonna be so different than the counterpart. Mm-hmm. And then Yang Yang Fire would be the Sun Yin fire is the candle. And then you have Y Earth, which is the mountain, very multiple layers of earth that are extremely stable, that don't move unless there's an earthquake, and then they can turn into a volcano. But that's a long story. And then we have Y Earth. Y Earth is the ground, the soil, the amnesty, mycelium. And then we have yang metal, which is the big large boulder, raw, potential raw metal, very indestructable. And then you have yang metal, which is the diamond at the core, very delicate. You need to remove a lot of layers to get there. Mm. And then you have yang water, which is ocean water, which is primals of water, which is, um, origin of life, which is. The, it can be a strong current of river, also yang water, so it's moving water. And then you have yin water, which is the cloud, the fog. Um, it could be gentle rain, snow, ice, stillness of water. And then it started again. So the tiger has yang wood. The rabbit as yin wood, very different quality here. Yeah, they are wood animals, but they have such a different expression of the wood. Tiger is the month we're in right now, February, and then yin yin wood. The, the energy of the rabbit is always the month of March. Every year, the animals are always at the same moments in the year, and they're always in length to a month. That doesn't change. Mm-hmm. But they don't always have the same heavenly stem on top in the pillar. That will change. Okay. Mm-hmm. Metal yang. Metal would be the monkey, and then yme would be the rooster. Mm. They also have a, and the way you kind of learn about the animal archetype in Bata is yes, because of the elemental, elemental nature they carry. So each, uh, animals, like I mentioned, will carry either one, two, or three elements. Mm-hmm. And that tells you a little bit about their nature, but also there's a legend about the order in which they arrived to the Jade Palace to be selected to be part of the Zodiac. And the way they got there kind of tell you about their personality a little bit. Mm-hmm. Um, you learn kind of about yeah. Who they are, how they act in life, how they get what they need. And according to the way they got themselves to the Jade Palace. Hmm. What, what are you, what am I? Well, we have four pillars, right? In a chart. So the four pillars represent different parts of life and um, at different aspects. It's just like in astrology, all the different s right in your system. So I have four animals in my chart, basically. Okay. So we're not just one moment. And it's always kind of a mix of that dynamic, you know? And that's based off of the year, the month. The day and the hour. Okay. Yeah, I got you. Yeah, because then you have one pillar for the, for the year. So you would have one evently, stem and animal, and then same, so you have four pillars. You have four animals and four evently stem in your, in your natal chart. Okay. But then there's also other. Pillars that are not part of your natal chart, which has to do with a bit like the southern north node in western astrology ish kind of. Um, I'm not an expert of western astrology, but I kind of understand that one. What we work with call the Mong pillars in BAA is the direction you are walking toward in this life, your destiny or your karma. Mm-hmm. And the other one is more like the pre Evan. Peeler that indicate where you came from. Mm-hmm. So the influence from past life. Mm. And then you have another peeler called the Body Peeler, which tells you why you were given this body to incarnate your spirit in this lifetime. And finally, you have the Aura peeler. That tells you kind of the energy you're emanating at the surface of things. So, so there's just so much to that. So it's pretty vast. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think, you know, everyone knows their sun sign in, western astrology, even skeptics, which is always like, kind of awesome. But of course it's like, when I'm reading for somebody, there's, we we're looking at everything and, and I'm always so interested in, or I always want people to know about their moon sign for example, because it's so related to inner nourishment, our emotional world, our inner world, but also our intuition and how we can nourish that and amplify that. Are there parts of the chart in. In your system that you're always, that you are particularly interested in or that you're always wanting to convey to clients? Yeah. Good. Very good question actually, because there is, so, there is kind of like the first thing you look at when you look at someone's chart in bots is what we call the day master. So the day master is the heavenly seventh, the day of birth. So that specific point in the chart is the core of the chart. It's the core self. Also, it represent the core self. It represent the heart of the chart, and because of that, everything else in the chart takes its own texture. Which means that for everyone, the tiger represents something archetypally. But if for example, you are yang earth as a core self, the tiger becomes something very specific for you. Because of that interaction of elements, because we see it as a dynamic of elemental dance. In that kind of microcosm. Mm-hmm. And, and also then there's the, you know, world itself that will meet you also in your microcosm. And the season will have a different influence on some people because they have more of a certain constitution than others. The tea drink, because it has a certain constitution, you kind of learn the dynamic between. How you feel within different phases of your own life. Also, why things were easier or more difficult and you had to grow and experience some things that were challenging, that supported your growth, or when things were just way more abundant or you kind of noticed that just because the energy move and flow in a certain way. So the most important aspect of the bats natal chart would be the day masters. So the ly stem of this, the pillar of your day off birth. Hmm. Okay, so I am for that yin fire. Mm-hmm. The candle, which would be seen as the bringer of light in the dark. Mm-hmm. Kind of making sense with doing what I do a little bit because I eliminate the dark. Totally. Okay. It's so beautiful. It sounds so poetic. I think that's what's so amazing about astrology and, and how it shows up in all cultures. There's something so majestic and, I don't know. It's, it's like it's maestro level. It know in terms of like the orchestration of, the systems and how they're expressed through these different cultures. It's just, there's so much, so much poeticness to. Life. It's never, it's never not inspiring, I think when you are engaged in this kind of work, because it's like you're getting to touch into that, those rhythms and those harmonies and to just see like the, the elegance of it, like the celestial elegance of it, let's say. So how, for people listening, how can they. Utilize the energy for this year as this fire young horse. Mm-hmm. So again, there's different aspects of influenza. Consider here first your own inner landscape, obviously, because not everyone have the same composition. Some people may need the fire right now. And some it can be something they already have a lot of. Then it becomes a bit overwhelming. So it's hard to answer as a general, that's why it's kind of when I do my own every year I will do one session that is more of a collective community where I talk about the archetypal nature of being, of the pillar of the year, which is being with this year, but. It's also more of a archetypal poetic rendering of really working with it would be meaning. You have to look at also what you, what is your own nature. Mm-hmm. And what is that, you know, your, in which way this energy is meeting you. However, I could say as a general kind of guiding point, um, whenever there is so much fire, you need to look at the earth, which is the expression of fire. And so earth would be. Embodiment, digestion, integration, metabolization of energy, which means that when you experience so much fast and there's a lot going on and there's a lot of movement, how can you turn that into rich soil? Either allowing yourself time to integrate what you're experiencing, um, allowing the dust settle after an experience so you can really let it land into your body. Engaging with your, with your body. The horse does like movement, so encouraging mindful movement so you can connect with your body's intelligence to guide you toward that. So that could be another integration practice. Um, I would say surround yourself with people that feel safe to co-regulate with because fire can also be dysregulating. And in, in the story of the Jane Palace, like I mentioned the horse when it was on its way to the Jane Palace, didn't know, but the snake had itched her right on its leg and he didn't know it.'cause the snake is sneaky and will use the horse. Mm. It used the horse to get where it wanted,'cause the horse was going fast and the horse didn't see it until the variant end. And then the snake jumped in front, scared the horse, and the horse stepped back, lost the place the snake went before it. Mm. And the horse got really dysregulated and scared. So the horse as a tendency to be a little used. Because it's a very compassionate animal. And if we look on the, in the history, there's been a lot of usage of the oars to get ourselves somewhere. Um, so I think finding the right people, finding your people, finding the community that you resonate with that because again, fires the heart in, in, in this system. So. You wanna tend to the flame of the heart, preserve it. Be with people that nourishes your heart truthfully, that you don't have to perform with because fire can turn into performances. It needs invites you to find your true voice so people you can speak your true voice with people that do not make you act and perform people that make you feel safe to co-regulate your emotion with in times of intensity. All of this people that make you feel safe in your heart to, to that people that allows you to have your heart staying open. Amidst grief and amidst and per allowing yourself to feel both grief and possibility all at once, all of it when you have that sense of safety, when you capable of allowing all these emotions. So that's kind of a, a good green flag of I am, um, walking, being woo, um, and integrity, so. Mm-hmm. That's so interesting how fire is related to the heart and the sun is related to heart. And similarly with it being, related to Leo and for the second half of this year into March of 2028, the Leo and, and the heart and creativity and that ability to genuinely express who we are, is such a big part of the. Uh, let's say energetics at play. It's so interesting to see how there is these like loose weavings between the systems. Is your, that you've, you've ho already hosted that community call for the year. Is that available as a replay? Yes, yes, we do have the replay. It was, um, February 16, just before the New Moon. Mm-hmm. And yes, we do have the replay. It's on the community membership. Mm-hmm. Awesome. Well, thank you so much. I will have linked all of your work below, but is there anything that's coming up? That you would like to point people towards. With your work. Um, so I will be in different places traveling, doing different workshops. So maybe, you know, if there's people, I don't know where your community is. I'm not going to Australia, unfortunately. Anytime I wish. But for now, I will be in Italy in May and June. Mm-hmm. And um, almost every year we organize also an immersion in China. So there's gonna be another one probably either in the fall or in the spring next year. Cool. So just looking up maybe for that, if people are interested to learn about TEA or atsa or T or all that. I do basically, but I also have a community membership for online. Mm-hmm. Where I really share all of these. So every month we meet for one session of. Study one session of tea community and one session of Qigong or movement or or or dance or anything. So there is all of this in the community membership available for people if there, if there are from different places of the world. And they just wanted to get to know a little bit the type of work I do. Beautiful. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you being here and sharing this with us. Thank you. Thank you.