January Transitions: From Snake Wisdom to Horse Power

I woke up this morning and could feel it—something's shifting. We're still in the Snake year, but I can sense the Horse gathering energy just beyond the horizon. January always does this to me. It's like standing in a doorway between what was and what's coming next.

The Snake taught me a lot this year. Mostly about letting go. About trusting what I know deep down even when everyone else has their opinions. I was transforming and it was uncomfortable and necessary. Now the Horse is getting ready to gallop in with completely different energy—movement, freedom, bold action. But you can't just flip a switch between these two. You have to honor both.

This In-Between Time

January isn't just another month to me. I've always been fascinated with the Chinese zodiac from a young age, so yes, it's a new calendar year, but for those of us paying attention to the Chinese zodiac, it's something more. It's the final chapter of the Snake's influence and the preparation time before the Horse arrives.

The Year of the Horse officially begins February 17, 2026. That means we have all of January and half of February to integrate everything the Snake taught us before this new energy takes over.

Think of it like standing at a threshold. Snake energy pulled us inward—shedding, transforming, trusting our intuition. Horse energy is going to push us outward—action, connection, expressing ourselves. Both are powerful. Both matter. But they're so different. This is why January can feel so strange. We're between worlds.

What the Snake Year Did to Me

I've been thinking a lot about February 2025. Who I was then. What I was carrying. How much I've shed since. The Snake didn't ask permission before transforming things. It just... happened. This year asked me to:

• Trust my gut over everyone's advice

• Let go of who I thought I was supposed to be

• Sit with uncomfortable change

• Look at what was really going on beneath the surface

• Spend more time alone than I'm used to

For me personally? This year was about releasing old stories I've been telling myself for decades. Stories about what grandmothers are supposed to do, how I'm supposed to show up, what I should prioritize. The Snake whispered: What do you actually know to be true? And I had to get quiet and listen.

The Horse Is Coming

The Horse brings completely different gifts. This animal is about:

• Freedom and doing things your own way

• Moving forward instead of going deep

• Enthusiasm and optimism

• Connecting with people and community

• Physical energy and strength

If the Snake asked us to transform in private, the Horse is asking us to show up publicly. To move. To express. To gallop toward what we want. But here's the thing—you can't gallop while carrying all the old stuff the Snake helped you shed. That's why these weeks matter so much.

The Oils I'm Using Right Now

I've been working with a few doTERRA blends this month and they're making this transition so much easier.

Balance (Grounding Blend) or Anchor (one of the Yoga oils)

This one's become my morning ritual. When everything feels like it's shifting under my feet, Balance or Anchor reminds my body that I'm okay, I'm here, I'm safe.

I put it on the bottoms of my feet first thing in the morning, before I even get dressed. Sometimes on my wrists too. Balance has Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile—all these plants that root deep into the earth. When you're between two powerful energies, you need that grounding.

How I use it: I like to put it on my feet before I put my socks on. Mostly during my morning meditation when my mind won't settle and I have a 10 ml roller with me for any time I feel unsettled by all this change.

Adaptiv (Calming Blend)

Change is hard even when it's good change. Even when you want it. Adaptiv has been helping me stay centered when the shift between Snake and Horse feels like too much.

It's designed specifically for adapting to new situations. Wild Orange, Lavender, Copaiba, Spearmint, Magnolia, Rosemary, Neroli, Sweetgum. It creates this feeling of "okay, I can handle what's coming."

How I use it: It comes in a 10 ml roller and rolling it on my pulse points when I'm anxious about the future, or I just open the bottle and breathe it in when I need instant calm.

Frankincense (My Bridge Oil)

I use Frankincense when I'm doing deeper work. And this transition definitely qualifies as deeper work. People have been using Frankincense in spiritual practices for thousands of years because it helps connect us to something bigger than ourselves. Right now, it's helping me honor the wisdom I gained from the Snake while opening up to what the Horse wants to bring.

How I use it: On my crown and heart during meditation every single day! I add sandalwood with frankincense to my diffuser when I'm giving myself reiki in the evenings. A drop on my palms that I cup over my face and breathe in deeply before I set intentions.

Reiki Work for This Shift

I've been feeling this transition in my energy body for weeks now. Here's what's helping me navigate it.

Clearing Energy Every Morning

I spend five minutes every morning clearing my field, releasing whatever I'm still holding that is no longer serving my greater good. I have a great 5 min meditation to do just that.

Then I invite God's energy in gently through my Holy Fire® Reiki, Just a little bit more each day, like turning up the volume slowly.

Try this: Put your hands on your heart. Take three deep breaths. Visualize golden light settling into your core—you can think that's Snake wisdom. Then visualize silver light starting to swirl around you, getting a little faster each day—that's Horse power building.

Working With My Chakras

Snake energy lives low—root, sacral, solar plexus. It's about survival, creativity, personal power. Horse energy moves higher—heart and throat. Connection, expression, community.

I've been doing chakra work that honors both. Staying grounded in that Snake transformation in my lower body while opening my heart and throat for the Horse's expressive freedom.

Try this: Lie down. Put one hand on your belly (Snake territory) and one on your heart (where Horse lives). Breathe. Feel both energies present at the same time. You don't have to pick one.

Giving Myself Reiki Sessions

Three- four times a week, I'm giving myself 20-minute reiki sessions this month. My intention: "Help me let go of what the Snake taught me to release, and get me ready for where the Horse wants to take me."

The energy has been intense. Lots of releasing. Lots of opening. It's possible to cry during these sessions and not know why.

If you're not attuned to reiki, book a session with me and I'll help you navigate this zodiac transition with the needed support with the energetic shift. It has helped me.

Setting Intentions That Make Sense

Here's what I'm not doing: throwing away everything the Snake taught me just because the Horse is coming. That would waste a whole year of hard transformation. Here's what I am doing: weaving Snake wisdom into Horse action.

Questions I'm Sitting With

• What did I learn this year that I absolutely want to carry forward?

• What transformation did I complete that I want to build on?

• What do I know in my bones that I want to express more boldly?

• How can I honor my need to go deep while also embracing forward movement?

• What does freedom look like when it's rooted in actual wisdom?

My New Moon Ritual (January 18th)

I'm doing my big intention-setting on the new moon. That gives me exactly one month between setting intentions and the Horse year officially starting on February 17th. Perfect timing to really ground into it.

Here's my plan:

Acknowledge Snake: Write down everything the Snake year taught me. Everything I shed. Everything that transformed. I'm going to burn this paper as an offering of gratitude.

Invite Horse: Write down where I want to go this year. What I want to create. How I want to move through the world. This paper stays on my altar.

Bridge them together: Use Balance or Anchor, Adaptiv, and Frankincense while I meditate on carrying Snake wisdom into Horse action. They're not separate. They're connected.

Reiki session: Give myself a full hour of energy work to seal everything in and smooth the transition.

Move my body: Go for a walk—putting Horse energy into my actual body while staying grounded in Snake knowing.

You can adapt this however feels right for you. The important part is honoring both what's ending and what's beginning.

Getting Through January Day by Day

While I'm doing this deeper work, I still have to actually live my life. Here's what my days look like right now:

Morning: Balance or Anchor oil on my feet. Clear my energy. Set one small intention for the day—that's it, just one. I like to ask myself - Who am I serving today?

Midday: Check in with my body. Am I pushing too hard, trying to Horse before it's time? Or am I hiding too much, staying in Snake when it's time to start emerging?

Evening: Adaptiv after dinner. Gentle yoga stretching. You could also Journal about what you're noticing. Nothing fancy.

Weekly: One longer reiki or meditation session focused on the transition. One physical thing that feels like freedom—even if it's just dancing in my bedroom .

Anytime: Frankincense when I'm doing any kind of spiritual practice or setting intentions.

What This Actually Feels Like

Let me be real with you. Some days this transition feels amazing. Other days it feels like way too much.

Good days: I feel the wisdom settling into my bones while excitement about what's possible starts building. I feel both grounded and ready to fly. It's exhilarating.

Hard days: I feel stuck between energies, not sure if I should go inward or take action. I'm tired of transitioning and just want to be somewhere already. I question everything.

Both are normal. Both are part of it.

The oils help. The reiki helps. But mostly what helps is remembering this is temporary.

How to Know You're Doing Okay

You might notice:

• Feeling both grounded and energized at the same time

• Getting clear about what to release and what to keep

• Less resistance when things change

• Excitement building about new possibilities

• Your physical energy increasing bit by bit

• Sleeping better as you clear old energy

• Random intuitive hits about your next steps

• A weird sense of being exactly where you need to be

If This Feels Too Hard

If this transition is overwhelming you:

Slow down. You don't have to figure everything out by February 17th. The Horse year lasts twelve months. You have time.

Get help. Book a reiki session. Talk to someone who gets energy work. Use the oils consistently, not just in crisis moments.

Go at your pace. Some people shed Snake skin fast and are ready to gallop. Others need more time to integrate. Both are completely fine.

Ground yourself. When in doubt, come back to earth. Balance oil. Feet on the floor. Deep breaths.

What's Coming

The Horse year is going to ask a lot from us. Movement, action, expression, freedom—it's exciting and intense. But we're not going in unprepared. We're carrying Snake wisdom. We've already transformed once. We already know how to let go of what doesn't serve us. We already trust our intuition.

Now we get to take all of that and move forward with it. With power. With purpose. With freedom.

We have all of January and half of February to integrate, honor, and prepare. I'm using every bit of this time.

Your Experience

What did the Snake year teach you? What are you most excited about for the Horse year? How are you handling this transition?

Reach out if you want to talk about the oils or book a Holy Fire® Reiki session to support your shift.

We're in this together. From Snake wisdom to Horse power—let's make this transition count.

Ready to support your transition? link - https://www.naturally-refreshing.com/usuireikisessions

Holistic Living Tips/Natural Solutions

Naturally EOS LLC/Naturally-Refreshing

Riki Marie