A year of action, truth, courage + embodied vitality... the energy of the yang fire horse.
Liminal Space: transitional or transformative spaces: the space between where you are now + where you would like to be.
Welcome to Liminal Space, issue 8.
I’m sure many of you are aware that 2025 has been the year of the Yin Wood Snake in Chinese astrology + it is also number 9 in numerology, signifying the end of a cycle + completion.
Chinese astrology is a 60-year metaphysical framework that integrates 12 animal signs with the five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal + water—as well as yin/yang polarities to define each year’s unique ‘frequency’.
This celestial system acts as a roadmap for the spiritual, emotional + collective shifts humanity experiences annually.
The specific combination of the Yin Wood Snake emphasises themes of deep intuition, adaptability + steady evolution. When a snake sheds its skin, it’s uncomfortable + irritating, it feels like sunburn, because of the sensitive new skin underneath; the process involves a fluid layer, but issues arise with dehydration, causing ‘stuck shed’ that can be painful or harmful if pulled prematurely. Snakes often get cranky + reclusive during this time due to cloudy eyes + general sensitivity, needing proper humidity to shed easily + painlessly…based on last year, I can hard relate to this.
Right before you expand, life removes what isn’t aligned including the version of you that’s too small for where you’re going.
‘After the shedding comes the silence. The void. The liminal. The space between who you were + who you’re becoming. This is the final contraction before the birth. The phase that asks everything of you, patience, trust, surrender, capacity. Stay with it. This is where the new you is born.’
Words by @wildfemininerise
If you have found the past year to be challenging, you are right on time, it wasn’t punishment, it was preparation. You have been forced to strip away anything that no longer serves you whether that is in work, relationships, the home or patterns of behaviour. Trust that anything that has fallen away was meant to. The stripping continues until the end of February. The snake is about wisdom, depth, patience + transformation. It asks us to release old skin: identities, habits, relationships + beliefs that protected us but now restrict our growth.
‘If last year felt introspective, emotional, or quietly intense, that was by design. In Chinese medicine, holding on creates stagnation. When we cling on, emotionally or physically, Qi tightens, blood becomes constrained, and the spirit (Shen) feels heavy. The snake teaches us that renewal only happens after release. What you asked to leave behind now is not a loss, it’s preparation.’
Words by Lily Choin
This in-between period right now can feel like:
Low energy with racing thoughts.
Wanting change, but not knowing how to access it nor having the energy to change it.
Old emotions resurfacing (the final shedding of the snakes skin).
A pull to ‘do more’ but the body asking to rest.
Human Design through its founder Ra Uru Hu, predicted a major evolutionary shift in 2027, marking the end of the 400-year Cross of Planning cycle (1615-2027) + the start of the Cross of the Sleeping Phoenix (emphasising individual awareness, self-reliance, intuition, smaller resilient networks + moving away from massive systems), a transition from collective institutions to individual empowerment + new group dynamics, with the emergence of new human potentials (wave children).
This shift involves profound changes on global energy, moving away from old structures towards self-reliance + authentic living + has been discussed for decades, gaining more attention as 2027 approaches. It will also mean the potential for a new form of awareness, with children born after 2027 (wave children) potentially embodying deeper cognitive abilities. I will be delving into this at a later time otherwise this issue could get very woo woo! I will say however, Netflix are due to be releasing a documentary closely linked to this soon…
Now combine all of this with Pluto in Aquarius (technology, social progress + radical innovation) + all the outer planets moving into air (communication) + fire (action) signs… you can begin to imagine what this year is going to feel like especially with the acceleration of technological advancement.
The Yin Wood Snake striped away what isn’t true + cleared the path. From February 17th 2026, we transition to the YanFire Horse bringing us acceleration that carries us forward. Collectively we will be experiencing a lot more forward motion however it is important that whilst this sounds exciting, this can bring it’s own challenges for society by not slowing down to reflect on big decisions. This is not a slow + linear progress, it’s quantum acceleration. In Chinese culture, the Horse is known for its energetic + dynamic nature. It symbolises vitality, speed + perseverance.
‘The horse brings movement, fire, freedom, passion + forward momentum. This is a year of action, truth, courage + embodied vitality. The horse does not tolerate stagnation. It favours those who listen to their inner rhythms, trust their instincts + commit fully to the path ahead. Do the inner clearing now, because once the horse arrives, life begins to move fast.’
Words by Lily Choin
However when the horse runs without restraint, chaos can take over. This can look like:
Speaking before feeling
Acting before thinking
Burning out from overcommitment
Running towards goals with no grounding
Letting emotions steer the reigns
The shadow of freedom is reaction, power without direction (ahem… hi-ya A.I).
True horse energy is freedom with consciousness. It’s wildness guided by intuition. It’s movement born from alignment not impulse. In the year of the Fire Horse, honour yourself by:
Listening to your intuition
Moving at your natural pace
Saying yes to what feels aligned
Choosing freedom that nurtures, not destroys
‘I am the Kaleidoscope of the mind. I impart light, colour + perpetual motion. I think, I see, I am moved by electric fluidity. Constant only in my inconstancy. I am unshackled by mundane holds, Unchecked by sturdy, binding goals. I run unimpeded through virgin paths. My spirit unconquered. My soul forever free. I am the Horse.’
In numerology, 2026 is a 1 year, the start of a brand new 9 year cycle. 2025 (a 9 year) closed karmic loops, old chapters + cleared space. 2026 is the year of courage, independence + initiation; a collective rebirth that calls each of us to lead with authenticity + intention. Think of 2025 as pruning the garden, cutting away the dead branches + 2026 is when you plant new seeds + nurture what’s meant to grow.
‘Yes, 2026 will bring us fresh collective + individual energy but the same problems will be there if you do not end what needs to end. If you do not decide enough is enough…We won’t be handed expansion. We’ll have to be brave enough to receive it. Does this mean everyone has had the same 2025? Or a terrible year? No, absolutely not. But, there were collective themes occurring..we are all deeply connected.’
Words by Sophie Williams.
The universe is done with showing you what’s ending, now it’s asking you to build what’s next…
I would be interested to know if any of this resonates with you?
Is there one word you could think of to sum up how you would like to feel going into 2026 that embodies areas of your life you might like to feel stronger in? This can be a beautiful way to set the tone + anchor you for the year ahead rather than giving yourself a resolution or an ambitious to-do list. You can even use Chat GBT to help you find your word with this prompt below:
‘Based on our previous interactions, what single word should I use to anchor my manifestations across all areas of my life for 2026?’
Mine going into 2026 is Embodiment. For me, it’s not about reflecting or visualising, it’s about living what I already know + taking aligned action. While some benefit from pausing + introspection (the opposite to what you usually do is often the medicine), my growth this year depends on prioritising consistent + decisive action.
Let me know what your word is going into 2026, I would love to know…
Grounding Rituals…
a repeated action (habit/routine) + symbol of intent (ceremony/awareness/meaning) = ritual
Something that has become a ritual to anchor me into my day, particularly during these winter months is Vyrao incense. My current favourite scents are Verdant for Transformation + Renewal, which is a fresh uplifting scent that includes bergamot + cyclamen with frankincense, juniper + orange flower. Witchy Woo for Courage + Creativity, which has orris entwined with thorny rose, frankincense + nutmeg.
You can purchase from The Dream Of or directly via Vyrao.
*inspired photography shares featured throughout this email include;