MANILA, Philippines — With the new year, many are seeing reasons for optimism. From the Chinese zodiac calendar standpoint, the Year of the Water Dragon which begins January 23, 2012, and ends on February 9, 2013, brings many possibilities for good fortune. For the Chinese, dragons are the divine mythical creatures that bring with them intense power, ultimate abundance, and good fortune.

In Sung dynasty manuscripts, the dragon is described as having the “head of an ox or donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and a feet of a phoenix,” and it usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its supernatural powers.

To the Chinese, the dragon is born in the most desirable year and is the mightiest of the signs. The Oriental dragon is regarded as a divine beast, the reverse of the monster that Westerners felt necessary to find and slay. Free spirits of the Chinese zodiac, people born in the Year of the Dragon are extroverts who have a deep love for nature and are innovative, passionate, enterprising, brave, self-assured, colorful, and flamboyant. Gifted and irrepressible, they are fearless of any challenges that may come their way, able to see clear the paths and take a radical approach to any harsh conditions.

Of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is the most special and is sometimes called a karmic sign. Bigger than life is very much a dragon thing and in this context we can expect grand things to happen this year. There may be flames and failures, but there will also be spectacular achievements. For those born in the Year of the Dragon, this year is the time to pursue and act on the impossible dream, change the world or at least your life. And for the other signs, it is the best chance to make your dreams come true. The dragon sign is associated with spring and the dragon water sign is likely to become a flowing river rather than a stagnant lake, which means that you need to begin 2012 off to a fast start as things are expected to happen early in the year. Hopefully we used some of the quiet time in the past year to plan your moves for 2012.

KUNG HEI FAT CHOY!