There's something profound happening as we transition from 2025 into 2026, and it's not just another year ticking over on the calendar. We're moving from the Year of the Snake which was absolutely a time of shedding, transformation, and endings. Into the Year of the Horse, which brings movement, momentum, and exploration.
At the same time, numerologically, we're shifting from a nine year (endings and closure) into a one year (fresh starts and new beginnings). If you've felt like 2025 was heavy, hard, and exhausting, just like you were constantly shedding old skin while trying to tie up every loose end, you’re not imagining it. That was exactly what the energy of the year was asking of you. The great news is that you don't have to carry any of that into 2026. The whiteboard’s wiped clean. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted for so long now? You've got a fresh start. You’ve got that shiny clean slate, and a horse to ride into whatever comes next. It’s time for a fresh life start.
The Year of the Snake and Shedding What No Longer Fits for your Fresh Life Start
In Chinese astrology, 2025 was the Year of the Snake, which began around February 2025. The snake represents transformation, shedding old skin, releasing what no longer serves, and moving through deep internal change.
Think about what a snake does when it sheds its skin. It's not gentle. The old skin becomes tight, uncomfortable, restrictive. The snake has to work to get it off. Rubbing against rocks, moving through tight spaces, being vulnerable while the new skin underneath is still tender. That's what 2025 was for so many people. A year of being forced to shed old identities, old relationships, old beliefs, old ways of being that had become too tight for who you're becoming. You can’t keep wearing that old skin anymore, even if part of you wanted to.
What made it even more intense was that numerologically this year, 2025, is a nine year. Which is the number of endings, completion, and letting go. So, you had the snake's transformation energy + the nine's ending energy. No wonder it felt like everything was coming to a head! If you’ve felt exhausted here at the end of 2025, then this is likely making complete sense. Endings are heavy. Transformation is work.
You’re probably feeling rushed. Like you have to get everything done. All the things figured out, resolved, healed, and transformed before the year ends. So, you pushed. You worked on yourself. You did the therapy, the workshops, the inner work. And it still feels like it wasn't enough.
I can say this about your journey from seeing clients in my clinic... You’re not supposed to have it all figured out by the end of 2025. You were only supposed to be willing to let go. The snake doesn't shed its skin and immediately know where it's going next. It's vulnerable for a while. The new skin is tender. That's where you are right now. Yes, you’re a little tender, a little vulnerable, and you’re wondering what comes next. Exactly where you're supposed to be. You get a fresh life start.
The Year of the Horse: Movement with Joy
On February 17th, 2026, we officially enter the Year of the Horse in Chinese astrology. Yes, it’s also the day before my retreat group meets to get started on some pre-retreat teachings 😉. And the energy couldn't be more different from the snake. Where the snake was about internal transformation and shedding, the horse is about external movement and exploration. Where the snake was slow, deliberate, and sometimes painful, the horse is fast, energetic, and full of momentum. The horse represents freedom, adventure, exploration, and forward momentum. It's time to kick up dust, cover some ground, and move with purpose and joy!
The horse doesn't trudge. It gallops. It runs with excitement about where it's going. And here's what's beautiful about the timing: you're entering the Year of the Horse after having shed everything that was weighing you down. You're lighter now. You're freer now. You've released the old skin, the old stories, the old identities that were keeping you stuck. So, when the horse energy comes in, you're actually ready to move. You're not dragging the past behind you. The whiteboard has been wiped clean, and you get to choose where you want to go.
The best bit about this, is that the horse doesn't need a destination to start moving. It doesn't need a five-year plan or a detailed roadmap. It just needs the freedom to explore, the curiosity to see what's out there, and the trust that the path will reveal itself as you move. The Year of the Horse is saying ‘just start moving. Take this energy that comes with the fresh start phenomenon, and the path will appear as you go.’ Are you listening?
The One Year: Your Clean Slate. Your fresh life start.
Now let's add in the numerology. When you add up 2+0+2+6, you get 10, and then 1+0 = 1. So 2026 is a one year in universal numerology. And one is the number of fresh starts, new beginnings, clean slates, and new cycles. It's the energy of starting over, of planting new seeds, of stepping into something completely new without the baggage of what came before. Think about what the number one represents... It's the beginning. The first step. A blank page. Absolute pure potential with no history, no patterns, no expectations weighing it down. After a nine year of endings and closure, a one year is exactly what you need. It's the universe saying, "Okay, you've released everything that needed to go. Now, what do you want to create?" And you don’t even have to have the answer yet.
A one year isn't about having it all figured out. It's about being willing to begin. To explore and to try new things. It’s the time to see what calls to you now that you're no longer weighed down by what was. It's about curiosity, not pressure. It's about exploration, not perfection.
Understanding the Difference: Rushed vs. Momentum
Here we need to understand the difference between the rushed energy of 2025 and the momentum energy of 2026. In 2025, the rushed feeling came from trying to get everything done, healed, transformed, and resolved before time ran out. It was exhausting because you were constantly working against resistance. But in 2026, the momentum isn't about pressure. It's about flow. It's about movement that feels natural, exciting, curious. Think about the difference between being chased by something and running toward something. Both involve movement, but the energy is completely different. 2025 felt like being chased by the need to transform, to shed, to let go. You had to move because staying still wasn't an option anymore.
2026 is running toward possibility, toward exploration, toward whatever calls to you. You get to move because you're curious, because you're excited, because you're free. And sure, if you have a plan, you can move faster. If you know what you want, like the house, the baby, the business, the relationship, then the horse energy will help you cover ground quickly. But if you don't have a plan, that's okay too. Remember that this is also the year to explore without pressure, to try things without commitment, to see what lights you up without having to know where it's leading.
Your Invitation to Begin
Here's how I like to ask you to think about 2026. It's like free time in a prep (kindergarten) classroom. Remember when you were little and the teacher would say, "Okay, you have free time. Go play with whatever you want on the shelf"? There was no pressure. No test at the end. No right or wrong choice. Just the freedom to explore, to try things, to see what was fun. Well, that's the energy of 2026.
You're being given free time to explore life without the pressure of having to get it right, without the weight of the past, without the rush of trying to finish something before time runs out. There are loads of fun things on the shelf. Things calling your name like new experiences, new relationships, new opportunities, new dreams, new versions of yourself you haven't met yet. And if you're thinking, "That sounds beautiful, but I'm exhausted. I don't have the energy to explore or move or start fresh". I hear you and that's completely valid.
Resting is also a form of movement. Resting is also supporting yourself. After all, the horse doesn't gallop 24/7. It also grazes, stands still, rests in the sun. So, if what you need right now is rest, then rest. Your well-being comes first. But do it consciously. As a choice, because you're supporting yourself by giving yourself what you need. Then as you step into 2026, you're being given something rare and precious. A true fresh start. The snake has helped you shed what needed to go. The nine year has helped you close what needed to end. And now, the horse and the one year are inviting you to begin again. Not from where you were, but from right here, right now, with a clean slate and endless possibility. Ask yourself these 3 questions...
- What do I want to explore now that I'm free?
- What calls to me now that I'm not carrying the past?
- What would I try if I trusted that I'm allowed to begin again?
And then, when you're ready, take the first step. Not because you have it all figured out. Not because you know where it's leading. But because you're finally free to move, and the horse is ready to take you on the adventure of discovering who you're becoming.
*If 2025 left you exhausted from shedding old skin, it's time to step into the lightness of who you're becoming. You've done the work. You've released what no longer fits. And now you're standing here, yes, a little tender, and wondering what comes next. As we enter the Year of the Horse on 17th February 2026, you're being given something precious... A true fresh start. The whiteboard has been wiped clean. Just pure potential and the freedom to explore who you're becoming. If your initial motivation has worn out, or you want support to really move beyond mere symbolic new beginnings or fresh start gestures, then this is for you.
Trust me, this retreat isn't about having it all figured out. It's about being willing to begin. Over three transformative days, you'll: Unpack your story to understand why life has happened the way it has for you, Learn what it truly means to support yourself (and by not by doing everything alone), by finally allowing yourself to receive, Deeply understand how-to move forward with curiosity instead of pressure, and Leave with practical tools: what you’re Learning, reliable processes to start or add to your Self-Support Toolkit, and a Return to Real Life ‘Fresh Start Action Plan’. This retreat is for you if you're exhausted from doing everything alone and ready to let yourself be supported. The whiteboard is clean. The horse is ready. Are you? Your fresh life start is waiting.
This is the first article in a series of 3 to welcome in the New Year. You can reference the other 2 here:
- 1: The Snake, The Horse, and The Fresh Start: What 2026 Really Means for You
- 2: The Art of Receiving: Why Opening This Door is Life Changing in 2026
- 3: The Burden Belief: Why You're Still Climbing the Wrong Ladder