The Year of the Wood Snake and Tai Chi/Qigong: A Harmonious Interplay

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is China’s most important festival with a rich history spanning approximately 3,500 years. Its origins are believed to trace back to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honour of gods and ancestors at the beginning/end of each year.

In 2025, we celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake. The snake is often affectionately referred to as the ‘little dragon’, the snake follows the dragon and precedes the horse in the Chinese zodiac. The snake’s shedding of its skin, known as Dragon Skin, symbolizes renewal and transformation. It's said that the Snake wakes up from its long hibernation and creeps out of its den on the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar, this day is famously known as "The Dragon Head Raising Day".

In the West, we often see snakes as scary and menacing. They used to be called “The Agent of Satan” and when we place snake attributes on people, those people are seen as deceitful and duplicitous. However, the snake in Chinese culture symbolizes wisdom, transformation, longevity, and fortune. 

To give you a warm feeling about the snake in Chinese culture there is a famous story called “The Tale of the White Snake”. It’s set during the reign of Emperor Shaoxing (1131–1162CE) of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279CE) and tells of a white snake that cultivates itself for over 1,000 years and transforms into a beautiful woman, Bai Suzhen. Bai Suzhen falls in love with Xu Xian, and their romantic tale has been passed down through generations. The story is used to show how the snake can represent the pursuit of love and happiness.

The snake also symbolizes fortune, with legends describing its underground kingdom filled with treasures. So those seeking great fortune should pray in the temple of the Snake, and in traditional Chinese culture, keeping a green snake as a pet or seeing one in dreams can bring wealth and happiness.

However, for those of us who practice Tai Chi and Qigong, the snake has even more meaning.

According to the Taoist theory, there is a force within the human body which coils itself like a snake and can be released through proper practice, increasing vitality and longevity. These practices have been seen in many Qigong routines, and of course the concept is deeply intertwined with the practice of Tai Chi. The idea of moving like a snake is prominent in various Chinese martial arts, including Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan. The sinuous, fluid motion of the snake aligns with the way we move in the internal martial arts, while the idea of it coiling and releasing is seen in the power we emit.

We also have our wonderful stories such as The Battle of a Snake and a Crane being the basis for the creation of Tai Chi. It’s said that around 1350 to 1380CE, on top of mist-covered Wudang Mountain, the immortal Zhang San Feng sat making pills for immortality and meditating on the Dao, when his activities were disturbed by a snake and crane fighting. The snake couldn’t catch the bird, no matter how he tried as the bird hopped and turned and balanced on one leg then the other. And the crane’s direct attacks were neutralized by the snake’s circles and spirals. The fluid interplay of the two animals looked more like a dance than a deadly battle. Watching this, Zhang San Feng saw the interplay of Yin and Yang just as he had been studying: the idea of straight lines being balanced by circles; attacks balanced by yielding and melting; and from his observations, he created Tai Chi.

So, this year has many meanings for those of you who practice Tai Chi and Qigong. You can think of it being a Wood Year, which is associated with growth, resilience, and inclusiveness. You can think of it as having the attributes of the snake with its wisdom and transformation. You can think of it as a time to focus on the way you move like a snake in your Tai Chi or develop internal strength in your Qigong. But no matter how you think of it, let’s embrace the wisdom, resilience, and vitality that the Year of the Wood Snake brings, honoring its rich symbolism and cultural significance in our arts.

May the Year of the Wood Snake bring you wisdom, transformation, and prosperity!