2025 Was Hard for a Reason: From the 9 Year and the Snake to the 1 Year and the Horse (2026)

I’ve heard so many say: 2025 has been hard.

Not “a bit challenging.”
Not “growthy.”
Proper, life-upside-down-and-inside-out hard.

If you’ve felt like you’ve been dragged through endings, emotional whiplash, money wobbles, identity changes, and maybe you’re suddenly seeing people differently, there’s a reason this year has felt like that.

The quick answer (plain English)

• 2025 is widely described as a Universal 9 Year, completion energy: endings, release, clearing. People.com

• 29 January 2025 to 16 February 2026 is the Year of the Snake, shedding, truth, transformation (and yes, it runs into January 2026). Travel China Guide+1

• 2026 is a Universal 1 Year, a new cycle: momentum, leadership, fresh identity. Vogue+1

• Lunar New Year 2026 is 17 February 2026, the Year of the Horse begins then. Royal Museums Greenwich+1

So yes, it’s changing. But the magic is understanding how it changes, and how to work with it in a way that supports your life, your nervous system, and your money.

What a Universal 9 Year (2025) means

2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9

A Universal 9 Year is the “end of the cycle” energy.

It’s about:

• completion

• closure

• releasing the old chapter

• simplifying

• finishing what’s been left hanging People.com+1

If 2025 has had you thinking, “I can’t carry on like this”… that’s 9 year energy doing its job.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like “endings”, it feels like:

• you’re tired of repeating yourself

• you’re tired of overgiving

• you’re tired of trying to make something work that keeps draining you

What the Year of the Snake (2025) really meant

Snake energy can be harsh.

It’s clarity.
It’s shedding.
It’s the truth you can’t unsee.

And because the Snake year runs until 16 February 2026, January 2026 is still very much Snake energy. Travel China Guide+1

That’s why the “in-between” can feel like:

• you’re closing loops and clearing clutter (internally and externally)

• you’re less available for nonsense

• you’re being forced into honesty about what’s working (and what isn’t)

• you’re changing shape, even if you can’t explain it fully yet

January 2026 is a bridge (and that’s important)

This is the part people miss:

Numerology transitions on 1 January, but the Chinese zodiac shifts on Lunar New Year, which is 17 February 2026. Royal Museums Greenwich+1

So January and early February can feel like:

• part of you wants to GO

• part of you is still clearing and completing

That’s not you being inconsistent. That’s the season.

And if you’ve spent 2025 being cracked open by life, this bridge matters, because it’s where you can choose what you’re carrying forward… and what you’re finally putting down.

What the Universal 1 Year (2026) means

2026 is a Universal 1 Year because 2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 → 1. Vogue+1

1 Year energy is:

• new beginnings

• leadership

• identity

• initiative

• momentum

The invitation is simple (and sometimes confronting): pick a direction and move.

Not ten directions. One.

(And no, that doesn’t mean you can’t be multi-passionate. It just means your energy stops leaking out in 12 different places at once.)

What the Year of the Horse (from 17 February 2026) brings

From 17 February 2026, we move into the Year of the Horse. Royal Museums Greenwich+1

It’s time to grab those reins, because Horse energy is bold, freedom-led, fast-moving.

And 2026 is commonly described as a Fire Horse year. China Highlights+1

Translation: things can move quickly… but you’ll want to be anchored so “fast” doesn’t become frantic.

How to harness this energy (without burning out)

Phase 1: 1–31 January (Finish and Clear)

This is still Snake energy.

Your job is to close loops (gently but honestly):

• review what you’re holding on to that you no longer need to protect you

• finish the things you keep dragging

• make the decisions you keep delaying

• cut the money leak, time leak, or energy leak

• set the boundaries and stop renegotiating them

Journal prompts:

• What am I no longer available for?

• What have I been holding on to “for safety” that I don’t need anymore?

Phase 2: 1 January–16 February (Choose and Seed)

Universal 1 wants direction. Snake wants truth.

This is the part where you get to make it yours.

Choose what you want to anchor into first.
Not because you should, but because it helps you build momentum without scattering yourself.

It might be:

• an offer

• a message

• a weekly rhythm

• one support that helps you stay regulated

Journal prompt: What’s the simplest next step that would make the biggest difference?

If you want help choosing that anchor…

If you can feel the shift coming but you’re not sure how to translate it into money and momentum (without burning out), this is exactly where a Deep Dive can change everything.

Book Your Deep Dive
£697 or £233 x 3 months

Phase 3: From 17 February (Move and Momentum)

Now the Horse arrives. Royal Museums Greenwich+1

This is the season for:

• brave visibility

• bolder decisions

• consistent selling

• simple, repeatable action

Journal prompt: Where am I choosing approval over freedom?

Want to make this real in your business and money? Book a Deep Dive.

Maybe you’re thinking: “Okay… but how?”
How do I harness this energy in a way that actually impacts my income, my momentum, and my capacity?

This is exactly what my Wealth Activation Deep Dive is for.

This isn’t “let’s make a massive plan you never follow”.

It’s: let’s clear the noise, regulate your system, sharpen your intuition, and stop the time-waste spiral, so your next moves actually land.

You’ll leave feeling…

Clear, anchored, and decisive, knowing what matters, what doesn’t, and how to move without second-guessing yourself.

This is for you if…

• you’re done wasting time in overthinking, tweaking, and second-guessing

• you want to trust your intuition and make clear decisions that create momentum

• you want your business to feel simpler, cleaner, and more consistent, without pushing

What it costs

£697 or £233 x 3 months

What you get (the specifics)

• 2-hour Deep Dive on Zoom (recorded)

• We move through: Rewire (mindset) → Reset (nervous system) → Rebuild (strategy) → Rise

• 3 months Voxer support (Mon–Fri, 10:00–15:00 UK) once we begin

• Light asset reviews included (offer blurbs, headlines, captions, short emails around ~300–400 words)

Not included: done-for-you tech builds, full funnel creation, or long-form copywriting marathons (because we’re going for precision, not overwhelm).

Why this works (especially for a 1 Year)

Because it’s designed for people who are done circling.

One focused session replaces weeks of “talking about it”… and then Voxer support keeps you moving at the exact decision points.

And clients get results:
Sarah tripled her income within a month of her Deep Dive session, and Kerry made more in one month than they did in the whole of 2024 after theirs.

If you’re feeling the pull…

Ready to harness this energy and make it profitable (and sustainable)? This is where it starts.

Book Your Deep Dive

£697 or £233 x 3 months

Not ready to book instantly? Message or reply CEILING and tell me:

• what’s felt hardest in 2025

• what you want 2026 to become

I’m on Christmas hols, so replies may be slower between mince pies and family life, but I will read it and come back to you.

FAQs

When does the Year of the Snake end?
It runs from 29 January 2025 to 16 February 2026. Travel China Guide+1

When does the Year of the Horse start?
It begins on 17 February 2026 (Lunar New Year 2026). Royal Museums Greenwich+1

Why does January feel like an in-between?
Because numerology shifts on 1 January, but the Chinese zodiac animal changes on Lunar New Year (17 February 2026). Royal Museums Greenwich+1

Sources

• Royal Museums Greenwich: Lunar New Year dates Royal Museums Greenwich

• China Highlights: Chinese New Year 2026 date and Fire Horse note China Highlights

• Numerology.com / Vogue: 2026 as Universal 1 Year Numerology.com+1