Lunar New Year Horoscopes for Writers – Year of the Tiger by by 殿堂级 Diàntáng Jí (Chanticleer’s cousin)

Happy Lunar New Year from Chanticleer! 

 ~ The Year of the Tiger ~

February 1st, 2022 is the Lunar New Year’s Day! 

Lunar New Year celebrates the first signs that Spring is approaching. It is the most important and festive holiday in Asian countries with billions of people celebrating it. It has been celebrated for thousands of years. In China, it is known as Chinese New Year. However, Lunar New Year has different names in different countries, but still is known as Lunar New Year. And some say that Spring Festival may be more “correct.” No matter. It is a day of new beginnings with new prospects and new opportunities. The festival begins on February 1st and continues for sixteen days culminating with the Lantern Festival.

Lantern Festival is 5 days long and is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day

Interesting Facts to Know about the Lunar New Year

• Preparations begin a month in advance
• People in China get 7 days off from work (January 31st – February 6th)
• Some people get another additional 7 days off from work
• Lunar New Year is celebrated by more than three billion people
• More than 3.5 billion journeys in China are made during the Lunar New Year celebration
• Little Year: Takes place a week before Lunar New Year Day. It is a time for remembrance
• Lunar New Year’s Eve is a day of gift-giving (Red Envelopes!)
• Spring Festival begins with Lunar New Year’s Day — time for feasting, celebrating, and family
• Lantern Festival ( the last five days) also known as “the Friends and Sweetheart’s Time”
• Trafalger Square in London hosts one the largest parties outside of China itself for Lunar New Year
• Here on the west coast of North America, large celebrations take place in Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, San Francisco, and others. (Although, many are cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, but  online activities are available.)

Trafalgar Square – London, England Lunar New Year Parade

This is the Year of the TIGER! 

The Year of the TIGER for writers is believed to be a year of opportunity and triumph in the face of these past few challenging years. The Year of the Tiger may be your biggest year yet in your writing career. The Year of the Tiger is the year to be daring! Tiger Years are said to be years of taking chances and new pathways because the Tiger can go around any obstacles and not lose its way way.

Auspicious Traditions for the Lunar New Year

• Clean and organize your writing space (prior to Monday’s New Year’s Day). If you can’t complete cleaning ( I know I won’t be able to), you may continue to clean and organize after three full days. It is said that one should refrain from cleaning on Lunar New Year’s Day as it could be seen as sweeping away your good fortune (or writing mojo).
• Place a bowl of oranges, mandarins, or tangerines in your writing lair to promote positive energy.
• Wear new clothes on the Lunar New Year – Monday, Feb. 1st, 2022. Red and bright colors are advised. It is advised not to wear black or white clothing.
• Enjoy something sweet to ensure a sweet new year!
• Open windows and doors in your writing lair on New Lunar Year’s Day to bring in the new luck and fortune of the New Year.
• For those who play board games, it is considered lucky to play to stay awake on New Year’s Eve until the New Lunar Year arrives.
• Eat almonds and cookies/cakes made from almonds to bring on a strong and bright future (that is if you’re not allergic to almonds).

The Lucky Colors for Your Writing Office for 2022 

(Perhaps as vases, coffee cups, pillows, calendars, flower pots, post-it notes, plants, etc.)

• Pale Blue (for endless creativity)
• Azure blue (deep blue) and white together
• Red (for happiness and good health)
• Green (for healing power, prosperity, growth, and good beginnings)

Are You Wondering How to Determine Your Chinese Zodiac Sign?

Use the handy table below to find your birth year and Chinese Zodiac Sign:

Below are the 2022 Chinese Horoscope Forecasts for Those Who Live the Writing Life – Enjoy

Note from Kiffer Brown:  Chanticleer believes that we each make our own destiny by being optimistic and positive, by being kind and loving, by dreaming and inspiring, by being bold and doing, by helping and enriching others, by appreciating and being grateful, and by expanding our awareness of the Universe. Enjoy and have fun! Happy 2022! 

If your sign is a Tiger

(Tigers are passionate and have courage. They are known for their enthusiasm, courage, ambition, leadership, confidence, charisma. )

2022 is a great year to start new works. This is your time to promote because it is your time to shine. If you do, expect your readership to grow. Be sure to keep communications open with your editor. Sharing your thoughts will improve insight often improving your works. This is also the year to focus on writing craft and expand your writing craft tools. Be very careful whose works you endorse as the endorsements reflect on you. Be sure to make good on collaboration promises with other writers in social media and book promotions. This is a good year to schedule your book promotion plans and create a budget. What you do early in the year will effect your success in the second half of the year. Focus on your goals for writing, for promotion, for your health.

If your sign is a Rabbit

 (Trustworthiness, empathy, modesty, diplomacy, sincerity, sociability are what Rabbits are known for along with being friendly and possessing great common sense)

2022 may be the year that your hard work will be recognized. Be sure to research any new ventures or signing any contracts. Take time to take a step back and relax when you feel overwhelmed. You appreciate fine writing craft and well-written turns of phrases, but remember to not let your story get bogged down. Work on those well-framed sentences after you get your story out of your mind-film.  Try to network as much as possible so you can meet the right people to help you reach your publishing goals. Speak up at Zoom meetings. Participate in conversations, ask questions of panels, and network at conferences. Enlarge your sphere of influence. In your writing, you will have imagination and creativity that will help your works achieve success.

If your sign is a Dragon

(They are known to be passionate and quick-witted along with having the following traits: Luckiness, flexibility, eccentricity, imagination, artistry, spirituality, charisma. )

Be smart and do your research, and plan your marketing budget well. Perhaps adopting a conservative approach and look into collaborating with other authors. Be sure to keep communications open with your editors and beta readers. Sometimes dragons do not feel the need to explain yourself to others. But doing so will help resolve misunderstandings. Proper communication is the key! This is time to move forward with your works. Gifted with innate courage, tenacity, and intelligence, Dragons are enthusiastic and confident. They are not afraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. However, keep an open mind and be aware of the challenges you’ll be facing. Don’t react first but contemplate on it to gain better judgment and make the right decisions. Your optimistic attitude will help you and influence your colleagues. 

If your sign is a Snake

(The wise and almost mystical Snake is  philosophical, organized, intelligent, intuitive, elegant, attentive, and decisive.)

Auspicious players are at work. Goethe’s saying,  “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” This should be your motto for 2022. You have high ambitions and you will work hard in 2022 to achieve them. This is not the time to covet other writers’ word counts or books published. Keep your eyes on the prize – your work-in-progress. When dealing with deadlines and stress, be sure to take time for yourself to exercise and to eat well. Be sure to quiet your mind before retiring for the day. Though you may have some tough writing days ahead, tools and tips from other writers and editors can help you achieve your publishing goals. Finally, be sure to make time for reading new books! This is your year for success!

If your sign is a Horse

(Independent and high-spirited, the Horse is adaptable, loyal, courageous, ambitious, intelligent,  adventurous, strong.)

This is your year for creative and magical ideas! Be sure to keep a note-keeping system on hand at all times and on your bedside table. Your back list will payoff. Keep adding to it. This is the year to increase your circle of writer colleagues and your readership base! If you have a work-in-progress be sure to listen to what your editors are saying to you. Your work and writing career will benefit. In this creative year, be sure to start writing down concepts for new works. However, do not lose track of the work at hand. Stay on track and do not lose focus. Your challenge is to complete your work-in-progress while experiencing this creative, magical time. Write Fast. Edit Slow. And, keep track of the inspiration that the writing muse will send to you in 2022.

If your sign is a Goat

(The artistic and compassionate Goat is  tasteful, crafty, warm, elegant, charming, intuitive, sensitive, calm.)

If you are wavering about writing a new book, you should make the decision. Go or No Go. Then move on or Write Fast. If you decide to write the work, then immerse yourself. Stay true to yourself. Work hard and consistently as your efforts will be noticed. As much as you like to work alone, this may be the year to meet more writers to form future collaborations. This will be easy for you to do this year as you will have many admirers. However, set a schedule for writing, as you tend to do your best when following a routine. Be sure to take walks where there is fresh air, trees, and flora. This will invigorate you and keep you in good spirits and creative! Expand your mailing list and followers to gain new readers. Research how to do this yourself without spending a lot of money. There are colleagues in your writer community who would be willing to help you to this. It will be easier than you think! Also, find a way to contribute more to your writer community. You will gain allies and gain access to cross-promotion and learn more about selling platforms for your works.

If your sign is a Monkey

(Confident and innovative, the Monkey is  quick-witted, charming, lucky, adaptable, bright, versatile, lively, smart.)

You know how to hammer away at “Writer’s Block.” Once you do, you have found that the “muse” descends upon you.  2022 will be a good year for your writing career. However, you will need to pay close attention to the details of your stories. “Good enough” will not due. You works will need to be well-edited. Strive for perfection. If you are having problems focusing on your work-in-progress, then perhaps put it in a drawer and start on a story that you can fully immerse yourself in. You can go back to the story in the drawer later—if you want to. Your propensity to hammer away puts words on the page, but perhaps listen to what your writer’s muse is trying to convey to you in 2022. If you have works that are published, this may be the year to seek international marketing platforms or international representation. It may be difficult to begin with, but your “hammering away” nature will come in handy for figuring out how to expand into international markets.

If your sign is a Rooster

(Roosters are progressive thinkers and doers and unafraid to be different. They are known to be honest, energetic, intelligent, flamboyant, flexible, diverse, confident. You are known for your fierce loyalty.) (Chanticleer’s sign)

Roosters are known for their uncanny intuition and ability to correctly access situations. Many think you can read minds, which allows you to create compelling characters in your works. The hardest part of writing for you is sitting still enough to write. However, your writing career will make great strides if you do make yourself sit down consistently and write. Writing is hard for Roosters to do if it is not their career job. This hard work will begin to pay off for you in by the end of 2022 and more so in 2023. Although scheduling writing time will be challenging because you will encounter many pleasant surprises and opportunities to take advantage of. Perhaps investing in a time planner would be advised to tract goals while remaining flexible to take advantage of what 2022 will have to offer. In this busy year—even more so for Roosters—make time for your spouses/partners. You tend to put more energy into work than home life. This also carries over to self-care. Be sure to exercise. Schedule it in. Take care of yourself as you take care of work issues. Walk every day. Keep a healthy diet. Begin doing this early in the New Year. Nevertheless, 2022 is a fortuitous year for Roosters! You just have to pace yourself.

If your sign is a Dog

(The honest and hardworking Dog is loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent, steady, lively, adaptable, smart. They have a sense of justice and very easy to get along with.)

Hard work is the key to your success in 2022. You may feel adrift sometimes, but that will pass. This is the year to call people or meet with them rather texting or messaging. Connecting and taking the initiative will create positive energy for you. There will be advancement in your writing career. So, flex those creative muscles. If you feel frustrated about your writing, be sure to connect with other writers and readers. They will help lift your spirits with their camaraderie. 2022 is the year that you will discover more about your writing style and voice. If possible, this is a good year to travel and explore new horizons. This is your lucky year to achieve your writing goals. You will have many inspirational moments this year. Keep a pen and paper nearby or a recording device. These inspirational moments will make your work shine.

If your sign is a Pig

(Kind, friendly, and curious, the PIG is honorable, philanthropic, determined, optimistic, sincere, sociable.)

You are highly focused on your writing and your publishing goals. You finish your works-in-progress since you work on them steadily. However, this is the year that if you want to change genres, you should give it a try. Big changes will bring you luck as you bring perspectives from your previous genres to a new one. Discovering new places and traveling will also give your  writing new perspective. For the Pig, 2022 is the time to assist others—perhaps share new skills or teach a class. You will have a greater sense of purpose and will realize that it isn’t about the work itself but the message that creates relationships and bonds you have formed with your readers. 2022 will be a year of renewed energy for you! Take advantage of opportunities to network and connect with other writers. You will gain new wisdom from these relationships.

If your sign is a Rat

(Along with being amiable and creative, Rats are known for their intelligence, adaptability, quick-wit, charm, artistry, gregariousness.)

Give yourself permission to relax and bring more balance into your life in 2022. You have a great idea, but something maybe holding you back. Perhaps you are too stressed. Relaxing a bit and enjoying yourself may allow you to boost your creativity. This is a great year for Rats to promote their books. You should have yours on several selling platforms along with participating in author events, book clubs, book fairs. You will find that you will be able to sell your books at these events better than you ever have before as you have great powers of persuasion now. Dress the part of your brand. If you don’t have a brand, this is the time to create one. Your brand will help your readers to find you. Your strength is your organizational skills. The key to your success is determining what is essential and what is a distraction. This will allow you to focus your energy and resources in 2022.  Enhance the “under the hood” technologies of your book listings, website, and anything digital.  Replenish yourself with listening to your favorite music and perhaps take up a tactile hobby such as painting, knitting, wood working, gardening, flower arranging—something that involves physical sensations.

If your sign is an Ox

(Oxen are known to be leaders and loyal friends. They are also known for their  reliability, thoroughness, strength, reason-ability, steadiness, and determination.)

Since you are such a hard worker and you bear stress and tension without sharing your duress with others, you may find short trips and proper relaxation (perhaps a manicure, a trip to the spa, a night out with friends) will benefit you. You have no problem sitting down and writing. 2022 is predicted to be a very lucky year for the Ox writing and publishing goals. However, be cautious in entering into contracts or outlaying large amounts of cash for a service. This is a great year to expand your network and to increase your readership. Your readers will rave about your books. It will behoove you to go against your natural instinct of being a homebody and shy in 2022 as being more outgoing and visible will increase your readership and your brand. You are more likeable and charismatic than  you think you are. The forecasters predict you will have an amazing  year ahead!

We hope that you enjoyed this fun blog post that is meant as a way of thinking about new perspectives for your writing life. 

Chanticleer believes that we each make our own destiny by being optimistic and positive, being kind and loving, by dreaming and inspiring, being bold and doing, by appreciating and being grateful, and by expanding our awareness of the Universe.

Happy Chinese New Year 2022! – Year of the Tiger!

We wish you an AWESOME New Year of Good Fortune, Good Health, and Many Book Sales and an Increased Readership!

May the 2022 New Lunar Year bring you peace, joy, prosperity, and health! 

The Chanticleer Team