Yang Wood

甲

JIA is the first Heavenly Stem and represents the first element in the cycle, the moment of conception. The ancient script for JIA is a tortoise shell. JIA can also mean shell, armor, fingernail, claw, scale. 

Jia (Yang Wood) correlates with Meng Chun 孟春 Early Spring , the hours of the early morning, and early childhood. Jia is associated with the direction East, the Trigram of Zhen Thunder, the sense of smell, the gallbladder and nervous system.

Jia has straight, direct, bold qualities and represents birth or the power of life. It is the motion of a tree pushing past the inertia of winter, through hard soil, announcing to the world, "I'm here. I exist. I belong. This is my arrival.” Jia brings about anticipation and innovation. It can feel like irritation, frustration, the eagerness of knowing that within you resides unfulfilled potential, ready to launch and make waves, disseminate and synthesize the landscape, make fast decisions, break down frontiers, and show the world what is possible. The confidence exuding from inside its shell is palpable. 

Jia is the moment when we birth into a new paradigm and are confronted with our individual and collective responsibility. Jia entrusts in us the courage to express the magic we’ve been cooking up, to know that our process of creation is felt through our being. You are enough. Trust in your leadership. Show the world what you’ve been cultivating. Make moves and learn from the process. But as you grow new shoots, remember to stay grounded, humble, unattached to outcome, and trusting of emergence. 

Be like a tree, bursting from the soil. Be Generous. Root wide and deep. Claim your transformation. Endings require bold beginnings.