Just as political analysts evaluate a president’s first 100 days in office to measure early impact versus campaign promises, we can do the same with the powerful Yin Fire Snake year. Predicted to be dynamic and transformative, 2025 has not disappointed, and we are only three months in. From sweeping global policy shifts and economic resets to advances in AI and space, the first 100 days have proven that this is not just a new year—it’s the start of a new era.
This article looks at how the actual energy of 2025 has manifested compared to pre-year predictions, while offering insights into the deeper metaphysical layers at play. We'll decode the symbolic power of the Yin Fire Snake, clarify common misconceptions about Chinese astrology, and explain why this year marks the beginning, not the end, of profound global transformation. Whether you're watching world leaders, managing a business, or navigating your own inner journey, understanding this year's energy can help you align with the change instead of resisting it.
As we highlighted in our article “Leveraging Annual Predictions with Ba Zi and Feng Shui” back in November 2024, Chinese metaphysical forecasts are not rigid prophecies—they’re dynamic guides. They show how each year's energies resonate with your unique Destiny Chart, offering valuable direction in career, relationships, and personal growth. But even the most favorable energies won’t act on your behalf—they simply support those ready to act.
At that time, we also drew attention to the major shift brought by the arrival of a new 20-year cycle dominated by the Fire Star 9 in Feng Shui—an era of deep transformation that began in 2024 and will continue until 2043. Yet the true ignition of change was only felt with the entrance of the Yin Fire Snake in 2025, carrying the seeds of fire powerful enough to spark irreversible transformation.
Skeptics may have dismissed this at first, but now, just 100 days in, the early signs are unmistakable. And as Chinese metaphysics teaches: “Anticipation is power.”
The First 100 Days: A Tradition of Evaluation
This article begins with a familiar method of accountability: the 100-day review. Just as we assess the early days of a new presidential term against campaign promises, here we evaluate the first 100 days of the Year of the Yin Fire Snake against the predictions made before its arrival.
But beyond a simple comparison, this is also an opportunity to explain how Ba Zi analysis works in forecasting—what methods are used, what layers of meaning lie beneath the surface, and to clarify a few common misconceptions that often arise among those less familiar with Chinese Metaphysics.
In our December 2024 article, “Predictions for 2025: A Dynamic and Transformative Year,” we emphasized that 2025 would be a pivotal year—a year driven by the fiery, shifting energies of the Snake, capable of triggering deep change both globally and personally. We wrote that this year would challenge individuals and nations alike to adapt quickly, shedding outdated structures and embracing transformation, whether they’re ready or not.
To grasp the scope of 2025, it's enough to look at history: Snake Years tend to mark turning points. In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall ended decades of Cold War tension. In 2001, the world was shaken by 9/11 and the Enron collapse, shifting global security and trust in financial systems. In 2013, Edward Snowden's revelations transformed global discourse around surveillance and privacy, while the emergence of ISIS redefined conflict in the Middle East.
Now, in 2025, it seems we are once again at the edge of irreversible change.
🌍 The First 100 Days of 2025: A World in Flux
Since February 4, 2025, the global landscape has experienced seismic changes, signaling a departure from established norms and heralding a new era of unpredictability and transformation.
🔥 U.S. Foreign Policy: A Radical Overhaul
In his second term, President Donald Trump has enacted sweeping changes: imposing aggressive tariffs, restructuring domestic institutions, and redefining international alliances. Notably, the U.S.–Russia summit in Saudi Arabia excluded Ukraine and European allies, raising concerns about America's commitment to traditional partnerships.
🐉 China's Strategic Maneuvers
Facing U.S. protectionism, China has intensified its diplomatic efforts, lifting sanctions on select EU officials and seeking closer ties with Southeast Asia and Latin America. However, challenges persist, including global scrutiny over trade practices and internal economic pressures.
🛡️ Europe's Quest for Autonomy
In response to shifting U.S. policies, European nations are bolstering their defense capabilities. Germany has committed to a €1 trillion investment in defense and infrastructure, while Denmark and Belgium have announced significant increases in military spending. The formation of the Weimar+ alliance, including the UK, underscores Europe's intent to assert greater geopolitical independence.
🤖 The AI Arms Race Intensifies
The 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris highlighted the escalating global competition in artificial intelligence. The EU unveiled a €200 billion InvestAI initiative, with substantial investments from France and international partners. However, critics argue that the summit prioritized economic gains over addressing AI's ethical and societal implications.
⚔️ Ukraine Conflict: A Complex Landscape
The U.S.–Russia summit's exclusion of Ukraine has strained relations, with Ukrainian leaders expressing discontent over being sidelined. Subsequent negotiations have seen limited progress, and the conflict's resolution remains uncertain.
🧬 Technological and Societal Milestones
- Firefly Aerospace achieved a historic commercial moon landing, marking a new chapter in space exploration.
- Colossal Biosciences announced the creation of "woolly mice," advancing de-extinction research.
- The arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court signaled a significant moment in global justice efforts.
The Yin Fire Snake: What 2025 Promised Us
So far, we’ve been referring to 2025 as the Year of the Yin Fire Snake—but many of you have probably heard it called the Year of the Wood Snake instead. And that’s not wrong either. Let’s clear up the confusion.
The Confusion: Is it a Wood Snake or Fire Snake Year?
The Chinese Zodiac—and Ba Zi Destiny Charts, too—are based on cycles. More precisely, a repeating cycle of 60 unique combinations. Here’s how it works: there are 12 Zodiac Animals (Rat, Ox, Tiger,... Pig), and 5 Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). If you assign each Element, in both its Yin and Yang form, to every Zodiac Animal in turn, you end up with 12 × 5 = 60 distinct Element-Animal pairs. That’s the sexagenary cycle—what we refer to as the 60 Pillars.
This cycle begins with the Yang Wood Rat and continues through Yin Wood Ox, Yang Fire Tiger, Yin Fire Rabbit, and so on, ending with Yang Water Dog and Yin Water Pig. Every Hour, Day, Month, Year, and even 10-year Luck Pillar in a person’s chart is made up of one of these combinations.
Now, if you’ve noticed references to Yin and Yang, here’s why: every Element has two aspects—Yang and Yin—and every Zodiac Animal also has a “native” or “hidden” Element, which comes with its own polarity. For example, the Snake naturally contains Yin Fire. You’ll find these associations in the table below, which also shows the traditional two-hour time slot ruled by each Zodiac Animal. (If you're curious, you can view this table anytime in the Keynotes section of the BaZi Advisor web app—just search for “Animals Hours”)
Each of these combinations—called a Pillar—is made up of two parts: the Heavenly Stem (the Element) and the Earthly Branch (the Zodiac Animal). One important rule: a Pillar must be either completely Yang or completely Yin. You can’t mix them.
So here’s the key: the Snake’s native element is Yin Fire. That never changes. But in the 60-year cycle, the Heavenly Stem paired with the Snake in 2025 is Yin Wood—another Yin component, making the full Pillar harmonious.
That’s why both terms—“Wood Snake” and “Fire Snake”—are technically correct. 2025 is a Yin Wood Snake year according to the 60 Pillar cycle. But at its core, the Snake’s energy is always flavored by Yin Fire—its inner essence, regardless of what Stem it's paired with.
In the example below, we’ll show you how Pillars appear inside a Destiny Chart—and how this subtle layering of energies makes Ba Zi such a fascinating tool for understanding both global shifts and personal stories.
Meaning Behind the Wood-Snake Pillar
In Ba Zi, each year’s energy is symbolized by a pillar made up of two layers: the Heavenly Stem (Element) and the Earthly Branch (Zodiac Animal). For 2025, this is the Yin Wood Snake, known in Chinese as 乙巳 (Yǐ Sì).
When this pillar appears in a person’s chart, it often represents someone who is creative, sentimental, visually appealing, and emotionally expressive—someone who draws people in with charm and talent. But what happens when this same energy rules an entire year?
Let’s look at the symbolic image of Yin Wood over Snake: it’s often described as "grass on the hill"—a quiet but persistent growth, tender on the outside but deeply rooted and surprisingly resilient. This is not the fierce wildfire of Yang Fire or the solid trunk of Yang Wood. Yin Wood grows by adapting. It curves around obstacles, finds sunlight in shadows, and reaches upwards in ways that are soft but unstoppable.
Now place this delicate yet determined energy on top of the Snake, a sign associated with secrecy, strategy, beauty, mystery, and internal fire. The Snake’s inner element is Yin Fire, which brings intuition, seduction, vision, and passion—but also volatility beneath the surface.
Together, the 乙巳 (YinFire-Snake) pillar creates a year with the following characteristics:
- Aesthetic and creative revival – Expect a wave of artistic expression, elegance, and refined taste across fashion, film, literature, and design. The world may become more sensitive to beauty, image, and emotional nuance.
- Charm and diplomacy over brute force – Negotiation, behind-the-scenes strategy, and subtle influence will shape politics and social movements more than loud declarations or dramatic conflict.
- Volatility under the surface – While the surface appears calm or even glamorous, deeper tensions may brew quietly. Think economic bubbles, strategic maneuvering, or long-held secrets coming to light unexpectedly.
- Luck favors the graceful and adaptable – Just as Yin Wood bends but does not break, those who stay flexible, emotionally intelligent, and understated in 2025 are likely to thrive.
- Hidden ambition and emotional intensity – The Snake is never as still as it seems. In a Yin Wood Snake year, powerful inner drives—whether in individuals, companies, or nations—will be cloaked in elegance but driven by fire.
In short, 2025 is a year of quiet intensity, strategic creativity, and transformative charm. Success comes not from dominating but from captivating—through patience, refinement, and insight.
🔮 Embracing the Winds of Change: Energies in Motion
The Yin Fire Snake year is not just another turn of the calendar—it’s a symbolic reset. It whispers transformation, but not gently. It challenges structures, beliefs, and comfort zones, forcing both individuals and nations to evolve or risk falling behind. What we are witnessing in early 2025 is not temporary chaos—it is the visible shaking of an old order that no longer fits the time.
A Year of Reset or Resistance
The energy of this year is like a wind that cannot be stopped—only ridden. And we have two options. We either accept that this is a time of deep, necessary transformation, open ourselves to change, and realign with new realities—or we fight it. But resisting change in 2025 is like holding onto a tree during a flood: exhausting, isolating, and ultimately futile.
Those who try to maintain the past at all costs may feel increasingly anxious, frustrated, or even lost. On the other hand, those who are willing to let go, to adapt, and to reimagine their direction will discover powerful tailwinds behind their dreams. This isn’t just a metaphysical idea—it’s a practical one, echoed in personal lives, careers, and global shifts alike.
Why “Let’s Wait for Next Year” Is a Dangerous Illusion
Some might be tempted to say, “Only nine months left, let’s wait it out.” But this attitude misses the deeper truth: the Fire Snake is not an isolated spark. It’s the ignition of a larger firestorm. What begins in 2025 will gain even more force in 2026, the year of the Yang Fire Horse—a pillar of explosive energy, action, and rapid acceleration. Compared to the introspective push of the Yin Fire Snake, the Horse will be all about bold movement. Waiting for it to “calm down” is like standing still on train tracks, hoping the train slows down before impact.
This is why alignment with the year’s energy is not optional—it’s essential. Resonating with 2025 means learning to move with the wave, not against it. It means becoming agile, courageous, and willing to start over if needed. Those who understand this will not only survive the changes—they’ll thrive in them.
Misconceptions About the Chinese Zodiac
One of the most common misunderstandings about the Chinese Zodiac comes from applying Western logic to Eastern systems. Many people believe that their identity in Chinese metaphysics is defined by the year they were born, just as the Western zodiac assigns signs by birth month. But this is not only inaccurate — it's misleading.
In Chinese metaphysics, and specifically in Ba Zi (the Four Pillars of Destiny), every person, company, or even country has a complete Destiny Chart made up of four distinct time-based "pillars": year, month, day, and hour of birth. Each of these layers holds a specific meaning, describing a different dimension of life. The Year Pillar, often mistaken as the sole identifier, is in fact the outermost shell — it reveals how one interacts with strangers, society, and large-scale events, not who they are at the core.
This surface-level energy is particularly relevant for public figures, such as CEOs, prime ministers, or presidents, whose roles involve interactions with nations and unknown audiences. But for the average person? The Year Pillar barely scratches the surface.
You Are Not Just Your Birth Year
Let’s break it down. In a Ba Zi chart, each of the four pillars reflects a fundamental aspect of life. Understanding them reveals not only your path but also your potential.
Year Pillar: Public Image & Collective Influence
This pillar speaks to your connection with the outer world — your extended family, broader society, and even global or economic forces that shape your experiences. It defines how others see you from afar, but not how those closest to you experience your presence.
Month Pillar: Career & Personal Role
The Month Pillar reveals your professional tendencies, your talents, and your social persona — it reflects the way you present yourself in the world. It’s also linked to your relationship with your parents and your early environment. Most importantly, this is the pillar from which your profile type is derived, making it central to career path analysis. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that we spend roughly 70% of our lives working, and this pillar knows it.
Day Pillar: True Self & Intimate Bonds
Often called the “heart” of the chart, the Day Pillar reflects your inner nature — who you are when no one is watching. It also holds the secret to your relationship with your spouse or long-term partner. For love, compatibility, and emotional resonance, this is where we look.
Hour Pillar: Dreams, Children & Legacy
Finally, the Hour Pillar opens the door to your aspirations — the desires you nurture, the long-term goals that quietly guide your choices. It also speaks about your connection to your children, students, or mentees — those who carry your legacy into the future.
Recap of Forecasts: How Zodiac Energies Unfold in Real Time
In our article “Predictions for 2025: A Dynamic and Transformative Year”, we emphasized that the Yin Fire Snake year would bring radical transformation, intensity, and speed, all underpinned by Fire and Wood energies. This isn’t a gentle breeze of change; it’s a controlled burn meant to purify, rebuild, and reshape systems at both the personal and global level.
We highlighted that:
- Those in power (especially under Wood and Fire influence) would face strong pressure to reform or be removed.
- Hidden truths would emerge — from personal betrayals to institutional corruption.
- People, companies, and governments that resist change would face breakdowns or systemic collapse.
- The year carries a restorative, catalytic force — demanding alignment, speed, and resilience.
At a personal level, many zodiac signs were advised to ride the momentum, even if it felt disruptive, because 2025 favors those who move with the fire, not against it.
But what do these predictions look like in action?
Argentina: A Real-Time Case Study in Fire-Led Reform
One of the clearest and most striking manifestations of these energies can be seen in Argentina, under the leadership of President Javier Milei. Sworn into office in December 2023, Milei stepped into a crumbling economy marked by triple-digit inflation, rising poverty, and deep-rooted state dependency. His approach? Radical, unapologetic reform.
In true Snake-year fashion — where transformation is not optional — Milei launched one of the most aggressive liberalization agendas in the country’s history:
- Cutting state spending drastically, including public sector jobs and subsidies.
- Dismantling bureaucracies and removing thousands of regulations overnight.
- Reestablishing market confidence, prioritizing a hard reset over populist band-aids.
While his methods were labeled by critics as extreme and socially harsh, the early results are undeniable:
- For the first time in decades, Argentina registered a budget surplus — a clear signal of financial discipline.
- Inflation, while still high, is declining steadily, signaling restored fiscal credibility.
- International markets began to respond positively, while many citizens, despite initial hardship, are showing cautious optimism.
This is textbook Yin Fire Snake energy: disruptive, purging, fast, and painful, but ultimately focused on rebirth.
Whether one supports or disagrees with Milei’s policies, from a metaphysical lens, this is exactly the kind of leadership transformation 2025 is built to provoke — bold decisions, extreme measures, rapid consequences.
And Argentina is just the beginning.
Tools of the Trade: How Chinese Metaphysics Makes Predictions
The individual prediction in Chinese metaphysics as presented in the article Leveraging Annual Predictions with Ba Zi and Feng Shui
We give special attention to the following aspects:
- Examining the auxiliary stars associated with your Destiny Chart can reveal key opportunities or challenges.
- Identify clashes between the year’s energies and a specific pillar in your chart that highlights potential obstacles or disruptions.
- Detecting special elemental combinations can indicate auspicious outcomes or significant breakthroughs.
- Additionally, using the Feng Shui approach by analyzing the positioning of the Yearly Stars in your living or working spaces helps pinpoint areas of influence.
It's important to emphasize that energies are favorable for courageous people, ready to fully reset if needed. We don't approach politics, but at a global level, the determination proved by Argentina to apply changes changed spectacularly in a good sense the economy and the quality of life.
Do you know that in countries such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Ba Zi is regarded as a structured metaphysical science used for personal development and decision-making. Many successful entrepreneurs, investors, and even government officials consult Ba Zi and Feng Shui experts before making significant choices. The systematic approach and mathematical foundations of Ba Zi make it more than just a belief—it’s a practical tool.
Final Thoughts: Bravery, Change, and the Road Ahead
2025 is not here to comfort us. It’s here to wake us up. To challenge everything we thought was stable, certain, or untouchable — from personal identity to political systems, from inner beliefs to global structures. And as the Yin Fire Snake slithers forward, its energy doesn’t ask for permission. It demands transformation.
But here’s the truth: change isn’t failure. Resetting isn’t a weakness. It’s evolution.
This year, you may be called to let go of outdated roles, relationships, careers, even entire identities. It may feel like losing ground, but it’s actually shedding skin. The brave ones are not those who cling to “how things used to be,” but those who meet change with curiosity, courage, and purpose.
And remember — this is only the beginning.
The Fire Snake opens the portal. In 2026, the Yang Fire Horse will amplify everything started now. It’s not a break — it’s an acceleration. Those who resist will feel burnt out, bitter, and stuck. But those who align now, who dare to move forward even when it’s uncomfortable, will be carried by the wind of Fire into momentum and breakthrough.
So take a deep breath. Look forward, not back.
This is your invitation to evolve.
Master Wey
Ba Zi guide