Fortune and Personality
The arrival of a new year brings about many new opportunities, experiences and challenges. Across the globe, various cultures welcome a new year in different ways but also at different times. The Chinese New Year has been celebrated for centuries and on February 1st, 2022, we welcomed the Year of the Tiger. The beautiful creature has most recently ruled 2010, 1998 and 1986.
Legends and tales have woven into the tiger’s identity and is admired as a god within cultures. Acting as a symbol of power and bravery, tiger emblems are given as gifts as an act of good luck and to drive away evil spirits. Many are familiar with how the Chinese Zodiac came about. The tale of The Heavenly Gate Race, hosted by the Jade Emperor who needed to select 12 animals to be his guards. In the tale, the tiger came third in the race earning its place within the zodiac sequence.
However, there is more to this legend and the tiger’s tale itself. The tigers symbolic meaning of warding off bad spirits comes from the animal’s personal story. In ancient times there was a lion but no tiger within the zodiac. The lion was ferocious and reckless, breaking the laws of the forest and causing havoc on the other animals. The Jade Emperor needed to resolve the problem so sent his guard tiger of the Heavenly Palace to bring order. Before the tiger was so distinguished, he lacked qualities. Whilst powerful, the tiger needed to learn a lot more. He decided to learn from the secret master of the forest, the Black Cat. The tiger became smart and was no match for the other animals. The tiger became the king of the forest and became an imperial bodyguard for the emperor.
When the tiger left, havoc broke out in the forest. The emperor sent the tiger back to hunt down the evil beasts of the forest. Winning three battles consecutively, the emperor carved three horizontal lines into its forehead as a reward. The tiger continued to restore the human, forest and sea worlds and was rewarded with a vertical line. The lines created the character meaning ‘King’ in Chinese. The lion was then removed from the zodiac and replaced with the tiger.
A symbol of strength, those who are born within the year of the tiger hold characteristics such as kindness, adventurous, loyalty, aggressiveness, being short-tempered and independent. The Chinese New Year follows the heavenly stems and earthly branches system. Assigning an element to each year, 2022 is the year of the Water Tiger. Not only a year of good luck, it’s about the practicing of relationships.
Those born in the year of the tiger also hold a luxury-loving characteristic, making them admirers of the sparkling and shiny. Warm gold and red hue gems which replicate tones of the tiger have strong ties with success and luck. Own a Year of the Tiger inspired piece to attract positive energy your way with our Genesis Tiger's Eye Ring and Genesis Tiger's Eye Amulet. Both featuring a Tiger’s Eye gemstone, its name draws on the bands which run through it, replicating the eye of a tiger. The stone has been an emblem of protection for centuries and is thought to bring courage and strength to those that wear it. Whether it’s for you or a loved one, make the Year of the Tiger your own and revel in any good fortunes that may come your way.
