Chinese Astrology in 2010 - Year of the Metal Tiger Pt. 2

by Robert Wilkinson

Yesterday we explored what the coming Year of the Metal Tiger will hold for us all by examining the Metal Tiger qualities. Today we'll continue exploring what we can expect in the world at large based in the qualities of these years, past and present. Expect major upheavals and dynamic change! At the end I've also included an extensive list of Tiger people for your perusal.

As I wrote yesterday, the Year of the Metal Tiger occurs once every 60 years. The last time we had a Metal Tiger year was 17 February 1950 to 5 February 1951, and the one in front of us lasts from 14 February 2010 (Valentine's Day!) to 2 February 2011.

If you didn't read 2010 - Year of the Metal Tiger Pt. 1, please do so in order to get a ton of information about this sign's qualities. Having explored the sign in depth there, just what can we expect in the coming Year of the Metal Tiger?

THE YEAR OF THE METAL TIGER

These years feature upheavals, mass discontent, and giant clashes of philosophies, if not outright violence escalating into wars. It is also a year to toughen up, work hard to achieve wealth, focus on loved ones, and express your love more through actions than words.

These years bring major political changes and realignments, with powerful new political faces making their play on the larger stage. Action and change are the keywords for the coming year!

Instability is the quality of Tiger, while toughness is the quality of Metal. This is a year to build despite the volatility of the changing conditions on personal and global levels. This year will bring success for those who have flashes of insight followed by quick, bold action.

So regardless of your sign, keep steady throughout these radical changing conditions, and you'll find safety (or at least a sense of relief or calm) by the Year of the Metal Hare, beginning February 2, 2011.

1950, the last time we experienced the Year of the Metal Tiger, was filled with evidence of the qualities of this sign. It was the year filled with wars and violence, as well as escalating tensions around the world. Among the events of the 1950 Metal Tiger year, the USSR announced they had an atomic bomb, Truman announced our Hydrogen bomb program, Chiang Kai-shek asked the US for weapons, and Indonesian troops invaded the Moluccas.

There were two major conflicts in Asia that started that year. Tiger Ho Chi Minh attacked Cambodia, the US sent military advisers to South Vietnam, the French and Vietnamese were fighting against the Viet Minh, and President Truman gave military aid to Vietnam, thus escalating what would in time become the Vietnam War. This was no doubt in large part due to John F Dulles becoming a senior State Department advisor that year.

The second BIG war to begin that year was Korea. N. Korea invaded S. Korea, Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Stalin he would intervene, and China entered the Korean conflict. There were mass executions in S. Korea, Truman threatened China with atom bomb, the UN rejected membership of China's People Republic while beginning a counter offensive in Korea, and China refused a cease fire in Korea, even while invading Tibet forcing HH Dalai Lama and thousands of refugees to flee Tibet.

More global instability saw President Truman ordering the army to seize control of the railroads to avert a strike, Puerto Rican nationalists trying to kill President Truman at Blair House, monasteries shut down in Hungary, massive arrests of communists in France, Belgium dismissing all communist civil servants, and the Western allies rearmed West Germany.

Some firsts: the first 1st jet-plane battle ever, in Korean War; Tiger Dylan Thomas arrived in NYC for his 1st US poetry reading tour; "Your Show of Shows" premiered on NBC with Tiger Mel Brooks as one of the writers; the first transatlantic jet passenger trip; first X-ray moving picture process demonstrated; first broadcast by Radio Free Europe; The U.S. FCC issued the first license to broadcast television in color; the first telephone Answering Machine created by Bell Labs; and many forums and sports were integrated for the first time.

Other important developments included Egyptian King Farouk demanding the departure of all British troops, South Africa passed the Group Areas Act segregating the races, and Israel passed the Law of Return guaranteeing all Jews the right to live in Israel. In the US, the Supreme Court undermined the legal foundations of segregation, and also ruled that a "clear & present danger" of incitement to riot is not protected speech and can be a cause for arrest.

1950 saw the UN headquarters open in Manhattan NY, as well as the first telecast of an atomic explosion as the US began 126 nuclear tests in Nevada. An earthquake in India killed 20-30,000, credit cards were introduced in the US, mass production of computers began, and the first organ transplant took place.

If you were wondering if the Year of the Tiger might be good for Tigers, here's an amazing example. Tiger Babe Didrikson-Zaharias in that year won SEVEN major LPGA championships, including the US Women's Open Golf Championship, the 144-hole Golf Weathervane, the Western Women's Golf Open, the All-American Golf Open, the World Golf Championship, the Ponte Vedra Beach Women's Golf Open, and the Tampa Women's Golf Open!

Powerful, dynamic, volatile, ever-changing, this year will activate what we stabilized last year thanks to the Earth Ox. Taking the long view, our perseverance in the year of the Fire Dog (2006), bold risk taking in the year of the Fire Boar (2007), and planning and saving for the long term in the Earth Rat (2008) that's been stabilized will be challenged, but could also turn into major new initiatives over the coming year.

FAMOUS TIGER PEOPLE

(1470, 1482, 1494, 1506, 1518, 1530, 1542, 1554, 1566, 1578, 1590, 1602, 1614, 1626, 1638, 1650, 1662, 1674, 1686, 1698, 1710, 1722, 1734, 1746, 1758, 1770, 1782, 1794, 1806, 1818, 1830, 1842, 1854, 1866, 1878, 1890, 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974)

Tigers are featured in literary giants St. John of the Cross, Noah Webster, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Emily Bronte, Ivan Turgenev, Stephane Mallarme, Ambrose Bierce, H.G. Wells, Upton Sinclair, E.M. Forster, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Rimbaud, Dylan Thomas, Beatrix Potter, William Burroughs, Marguerite Duras, John Steinbeck, Eric Hoffer, Ogden Nash, Tennessee Williams, Bernard Malamud, Vance Packard, John Hersey, Ralph Ellison, Germaine Greer, John Fowles, Harper Lee, Evan Hunter, Joyce Carol Oates, Alan Watts, and Allen Ginsberg.

Here we must include two of the greatest astrologers in history! First we send a huge thanks to the remarkable William Lilly, and follow it with a deep bow and tip of the hat to one of my main influences, Grant Lewi. Both Water Tigers, these two legendary giants dominate the Astrological landscape as being singularly unique, pioneering, bold, and fearless!

Historical political figures include three presidents: James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, and William McKinley. Other notable Tigers who led a nation include Mary, Queen of Scots, King Louis XIV, Queen Elizabeth II, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Charles DeGaulle, a Metal Tiger from 1890. Other political players include Henry Cabot Lodge II, Strom Thurmond, Ed Muskie, Jerry Brown, and Kofi Annan.

Timeless silver screen stars include Lionel Barrymore, Marilyn Monroe, Alec Guiness, Ralph Richardson, George Murphy, Elsa Lanchester, Richard Widmark, Dorothy Lamour, Randolph Scott, Natalie Wood, Jean Seberg, Aldo Ray, Tyrone Power, Hedy Lamarr, Margaret Hamilton, Joe E. Ross, Oliver Reed, Fayard Nicholas, Jackie Coogan, Romy Schneider, Susan Strasburg, Colleen Dewhurst, and Klaus Kinski.

Newer Tiger movie stars include Elliot Gould, Warren Beatty, Roy Thinnes, Richard Benjamin, Tommy Chong, Connie Stevens, Cloris Leachman, Jody Foster, Harry Dean Stanton, Richard Crenna, Paula Prentiss, Ali MacGraw, Leo DiCaprio, Lew Diamond Phillips, Matthew Broderick, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Wesley Snipes, Tom Cruise, and Jon Voight.

In the world of cinema, we find many Tigers as behind the scenes heavyweights! A brief list includes Leni Reifenstahl, David Selznick, Darryl Zanuck, Leland Hayward, Max Ophüls, and William Wyler (all Water Tigers!) Others include Norman Jewison, Mel Brooks, Roger Corman, and John Derek.

Musical legends feature John Philip Sousa, Erik Satie, Richard Rodgers, George M. Cohan, Billy Eckstine, Julie London, Harriet Nelson, Guy Lombardo, Joan Sutherland, Kaye Ballard, and the ultimate in bebop, John Coltrane. Hipper Tigers of more recent vintage include Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Roberta Flack, Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Buddy Greco, Charlie Pride, Hoyt Axton, Duane Eddy, Glen Campbell, Rod McKuen, Kenny Rogers, Paula Abdul, Flea, Gordon Lightfoot, JJ Cale, Peter Yarrow, and Natalie Maines.

Television gave us such Tiger stars as Ed Sullivan, Clayton Moore, John Daly, Ray Walston, Howard K Smith, Bert Parks, Peter Graves, Fred Gwynn, Bea Arthur, Andy Griffith, Jayne Meadows, Bert Parks, Dianna Rigg, Dawn Wells, Marlo Thomas, Anthony Edwards, and Peter Jennings.

Tigers can show as some very funny and talented entertainers! In the tribe of comedic Tigers we find several major league talents: Gracie Allen, Larry Fine, Allen Funt, Kitty Carlisle, Jerry Lewis, Martha Raye, Don Rickles, Shelly Berman, Stan Freberg, Morey Amsterdam, Don Adams, Ann B. Davis, Paul Lynde, Rich Little, Christopher Lloyd, George Carlin, Steve Carell, and the amazing Jon Stewart.

Other outstanding Tigers include 3 great explorers, Amerigo Vespucci, Daniel Boone, and Matthew Henson. Other greats include pioneering physician William Harvey, Frederick Douglass, Robert E. Lee, Francisco Goya, Joe Louis, the remarkable Jonas Salk, Hugh Hefner, Ted Turner, environmentalist David Attenborough, Ansel Adams, Evel Knievel, Isadora Duncan, Pierre Balmain, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Jack LaLanne, and Joe DiMaggio.

FAMOUS METAL TIGER PEOPLE

(1470, 1530, 1590, 1650, 1710, 1770, 1830, 1890, 1950)

Among the legendary historical figures of this tribe we include Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as other historical political figures Ho Chi Minh, Charles De Gaulle, and Rose Kennedy.

In the world of literature we find Metal Tigers William Wordsworth, Georg Hegel, Emily Dickinson, Catherine Ann Porter, and H.P. Lovecraft.

Major musical talents include Ludwig Van Beethoven, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, George Thorogood, Bobby McFerrin, Teddy Pendergrass, Natalie Cole, Agnetha Fältskog, Peter Frampton, Suzy Quatro, and Joe Perry.

Metal Tiger stars of film and television feature Fritz Lang, Stan Laurel, Helen Hays, Sessue Hayakawa, Bill Murray, Bud Cort, Cybill Shepard, William Hurt, Jay Leno, Randy Quaid, Gregory Harrison, William H Macy, Martin Short, Robbie Coltrane, Susan Anton, Howard Rollins, Christine Lahti, Nancy Allen, Keith Carradine, Tim Russert, John Candy, Jane Pauley, Markie Post, Ed Harris, and directors John Landis and John Hughes.

Other interesting Metal Tigers include William Clark, Commodore Matthew Perry, Man Ray, Vaclav Nijinski, noted astrologer Vivian Robson, Hedda Hopper, George Noory, Sir Richard Branson, Steve Wozniak, Gary Larson, and surfing legend Duke Kananamoku.

© Copyright 2010 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[william]

Mind Beyond Death* by Dzogchen Ponlop

THE EIGHT CASES OF BASIC GOODNESS NOT TO BE SHUNNED
A Vajra Song of Gotsangpa

Namo Ratna Guru

I bow to the lord who grants the bliss that is utterly supreme
Which takes away the suffering of illness
For every being that's everywhere throughout the reaches of space
By administering the medicine of the three kayas

In the pure space of the sky that's the sky of essential mind itself
The clouds of negative actions thickly gather
But the mighty force of the powerful wind of the wisdom prana
Doesn't blow them away, but clears them up like this

The illness and its painfulness have neither base nor root
Relax into it, fresh and uncontrived
Revealing dharmakaya way beyond all speech and thought
Don't shun them, pain and illness are basically good

What confusion takes to be taking place is negative forces' work
But it's all your own mind, simple, unborn, unceasing
Without anxiety or even worrying at all
Don't shun them, demons and gods are basically good

When the agony of illness strikes your four-fold elements
Don't grasp at its stopping, don't get angry when it won't improve
Such adversities have the flavor of bliss that's free of contagion's blight
These kleshas are not to be shunned, they're basically good

All of our joys and the pain we go through, all of our highs and lows
When realized, have no ground, they are our friends
Don't try to stop pain, don't try to be happy, be free of all hope and fear
Samsara is not to be shunned, it's basically good

And though this human life is plagued by the torments of falling ill
Don't think that's bad, don't plan to get around it
Then it will be your badge, your proof of conduct of equal taste

Your suffering's not to be shunned, it's basically good
The mind that's sunk in dullness and torpor, when realized for what it is
Is pure being pure of every imperfection
So, free of thinking you should be wishing to clear this all away
Don't shun your dense state of mind, it's basically good

Habitual patterns' imprints printed throughout beginningless time
Are the myriad doors illusion comes marching through
If you do not take them as true, don't meditate on them as empty
Don't shun your thoughts, they're basically good in themselves

The state of coemergence has no birth and knows no death
Knows nothing of arising or ceasing or staying somewhere
It's infinity, it's the vast expanse of the unconditioned state
Don't shun your death, it's basically good in itself

All eight of these things that are not to be shunned since they're basically good in themselves
Need a meditation which turns them into equal taste
They are the thought that comes from the heart of the uncle and nephew lord
They are the hammer that hammers down the host of maras

They are the practice that's put into practice by beggars like you and me
These are the tools that keep us in natural retreat
They are the bliss supreme that performs the two forms of benefit
You've mastered this from the beginning, old father, but you'd better put it into practice.

Composed by the Lord Gotsangpa

[Lee]

lovely!

[Sue Moon]

Hmmmmmmm

[neil b]

I was born one day before the end of the year if the metal tiger--in Feb of 1951. Wondering what that is...almost the year of the rabbit....hmmmm.

[larry]

Thank You for this wonderful blog post. I enjoyed it very much

Larry

[Isabel Nobre]

Superlative work, as usual, dear Robert! I also LOVED the text composed by the Lord Gotsangpa and nicely shared by William! Thanks to both!

Love,

Isabel

[Wendy]

Thanks again Robert,
This year could be a crazy one. It's all so tiring. Things in my neck of the waters are changing in the craziest of ways. There is so much homelessness, anger and frustration in the masses, it's all growing into it's own type of bomb.

Hope it explodes with TLC!! That's what we all need for ourselves and towards others.
But I just haven't seen it happen like that on this planet.

As The Four Non Blonds put it, "what's going on?!!"

With your articles Robert we can understand from above.

Wendy

[WarriorLady]

I'm a goat, and so far the year's been good!

My dad's an Earth Tiger.

Shoot me, now? Or will he have a good year? I'm hoping for the latter, for the love of God.

[Robert]

Hi william - Great meditation for cultivating detachment! In case any readers might be wondering about a term, it is said a Buddha has 3 "bodies" - the Dharmakaya is the limitless "Truth Body" of pure enlightenment; the Nirmanakaya is the "created body which manifests in time and space," and the Sambhogakaya is the "Body of mutual enjoyment," said to be "a body of bliss or clear light manifestation." So I suppose we're all cultivating these while we're in this classroom, riding the waves of Samsara with good cheer....

Hi Lee - Great stuff happens around here.

Hi Sue Moon - Aummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Hi neil b - I've also been intrigued over the years if there isn't a fundamental difference in those born near the cusp of the animals, or even those whose charts "progress" into the next year's animal. You're definitely the "end of the end" in some ways.

Hi larry - You're most welcome.

Hi Isabel Nobre - Glad it's all working together quite nicely. Never know what's going to show up around here.

Hi Wendy - Yes, I suspect the Year of the Metal Tiger will see many things boil over in the public realm. Let's just hope the ignorant, fearful, violent beings don't overstep their bounds. Tenderness and care for what's true, good, and beautiful would seem to be needed antidotes for the barbaric behaviors of the dense ones. Least harm to the good, and may the violence be contained...

Hi WarriorLady - I believe the Year of the Tiger will be good for all Tigers everywhere! For that matter, it'll be better for those walking the Wisdom, the Way, and the Community than for those who aren't, even if things get a little wild from time to time.

Hi all - This Year of the Metal Tiger of course will give way to the Year of the Metal Rabbit (or Cat) in 2011, the Year of the Water Dragon in 2012, and the Year of the Water Snake in 2013. Far reaching speculations could come from contemplating these as a fluid sequence given the dynamic aspects coming down these years. "And the times they are a-changin'..."