New Wood Dog Moon    When we think of the wood element, it's common to think of a mighty tree, tall and strong. Thing is, within the Daoist framework of the five elements, wood is less of a solid tree and more of a tiny sprout. Think of it like a little seed, erupting up from the soil. There's ...

Mid Autumn Festival    Spring and autumn festivals are the two biggest holidays in China. In spring, the sun grows strong into summer, and in fall, the sun grows weak into winter. These two holidays honor the balance points, where sun and moon are equal and can see each other eye to eye, like t...

Mid Autumn Warm Up    Here in the states, our two biggest holidays are Christmas and Thanksgiving, but they pretty much run back to back. In China, their two biggest holidays are the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, and Mid Autumn Festival, which celebrates the fall season. Esse...

Yin Water Rooster Moon    Water is the oldest of the five elements, it represents winter. Think of it like a huge mountain, stuck and immoble, with white, snowy peaks. See how that's like an old man, stuck and immoble, with white hair all over his face and head?   Next, you have the influence o...

Monkey Butt Chicken Head    What better way to start off our new Daoist Outlook newsletter than with a silly title like this. Odd as it may seem, it's legit. We're at the end of the water monkey moon and heading into a new water rooster - hense the butt head title. Get it?   The rooster is the s...