YEAR OF THE SNAKE – 2025

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Here is a summary of the predictions for this Year of the Snake. You may click on any of the predictions (after you click “continue reading” if you are on the home page) to read the discussion of the facts supporting it.

1. Good things will happen, but most if them will not make the news, What we see on the news will be largely negative.

2. The economy is difficult to predict in Snake years. It is likely that inflation will drop to less than 2.5%; unemployment should decrease to 3.9-4%; and though the stock market will be volatile, it should eke out gains.

3. The war in Ukraine should end. There will be concessions on the part of Ukraine, but the result will generally be seen as a Russian defeat.

4. There will be movement toward peace in the Middle East, though it will not be achieved this year. Actions by Saudi Arabia may slow down the process. We can expect to see the death of one or more Middle East leaders, as well as acts of terrorism.

5. Even as Ukraine and the Middle East become more peaceful, military conflicts will develop in other parts of the world. Areas of concern include India, Pakistan, Egypt and Vietnam.

6. This year will see its share of earthquakes, hurricanes, mass shootings and other disastrous events, with the focus being on fires, airplane crashes, mining disasters and buildings collapsing.

7. There may be a new pope within the next year. At the very least, expect significant developments related to the Roman Catholic Church.

8. This will be a year for scandals related to political corruption.

9. Concerning various campaign promises made by Donald Trump:

a. Immigration and immigrants will be important issues. There will be more deportations with fewer civil liberties. Important new immigration legislation may be enacted.

b. Tariffs will also be an area of concern. Some new tariffs are likely, but there will be litigation as to whether Trump is exceeding the authority that Congress has delegated to the executive branch.

c. In is unlikely that the United States will take any action to annex or invade Canada or Greenland. Relying on the 1977 “neutrality treaty” with Panama, the United States is likely to make some effort to re-establish a presence in Panama.

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The Chinese – or Oriental or lunar – system of astrology is based on various cycles of years. The best known cycles are the 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig) and the 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water). That means that the year designated by each animal repeats every 12 years and the year designated by the combination of an animal and a metal repeats every 60 years (12×5). In this post we will assume that those cycles are valid and consider what might occur in the coming year by looking at events from past similar years of the cycles. Continue reading →