On January 27, 2017, the Chinese Zodiac will shift once again from the intense “Year of the Monkey” into the meticulous “Year of the Fire Rooster.” The Fire Rooster will bring a whole new and different energy. “Wake Up,” says the Fire Rooster! The Rooster is sounding the alarm for all us to be more alert and aware, hear it crowing!

Honestly, the world is in great need of healing, and that means lots of love needs to be spread around. So when you think of a Rooster you don’t think happy, loving thoughts. Rooster energy is hot-tempered, self-entitled, selfish, and arrogant, but don’t dismay because even though Rooster energy is about folks showing off, if we can look past the facade, this energy isn’t competitive or tricky like the Fire Monkey energy we just coming out of. Now in 2017, people will start to play and fight fair again, all the name calling and slinging mud isn’t worth it, especially when it comes at a price like losing friendships and personal relationships.

Those born under the Chinese astrology sign of the Rooster.

The Years of the Rooster include 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029.

(But if your birthday happens to fall in January or February, you should Google your year of birth, because the Chinese New Year always starts on the day of the New Moon, and this date changes annually.)

Remember everything I am describing is for all the Sun signs of the Zodiac, as the Chinese Astrological signs change each year, the traits of whatever animal represents the year will affect all of us in different ways. So I have outlined below the energy that the Fire Rooster will bring in for all of us in 2017.

Yes, good old-fashioned hard work is the name of the game while we are under the energy of the feathered, Rooster, its flair rules the roost this year. The Rooster rises with the Sun, so get an earlier start to your day and change up your routine. Create some kind of morning ritual and start to take better care of yourself. Also be more mindful of your money! This isn’t a year to rush ahead without a solid plan in place. It’s important to make good habits and exercise will help keep you productive during uncertain times.

Beware: This can be a year of power plays and inflated egos. You are going to need to make it very clear to who is in charge of whatever group projects you are involved in. Even if some folks have more authority than others, this year is all about playing fair. If you’re in charge, don’t be the one who sits around telling everyone else what to do, make sure and be the kind of leader who also gets out there and busts his ass along with the rest of the crew. And don’t be the constant critique as well, especially around others who are in a place of power over you. All squawk and no action won’t go well in this energy.

The Year of the Fire Rooster is a good time for any joint or group ventures. So get a group of like-minded folks together and gather your resources. Fire Rooster energy is thrifty and financially strict, so we will see some pretty large cuts in government spending to get the national debt under control. There will be lots of back taxes collected as new strategies will be made around recouping old debts.

If you are in a relationship or not, this year with the feisty Fire Rooster energy love will be more flirty, showy, and hot! This energy can turn the shyest of folks into a shameless flirt who loves attention. So let yourself be a little bit more flamboyant as you push to get under the spotlight, and strut your stuff through the henhouse! If we can take away all the complicated gender roles out of the equation because it doesn’t matter what your romantic preferences are this energy helps to excite and arouse folks. It’s flashy, tacky, tatty, and loud towards love and sex. The feisty Fire Rooster is a shameless flirt who loves getting attention. So allow yourself to be out there when courting the object of your affection. Don’t mistake Rooster swagger for the real deal, however, sometimes all that teasing and flirting is just for the fun of it also.

The Rooster loves to be noticed, so get out your feathers. Big entertainers like Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, and Britney Spears are all born under the Chinese sign of the Rooster. This is a return to the 1970’s in fashion like bell bottoms, button downs with big collars and wild patterns, a little Vegas style with bodysuits maybe, and glitter everywhere….all of this could return in its own way in the colorful Rooster year.

In 2016 Monkey minded men and women have now faded away, we hope, and you may be feeling sort of confused about 2017 being the Year of the Fire Rooster because it is considered male and this energy is more ego-based and a bit cocky. But remember a Rooster always protects its hens. In 2017, the fight for gender equality will continue on, and it won’t just be from women. Expect to hear more men and people period standing up for Women’s Rights, and even embracing the feminist label. As the Marches are already showing a whole slew of men standing beside the woman.

One thing the Fire Rooster year will see is that chivalry isn’t dead, however, this energy is considered to be chauvinistic at times, even if it comes from the heart and those that care for us. There’s a very thin line nowadays on what it is to be a man helping the woman out and treating them like their fragile little flowers. That won’t be tolerated so much this year.

Around the world, 2017 could and already is a show of ego from government officials, as they puff themselves up to look big and strong. All global leaders must be careful not to get caught up in the “cockfights” because they also can feel quite strategic and get focused on little details that don’t matter so much. Rooster energy naturally does keep the coop safe, so Homeland Security will be highlighted this year and can become a pretty big issue. We mustn’t allow this energy to bring waves of racial and gender tensions in, as it seems to already be doing, we must continue to communicate about racial and gender equality.

Our health and wellness become issues once more during the Rooster year. Ask yourself now, if you are caring for your body? Rooster is a lot like Virgo energy in that it helps us integrate wellness as part of our regular routines. Or it wants to. Find a gym or set one up at home, and make sure to be active every day. Make sure to get regular checkups and find a doctor who actually listens to you and wants to help you fix any underlying chronic health issues.

One of the best things you can really do for your health this year is to practice preventative medicine like massages, acupuncture and eating a vitamin-rich diet. Clean eating gets another boost from this Rooster year, and since it is in the element of fire…popular dishes will include lots more spices like turmeric for example. Also cooked foods come back in along with juices and smoothies. Results won’t just happen overnight this year, it’s all about putting healthy practices in place, this helps us crow and glow by the time 2017 is through and the time of the fire Rooster is done.