The Year of the Ox

The justice of God is like a cart driven by an ox.

Haitian saying

Now that the rats have left the sewers as expected, welcome oxen, buffaloes, cows, calves, bulls... the entire beef population is invited!

Peaceful animals, oxen like to take it slow and don't take kindly to be rushed. So, of course, in a 5 universal year (change) with Uranus (surprises) squaring Saturn (establishment), they are very much likely to strain against the reins if anyone puts the cart before them. Even though it takes a lot to get them going.

To cut a long story short, the Jade Emperor wanted to pick twelve animals to join his inner circle. So a Great Race was organised to access the Heavenly Gate where each animal would be ranked according to their order of arrival. The rat came first because he rode on the ox's back to cross the river and jumped off him last minute, thus cheating his way to victory.

Feel free to draw a parallel (or not) with some recent political events. “Once a thief, always a thief” as the saying goes although in French, we say that “he who steals an egg, will steal an ox”. While another one says "it's better to be a spur than an ox". Even though, those you call pigs in England and that we call chicken (or cows) in France, are oxen in Quebec. Still, “while the grass grows, the steer starves” as you say in the UK.

If the ox didn't know the width of its backside, it would not swallow the apricot kernel.

Chinese saying

Anyway, people in Corsica are well aware that “you bind men to words and oxen with rope”.

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

Share: