Volatility set to rise in year of wood snake; investors should diversify

THIS year, 2025, is the year of the green Wood Snake, the sixth animal in the Chinese zodiac calendar. In Western culture, the snake is largely viewed with trepidation, as snakes are cold-blooded and often inhabit dark, visibly poor environments. Furthermore, encounters with venomous snakes can be fatal.

In Asia, snakes hold a far more complex and varied symbolism. In Indochina culture, which had indigenous snake-worshipping traditions, the snake or Naga, is considered an auspicious creature, one that brings protection and blessings, and is often used to decorate Hindu or Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries.

However, Confucianist East Asian cultures typically see the snake as cunning, ruthless and manipulative, although its depiction in Chinese folklore has become less negative in recent years, as modern versions of Chinese classics such as Legend of the White Snake depict it in a more sympathetic light.