Copyright © 2022 by Aaron Hwang

Interior and cover illustrations copyright © 2022 by Li Zhang

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hwang, Aaron, author. | Zhang, Li (Illustrator), illustrator.
Title: The Chinese zodiac : and other paths to luck, riches, and prosperity /
Aaron Hwang ; illustrations by Li Zhang.
Description: First edition. | Philadelphia : Running Press, [2022] | Includes
bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022003554 | ISBN 9780762480449 (hardcover) | ISBN
9780762480463 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Astrology, Chinese. | Zodiac.
Classification: LCC BF1714.C5 H885 2022 | DDC 133.5--
dc23/eng/20220224
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022003554

ISBNs: 978-0-7624-8044-9 (hardcover), 978-0-7624-8046-3 (ebook)

E3-20221019-JV-NF-ORI
 CONTENTS

Cover
Title Page
Copyright

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
THE GREAT RACE
WHAT IS THE CHINESE ZODIAC?
The History of the Zodiac
Bāzì
Four Pillars
Interpreting Your Zodiac

PART 2: YOUR COMPLETE CHINESE HOROSCOPE

THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Strengthening Elements
Regulating Elements
 THE TWELVE ANIMALS
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig

PART 3: OTHER PATHS TO LUCK, RICHES, AND PROSPERITY

AUSPICIOUS DAYS
TABOOS AND OMENS
LUNAR NEW YEAR

Discover More
Conclusion
Resources
Explore book giveaways, sneak peeks, deals, and more.

Tap here to learn more.

 THE GREAT RACE

This is a story about the invention of the calendar. It is an old story, and it
has been told in many ways. Here is one more.
Before the invention of the calendar, and the naming of the years,
months, days, and hours, it was hard to keep track of time. Eventually, even
nature became confused. The winter snows blew in summer; the autumn
leaves fell in spring. The stars themselves skewed out of rhythm, and so the
misalignments compounded.
Soon, the world was in such a turmoil, it disturbed even Heaven. Finally,
the Jade Emperor decided something must be done. He summoned his best
heavenly ministers, astronomers, and mathematicians, and after much
argument and contemplation, a solution was produced: A calendar would be
made mapping the flow of qì through the universe, plotting its repeating
cycles and rhythms through the hours, days, months, and years. This way,
fate could be predicted, and life could again proceed harmoniously.
But the calendar needed names, names for the twelve phases that would
chart the hours of the day, the months in the year, and the cycle of years.
Names that were memorable and familiar and worthy. So, the Jade Emperor
declared a race. The first twelve animals that could visit his Heavenly
Palace would receive a permanent place of honor by having one of the
twelve phases of the calendar named after them. This decree was discussed
widely and with much excitement. Cicadas buzzed to one another, starlings
twittered. Even clams and urchins spread the news in their silent and
bristling way.
Back in this time, Cat and Rat were still best friends. They were poor
animals from a poor village, who often went hungry and survived on scraps.
But they were both ambitious and clever. Together, they made a plan that
would get them to the Heavenly Palace and secure their names on the
calendar.
“It won’t be easy,” Cat cautioned. “To reach Heaven, one must cross the
vast desert, scale the high mountain, and even then, there is still the
Celestial River that divides the sky. And there are so many animals who are
stronger or swifter than we.”
“Perhaps,” said Rat. “But a long and arduous journey will be in our
favor. Not all animals survive on as little as we! We are used to making do
with an empty belly and a song, and of course, we have each other. This
race will be decided not just by power, but by wit, and by force of will.”
When the race began, it nearly shook the earth. Although many animals
stayed home for lack of hope or interest, the crowd that raced was still
beyond counting. The skies churned with the beating of wings, the rivers
roiled with fins flashing upstream, and the procession of claws and feet was
so unending it crushed swampland and wild underbrush alike into wide
tame roads. It was so for many days, and even Rat began to doubt his
chances.

But when the race reached the vast desert, the dry heat turned many
away. The awful thirst tested the resolve of those who persevered. “Why
should I be subjected to this,” said proud Eagle, “when in my home I am
already king, and there are cold clear streams to drink from, full of tender
and wriggling fish?”
 But Rat and Cat went on, drinking from the smallest stagnant puddles,
and when there were no puddles, they swallowed their thirst and sang to
each other to keep up their spirits. By the time the sands gave way to rock,
and the race reached the high mountain’s stony foot, the once endless
procession had dwindled to a crowd of mere hundreds. This remainder was
sorely tested against the mountain’s harsh slopes, the thin air, and the icy
wind. “I can’t continue,” admitted mighty Elephant. “My bones are heavy,
and my ears grow cold. Back home, I am already queen where the sun is
warm and the plains are flat and rich.”
Rat and Cat knew they had nothing back home. At night, they huddled
close to keep each other warm. They made good time, and soon they were
the only animals around for what seemed like miles.
“I think we could win,” Rat proposed one night. “It would be a great
honor to be first among animals.”
Cat yawned sleepily. “It will be an honor just to arrive.”
“Even if we did arrive together,” Rat mused, “I’m sure the emperor
would choose you first. People have always liked your luxurious coat.
Nobody prefers the rat.”
But Cat was already asleep. Rat tossed and turned throughout the night.
When day broke, Cat woke to see Rat considering her.
“What are you thinking?” asked Cat.
“I woke early,” Rat replied. “I was deciding whether I should wake you
too. I looked ahead. Come, we’re almost there.”
The two reached the mountaintop, where it was divided from Heaven by
the mighty Celestial River, that milky flow of stars that splits the two halves
of the sky. They paused there, intimidated by the river’s fearsome roar.
Goat, the nimblest climber, was waiting there already.
“Oh, hello,” said Goat. “Perhaps you can give me a hand?”
“Is something the matter?” asked Cat.
“Are we late?” asked Rat. “How many are already ahead?”
“I was first,” said Goat. “But I don’t like water. Tiger, Dog, and Rabbit
all passed forward.”
“Tiger and Dog are excellent swimmers,” said Cat. “They will surely
win.”
“Rabbit passed this way?” asked Rat. “How?”
Goat nodded at a precarious set of slick and shining rocks that peeked
occasionally through the river. “Rabbit jumped across the stones. I warned
her not to, but she was determined. I’m afraid the river may have washed
her away. I don’t know whether anyone but my friend Horse is both swift
and sure enough to cross that path. But if we worked together—” Goat said,
but Rat was already waving her off.
“Goat’s right,” Cat said. “We can’t make it alone.”
“Of course, we can’t,” said Rat. “But even if we make it across with
Goat, we won’t win. I didn’t come all this way for second place. To win,
we’ll need someone strong and dependable.”

At this moment, Ox arrived at the mountaintop.

Ox was not the fastest of the animals competing. While others flapped
and dashed and slithered around her, she never moved faster than a trudge.
But though Ox was slow, she was strong. Through the harshest sandstorms,
the thickest mud, the steepest inclines, Ox plodded patiently on, never
changing her speed in the slightest. Now, she was one of the last animals
left.
 “Hurry!” said Rat. “We must get on her back.”
Agile Cat lifted her friend like a kitten and leaped on top of Ox. Thick-
skinned Ox didn’t even notice Cat’s delicate tread. Ox stepped down into
the Celestial River and pressed on as she always did, untroubled by the
turbulent water.
Rat giggled and waved good-bye to Goat, who stood confounded and
alone on the bank.
Ox swam on. Before long, they could see the place where the Celestial
River poured out through the clouds, as well as the glorious towers of the
Heavenly Palace, golden and adorned with stars.
“We’re going to win!” Rat said.
“What about Ox?” asked Cat.
“Forget her,” said Rat. “It takes more than dumb brawn to win this
race.”
“There’s Tiger ahead,” Cat pointed out.
Even relentless Tiger had been worn down by the river. His fur was
soaked, and his breath came in angry gasps. But as Ox came slowly up
behind him, Tiger grit his razor teeth and redoubled his efforts.

The finish line was near enough now they could see the Jade Emperor
waiting on the shore. Ox and Tiger were shoulder to shoulder, Ox slogging
silently along, Tiger fanged and growling.
“It’s going to be close,” said Cat, peering down at the snarling Tiger.
“No,” said Rat, “it isn’t.”
And he pushed Cat off Ox’s back. Cat tumbled down on top of Tiger
with a yowl, then a splash. Then, the current sucked both of them down.
Just as Ox began to rise from the water, Rat jumped from her head and
crossed the finish line first. If Ox was surprised to have arrived second, she
gave no sign of it. Tiger came sputtering out of the water behind them,
snarling toothy curses that subsided to an embarrassed mew when he saw
the Jade Emperor watching with a raised eyebrow.
“Congratulations,” the Jade Emperor said. “You are the first three
animals to make it. Rat, for your cunning, your drive, and your peerless
ambition, you have earned your place of honor as the first animal in the
Zodiac.”
But Rat wasn’t paying attention. Although the Jade Emperor’s voice was
sonorous and wise, and although the Heavenly Palace was beautiful beyond
his wildest imaginations, Rat’s gaze kept turning back on the river. Where
was Cat?
There! He spotted a miserable clump of wet brown fur clinging to a
broken branch. Rat ran down to the shore.
“Cat!” he said. “You made it! Took a bad spill, didn’t you.”
Rabbit looked up at him with long wet ears and a quivering nose. Rat
froze in his tracks.
“I’m sorry,” said Rabbit with a small sneeze. “Do I know you?”
“Congratulations,” the Jade Emperor said. “For your quick feet and
lucky soul, Rabbit, you are fourth in the Zodiac.”
The rest of the race was a bit of a blur. Rat stood by the riverbank as
they came in. Dragon was next, scales gleaming and sinuous as he flowed
through the sky.
Dragon should have won, Rat thought, it was obvious, but Dragon said
he’d been busy bringing rain to some villages in that vast desert they’d
passed and then blowing a poor rabbit he’d seen floating in the Celestial
River to safety. It all sounded very pompous, in Rat’s opinion. Horse
arrived next, thundering across that narrow path, but was startled out of his
place by a bite from Snake, who’d wrapped herself covertly around his leg.
Cheater, Rat thought, ruefully. Goat, Monkey, and Rooster arrived together
on a little makeshift raft of branches and twine. Rooster’s proud wings had
propelled the raft, and so Jade Emperor gave Rooster tenth place. Monkey
won ninth for making the raft with his clever hands. Goat was awarded
eighth for bringing them together.
 “So, you won,” Goat said to Rat after receiving her accolades from Jade
Emperor. “Congratulations. Where’s your friend?”
Rat didn’t reply. No more arrivals came as the day grew late, the
shadows long. The other animals went to enjoy the feast that Jade Emperor
had prepared for them, but Rat remained by the river. Eventually even Jade
Emperor went inside, so he could host his guests properly.
Night fell, but no one else came. Rat had never seen the stars from
Heaven before. He remembered stargazing with Cat on many hungry nights,
wishing he could pluck one from the sky and pop it in his mouth. Now it
seemed almost possible, yet he had no appetite.
Rat spotted two shapes coming out of the water. He tensed, but it was
Dog and Pig. Dog snarled at first when he saw Rat’s dark and skittering
silhouette but relaxed once he caught Rat’s familiar scent. Rat knew Dog;
he was one of them, another penniless soul from the same poor village.
“Rat!” Dog panted and gave a happy shake, spraying water everywhere.
“I didn’t recognize you. Where’s Cat?”
“I was hoping you’d tell me,” Rat said. “She fell in the river. What
happened to you? Did the current get you too?”
“What? No,” said Dog. “I was just having a good time splashing around.
Then, Pig showed up, and we had a nice nap on the bank.”
“You took a nap? But what about the race?”
“It’s not every day one journeys to the banks of Heaven,” snorted Pig.
“It would be silly not to enjoy it.”
“Which of us should we say arrived first?” Dog asked.
“I don’t care too much,” said Pig. “I think it was you.”
“Let’s go,” said Dog. “I smell food, and I’m starving. Are you coming,
Rat?”
But Rat had already snuck away, into the darkness.
In the end, this was the order of the Zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit,
Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Cat never finished at all, and the relationship between rats and cats has
been foul ever since.
 WHAT IS THE CHINESE ZODIAC?

It’s very possible the first time you heard about the Chinese Zodiac was in
relation to the Lunar New Year—that wandering holiday that always falls
near the beginning of February. You may have seen the red paper that
people hang on doors and walls for luck, or gone to a parade in Chinatown.
If the Lunar New Year is a tradition in your household, you might have
watched the Spring Festival Gala on CCTV or helped your family wrap
dumplings. No matter your relation to the holiday, if you’ve partaken in the
festivities, then you’ve most likely noticed the animal iconography that is
so prominent around this time: a paper lantern with a monkey on it, or red
envelopes that feature rat illustrations. Even the decorative red papers that
you see, which are traditionally handmade, often have intricate cutouts of a
Zodiac animal in them if you look closely.
 Whenever February 4 (or sometimes February 3 or 5) arrives, the Zodiac
animal that governs the year changes, and with it, patterns of luck and
possibility. The Lunar New Year is an ideal moment to honor the new
animal, to celebrate a new year, new beginnings, and the coming of spring.
In China, the holiday occurs on the new moon closest to the beginning of
lìchūn (start of spring) and the start of China’s Solar or Farmer’s Calendar.
This is why the Lunar New Year tends to wander from year to year but
never strays more than sixteen days from February 4. Traditionally, the
celebration lasts for fifteen days, until the Lantern Festival on the next full
moon. Activities include eating endlessly with friends and family, the
welcoming of luck, the honoring of ancestors, elders, and household deities,
spring cleaning, firecrackers, and of course, celebrating the New Year’s new
animal!
 THE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND
ZODIAC AROUND THE WORLD

WHILE BOTH TRADITIONS ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS

Chinese, the Zodiac and Lunar New Year are both
celebrated by numerous cultures around the world.
Tibet, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam all celebrate Lunar
New Years at almost the exact same time and often
incorporate similar traditions, influenced by China’s
role as an ancient imperial power. Mongolia’s Lunar
New Year, Tsagaan Sar, begins exactly one lunar
month earlier, at the first new moon after solstice,
whereas many Muslim ethnic groups in Asia celebrate
Nowruz on March 21. And of course, Lunar New Years
are also celebrated by overseas populations around
the world, from Indonesia to the United States!
The Chinese Zodiac’s story is similar. Although
many of its roots trace back to China, it has also
spread and evolved in different nations around the
world. Identical or similar Zodiacs are observed in
Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and
more places, sometimes with the exact animals
modified to better match the local culture.
 The History of the Zodiac

The history of the Chinese Zodiac stretches back to a time when history
itself is full of holes. The use of a sixty-phase cycle to record days goes
back as far as the earliest written records in China, carved into oracular
bones from 1250 BC. Likewise, the use of animals as symbols and totems is
seen as long ago as history can record. However, the union of animals with
the cycle, and the expansion of the system to include the year as well as the
day, do not appear to have begun until the Han dynasty in 200 BC, when
astrology itself went through a kind of renaissance. Sometime in this period,
the Zodiac as we now understand it began to evolve. The sixty-day cycle
began to be used as a way to determine not only the energy of a person’s
birth and character but also the qì of the universe around them. Collectively,
this information could be used to help a person chart a more harmonious
route through life.
 Bāzì

This practice of reading a person’s character and future from their Zodiac is
also called the Bāzì, or Eight Words. The goal of the Bāzì is to give you
four Zodiac readings—one for your year, month, day, and hour. These are
also referred to as the Four Pillars. You might already know the Zodiac sign
of your birth year, but the other three pillars are important as well. Together,
these four readings reflect the cycles of qì, the complex patterns of the
universe that were in motion at the time of your birth. Each pillar contains
both an animal and an element, and it is this combination of eight that
contain a person’s destiny.
We will spend much of this book discussing what the individual
elements and animals usually suggest about a person, but keep in mind, it is
no lone animal or element that defines someone. Just as nobody can really
be summed up by such generalizations as “shy” or “outgoing,” nobody’s
whole essence is captured by a single pillar. It is through the synthesis and
subtleties of harmony and disharmony of all Four Pillars that a person’s full
complexity is rendered.
 Four Pillars

Each of your four readings is drawn from a sixty-sign cycle of twelve

animals and five elements that has circled unbroken since the Han dynasty
over two thousand years ago. Every February, the year’s sign ticks forward
one more space on the cycle of sixty, from one animal to the next. Likewise,
the other cycles also progress on the month, day, or hour, like four different
hands on a single massive watch. These four independent cycles of sixty
result in almost thirteen million different horoscopes. After a Bāzì
combination passes, it won’t be seen again for at least sixty years, and often
much longer.
Your Bāzì is unique, in other words. The traditional method of
uncovering it would be to consult a Hsia Calendar, or Ten Thousand Year
Calendar. This is essentially an ancient calendar devoted to keeping track of
the various cycles, and it is a crucial tool to any Bāzì practitioner. If you’re
looking for the most authentic answers, there are Hsia Calendars you
can purchase or refer to online. You can also get instant results by
Googling “Bāzì calculator,” for websites that will calculate your Bāzì
automatically. For the purposes of this book, we’ve simplified the process
of calculating it on your own into a few charts and easy-to-follow diagrams
based on the Gregorian calendar, the calendar most often used in the
Western part of the world.

PILLAR ONE: YEAR

Because the years progress slowly and are better known than the other
pillars of the Bāzì, it’s easy to look up your year Zodiac with a quick
Google search, or even to calculate it yourself through simple counting.
Both 1984 and 1924 start new cycles with Wood Rat, making it easy to
count forward or backward from there, keeping in mind that though the
animal changes every year, the element changes every two.
The following charts account for two sixty-year cycles. Look for the
year you were born to find out what animal you are and what element that
animal falls under.

ZODIAC CYCLE (1924–1983)

YEAR ANIMAL ELEMENT

1924 Rat Wood

1925 Ox Wood

1926 Tiger Fire

1927 Rabbit Fire

1928 Dragon Earth

1929 Snake Earth

1930 Horse Metal

1931 Goat Metal

1932 Monkey Water

1933 Rooster Water

1934 Dog Wood

1935 Pig Wood

1936 Rat Fire

1937 Ox Fire

1938 Tiger Earth

1939 Rabbit Earth

1940 Dragon Metal

1941 Snake Metal

1942 Horse Water

1943 Goat Water

1944 Monkey Wood

1945 Rooster Wood

1946 Dog Fire

1947 Pig Fire

1948 Rat Earth

1949 Ox Earth

1950 Tiger Metal

1951 Rabbit Metal

1952 Dragon Water

1953 Snake Water

1954 Horse Wood

1955 Goat Wood

1956 Monkey Fire

1957 Rooster Fire

1958 Dog Earth

1959 Pig Earth

1960 Rat Metal

1961 Ox Metal

1962 Tiger Water

1963 Rabbit Water

1964 Dragon Wood

1965 Snake Wood

1966 Horse Fire

1967 Goat Fire

1968 Monkey Earth

1969 Rooster Earth

1970 Dog Metal

1971 Pig Metal

1972 Rat Water

1973 Ox Water

1974 Tiger Wood

1975 Rabbit Wood

1976 Dragon Fire

1977 Snake Fire

1978 Horse Earth

1979 Goat Earth

1980 Monkey Metal

1981 Rooster Metal

1982 Dog Water

1983 Pig Water

ZODIAC CYCLE (1984–2043)

YEAR ANIMAL ELEMENT

1984 Rat Wood

1985 Ox Wood

1986 Tiger Fire

1987 Rabbit Fire

1988 Dragon Earth

1989 Snake Earth

1990 Horse Metal

1991 Goat Metal

1992 Monkey Water

1993 Rooster Water

1994 Dog Wood

1995 Pig Wood

1996 Rat Fire

1997 Ox Fire

1998 Tiger Earth

1999 Rabbit Earth

2000 Dragon Metal

2001 Snake Metal

2002 Horse Water

2003 Goat Water

2004 Monkey Wood

2005 Rooster Wood

2006 Dog Fire

2007 Pig Fire

2008 Rat Earth

2009 Ox Earth

2010 Tiger Metal

2011 Rabbit Metal

2012 Dragon Water

2013 Snake Water

2014 Horse Wood

2015 Goat Wood

2016 Monkey Fire

2017 Rooster Fire

2018 Dog Earth

2019 Pig Earth

2020 Rat Metal

2021 Ox Metal

2022 Tiger Water

2023 Rabbit Water

2024 Dragon Wood

2025 Snake Wood

2026 Horse Fire

2027 Goat Fire

2028 Monkey Earth

2029 Rooster Earth

2030 Dog Metal

2031 Pig Metal

2032 Rat Water

2033 Ox Water

2034 Tiger Wood

2035 Rabbit Wood

2036 Dragon Fire

2037 Snake Fire

2038 Horse Earth

2039 Goat Earth

2040 Monkey Metal

2041 Rooster Metal

2042 Dog Water

2043 Pig Water

 Now that you know your year animal and year element, your first two
out of Eight Words have been uncovered. Your first pillar is complete!
Something to keep in mind: While it is popular around the world to
consider that the new Zodiac year begins with the Lunar New Year, the
official astrologer’s Zodiac changes at lìchūn. Also known as the start of
spring, this is the point in time exactly between winter solstice and spring
equinox, marking the transition between the two seasons. This transition
always happens within a day of February 4.
This means that if you were born before February 3, you technically still
belong to the Zodiac of the year prior. If you were born on February 2 of
1984, for example, your yearly sign would still be the Water Pig, whereas
being born February 6 puts you squarely in the year of the Wood Rat in the
following Zodiac-year cycle. If you’re born between February 3 and
February 5, you might consider yourself a cusper, shaped by the energy of
both signs as one gives way to the other. If your birthday is one of these
days and you prefer precision, you can look up the exact date of lìchūn
during the year you were born. This variation occurs because whereas the
Hsia Calendar is matched to the sun exactly, the Gregorian calendar is not,
requiring a leap year be added every four or so years to stay in sync.

PILLAR TWO: MONTH

Because all four of the pillars follow a pattern of sixty, they produce reliable
patterns that can be used to determine your second pillar, the one related to
your birth month. The agricultural year begins with the month of the Tiger
on February 4. The element of that month varies from year to year but
repeats every five years as sixty months bring the cycle full circle. This
creates the following reliable patterns you can use to know the element of
your month pillar.
The monthly animals proceed as follows:
 WESTERN DATE* ANIMAL ELEMENT If the last digit of the year is…

0 or 5 1 or 6 2 or 7 3 or 8 4 or 9

(2/4–3/5) Tiger Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

(3/6–4/4) Rabbit Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

(4/5–5/5) Dragon Metal Water Wood Fire Earth

(5/6–6/5) Snake Metal Water Wood Fire Earth

(6/6–7/6) Horse Water Wood Fire Earth Metal

(7/7–8/7) Goat Water Wood Fire Earth Metal

(8/8–9/7) Monkey Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

(9/8–10/7) Rooster Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

(10/8–11/6) Dog Fire Earth Metal Water Wood

(11/7–12/6) Pig Fire Earth Metal Water Wood

(12/7–1/5) Rat Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

(1/6–2/3) Ox Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

*Because of time zones and Gregorian leap days, these boundary

dates can vary by up to one day in either direction depending on
year. If your birthday falls on one of these boundaries, don’t sweat it.
You can always consult a Hsia Calendar online for the most
accuracy, or consider yourself a cusper, embodying both animals in
your second pillar.

PILLAR THREE: DAY

Your next pillar, determined by the day you were born, is the most
complicated part of the Bāzì to calculate on your own, as the cycle of sixty
days does not sync up neatly to the year, making the exact sign of a distant
day hard to determine, especially if you don’t already know what sign the
current day is or how distant that date is from the day the cycle began over
two thousand years ago.
The following chart appears daunting, but don’t fret! With a little simple
math, you can use it to determine the Zodiac animal and element of a day as
far back as the 1500s.

N FIRST TWO DIGITS LAST TWO DIGITS OF YEAR MONTH DAY

OF YEAR (Remainder subtracting 16 until you
can’t anymore)

0 00 07 NOV 0 12
24

1 14 1 13
25

2 16 19 05 FEB 2 14
APR 26

3 22 03 12 FEB 3 15
JUN 27

4 10 AUG 4 16
28

5 15 01 OCT 5 17
29

6 18 08 15 DEC 6 18
30

7 21 06 JAN 7 19
MAR 31

8 24 13 JAN 8 20
MAY

9 04 11 JUL 9 21

10 17 02 10
22
 11 20 23 09 SEP 11
23

*If the year is divisible by 4, it’s a leap year. If so, use the bolded
months for January and February.

To determine the Zodiac animal of a given day, use this chart to find the
N-value of the month, day, the first two digits of the year, and the last two
digits of the year. Then, add these values together following this equation:

Zodiac = Nmonth + Nday + Nfirst two digits of year + Nlast two

digits of year

Based on your final value, determine your Zodiac day

animal using the following key:
1 = Rat, 2 = Ox, 3 = Tiger, 4 = Rabbit, 5 = Dragon, 6 =
Snake, 7 = Horse, 8 = Goat, 9 = Monkey, 10 = Rooster, 11
= Dog, 12 = Pig.
If your final value is higher than 12, subtract 12 until the
number is lower than 12, and use that number to determine
your Zodiac animal.

For example, let’s pretend the day we’re solving for is April 19, 1986.
• First, we would look at the month. April is in the 2 row, so Nmonth = 2.
• Check whether the month is January or February. If not, you’re great,
move to the next step. If the month is January or February, it’s possible a
leap year could change the results. If the year is divisible by four, it’s a
leap year, and you should use the value of the bolded January/February
instead.
• Then, we look at day. 19 is in the 7 row, so Nday = 7.
• Now, we look at year.
• The first two digits of 1986 are 19, which is in the 2 row. So Nfirst two digits
of year = 2.
• The last two digits of 1986 are 86. The divide-by-16 remainder of this
number is 6. Another way to do this equation is to subtract 16 from the
number until you can’t anymore. 86 – 16 = 70. 70 – 16 = 54. 54 – 16 =
38. 38 – 16 = 22. 22 – 16 = 6. Once we get 6, we can’t subtract anymore
without going negative, so we’re there. The year 06 is in the 7 row, so
Nlast two digits of year = 7.
• Now, we do the final equation:
Zodiac = Nmonth + Nday + Nfirst two digits of year + Nlast two digits of year.
• Zodiac = 2 + 7 + 2 + 7
• Zodiac = 18
• Because this number is higher than 12, we subtract 12 until we can’t
anymore. 18 – 12 = 6.
• The Zodiac number 6 corresponds to the Snake! So April 19, 1986, is the
day of the Snake.

To determine the day’s element, we use the same process, just with a
different chart.

N FIRST TWO DIGITS LAST TWO DIGITS OF YEAR MONTH DAY

OF YEAR (Remainder subtracting 40 until
you can’t anymore)

0 16 00 02 21 23 AUG 0 10
20 30

1 21 04 06 25 27 SEP OCT 1 11
21 31

2 19 08 10 29 31 NOV DEC 2 12
22

3 12 14 33 35 3 13
 23

4 17 24 16 18 37 39 4 14
24

5 22 15 01 03 20 22 5 15
25

6 05 07 24 26 6 16
26

7 20 09 11 28 30 MAR JAN 7 17
27

8 18 13 15 32 34 JAN APR 8 18
MAY FEB 28

9 23 17 19 36 38 FEB JUN 9 19
JUL 29

*If the year is divisible by 4, it’s a leap year. If so, use the bolded
months for January and February.

Solve for the element using the following equation:

Element =Nmonth + Nday + Nfirst two digits of year + Nlast two

digits of year

Based on your final value, determine your Zodiac day

element using the following key: 1 and 2 = Wood, 3 and 4 =
Fire, 5 and 6 = Earth, 7 and 8 = Metal, 9 and 10 = Water. If
your final value is higher than 10, subtract 10 until the
number is lower than 10, and use that number to determine
the element.
 Let’s continue the example from previously and apply it here, this time
solving for the element on the day of April 19, 1986.
• First, we look at month. April is in the 8 row, so Nmonth = 8.
• It’s not January or February, so we aren’t worried about leap years. Next
step.
• Then, we look at day. 19 is in the 9 row, so Nday = 9.
• Now, we look at year.
• The first two digits of 1986 are 19, which is in the 2 row. So, Nfirst two
digits of year = 2.
• The last two digits of 1986 are 86. The divide-by-40 remainder of this
number is 6. Another way to do this equation is to subtract 40 from the
number until you can’t anymore. 86 – 40 = 46. 46 – 40 = 6. Once we get
6, we can’t subtract anymore without going negative, so we’re there. The
year 06 is in the 1 row, so Nlast two digits of year = 1.
• Now we do the final equation:
Zodiac = Nmonth + Nday + Nfirst two digits of year + Nlast two digits of year.
• Zodiac = 8 + 9 + 2 + 1
• Zodiac = 20
• Because this number is higher than 10, we subtract 10 until we can’t
anymore.
20 – 10 = 10.
• The Zodiac number 10 corresponds to Water! So April 19, 1986, is a
Water day.
• Combined with our result for the Zodiac, we now know April 19, 1986, is
a Water Snake day.

PILLAR FOUR: HOUR

While most Hsia Calendars will not go so in depth as to record the hour, it
is, luckily, easy to determine on your own. Each animal governs two hours
of the day when their energy is the strongest. Use the following chart to find
which animal was governing the hours of your birth. The hourly element is
based on the element of the Day Pillar you just solved for and whether the
Day’s animal is Yang or Yin. You can see here for more details on Yang and
Yin, but all you need to know now is that Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse,
Monkey, and Dog are Yang. Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, and Pig are
Yin.

HOURLY ELEMENT IF THE DAILY PILLAR* IS:

HOUR HOURLY YANG YANG YANG YANG YANG

OF ANIMAL WOOD OR METAL OR FIRE OR WATER EARTH OR
BIRTH YIN EARTH YIN WOOD YIN OR YIN YIN WATER
METAL FIRE

11 Rat Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

p.m.–1
a.m.

1 Ox Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

a.m.–3
a.m.

3 Tiger Fire Earth Metal Water Wood

a.m.–5
a.m.

5 Rabbit Fire Earth Metal Water Wood

a.m.–7
a.m.

7 Dragon Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

a.m.–9
a.m.

9 Snake Earth Metal Water Wood Fire

a.m.–
11
a.m.

11 Horse Metal Water Wood Fire Earth

a.m.–1
 p.m.

1 Goat Metal Water Wood Fire Earth

p.m.–3
p.m.

3 Monkey Water Wood Fire Earth Metal

p.m.–5
p.m.

5 Rooster Water Wood Fire Earth Metal

p.m.–7
p.m.

7 Dog Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

p.m.–9
p.m.

9 Pig Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

p.m.–
11
p.m.

*Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, and Dog are Yang Day
Pillars.
Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, and Pig are Yin Day Pillars.

If you were born at 6:25 a.m., on a Fire Snake day, for example, you
would be a Water Rabbit. 6:25 a.m. is the Rabbit’s hour. The Snake is Yin,
so the Daily Element of the Fire Snake is Yin Fire. Yin Fire meets the 5
a.m.–7 a.m. row at the hourly element of Water. Water Rabbit. If you were
born at 2:42 p.m., on a Water Dog day, your hour is the Fire Goat.
And there you have it, your complete Bāzì! Write your Four Pillars
down and refer to them as we delve deeper into these horoscopes in the
pages that follow.
 Interpreting Your Zodiac

You may find as you read the next section that some pillars feel like closer
fits for your personality than others. Many people feel closer to the yearly
sign that they grew up familiar with, whereas others relate more to their
hour, day, or month. There may be pillars that you find you’ve embraced
throughout your life, and others that you’ve pushed away or hidden. This is
natural and sometimes inevitable. The world carves away at our raw
material, leaving parts of us well defined and other parts of us buried.
In this way, your Bāzì can serve you as a road map to parts of your life
that remain unexplored, in addition to clarifying the parts you already know
well. Some people prefer to match different pillars to specific aspects of
their lives, and the methods of doing this are numerous and complex.
Although, in truth, all four readings hold some sway over all elements of
life.
If you want a simple guide for how to interpret and distinguish your four
readings, here are a couple of generalizations about them:

REGARDING THE SELF

YEAR—represents your history, your environment, what you share with
people who grew up with you. Inner Self.

MONTH—determines whether your main element, your Day pillar

element, is too strong or too weak, as well as what your lucky elements are.
(See here for more.)

DAY—determines your main element. Also called a Daymaster, the

element of your Day pillar suggests the element that dominates your
personality and life.

HOUR—represents your hopes for the future, your aspirations. Possibly

career. Outer Self.

REGARDING LIFE CYCLE

YEAR—most powerful in childhood

MONTH—most powerful in adulthood

DAY—more dominant in middle age

HOUR—more dominant in elderly life

 THE FIVE ELEMENTS

Also known as the wŭxíng, or five phases, the Five Elements of Chinese
philosophy are not literal. When the system refers to something as being in
the Fire element, it is in a particular state of being that can be likened to
fire. The Five Elements are more closely translated as five phases because
they are a cycle of states in which all things constantly progress in a never-
ending loop. The Five Elements have unique interactions with one another,
where the introduction of one element is thought to encourage or discourage
another. When you know the Five Elements, you can better affect and
interpret the world around you, as they’re applicable not only to the Chinese
Zodiac but to any aspect of life—a situation, a relationship, or something
else—that requires looking beneath the surface in order to understand.

Wood
 SEED OF CREATION
The first phase (if a cycle can be said to have a first phase) is Wood. Wood
draws its symbol from that which grows and sprouts, and it represents the
impulse to begin. It is the emptiness in which beginnings become possible
and perhaps inevitable. An open and meditative mind is Wood. An empty
room, ready for furnishing, is Wood. Wood is the blank slate, raw potential,
readiness. It is related to art, creativity, femininity, renewal, and children. It
is flexible and expansive.

Fire
BURNING DESIRE
The second phase is Fire. Fire is the desire to exist and to create that takes
root in the ready emptiness of Wood and produces the material reality of
Earth. It is inspiration, passion, and direction. It is the spark of momentum,
of excitement, of desire to bring something into being. A new idea for a
project is Fire. A vision for the future is Fire. It is related to intellect,
energy, heat, and the passionate turbulence of young adulthood.
 Earth
FEET ON THE GROUND
The third phase is Earth. Earth represents reality, that which the impulses of
Fire alter and bring into being. Earth is the world as it is, without
interpretation, without labels or names. Earth is stability, that which appears
solid and constant, at least for a while. A finished painting is Earth, taking
action is Earth. It is related to endurance, continuity, buildings, balance,
patience, and practicality.

Metal
CUT TO THE POINT
The fourth phase is Metal. If Earth is the physical stuff around us, Metal is
our conceptual understanding of those things. The collection of atoms that
make up a chair are Earth, the concept of a chair, the ability to separate,
label, and define it as such, is Metal. Metal is the stage in which things
become more than they physically are. The Mona Lisa and Declaration of
Independence are both just pigment on paper, earthy substance. But the
ideas they represent are Metal. The ability to look at a physical object and
draw symbolic meaning is Metal. Mathematics are Metal. Reading is Metal.
Metal is related to accuracy, rigidity, forcefulness, and control as well as
systems of evaluation, such as commerce and wealth.

Water
CHANGE AND FLOW
The fifth phase is Water. All physical objects eventually wear away, all
intellectual concepts eventually break down. Water is the process of death,
dissolution, release, and change. It is the clearing of the slate that makes
way for the cycle to begin again. It is the universe’s ability to change, flow,
shed the old and become new. Sleep and relaxation are Water. Admitting
you might be wrong is Water. Water is related to emotions, spirituality,
wisdom, fluidity, and old age.
 YIN AND YANG

YOU’VE NO DOUBT SEEN THE SYMBOL, WHITE

AND BLACK DROPLETS swirled in a circle,
conveying contrast, balance, transformation. This
image has become widespread, and yet the Yin and
Yang remain widely misunderstood. Yin and Yang are
just labels for the two forms of motion in the universe.
YIN IS THAT WHICH YIELDS, YANG IS THAT
WHICH IMPOSES. Once this is understood, you will
see how one cannot exist without the other, how things
that are Yang today may be Yin tomorrow, and how
many things are in states of Yin and Yang
simultaneously.
Often people describe Yin with such words as dark,
feminine, still, or cold, and Yang with such words as
bright, masculine, active, or warm. But such
comparisons are oversimplification. Nothing is entirely
Yin or Yang, and trying to pursue such stagnant
constancy is a fruitless and tiresome impossibility.
Many cultures emphasize Yang attributes, such as
productivity, forcefulness, work, and power, but neither
 Yin nor Yang is inherently good. Trying to remain in a
constant state of Yang is a fight against the inevitable,
a recipe only for exhaustion. People must relax to find
energy to work and must sometimes work to enjoy
relaxation.
In the Zodiac, the Five Elements also tend to take
one of two stances—Yin when they are gentle,
admitting, or receding, and Yang when they are
forceful, imposing, or penetrating. Which stance the
elements will take is determined by the animal the
element is matched to. Half the animals are always
Yang (starting with the Rat), whereas the other half
always alternate to Yin (first alternating with the Ox).
This means that there are really ten possible elemental
forms: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water in both Yin
and Yang forms.

Strengthening Elements

Once you can label things with the Five Elements, you can also use this
knowledge to influence them. Each element has a unique set of interactions
with the elements around it that you can manipulate. Based on the cycle I
just described, you probably already have some intuitive sense of how the
elements strengthen and give birth to one another.
The readiness of Wood ignites into Fire. The passion of Fire inspires the
reality of Earth (or ash). The substance of Earth gives material for Metal
concepts to form in. The cracks and pockets in Metal ideas slowly collect
Water. The emptying of Water nourishes the emptiness of Wood. And in this
way the cycle continues, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and so on.
If you want to strengthen an element, you can do so by introducing more
of the element that generates it. If you want more ideas (Fire), feed it Wood
by making time to clear your mind. If you want to let go of something like a
relationship or an attachment (Water), consider making a list of pros and
cons about your decision (Metal).

Regulating Elements

Wood is disrupted by the inflexible and biting impositions of Metal. Metal’s

unyielding premises are melted in the passion of Fire. Fire is doused by the
release of Water. Water is absorbed by the hearty reality of Earth. Earth is
overturned by the desire for freshness of Wood.
If you want to control an element’s presence, you can do so by
introducing the element that regulates it. For example, if you are someone
with an excess of Fire signs going into a Fire month, you might be
overwhelmed by Fire’s creative passions and obsessions. A good solution
would be to seek out Water—you might spend more time with someone
with a Water sign personality, or you might just indulge your Water
impulses by allowing yourself to relax and let some things go. If you feel
bogged down or static (a sign of overabundant Earth) and want to reduce
this, consider Wood activities, such as going for a walk with no destination
in mind, or enjoying a nice uncluttered room.
 THE TWELVE ANIMALS

Now that we understand the Five Elements, we can turn our attention to
the perhaps more familiar half of the Bāzì—the animals. Much like the
Elements, the Twelve Animals are not meant to be taken literally. The year
of the Rat is not a year in which you will see a literal abundance of rats. The
animals are metaphors for states of energy and character, in people, in
society, in the universe, that naturally give way to one another in a never-
ending cycle. Each has strengths, weaknesses, and proclivities that make
them unique and give them unique interactions with one another.

Rat
Little Rat is three weeks old, and already he dreams of the world. The
burrow is safe, warm with the press of his mother and siblings. But
tonight, the air stirs. An adventurous breeze wafts a thousand scents
to his nose, scents he has never known before. A thousand unknowns,
a thousand possibilities. Little Rat follows his nose, up, up, up the
winding and switchback tunnels, until at last—
The outside world is vast and blue-black. The sky is dark and
pinpricked with lights. The ground is slicked in moonlight and snow.
Rat’s mother has whispered to him of many dangers, of soft padded
claws or silent wings, but Little Rat is too excited by the world to be
afraid. He will dart and vanish into crevice and shadow. He will
gnaw the wooden fence, slip through the smallest gap, and find the
warm spaces rich with grain.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: problem-solving, fine details, social

skill, beginnings
SEASON: winter
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Water
YEARS: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008,
 2020, 2032, 2044

FIRST AMONG BEASTS

Associated with deep winter and long nights, with teamwork, problem-
solving, eloquence, and potential, the Rat is the animal of beginnings. The
midnight hours of eleven to one are the relentlessly intelligent Rat’s time,
when the hardworking and the restless grapple with difficult problems late
into the night. It is also a time when the ambitious and unconventional can
skirt the obstacles and rules of broad daylight.

SMALL AND POWERFUL

The Rat is first in the Zodiac for good reason. Often associated with Yang
Water, the Rat is a paradox, representing strength through weakness, force
through pliability. In other words, it is Rats’ yielding flexibility that makes
them unstoppable, capable of slipping through the smallest cracks and
attentive to the slightest opportunities. They take typically passive traits,
such as sensitivity, synthesis, and reassessment, and channel them into an
irresistible force. Unlike other Yang animals, Rats do not overcommit;
when faced with failure, they are capable of stepping back from a problem
and trying new angles until they succeed.

EYE TO THE GROUND

Rats never overlook the little things and, in fact, prefer to break “big
picture” ideas into small, actionable chunks. The Water impulse of
dissolution becomes in the Rat a desire to dissect and disassemble,
analytically breaking a complicated world into simple ideas to be
understood and conquered. Rats are natural intellects and engineers who see
the moving pieces that compose the universe.
A NERVOUS EYE
Rat’s penetrating and active mind makes for a consummate survivor but can
also lead to a restless neuroticism. A Rat’s keen eye detects the instability at
the heart of all things, and makes commitment difficult. Rats often juggle
too many projects at once, seeing each new undertaking as a form of
security even when overwork threatens to overwhelm them. They are
thrifty, wanting to hoard wealth for that big disaster they always sense on
the horizon. They like to gather friends in the same way, and their intellect
and charm make them good at it. The Rat can survive alone but knows there
is safety in numbers.

RAT AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

WOOD Rats are beings of pure potential, always prepared for the future, and
interested in bettering themselves. Excellent at working with others, they
are eloquent peacemakers and incredible artists. More optimistic than most
Rats, they believe in doing what’s right and the inherent goodness of others.
While Wood Rats are naturally talented and interested in trying new things,
they struggle even more than most Rats with commitment. Until they can
cultivate the patience to truly hone a craft, the Wood Rat will be flooded
with projects, a perpetual prodigy but never a master.
FIRE Rats are full of energy and ideas for how to make the world a better
place. They reject conformity and embrace change, loving travel, fashion,
makeovers, and dynamic improvement. They are more likely than most
Rats to be guided by the heart rather than the head, and to overlook nitty-
gritty details in favor of the idealistic big picture. While naturally
compelling leaders and transformers, their fast pace and rejection of
mediocrity may make them impatient with people they consider ordinary or
inept.
EARTH Rats are profoundly practical. They take what is before them and
build secure, realistic lifestyles. The most steady, practical, rule-bound, and
persistent of the Rats, they quietly accomplish the tasks they set out to do
with fantastic effectiveness. Their biggest struggle is balancing
overpracticality and thrift with joy. They must take time to let go, relax, and
step back from the perpetual quest for material success and high
achievement.
METAL’s sharp definitions and deft, well-forged concepts result in a Rat
with a razor-sharp wit, capable of wielding words like a weapon. Excellent
organizers and skilled logicians, Metal Rats are also intensely emotional
and good at compartmentalizing. A Metal Rat, for example, will find it
quite natural to present a happy and charming veneer while another emotion
burns inside. They enjoy wealth but know that money well spent is more
valuable than money itself.
The Water-Water combination of the WATER Rat makes for a tolerant and
adaptive diplomat and influencer. Capable of going with the flow or
thinking outside the box with equal facility, Water Rats are calmer than
their compatriots. They still have an eye for impermanence, but they know
how to make change work for them. That said, their kindness and
willingness to compromise make them the least discriminating Rats,
sometimes to their own disadvantage.

FAMOUS RATS

William Shakespeare (1564—Wood) Al Gore (1948—Earth)

James Baldwin (1924—Wood) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900—Metal)

Zitkála-Šá (1876—Fire)

Jim Henson (1936—Fire) Alan Turing (1912—Water)

A SYMBOL OF PROSPERITY
Due to their tendency to appear alongside the harvest, the Rat is a symbol of
wealth and prosperity in many Asian cultures. Not just wealth as in money,
but abundance in all kinds—happiness, space, security, and more.
THE RAT WHO WOULD MARRY THE SUN
A long time ago, a pair of Rats decided that their daughter should marry the
most powerful being in the world—the Sun. However, after they climbed a
great mountaintop to make their offer, the Sun admitted he was not the most
powerful being, as the Cloud who covered him could smother even his
harshest rays. Impressed, the Rats took their offer to the Cloud. But the
Cloud also claimed a superior—the mighty Wind who blew him to and fro.
The Wind, in turn, told the Rats to seek the steadfast Wall, who resisted his
daily gusts with ease.
Finally, the Rats found the Wall and saw they had returned to the little
village from which their journey had begun. When the Wall heard they
thought him the most powerful being in the world, his bricks rumbled with
laughter. “There’s someone much mightier than me,” the Wall said. “He
chews through my oldest foundations, impossible to stop.”
And so the Rats discovered a handsome young Rat living below the
Wall. Everyone was very pleased with this, and they decided they had
searched long enough.
This folktale can be found in nations across the world, and in many
different forms, each with the conceit of seeking the “strongest being.” But
at its core, it demonstrates a very Rat concept. Power is often a matter of
perspective, and from the correct angle even the lowly can be mighty.
ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Ox, Dragon, Monkey

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Goat, Horse

Rats are exciting and attentive lovers. Their personalities are magnetic, and
they are keenly aware of what makes those close to them tick. That keen
eye means they are also quick to see a potential partner’s flaws. The last
thing any Rat wants is to be tied to a bad investment, and unless a partner
can really prove themselves, most Rats inevitably prefer independence.
Their best matches are the Dragon and Monkey, who share an inventive
genius and enjoyment of novelty. The traditional Ox may seem a surprising
pairing for the inventive Rat, but when the Ox’s commitment and steady
strength unites with the Rat’s insight and creativity, they become a truly
unbeatable team. Difficult matches for the Rat are the Horse and Goat. The
Horse’s bullish, straightforward methods tend to rub the careful Rat the
wrong way, whereas the Rat must be careful not to mistake the Goat’s
softness and complacency for weakness.

Ox

Sister Ox sleeps a dreamless sleep. Winter is yielding and soon the

tilling will start again.
Rice will grow in long rich rows of green that Sister Ox carves
fresh every year, breaking the frozen earth with her quiet strength.
Before her kind, the farm was small. Now the fields sprawl for miles,
growing rice that will feed the villages and cities that lie beyond.
Time after time, she has walked these rows, and each time she wears
 them a little deeper, a little longer, with her steady strength and
steady mind, the rice grows sweeter, richer.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: tradition, constancy, strength

SEASON: transition/late winter
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Earth
YEARS: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009,
2021, 2033, 2045

STEADY PROGRESS
When winter ends, it is time for the first furrows to be carved again. In this
time, we call on the Ox. Steadfast and strong, the Ox is associated with
tradition, constancy, and reliability. Solid but gentle, the Ox’s hours are the
nighttime hours of one to three a.m., when sleep becomes deep and
dreamless, and even the restless are often drawn into the stable humility of
a quiet mind.
POWERFUL AND GENTLE
In contrast to the small but forceful Rat, the Ox is powerful and serene.
They are the essence of chill. Unflappable, like a mountain or glacier.
Little can frighten or intimidate an Ox, who thus approaches life
unhurried and tranquil, surrounded by a quiet dignity. The Ox is one of the
most thick-skinned characters, capable of enduring any hardship with little
outside support.

STURDY FOUNDATION
This unflappability means the Ox is also a symbol of stability. Whereas the
Rat has the creativity to begin new endeavors, the Ox has the staying power
to complete them. Set on doing things in the correct, perhaps conventional
way, even Oxen committed to more unusual ways of living will be
consistent and reliable in those ways.

SET IN THEIR WAYS

The Ox is the sign most reluctant to change. Ox signs may be stubborn and
unwilling to compromise, and sometimes plow heedlessly through feedback
of any kind. There can be a wisdom to constancy, but it can also leave one
blind to a better way. Innovation comes slowly to Oxen, and they are the
most susceptible to being stuck in a rut. And although slow to anger—once
drawn into a fight, an Ox’s wrath is all but impossible to stop. It is good for
Oxen to find a suitable purpose for their strength. If allowed to run wild,
they may become aimless, obsessed, or destructive.

OX AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The open, expansiveness of WOOD (which undermines the Ox’s inherent
Earth element) makes the Wood Ox the least Ox-like in many ways. They
are creative, more open to change, and tend more toward artistry. They are
more social as well, making excellent teammates and fair arbitrators. They
yearn for a simple life but maintain their sign’s durability and commitment.
They do their best work almost automatically, losing themselves in their
focus.
The emotionally driven FIRE Ox is the least predictable Ox and most
likely to exert strength in explosive and surprising ways. Fire Oxen may
appear sedate and peaceful while brooding internally. The combination of
their passion and forcefulness makes them compelling and charismatic
leaders. They are proud of their strength and more likely than other Oxen to
“throw their weight around” to get what they want, and they pursue their
vision for a better world at any cost.
Solid, reliable, practical, almost unstoppable. The reinforcement of the
Ox’s natural EARTH element makes the Earth Ox the most quintessential Ox,
patient, hardworking, and more concerned with the here and now than the
future or the past. Impossible to push around, Earth Oxen’s thick skin may
make them insensitive to others and incapable of seeing viewpoints beyond
their own. They must beware of making enemies and getting trapped in
their own stagnant cycles.
The defined structure of METAL makes for uncompromising and rigid
Oxen, who stick to their guns even in the face of stark opposition. They fear
no foe from above or below, and set clear goals that little can stop them
from achieving. Eloquent and good at expressing themselves with a resolute
intensity, they can make fantastic leaders and administrators. Proud and
results oriented, they are not naturally affectionate and have little sympathy
for the foolish and wasteful.
WATER’s fluidity makes the Water Ox more flexible than others, without
compromising the Ox’s characteristic tenacity. A gentle, yielding nature
makes these Oxen more multitasking, sensitive, empathetic, and nurturing.
This, combined with an Ox’s strength, makes for a natural parent and
defender of the weak. The most conflict-averse of the Ox signs, Water Oxen
will nonetheless overcome opposition by quietly and patiently outlasting it.
They may not get things done as quickly or spectacularly as other Ox signs,
but that makes them no less reliable.
 FAMOUS OXEN

Malcolm X (1925—Wood) Louis Armstrong (1901—Metal)

Bruno Mars (1985—Wood) Barack Obama (1961—Metal)

Malala Yousafzai (1997—Fire) Rosa Parks (1913—Water)

Napoléon Bonaparte (1769—Earth) Jesse Owens (1913—Water)

HOW THE OX CAME TO EARTH

An old Chinese folktale tells the story of how the Ox came to Earth.
Long ago, the Ox lived in Heaven, and the people of Earth starved. The
ground was hard and cold, and what grew was very little, no matter how
long they labored. The Heavenly Emperor pitied them, feeling that even the
poorest person should be able to eat once every three days with such hard
work. He issued this decree and sent the Celestial Ox to deliver the
message. When the Ox arrived, he made a mistake and said that after
working hard, people should be able to eat three times every one day.
The people were overjoyed, but the Heavenly Emperor was upset at the
mistake—how could people be fed three times a day? To rectify this, the Ox
was sent to live on Earth, and through his impressive labor, the decree was
fulfilled.

A SYMBOL OF AGRICULTURE
This story of How the Ox Came to Earth illustrates a real-world
phenomenon.
The domestication of beasts of burden revolutionized agriculture in the
ancient world, making it possible to plow much vaster tracts of land than
before. The Ox is so effective as the tractor of the ancient world, their use
has been continued for thousands of years. Oxen are still working hard in
many places today.

WELCOMING SPRING
The plowing of fields is a sign of the end of winter, and so is the Ox! In
ancient times, on the Lunar New Year, the Chinese Emperor would
commemorate the transition from winter to spring by harnessing an Ox to
plow the first furrow of the year.

THE OX IN MYTH
Thanks to humanity’s long interdependence and association with the Ox,
the Ox appears frequently in Eastern myth. Several part-Ox beings are
recorded, such as Ox-Head—an Ox whose hardworking life was rewarded
with a position as one of the guardians of the Chinese and Japanese
Underworld. The Ox is also associated with the Kui or Kuiniu—a one-
legged beast with a thundering, drumlike stomp.

ROMANCE
 GOOD MATCHES: Rat, Snake, Rooster
DIFFICULT MATCHES: Goat, Horse

Ox signs are reliable and patient providers who aspire to lasting love. They
are stable, capable, and committed, almost to a fault. They may at times be
stubborn, jealous, or overly serious, and prefer small daily acts of love to
grand and spontaneous romantic gestures. They have a natural bond with
the Snake and Rooster. The Rooster brings a flamboyant energy and
charisma to the Ox’s life while still sharing a devotion to efficiency and
commitment. The Snake is alluring, sensuous, and observant, capable of
opening an Ox’s eyes to invisible overlooked worlds—while still
understanding and sharing that basic desire for comfort, stability, and
practicality. The creative Rat brings out the best in Oxen—marrying their
constant strength to passion, purpose, and novelty. On the other hand, the
Horse’s headstrong wildness can present a challenge to the Ox’s preference
for reliability, as can the Goat’s whimsical, changeable, and emotionally
driven way of living.

Tiger

In the hours before dawn, Lord Tiger is like lightning. He is the flash
that breaks the stillness, the fire that streaks from silence to silence.
He waits in the dark on silent pads, then explodes into motion. He
scatters the timid and defies the powerful—he has no competitor but
himself, as each day he pushes to be swifter than the day before.
Soon the sun will rise on him again, and everything will be new.
Lord Tiger comes to the edge of a river he has never met before
and pauses upon the bank to admire his own reflection. For a
moment he is a doubled creature, orange and black, flesh and water.
 A tempting flicker of scales beneath the waves, and Lord Tiger is
already in motion. He doesn’t look before he leaps. Lightning never
hesitates.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: rebellion, revolution, new beginnings,

power, impulse
SEASON: early spring
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Wood
YEARS: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010,
2022, 2034, 2046

NEW BEGINNING
Although the Tiger is the third animal in the Zodiac, the sign is also, in its
way, the sign of a new beginning. Tigers are associated with Yang Wood,
the first element in the elemental cycle, and they reside over early spring
when the New Year itself begins. The Tiger’s hours are from three to five
a.m. just before the sun rises, when the most ambitious and restless are
awake, and when the world is prepared to start again.

PASSIONATE REBEL
If the Rat stands for beginnings that come from nothing, the Tiger stands for
beginnings of revolution, beginnings that defy what came before. Tigers
abhor stagnation and pursue change and improvement both of themselves
and the world around them. They seek newness in the face of the old,
throwing off the traditional yoke of the Oxen that precede them, fearless of
the challenges this may bring.
READY TO POUNCE
With the expansive openness of Yang Wood, Tigers are always aware of
their surroundings—they can at times appear very calm, but this calm
conceals a readiness to spring into action. In this way, Tigers are fearless
and impulsive, always ready to seize the moment. They are physical and
emotional powerhouses—but this combined with their impulsiveness and
rebelliousness can lead them into conflict, and make them seem aggressive
to outside parties.

UNFETTERED MIND
Fearless and dynamic thinking combined with passionate impulses make
Tigers potent artists. They will seek to create in a way that defies
convention, that they can call entirely their own. They are endlessly
enthusiastic and love to express themselves and their ideas—another
tendency that may draw them to artistic fields. This enthusiasm also leads
them to generosity and honesty.

FIGHTER TO THE END

Tigers are by nature competitive, always looking to demonstrate their
strength against a suitable challenge. At the end of the day though, their
fiercest competition will always be themselves. This is something Tigers
must watch out for—although they are strong, passionate, and confident,
they also seek conflict to prove themselves in. If not given an appropriate
challenge or purpose, they may create their own problems or turn their
disruptive, ferocious tendencies upon themselves, becoming brooding,
moody, or self-loathing.

TIGER AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

WOOD Tigers are in their element, which brings them a gentleness and ease
that other Tigers may not exhibit. They are creative, charming, and skilled
at organizing others around themselves. They often appear serene and
peaceful, but this tranquility hides an immense energy like a coiled spring,
ready to explode into motion.
FIRE Tigers are natural leaders. They are transformers, revolutionaries,
capable of bringing new life to whatever passion they take hold of. They are
dynamos of energy and creativity. But this can also cause conflict. Their
ideas strike everywhere, like lightning—and some people are bound to feel
burned.
EARTH makes for the most stable Tigers. They are still energetic
generators, but they are less impulsive and idealistic, and more practical.
It’s not that they are any less emotional, but their emotions don’t cloud their
vision. Earth Tigers want to succeed and be recognized for it. They want to
make it to the top, prove their genius to the world, and convert their passion
into unassailable security. They can be insensitive in this commitment to
greatness, and overlook concerns outside of their own.
The structure of METAL brings forth meticulous, refined, and crafted
Tigers interested in controlling how they are seen. Capable of cutting to the
quick with their keen and candid observations, they are competitive,
disciplined, fearless, and effective both as workers and leaders. They may
sometimes struggle to balance their blind optimism and incisive candor
with tact.
The inward, collapsing motion of WATER balances the Tiger’s natural
expansive energy. Water Tigers are keenly perceptive of the world around
them, yet more likely to turn their explorative impulses inward. While
social experts, they see no reason to conform, or accept a society’s
assumptions as fact. The Water Tiger’s simple, often unintentional acts of
nonconformity can sometimes snowball into something that rocks a
community to its core.

FAMOUS TIGERS

Leonardo DiCaprio (1974—Wood) Karl Marx (1818—Earth)

Marilyn Monroe (1926—Fire) Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx (1890—Metal)

Usain Bolt (1986—Fire) John Steinbeck (1902—Water)

EARTHLY PROTECTOR
Seen as one of the greatest beasts of the land, the strength of the Tiger is
often invoked in Eastern folklore for protection. Disease, fear, and vermin
are all said to be kept away by the Tiger—as are the “three disasters” for a
household: thieves, fire, and evil spirits.

LORD OF THE WEST

In Chinese culture, the Tiger is regarded as one of the four Sacred Beasts,
alongside the Phoenix, Dragon, and Tortoise. The stars and cardinal
directions are divided among these animals, with one heavenly animal
ruling each point of the compass. White Tiger is guardian of the West, also
ruling the part of the sky in which the constellation Orion can be seen.
TIGER AS A SYMBOL
In East Asian culture, the Tiger, not the lion, is regarded as king of beasts,
even bearing the Chinese character for “king” ( ) in the stripes across its
forehead. As such, the Tiger is regarded as a symbol of rulership,
fearlessness, and wrath. As a passionate and earthly leader, in symbolism it
often stands opposite of the meditative and spiritual Dragon.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Horse, Dog, Pig, Rabbit

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Monkey, Snake

Tigers are sensitive and passionate companions, stimulating almost to a

fault. They are go-getters, not content to sit around and wait for love to find
them. They are unafraid to express what they want, which some people may
find overwhelming. They match well with the Horse and Dog, who are also
fearless and unyielding warriors at heart, full of a love for life. The Pig and
Rabbit are also great matches despite their apparent differences. The Pig’s
stability and support and the Rabbit’s skill at negotiation, compromise, and
tact help bring balance to the forceful Tiger.
 The mysterious Snake, on the other hand, often proves elusive,
presenting no solid front for the Tiger to get a handle on. The Monkey,
meanwhile, is the Tiger’s traditional opposite (crafty where the Tiger is
forthright, skeptic where the Tiger is idealist) and this can make it difficult
for them to see eye to eye. But both are brilliant creatives at their heart,
seeking challenge in the world around them. The trick is finding a way to
use that love of challenge to unite such natural rivals rather than pit them
against each other.

Rabbit

Rabbit rises with the dawn, her rosy nose aquiver. She is all ears,
silent as the moon. To her alone the world unfolds, a symphony of
danger and beauty. Sensitivity is her wisdom. She knows one must be
quiet to really listen, tread lightly when the day has just broken. She
sits still, with legs as tight as springs.
A town has risen around Rabbit’s clan, but they’ve found new
places to dig burrows, make love, and raise kits. They flourish
because Rabbit knows the secrets of peace: evasion, cooperation,
stillness, intuition. In wild fields, between houses, or under the
sidewalk where children play, the world may change but Rabbit will
continue to find the quiet pockets of peace and space, where the dirt
is soft and warm. Her ears twitch. She listens to the world. What
does it say?

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: sensitivity, diplomacy, art and beauty,

fertility
SEASON: spring
 INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Wood
YEARS: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011,
2023, 2035, 2047

HAZE OF DAWN

The Rabbit’s hours are from five to seven a.m., that misty, crepuscular
period when the day gently breaks. A transitional hour, good for dream
interpretation, for beginnings, and for lovemaking. It is the liminal time in
which the haze of night has not yet solidified, and the day’s shape is still
taking form. Associated with Yin Wood, the Rabbit shares the Tiger’s role
as a bringer of change. But whereas the Tiger is a forceful agent, the Rabbit
is a passive one, open, receiving, and gently inviting new possibilities.

CALM AFTER STORM

In the West, they say, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a
lamb.” The Zodiac might rephrase it: March comes in Tiger and goes out
Rabbit. After the turbulent revolution of the Tiger, the world comes to life,
winter is thrown off, and everything is new. It is fresh, raw, and sensitive.
Full of a tentative caution, everything is feeling out this brave new world.
This is the energy of Rabbit, fourth in the Zodiac.

SPRING, GROWTH, LIFE

Rabbits embody the warmth of spring, the gentleness that breeds a
prosperous future. They are sensitive and compassionate, a healer and a
bringer of life. They can raise gardens, pets, or children with tenderness,
and are drawn to any profession where they can care for the sick or
vulnerable. The Rabbit is a sexually powerful sign as well, as sex is the seat
of life. When they feel safe, Rabbits are desirable and sexually energetic.

PEACEMAKER
Rabbits’ sensitivity and dislike of conflict makes them excellent diplomats,
deftly navigating the emotions of the people around them. The intensity of
their focus means that while they excel at and enjoy social contact, they are
also often exhausted by it. At their happiest when surrounded by people
who make them feel safe, Rabbits, more than any other sign, benefit from a
safe and loving environment. They have almost limitless potential but
sometimes lack the forcefulness to self-advocate in bad situations,
preferring to avoid conflict unless truly backed into a corner.

SENSITIVITY AND STYLE

Gifted with powerful nose and ears, Rabbits are defined by their incredible
sensitivity. They are well tuned not only to others, but to the entire universe.
They have an eye for beauty, fashion, and art, and often find a sense of style
comes easily. They pick up on subtleties others struggle to even detect. At
its best, this makes them canny, wise, artistic, beautiful, and acutely or even
mystically discerning. At its worst, it can make them anxious, overcautious,
withdrawn, or bitter, particularly if their unique perception is not
understood by those around them.

RABBIT AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

Perceptive and discerning, Rabbits already make great artists, but WOOD
Rabbits have these natural tendencies amplified. They are receptive,
creative, and good at seeing through preconception. Their inherent
sweetness and sensitivity is also intensified, sometimes making them seem
externally serene, even while inwardly they are a raw nerve, ready to bolt.
FIRE Rabbits are intense, visionary, and high-mindedly virtuous. In
positions of power they can lead the world, but when disenfranchised, they
may struggle to feel understood. Fire tempers the Rabbit’s natural caution
with desire for action, a desire that can become both courage and frustration
in turns.
Practical and grounded, EARTH Rabbits find safety in stability. Less
defined by change than other Rabbits, they build stable, dependable homes
and stalwartly defend them, but don’t like to wander outside their comfort
zones. Intelligent and practical, they are deeply in tune with how the world
functions but may be reluctant to engage with it outside their comfort zones.
METAL stands in opposition to the Rabbit’s natural element and creates a
Rabbit divided between nurture and deconstruction, sympathy and
correctness, the open and the absolute. Is it kinder to meet the wrongheaded
with empathy or to confront them with the error of their ways? This
question lies at the Metal Rabbit’s heart, along with a desire to not merely
see the world but understand it.
Elusive WATER feeds the Rabbit’s natural tendencies. Intuitive,
peaceable, evasive, outwardly placid. Water Rabbits see past appearances
and can develop a profound grasp of the spiritual and internal if given the
space to do so. They are even more passive than other Rabbits, slipping like
water along paths of least resistance, which can at times land them in dark
and troubled spaces.
 FAMOUS RABBITS

Robin Williams (1951—Metal) Tina Turner (1939—Earth)

Brad Pitt (1963—Water) Elliot Page (1987—Fire)

Angelina Jolie (1975—Wood)

RABBIT AS A SYMBOL
In Eastern and Western folklore alike, the Rabbit is a symbol of fertility and
life. In ancient China, a myth claimed that rabbits were so vital, they could
conceive by simply basking in moonlight and spitting their babies from
their mouth; it is the Jade Rabbit whose shadow appears on the moon.
Enshrined there as a god for offering his flesh to feed a starving man, the
Jade Rabbit mixes the elixir of immortality, and to this day is said to grant
luck and health in exchange for offerings of flowers and soybean on the
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
QUEER MATCHMAKER
The Rabbit is also a figure associated with queerness. In imperial China,
“Rabbit” was derogatory slang for a gay or effeminate man. And in the
“Ballad of Mulan,” Mulan’s success at serving as a male soldier is
compared to the androgynous rabbit—whose gender cannot be discerned
when it is on the run.
Most notable of all is Tu Er Shen, the Rabbit God, a Chinese deity of
queer love and sex. Originally a young soldier, he fell in love with a
handsome imperial inspector. Because the inspector’s station was
hopelessly above the soldier’s, it wasn’t until the inspector caught him
peeping that the soldier confessed his affection. Outraged, the inspector had
him executed. But a month later, the soldier returned as Tu Er Shen, in the
form of a rabbit. He revealed that King Yama, mighty Lord of the
Underworld, had ruled his crime a crime of love, and his execution unjust.
Although Yama could not restore the soldier’s life, he could make him a
deity, appointing him god of same-sex attractions. And so, the locals built a
temple to Tu Er Shen and sought his blessing in matters of homosexual
love. Originally a god of love between men, his temple in Taiwan now
performs marriage ceremonies for gay couples of any gender.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Dog, Pig, Goat, Tiger

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Dragon, Rooster

Desirable, fashionable, and often lucky with lovers, the Rabbit is pursued
by many. Simply partnering with a Rabbit may be seen as a sign of status.
In a relationship, Rabbits are sensitive, sentimental, and ruled by intuition.
They are hyperaware and enjoy feeling protected and attended by a partner,
which some lovers may find exhausting. They match well with the Pig and
Goat, who share their gentle energy and interest in a safe, beautiful, and
well-kept home. The Dog makes a great partner, both able to match the
Rabbit’s delicate alertness and provide the protective loyalty that the Rabbit
craves. The Tiger is a more surprising match, capable of balancing most
Rabbits’ diplomatic skills with a forceful edge while still sharing their
sensitivity.
The Dragon and Rooster are famously difficult matches for the Rabbit.
The Rabbit often feels insecure around the expansive Dragon, and the
Rabbit struggles to be heard over the assertive Rooster. However, both
Dragon and Rooster share Rabbit’s love of beauty, and there is a profound
attraction in this. In such a relationship, a Dragon or Rooster must learn to
make space for the Rabbit while such Rabbits in turn must learn to hold
their own and take responsibility for their station in life.

Dragon

Plainness disagrees with Dragon. Thus, his kind no longer dwells

much on Earth. As the sun rises to the firmament, so, too, does Lord
Dragon. Deepest seas, open air, and solid stone are all one to him.
Child of Heaven and Earth, he strides on clouds as surely as
mountains, parts mountains as easily as clouds. He flexes his length,
and both horizons cannot contain him.
He contains within him implausible multitudes, the horns of ox,
the claws of tiger, the whiskers of rat, the body of snake. Every
animal lives within him. His roar shakes volcanos, his command
brings rain, gold and jade drip from him like menial sweat. What
challenge, then, can Earth present? He must reach above and clutch
the radiant sun, or touch the stars that sparkle like gems. Why
shouldn’t he? What is he not capable of? Higher!
 PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: transcendence, infinity, confidence,
leadership, yang
SEASON: late spring
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Earth
DRAGON YEARS: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000,
2012, 2024, 2036, 2048

RISE AND SHINE

Seven to nine a.m. are the Dragon’s hours, as the world fills with energy
and light. It is an energizing period, in which everything roars to life, and
we hastily rush to get things started. Associated with Yang Earth, the
Dragon is something of a contradiction: stationary earth, in an active,
expanding form. The Dragon expresses Yang Earth as outward propulsion,
an ever-expanding center, a rising motion that clears the horizon, uniting
heaven and earth as it passes from one to the other. The Dragon is solid as a
mountain and yet can touch the sky.

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES
If the Rabbit’s energy is a gentle seed, tender potential in need of nurture,
then the Dragon’s energy is the natural result: bountiful growth and endless
possibility in motion. The Dragon is an incredible composite—some
folklore attest that the Dragon is built from every other animal’s strength:
Rat’s whiskers, Ox’s horns, Tiger’s claws, Rabbit’s eyes, Snake’s body,
Horse’s legs, Goat’s beard, Monkey’s wit, Rooster’s crest, Dog’s ears, and
Pig’s snout. In this way, Dragons embody possibility. They represent
fullness, a life in which no doors are barred, and one is capable of being
anything.

LORD OF THE FANTASTIC

The Dragon is the only animal of the Zodiac that is mythical. Between this
and their association with possibility and pushing beyond, Dragons are
linked with the imagination. Dragons are naturally bored by the mundane
and realistic and push for the extravagant, outrageous, and fantastic. They
are creatures of vast creativity, who may find their imagined worlds more
compelling than the real world around them. They care little for practicality
and are drawn to creativity and the pursuit of fantastic visions.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

While flying high, Dragons may find other people seem like distant ants.
They find it easy to forget about others, who seem so small compared to the
largeness of Dragons’ imagined world. But when stirred to action, few
people are more generous than the Dragon, who seems to drip with
abundance and always goes above and beyond.

PROUD KING
In China, the Dragon is often a symbol of the emperor. Naturally drawn to
the spotlight and unafraid to speak their mind, Dragons gravitate to
positions of leadership and power. They excel in such roles, their sheer
confidence inspiring compliance and loyalty. Rare are Dragons who are
unaware of their power—they act as if assured of success, as though the
world revolves around them. Well managed, this confidence makes for a
self-fulfilling prophecy. Misused, it results in unearned ego. The potency of
their personal goals can also make Dragons erratic figures—little can keep
them anchored when their winds of desire blow.

DRAGON AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The WOOD Dragon is a natural artist, a staunch advocate of beauty,
harmony, and possibility. The Wood element breaks and softens some of the
Dragon’s rougher edges, replacing pride with openness. The already potent
imagination is intensified, and a Wood Dragon’s serene exterior may hide
an inner life that is almost frighteningly vivid and vital.
The passionate, amplifying nature of FIRE results in Dragons who are
downright explosive. Inexhaustible maelstroms of ideas, they are like
clouds crackling with lightning, full of turbulent energy. They are hungry to
live life, achieve their goals, and are unafraid to melt those in their way.
More than any other Dragon, they must beware of recklessness and burnout.
The hottest fire burns but briefly.
In their native element of EARTH, the Dragon finds stability. Earth
Dragons are more grounded, centered, and realistic. They are practical
about achieving their dreams and work hard to move them from fantasy to
reality. They build strong foundations and often exude a regal gravity.
Compared to other Dragons, they are measured and deliberate in action,
moving like the inexorable forces of shifting continents.
The METAL Dragon is a peerless blade, cutting through to the future.
Such Dragons wield a mind like a well-crafted machine, their words honed
sharp and exact. Their demeanor is articulate and commanding, but blunt.
They have a strict and well-defined concept of fairness and justice, and
excel at forging their piercing visions into reality.
Like Wood, placid and introspective WATER tempers some of the
Dragon’s impulses. While it is not sufficient to smooth the Dragon’s might
into placidity (at its most forceful, even water becomes a typhoon), Water
does often turn the Dragon’s energy inward. Water Dragons are empathetic
and throw themselves into addressing humanitarian needs and social
injustice. The intersection of Water’s spirituality and the Dragon’s
transcendence also makes Dragons potent mystics, visionaries, and spiritual
leaders.

FAMOUS DRAGONS

Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel (1904—Wood) Martin Luther King Jr. (January
1929—Earth)

Anna May Wong (January 1905—Wood) Bruce Louisa May Alcott (1832—Water)
Lee (1940—Metal)

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (February 1977—

Fire)

RAINBRINGER
In Eastern folklore, Dragons are more associated with water than fire.
Rather than breathing flame, they created clouds, caused floods, or
transformed into water. They ruled over powerful rivers, waterfalls, and
seas, and were said to bring much needed rain. Fittingly, they bring April
showers as the spring ripens into fullness.

ANCIENT HISTORY
The image of the Dragon goes back further than any written records—
Dragon iconography has been found in ancient Chinese sites over seven
thousand years old. When ancient people uncovered dinosaur bones, they
often ascribed them to konglóng, or “terror dragons.”

LORD OF THE EAST AND OF THE CENTER

One of the four Sacred Beasts who rule the cardinal directions and the stars
(Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise), Azure
Dragon is guardian of the East. Its constellation stretches across Virgo,
Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius.
There is also a less commonly acknowledged fifth Sacred Beast called
Yellow Dragon. The closest in symbolism to the Dragon of the Zodiac, the
Yellow Dragon doesn’t appear in the night sky or on the compass rose, as it
represents Earth and the Center. It unites the other four beasts and also
serves as a symbol of rulership and of Huangdi, or Yellow Emperor, a
mythic founder of Chinese culture.

DRAGONS IN MYTH
The Dragon plays such a huge role in Eastern myths, it would be impossible
to list every appearance. But some particularly notable characters include
the Four Dragon Kings. Just as the stars are divided between the Sacred
Beasts, the four great waters of ancient China are also divided between four
Dragons. Like the Sacred Beasts, they are color coded: Black Dragon in the
North, White in the West, Red in the South, and Azure Dragon works
double duty, overseeing both the eastern sky with the beasts and the East
China Sea with his fellow dragons.
 Azure Dragon, the guardian of the East (whose name in some myths is
Ao Guang) famously clashed with Nezha, the warrior boy, after Nezha slew
Ao Guang’s son for demanding human beings as tribute. Ao Guang is also
known for gifting the infamous Monkey King with his phoenix helmet, gold
armor, cloud-walking boots, and iconic shapeshifting staff. White Dragon’s
son Ao Lie would later join the Monkey King’s crew as well, becoming the
steed White Dragon Horse as penance for a heavenly crime.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Rooster, Monkey, Rat, Snake

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Rabbit, Dog

Dragons are improvisers, prone to grand and sweeping romantic gestures.

They are reluctant to settle down and tend to flit from one excitement to the
next. But their big dreams, love of adventure, charismatic confidence, and
glamorous lifestyles can make them deeply attractive. If you can grab their
attention, they can make every day completely new. The Monkey and Rat
are natural partners for the Dragon—when paired with the Rat’s analytical
ambition or the Monkey’s management and technical skill, there’s very little
the Dragon’s raw power can’t achieve or attain. Roosters also make
fantastic partners. Not only do they match the Dragon’s flamboyance,
creativity, and confidence, but Roosters are also associated with the
Fenghuang, or Phoenix—the imperial Dragon’s natural counterpart. The
Snake also makes a good match, sharing the Dragon’s mystic qualities, able
to see past reality to the dreams beneath.
An old saying goes, “When the Rabbit appears, the Dragon’s fortune
disappears.” This doesn’t mean such a match is impossible, but careful
listening will be a necessity to navigate the Rabbit’s perhaps too easily
wounded sensibilities. Dogs can also be a troubled match—they are
interested in protecting boundaries and preventing disaster, while Dragons
see no boundaries and are perpetually optimistic. Such a couple can achieve
a potent and expansive wisdom if they can only learn to see eye to eye.

Snake

As the day grows hot, Snake prefers the shade. Were it cool, she
would sun herself, but the days have now turned long and hot, and
there’s no sense in overexposure. Her body flexes and her shape
slips, a liquid emerald lacing through crevice and branch. Snake
knows rigidity is illusion. That the identity we show the world is
merely a convenient stance. She has shed many skins in her time, and
each was but dry paper. Her movement defies understanding, and
this is how she prefers it. The hidden places are her domain: the
secret treasures, the buried springs, the rich and forgotten loam. A
flash of scarlet, and her tongue tastes a world beyond what eyes are
capable of seeing, a world of secrets, and that which lies beneath.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: secrecy, emptiness, adaptability, the

unknown, yin
SEASON: early summer
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Fire
YEARS: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013,
2025, 2037, 2049

INNER FIRE
The Snake’s hours are nine to eleven a.m. It is a time of basking in the sun,
of the world slowly warming, and of the gentle lull between the hectic
morning and the productive midday. Associated with the mysterious
element of Yin Fire, Snakes are less the roaring wildfire, more the quiet
secret of life itself. They embody the pulsing warmth that separates a body
from a corpse, that inner heat that cannot be seen or grasped yet makes us
what we are.

DRAGON’S SHADOW
Just as the purest Yang must inevitably become Yin, and vice versa, the
energy of the Dragon gives way to Snake. The Snake is an extremely
powerful, if subtle, Zodiac symbol. Just as the Dragon represents the purest
Yang principle of any Zodiac, the Snake represents the purest Yin. Whereas
the Dragon is the universe expanding, glorious, proud, and unrelenting, the
Snake stands for the void: mysterious, elusive, and subtle. Although one
advances and one retreats, both are equally potent and fundamental. Like
the Dragon, Snakes make fantastic mystics—but while Dragons flaunt their
abilities, Snakes wield power that is secretive and hidden.

THE MYSTERY BELOW

Like the Rabbit, the Snake is deeply perceptive. However, whereas the
Rabbit is perceptive of all things, the Snake specializes in seeing what lies
under the surface. To a Snake, it is our outward appearances and
mannerisms that are insubstantial. Snakes know what we show others is
merely a performance, a mask for the occasion that cannot capture the soul.
They excel both at piercing such masks and at perfecting masks of their
own. This penchant for looking beyond and within makes them excellent
psychologists, penetrating scholars, abstract creatives, and wise advisers.
They may also do well in medicine, addressing the body practically while
also keenly assessing the spiritual needs of the distressed.

SINUOUS SHAPESHIFTER
Like the Dragon, the Snake is a creature of many forms and possibilities.
Whereas the Dragon seems to take every form at once, the Snake does the
opposite. The Snake is formless. Snake signs refuse to be molded into some
rigid and easily grasped identity. Delighting in mystery, they present
nothing of themselves but a series of characters, easily discarded like
sloughed-off snake skin. Because they consider identity to be little more
than a convenient pose, they shine at imitating others and adapting skillful,
attractive personas. Others often find this mystery seductive, even hypnotic.
Because at their core they commit to nothing, Snakes have the liquid
freedom to try on anything.
UNKNOWABLE HEART
The Snake’s greatest strength can also be a source of personal anxiety. As
much as Snakes are mysteries to others, they are often also mysteries to
themselves. They may feel without a center or may hide their true feelings
away even from themselves. They tend to see through everything to the
void beneath, viewing every action and edifice as merely a veneer for a
universe that is ultimately unknowable. Some Snakes find great clarity or
commitment to purpose in accepting or denying this vision, whereas others
become morose, unable to find meaning or value in the grand scheme of
things.

SNAKE AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The blossoming element of WOOD turns the Snake’s mysterious mind into a
creative canvas. Wood Snakes have a knack for seeing through to the heart
of things, and they are interested in trying to put their abstract ideas and
feelings into terms that other people will understand. They are elegant and
have broken social finesse down to a science. They have a talent for
bringing beauty into empty space.
FIRE Snakes are piercing, charismatic, and intellectual. They are hungry
to push their understanding of the universe, always eager to go deeper into a
problem or field of knowledge. Driven and individualist, they enjoy
demonstrating their knowledge. They may strive to excel at jobs, hobbies,
or causes they have little actual emotional investment in, just to prove that
they can.
EARTH provides an anchor to the spiritual Snake. Earth Snakes retain the
Snake’s piercing interest in the spiritual and abstract, but they also have a
foot in the real world. More than other Snakes, they understand the practical
and build comfortable and stable homes. Earth’s solidity can also stunt their
natural flexibility, leaving them lethargic and afraid to make necessary
changes.
METAL Snakes cut to the heart. They can break any idea down into a
clear and efficient sentence. They are no-nonsense, confident, and bold,
capable of delivering instantaneous knockout blows like a striking serpent.
Sometimes Metal clashes with the Snake’s native element. A Metal Snake
may be torn between flexibility and rigidity, between an unknowable
universe and a desire for cleanly labeled absolutes.
WATER Snakes are like a subterranean pool. Opaque, still, and seemingly
eternal yet sensitive to the slightest disturbances. Contemplative and
content, they need little to fall into deep reflection. Others may find this
interior life intimidating, but the deeper Water Snakes take their
introspective pursuit of truth, the more they find sympathy for the world
and people around them.

FAMOUS SNAKES

Greta Garbo (1905—Wood) Pablo Picasso (1881—Metal)

John Oliver (1977—Fire) Muhammad Ali (January 1942—Metal)

Taylor Swift (1989—Earth) Oprah Winfrey (January 1954—Water)

BLACK TORTOISE—JOINT LORD OF THE

NORTH
Ancient Chinese myth postulated that Tortoise and Snake were two halves
of one whole—swift and slow, sharp and dull, flexible and hard, male and
female—and only by joining together could they reproduce. Because of
this, they were often depicted as a joint creature, a symbol of the mystic
power in opposite forces united.
Together the Tortoise and Snake are considered one of the four Sacred
Beasts (along with Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermillion Bird) who
each rule one point of the compass and one quadrant of the stars. Their title
abbreviated to simply “Black Tortoise,” the Tortoise and Snake guard the
North. Their constellation reaches from Pegasus through Aquarius and
Capricorn to Sagittarius.
MOTHER OF MANKIND
Perhaps because the Snake has always been a mystic animal, with a unique
and almost magic-looking method of locomotion, the ability to fully shed
its skin, and a venomous mastery over life and death, the image of the
Snake appears in many ancient Chinese deities. Nüwa, who is said to have
shaped humanity from clay, is also known as the Snake Goddess, and in
some depictions appears as a woman from the waist up and a serpent from
the waist down.

EARTHSHAKER
Gonggong, an ancient Chinese water god, appears as a snake with a human
head. He is responsible for tilting the world after he bashes it in anger after
losing a fight with the god of fire. Nüwa is able to repair the world enough
that it isn’t destroyed by floods and disasters, but she is unable to entirely
fix the tilt—and so Earth remains on a tilted axis to this day.
THE LEGEND OF WHITE SNAKE
One of China’s most iconic folktales features a magic snake spirit named
Bai Suzhen, whose thousand years of magical study allow her to become
human and travel the world doing good deeds. She falls in love with a
human man, but the two are hounded by a meddling monk who is in some
adaptations jealous of Suzhen’s magic and, in others, wary of her as a
supernatural spirit. Suzhen is tricked into revealing her true form, which
shocks her lover to death, but she braves many dangers to find a magic herb
that revives him. The man reasserts his love, despite having seen Suzhen’s
true form. The two go through many more misadventures and tragic
separations before finally living happily ever after.
Many Chinese folktales feature a romance between a human man and a
shapeshifting woman, but it’s telling that a story featuring a Snake is one of
the most iconic.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Monkey, Rooster, Ox, Dragon

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Tiger, Pig

Snakes are excellent at playing the lover. They can be perceptive yet
unfathomable, a quality some find hopelessly romantic. They like to
rehearse the perfect gestures to delight or win the object of their affections,
and may be disappointed if reality doesn’t match their hypothetical
machinations.
The Rooster appreciates the Snake’s shrewd management of
appearances and lives life with an authenticity that the Snake can’t help but
admire. Oxen provide comforting solidity to the Snake, appearing constant
no matter how deeply they are examined. The Monkey is intellectual yet
instinctual and spontaneous, something the always-crafted Snake can learn
from. The Dragon’s appeal is more primordial—neither Snake nor Dragon
is entirely of this world, and while the Dragon is called to Heaven above
and the Snake to the Void below, together there is little they cannot reach.
Tiger and Snake often clash, as the Tiger senses meticulous presentation
as a kind of deceit. They communicate best when the Snake speaks without
overthinking and the Tiger stops seeing every interaction as a battle to be
won. The Pig and Snake also have oppositional energies—the Pig accepts
things simply for what they are, whereas the Snake mistrusts the apparent as
shallow. But both signs are correct in their way, and if they can reconcile,
there is no wisdom greater than oppositional forces harmonized.

Horse

When Brother Horse runs, earth thunders. The globe turns beneath
his hooves. He loves to outrace the wind, the wolf, the rival stallion.
There doesn’t need to be a reason. Horse runs because he can.
Action is what cuts the world, and Horse is like a knife through
wind. Muscle ripples, sweat beads as thick as blood. Perhaps
someday Brother Horse will tire, perhaps someday he will grow old.
But now the sun blazes at its highest point, and he has never felt
stronger.
What more is there to say? The truth of him is not on the page. It
is out there, in the summer wind that beats against his face—racing,
wild, alive.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: action, strength, movement,

competition
SEASON: summer
 INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Fire
YEARS: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014,
2026, 2038, 2050

HIGH NOON AND ZENITH

The Horse is the seventh animal of the Zodiac, associated with the middle
of summer, with action and physical power. Horse governs the high noon
hours of eleven to one, when the sun is at its peak and people are full of
energy, industry, and motion. The sign of Yang Fire, the Horse is full of
explosive power, ready to move, initiate, bring things into being.
ACTION OVER THOUGHT
The internal Snake is overturned by the headstrong Horse. Whereas the
Snake ponders what lies beneath, the Horse feels no need to ponder at all.
To the Horse, life is simply what it is. The Horse exemplifies action without
overthinking, like professional athletes who have perfected their technique
so that the motions are instinctual. Horse signs are social and headstrong.
They go with their gut, and this makes them appear quick-witted and
confident. They are excellent at sports and earnest communicators.

PINNACLE OF POWER
Horses are also creatures of abundant energy. Like the noonday sun, they
represent irresistible force and power. Horses are decisive, mobile, and
difficult to defeat in an argument. Their natural way of thinking leads them
to a kind of sturdy and unassailable logic. As with the Ox, there are few
better choices if you need something done; the Horse excels at pushing a
project to completion. However, unlike the Ox, who is a steady flow of
energy, dependable, and even, the Horse is a brilliant and fast-burning
flame. Horse signs are unafraid to give their all and push themselves past
the brink of exhaustion.

WARRIOR SPIRIT
If the Horse has an analog in Western mysticism, it is probably Mars. For
much of history, the horse was the most feared creature on the battlefield,
and their domestication went hand in hand with the great armies of the
Asian steppe. Whereas the boundary-guarding Dog might be a soldier on
the defense, the Horse is a soldier on the attack. Horses want to keep on the
move, to test and punch through defenses. This makes them strong
salespeople, lawyers, and politicians. Like Mars, the Horse sign is also seen
as the most traditionally masculine: self-assured, eager to compete, lead,
and achieve.
HORSE AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS
The WOOD Horse is a free spirit who cannot be bridled. Although the Wood
element softens the Horse’s brashness and pride, it is difficult for Wood to
put out Fire. The Wood Horse brings the same competitive streak to
creativity and art that other Horses might exhibit in other fields, and may
conceal a fear of failure with an outward confidence.
FIRE Horses are untamed bucking broncos. Their natural element
intensified, they have a wild streak, a core that burns white hot. Creative,
gifted, unstoppable, they have little interest in the establishment and cut an
incandescent swath toward their goals. Although they often burn with a
sense of justice, they must be careful to monitor their warlike tendencies.
The EARTH Horse is a diligent and logical realist. More reliable and Ox-
like than other Horses, they tend toward steadfast and mindful achievement.
They are methodical and steady as they reach their goals, from simple
arguments to life plans decades in the making. They are characterized by an
iron will.
The sculpting edge of METAL makes for Horses with a cutting mind.
They can forge words into decisive tools and mix passion with logic to
communicate well-reasoned arguments with simplicity. Metal and Fire are
somewhat at odds, and Metal Horses may find themselves torn between
scrupulous exactness and a desire to explore the unknown.
WATER more than any other element tempers this sign’s explosive fire,
producing more placid, introspective individuals. While not as driven to
outcompete and dominate, they remain decisive and idealistic, often
fighting hard for the causes they believe in. They stand up for others while
answering to nothing but the steady tides of their own heart.

FAMOUS HORSES

Jackie Chan (1954—Wood) Jackie Robinson (January 1919—Earth)

Mike Tyson (1966—Fire)

Helena Bonham Carter (1966—Fire) Neil Armstrong (1930—Metal)

Nelson Mandela (1918—Earth) Greta Thunberg (January 2003—Water)

LORD OF THE STEPPE

Often compared in appearance to a Dragon, ancient China considered the
Horse a fearsome and powerful beast. While horses were used in China to
pull war chariots since 1000 BC, the true masters of the horse occupied the
steppes to the North and West. Nomadic tribes, such as the Scythians,
Xiongnu, Magyar, and Mongols, lived closely to the horses that carried
them and helped them herd livestock. With impeccable bowmanship, such
revolutionary inventions as the stirrup, and the horse’s explosive power,
these nomadic tribes were so formidable they often shaped the face of war
wherever they went. And thus, the horse was remembered as a symbol of
military might.

ANCIENT PICTOGRAPH
The Chinese character for “horse,” (pronounced “ma”) is an ancient
pictograph. By looking at the traditional character , one can see both the
mane, tail, and four legs. The character is so old that even fundamental
characters, such as (meaning “mother”), and (the grammatical
indicator that something is a question) reference the pictogram to suggest
how the words should be pronounced (“ma”).
HORSES IN MYTH
Tianma, or Heavenly Horse, was a horse said to fly and sweat blood. Some
descriptions gave it dragon scales, making it one of many Longma, or
Dragon Horses. Although they became a myth, they were likely based on a
real breed of horses so powerful that the Han-Dayuan War of 100 BC was
said to be fought over their ownership. Other mythic horses include the
Qianlima, named for its ability to travel 1,000 (400 km, almost 250
miles) in one day, and Red Hare, a crimson steed so formidable it was
considered a kingly gift, passed between heroes in Romance of the Three
Kingdoms, a famous novelization of an ancient civil war that occupied
China for almost one hundred years.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Tiger, Dog, Goat

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Rat, Ox

Passionate and full of energy, when Horses have a romantic interest, they
fling themselves into it. They may not be the smoothest or most tactful, but
they feel with their whole heart. It takes a powerful personality to keep up
with the Horse and keep their attention, so the powerful and
antiestablishmentarian Tiger makes a good match. The Dog and Horse also
make a well-balanced team, both competitive but in ways that complement
each other, the Dog preferring defense, whereas the Horse prefers offense.
Similarly, the Goat is the Horse’s natural counterpart, the Yin to their Yang,
the softness to their blunt edge. The Goat is every inch the whimsical spirit
that the Horse is, but whereas the Horse brings force, the Goat presents tact,
tenderness, and serenity—and is perhaps the only force capable of bringing
the wild Horse peace.
 A natural opposite, the Rat is a harder match—the Rat works around
problems, whereas the Horse plows through them. They represent opposing
principles: direct versus indirect, the way of the large versus the way of the
small, and thus they share no language to understand each other. However,
if they can learn to communicate, like most opposing signs, they can hold
the world between them. Meanwhile the Ox clashes with the Horse over
their similarities. Both are powerful achievers, but to the Horse, the Ox
seems plodding and boring, while the Ox sees the Horse as reckless and
unreliable. However, if they can reconcile this difference, what force could
hope to match them?

Goat

Autumn beckons and the herd must range. But wherever they go,
Mother Goat will follow, watching over each member with nervous
care. Even the lumbering yak, the thundering horse, the enigmatic
shepherd and his noisome dog—to Mother Goat they are all part of
her flock, dear to her as hoof and horn.
For them, there is nothing she would not give, wool from her
back, milk from her breast. The mountain slope will be harsh; the
steppe will be dry. But hers is the generosity that sustains and
multiplies like grass in spring, that blunts the mountain wind, that
makes the steppe brush taste sweet. Where Mother Goat goes, the
herd goes too. Love, when shared, makes any place a home.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: community, nurture, artistry, sacrifice,

family
SEASON: late summer
 INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Earth
YEARS: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003,
2015, 2027, 2039

A RESTFUL OASIS
Eighth animal of the Zodiac, the Goat’s native element is Yin Earth. Like
the other Earth signs, the Goat represents a transitional time between
seasons, as summer gives way to autumn. While the Ox demonstrates the
stability and constancy of Yin Earth, the Goat presents its supportive,
nurturing, and ultimately balancing qualities. The Goat’s hours are from one
to three p.m., a time to step back and assess our days, to recover from the
energetic push of Horse. It is a time for togetherness, appreciation,
contemplation, and siesta.

TEAM PLAYER
Goats are the sign perhaps most defined by a social nature. This doesn’t
necessarily make them extroverts—in fact, they are often shy, preferring to
be part of a crowd rather than the center of attention. But whether they love
huge and exciting gatherings, or prefer the company of one or two close
friends, Goats are interested in people. They attempt to keep the peace and
are attentive to the needs of others. They know hurts and joys are shared
among friends, and so they are willing to sacrifice their own needs for the
needs of others.

PROTECTOR, NURTURER
These attributes also make the Goat the Zodiac animal of family. Whether
these families are nuclear or unconventional, found families or families of
blood, Goats prefer playing nurturing, protecting, and harmonizing roles.
They hope to form bonds that are lasting and meaningful, but unlike the Ox,
they are not satisfied with mere endurance; they aspire to improve the social
systems they become part of from within. They inspire change gently and
naturally, planting roots that are subtle but deep. They enjoy showering both
others and themselves with luxury, sometimes beyond their means.

ARTFUL SOUL
Because of their interest in expression and communication, Goats are often
drawn to creative fields that allow them to express ideas that are difficult to
convey with words alone. Their ability to feel out the energy of a crowd
makes them great performers, and their desire to improve the world, and
give more of themselves to the people around them, drives them to create.
Not as driven by ambition as other signs, to the Goat, career is a means of
touching and improving other lives first, and a ticket to success second.

HEART OF THE CROWD

Goats have a tendency to assume good intentions in others and fear being
alone. They find it natural to go with the flow of the crowd around them,
and align themselves with their friends and loved ones. While there is
strength in solidarity, Goats must be careful not to get swept up with the
mob simply to feel that they are a part of something. Not everything can be
improved from within, and people can’t always agree. Sometimes points of
view do not align and cannot be made to, and this can be difficult for the
Goat to accept.

GOAT AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The WOOD Goat is a muse, a creative genius eager to pursue expression with
whatever means are available. Wood Goats enjoy company and give to
anyone in need. More than even other Goats, naive Wood Goats struggle to
know who they are when the input of others falls away. If they can
overcome their timidity, their understanding of others presents a wealth of
opportunities.
Unlike other Goats, FIRE Goats tend to be driven by their own passions
rather than the needs of others. They are persuasive personalities, capable of
taking the temperature of the people around them and shaping it to their
advantage. Gifted in politics and other social fields, they desire to make the
world a better place.
EARTH Goats are solid and reliable protectors. They can always be
turned to for support or a safe refuge. This solidity gives them a self-
sufficiency and endurance for conflict that other Goats may lack. Rather
than seeking others out, they make themselves a safe port in the storm and
let people come to them. Enjoyers of material things, they both make and
spend money.
METAL is in many ways opposite to the Goat’s nature—rigid, severe, and
blunt meets creative and empathetic. The mixture is potent. Metal brings
decisive acumen to the Goat’s natural artistry. Confident and discerning,
Metal Goats have high tastes in both people and style. While outwardly
unflappable, they may find themselves inwardly conflicted. They care
deeply but practice tough love.
WATER Goats are nonintrusive and sensitive. Profoundly good listeners
and full of compassion for the world, they can get along with anyone. Their
sweetness and vulnerability draw people to them, and they know how to
touch people’s hearts. On the flip side, their way of going with the flow
often leaves them unprepared and offended when finally confronted with
opposition. They have to watch out for a tendency toward self-sacrifice and
self-pity.

FAMOUS GOATS

Bill Gates (1955—Wood) Lin Manuel Miranda (January 1980—Earth)

Whoopi Goldberg (1955—Wood) Franz Liszt (1811—Metal)

Anderson Cooper (1967—Fire) John Denver (1943—Water)

SHEEP OR GOAT?
You may have also seen the Goat Zodiac sign translated as “Sheep.” This is
because the Chinese word for goat, (yáng), most closely translates to
Caprini, a tribe of closely related animals within the Caprinae family that
includes both sheep and goats. But if you had to pick one, the Goat was
likely the animal referred to when the ancients named the Zodiac, due to its
greater prevalence in Chinese agricultural history.

ANCIENT PICTOGRAPH
is another character derived from an ancient pictogram. Originally it was
a stylized drawing of a goat’s head, and though many of the details have
since been simplified, the horns are still visible! When combined with the
radical for “mouth,” the word becomes (miē, pronounced “myeh”)—
the Chinese onomatopoeia for a bleat. In English, the sheep goes “baaa,”
but in Chinese, the goat goes “myeehh.”
AGRICULTURAL NOMAD
Whereas the Pig was the agricultural emblem of stationary people, the Goat
or Sheep was the provider for nomadic people. The arid Asian steppe was
poor for crops, but its open space made it ideal for herds—as long as
shepherds kept moving to fresh pastures, they could keep and feed a herd of
great size. As a result, many nomads lived their lives by the cycle of the
Goat, moving from the high plateaus in summer to the warmer plains in
winter. Nomads depended on the Goat’s meat, milk, wool, and skin for
survival, and even today their lifestyle is practiced in Mongolia and other
steppe-dominated nations.

HONORED SACRIFICE
The Goat was a luxuriously giving agricultural animal. It produced milk
and meat and, every season, could be shorn for life-saving wool. Nomads
used every part of the animal from the skin to the horn and bone. In ancient
China, to eat goat was even seen as a luxury. The Chinese word for “envy,”
(xiàn), is written by combining the word for “goat,” , and the
traditional word for “saliva,” —thus envy is salivating over someone
else’s goat. Even today, one of the most luxurious of all fabrics, cashmere,
comes from a breed of goat. This luxury is why Goats were considered
noble in sacrifice—a statement of gratitude and honor to the ancestors or
deities they may have been sacrificed to.
ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Pig, Rabbit, Horse

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Ox, Rat

Drawn to relationships and family, Goats thrive in happy relationships.

They are gentle and accommodating, rarely demanding, often putting their
loved ones first. If unhappy, Goats may bottle the bad feeling up and build a
false narrative to explain away their discomfort rather than face conflict or
communicate. The Pig and Rabbit are part of the domestic triangle with the
Goat and make good partners. The Rabbit shares the Goat’s fine sensitivity
of others and thrives under a Goat’s nurture; the Pig presents comfort,
stability, and honest love. The Goat is often drawn to the sweeping energy
of the Horse, whose breathtaking confidence can be intoxicating, whereas
the Horse is attracted to the Goat’s tenderness and vulnerability.
The Goat and Ox are natural opposites. The Goat joins the crowd,
seeking reform from within, whereas the Ox is committed to their own path,
to unwavering tradition. If the Goat is the leaf dancing on whatever wind
blows, the Ox is the mountain that must either stand immobile or collapse.
However, if reconciled, they can be a great fit: both ship at sea and the safe
port. The Goat and Rat also tend to clash—they are similar in many ways.
Both social and familial, they prefer to avoid direct confrontation. But
whereas the Goat is emotionally driven, the Rat is logical; the Goat is an
optimist, assuming the world will be agreeable, but the Rat is a pessimist
who sees danger at every turn. Neither is entirely wrong, though, and they
may find more truth together than apart.

ZODIAC TRIANGLES
THE WHEEL OF TWELVE ZODIAC ANIMALS FORMS A SERIES OF
FOUR equilateral triangles—one facing each point of
the compass. Each of these trios is considered very
strong together, making good matches and auspicious
partners, and they often share a unifying theme.

NORTH TRIANGLE: Rat, Dragon, Monkey. Associated with

Water, this triangle is ruled by ambition, creativity, and
innovation. Rat brings the ideas, Dragon has the
power and force of personality, while Monkey provides
the technical expertise.

EAST TRIANGLE: Rabbit, Goat, Pig. Associated with

Wood, this triangle is ruled by nurture and domesticity.
Rabbit brings nurture, Goat brings togetherness and
community, while Pig protects the comfort of the home.

SOUTH TRIANGLE: Tiger, Horse, Dog. Associated with

Fire, this triangle is competitive and active, full of
warrior spirit and a willingness to fight for a cause.
Tiger seeks to challenge, Horse seeks rivalry and
action, while Dog governs loyalty and commitment.

WEST TRIANGLE: Ox, Snake, Rooster. Associated with

Metal, this triangle is concerned with business and
professional success. The Ox represents productivity;
the Snake, analysis; the Rooster, performance. You
might also think of them as body, mind, and face,
respectively.
 Monkey

Monkey’s attention flicks from the ripe red peach to the maze of
branches to the musk of Tiger lurking somewhere below. He knows
that the forest is not just a forest. The world is a puzzle, waiting to be
solved. How to sneak honey from the hive, how to pick the eggs from
the eagle’s nest, how to coax delicious termites from their stony
mound. Each wayward branch, each pebble and vine is another clue.
At last, he grasps the ruby peach. Cuts it with his teeth, all sweet
flesh and sticky juice. While the taste of victory still sings on his
tongue, he is already considering his next caper. Nothing is sweeter
to Monkey than the challenge.
 PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: playfulness, desire, intellect,
challenge, strategy
SEASON: early autumn
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Metal
YEARS: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004,
2016, 2028, 2040

UNCLE MONKEY
The Monkey’s element is Yang Metal: evaluating, problem-solving,
inventing. Of all the Zodiac animals, Monkey is perhaps the closest to
human. The Monkey represents the human mind in its natural state when
allowed to wander free—daydreaming, pattern seeking, working itself
through hypothetical puzzles that may never come to pass. These
hypotheticals, however frivolous, are what separate us from all but the most
intelligent animals. Monkey’s hours are three to five p.m., when we
evaluate our day, complete our work, and strategize the shift from business
to pleasure.

LOGIC, DESIRE, AND MONKEY IN THE

MIDDLE
The Monkey is a creature of desire and logic. While this may seem
contradictory, keep in mind that logical challenge is one of our brain’s most
fundamental desires. Just as the body seeks out sleep, food, sex, and
comfort, the mind desires stimulation and play. There is an intense pleasure
to working out a difficult problem, and Monkey is driven by pursuit of this
pleasure. Whether the problem is grand or small, crucial or frivolous is of
little concern—the joy of challenge is its own reward. This is why games
exist.
MONKEYING AROUND
What are games but challenges optimized for enjoyment? Most
entertainment from video games to sports to cloud gazing to music are fun
because they introduce problems and patterns for the mind to resolve. The
mind likes to do work, to be challenged, but on its own terms, and the
Monkey acknowledges that desire. Some Monkeys work hard and play
hard. Others make fun wherever they are, knowing that the difference
between work and play is just a matter of perspective.

CHEEKY MONKEY
In seeking challenge, Monkeys often poke questions at the world around
them. They do not take things too seriously, seeing the world as a game to
be played, dismantled, tinkered with. When someone presents an idea as
serious or absolute, it is Monkeys’ nature to poke at it, to test, to tease, to
make light of, to reveal the ridiculousness and artifice underneath. They are
resourceful and adaptive and like to test themselves by finding new
horizons, new challenges, new games.

MAD GENIUS
Skilled, imaginative, problem solver, multitalented—all these describe
Monkeys, courtesy of their constantly active minds. But that kind of
constant mental activity has risks as well. Monkeys can get caught up in the
fun and potency of their own fantasies. They prefer to solve problems
laterally over directly, which sometimes results in strokes of surprising
genius, and sometimes in needless overcomplication or anxiously grasping
at problems that aren’t there. At their worst, Monkeys may create problems
for their own amusement without taking the well-being of others into
account.
MONKEY AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS
WOOD Monkeys find life a beautiful and funny thing. They see a world
itching with possibility, just waiting to blossom. Temperate and empathetic,
they understand people and the world cannot be separated—to understand
one, you must understand the other. The tension between Wood and Metal
can sometimes lead them to obsessive behavior, as the Metal desire to
endlessly perfect merges with the tending and attentive tendencies of Wood.
FIRE Monkeys delight in challenge—challenging themselves,
challenging others, challenging the status quo. Fire and Metal results in
melting, in the dissolution of strict definitions and careful plans. Fire
Monkeys are passionate and compelling agents of change, quick to point
out flaws in what others may take for granted.
EARTH Monkeys are the most grounded Monkey. Their attention is less
likely to flit from one idea to another—they pick one problem at a time and
slowly and practically grind it to completion. More than other Monkeys,
they are attracted to challenges that provide palpable and quantifiable
rewards for themselves or others, excelling at business, and rapidly, if
defensively, accumulating wealth.
METAL is Monkey’s native element, producing a very Monkey Monkey,
one who excels at abstract thought, easily constructing complex logical
deductions or projections that others would find boggling. That said, while
Metal Monkeys are ingenious plan makers and logicians, Metal does little
to naturally improve their people skills, as their tendency is to pick other
people’s ideas apart. A Metal Monkey who learns tact is a powerful force.
WATER Monkeys seek challenge in places murky and hard to divine. In
spirituality, in themselves, in other people. They are studious of human
nature and skeptical of the world around them. They can be thoughtful
counselors or master manipulators depending on where they let their talents
lead them. More than other Monkeys, they are at risk of getting lost in
themselves.

FAMOUS MONKEYS
Danny DeVito (1944—Wood) Thurgood Marshall (1908—Earth)

Joe Montana (1956—Fire) Ravi Shankar (1920—Metal)

Hugh Jackman (1968—Earth) Sylvia Plath (1932—Water)

MONKEY AS A SYMBOL
In the East, Monkey is both a symbol of wisdom and a symbol of
foolishness, which pretty much sums up the qualities of a trickster. On the
one hand, the animal is undeniably clever, just as humans are. On the other
hand, this resemblance lets us see our own foolishness reflected in the
Monkey. To resolve this dichotomy, some traditions divided monkeys into
groups, seeing the gibbon as noble and wise, the macaque as base and
foolish. Meanwhile, Buddhism considered the Monkey a metaphor for the
restless mind, wandering from thought to thought, unable to focus.

THE MONKEY KING

Perhaps China’s most famous monkey is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
Protagonist of the classic novel Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a
monkey born from a stone, fed by the essence of both Yin and Yang.
Known for his incredible strength, invulnerability, and agility, Sun Wukong
also had a vast array of magic powers. The most famous of these were
shapeshifting, the power to turn any hair from his body into a clone of
himself, and the power to identify evil in any form. Less famous but equally
crucial were the abilities that allowed Sun Wukong to master these powers:
He was a genius and prodigy, capable of learning magic, martial, mystic,
and spiritual arts far faster than any human. Some speculate the character
may have been influenced by the heroic monkey god of the Hindu faith,
Hanuman.
A Monkey to his core, Sun Wukong is a trickster deity, always seeking
challenge for his power and genius. His disruptive force was so great, he
ultimately waged war on Heaven and Hell alike, erasing his name from
Hell’s books, stealing immortality from Heaven, and demolishing armies of
celestial gods. In the end, only Buddha was able to subdue Sun Wukong, by
challenging the monkey to leap free of his palm. Even though Sun Wukong
jumped to the edge of the universe, he was unable to escape Buddha’s
omnipresent grasp. Humbled, Sun Wukong was bound under a mountain
with a magic seal for five hundred years. Only after this penance was he
freed to accompany a monk on a journey to retrieve Buddhist scriptures.
Guarding the monk against demons and shapeshifters through eighty-one
tribulations was enough to see Monkey forgiven, and Wukong learned
enough from the journey to reach Enlightenment and ultimately become the
Buddha of Victorious Battle.
ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Rat, Dragon, Snake, Rooster

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Tiger, Pig

Monkeys are creatures of desire, and this makes them natural romantics
who fall easily in and out of love. In the midst of passion, they may
construct complex schemes or fantasies around their object of attraction and
pour intense thought into maximizing their lover’s affection. Part of the
ambition triangle with the Rat and Dragon, the two make natural partners
for the Monkey. Rat shares an affinity for fine detail and brings a practical
edge to the relationship; Dragon shares the expansive imagination and
backs it with power and personality. The Rooster shares the Monkey’s
element and is an equal when it comes to living life through the application
of well-honed skill. While a Monkey’s talents skew intellectual, and a
Rooster’s, artistic and social, collectively they make a potent team. The
Snake is a more surprising contender—but Snake shares much with
Monkey: intellect, mimicry, and a desire to see beyond. Besides, mystery
and curiosity make strong partners.
Monkey and Tiger oppose each other on the Zodiac Wheel. Tiger is a
creature of impulse, shooting from the hip, going with the gut, whereas
Monkey is one of forethought and contemplation. When a Monkey picks
and prods at a Tiger’s grand plans, it’s easy to unwittingly cross a line. Pull
Tiger’s tail and claws will come out. If reconciled, the pair are a two-person
revolution, breaking the mold and rising to any challenge. Pig is another
partner that Monkey struggles to communicate with, as the Monkey chafes
under Pig’s honest and straightforward approach to life, while Pig may be
exasperated by Monkey’s grand but fleeting ideas.
 Rooster

A fresh young cockerel jeers, challenging Rooster for his position.

Rooster responds with a proud stance, a flash of crimson wings like
fire. The cockerel flinches, and Rooster pins him cleanly to the
ground. In love and war alike, it is one’s bearing that lands the first
blow. Rooster returns to his post, preening his feathers back to
perfection. A courtship dance requires just as much art as any duel,
and Rooster stays equally prepared for either. At last, the sun is
setting. The days are getting shorter, and a chill touches Rooster’s
bones. Only once every chicken is sound in the coop will Rooster
allow himself to rest. As long as he leads the flock, it is up to him to
keep the peace, to defend against the possum and the fox. He casts
another keen glance around. As he did at the crack of dawn, Rooster
crows loud and long.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: control, skill, influence, analysis,

social maintenance
SEASON: autumn

INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Metal

YEARS: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005,
2017, 2029, 2041

PECKING OUT THE DETAIL

The Rooster’s element is Yin Metal, perhaps the most domineering of the
Yin elements. Associated with the fine and subtle motions of intricate metal
craft, Yin Metal manifests in the Rooster as skill, precision, and interest in
control. Hardworking and detail oriented, Rooster can excel in any field
with a knack for analysis and art alike. If Monkey builds complex
machines, Rooster builds unique masterworks, discrete and self-contained.

THE DAY WELL MANAGED

Judgmental and observant, the Rooster resides over the hours from five to
seven p.m. as the chickens come home to roost. It is the time of people who
work long hours to see a job done right, as well as a time for wrapping up
work and reconvening with family. A good time for reassessing the day and
catching up with how our loved ones are doing.

RULER OF THE ROOST

A social animal, the Rooster’s interest in precision and control manifests
not just in workaholic tendencies but also in social settings. Roosters pay
meticulous attention to their style, manner, and appearance, keenly
observant and self-critical of any detected flaws. They know all these things
are a form of social capital, and they wield it shrewdly and boldly.
Confident and unafraid to speak their mind, they naturally take command,
crowing out when they spot foolishness and happily answering any
perceived challenges. Along with the Rabbit, theirs is also a sign associated
with sexuality. Whereas Rabbits have more passive tendencies, submissive
and often pursued, Roosters are active, wooing their object of desire
through bold and flamboyant display.

NOT A FEATHER OUT OF PLACE

The Rooster is powerful and beautiful, lord and protector of the flock. But it
isn’t easy being Rooster—constantly watching for danger and the dawn. A
Rooster’s desire for control coupled with a keen eye for defect makes for
taxing perfectionism. Roosters are highly productive but struggle with
relaxation. They may be sleepless, obsessive, or overreactive. Criticism
comes easily to them, both of themselves and of others, and while there is
wisdom in pecking apart weakness wherever it is perceived, it can become
destructive if not carefully managed.

ROOSTER AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

WOOD Roosters are efficient and productive creators. They have a fine eye
for detail and beauty and make natural artists, with a stubbornly practical
streak. While gentler with others than some Roosters, they remain hard on
themselves, a bold exterior concealing inner doubts and a fear of failure.
FIRE Roosters are incandescent, burning like a phoenix. Capable of
profound, decisive, and shocking strokes of beauty and genius, they are also
more likely than other Roosters to burn themselves out. Flickering between
overwhelming optimism and crushing exhaustion, they burn their way
through the most ambitious projects, dreams, and ideals. Unapologetic and
assertive, they need to watch a fierce temper and a sharper tongue.
EARTH makes a solid support for Roosters, giving them both realism and
staying power. Their constant work pushes them through any obstacle,
toward a life of security and material wealth. Less flamboyant and more
paranoid than other Roosters, they have a greater tendency toward secrecy
and restraint.
 METAL Roosters stand in their element, commanding, organized, and
detail oriented. They are meticulous, hardworking, and exact, and expect
this behavior from those around them. They know their way is best and
prefer not to compromise or conceal their feelings about it.
Fathomless WATER collects easily in the Rooster’s metal framework. A
Water Rooster’s natural flamboyance and pride is conveyed through a quiet
and unwavering confidence, the frosty tip of an iceberg of hidden talent.
Perceptiveness meets receptiveness in the Water Rooster, resulting in deep
empathy and communicative ability. Hypersensitive to the subtle and the
spiritual, where most Roosters seek order, the Water Rooster seeks harmony
and balance.

FAMOUS ROOSTERS

Dolly Parton (January 1946—Wood) Yoko Ono (1933—Water)

LeVar Burton (1957—Fire) Ariana Grande (1993—Water)

Peter Dinklage (1969—Earth) Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933—Water)

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (1981—Metal)

A SYMBOL OF RULERSHIP
The Zodiac Rooster contains multitudes, being the Zodiac’s stand-in for all
symbolically significant birds. In addition to the rooster, it also is the sign
that represents the crane, owl, crow, and pheasant, all of which are potent in
Chinese symbolism and myth.

MYTHICAL BIRDS
The Fenghuang (also called the Chinese Phoenix) is associated with the sun
and justice. Said to contain feathers of every color, it became the symbol of
the empress, and the feminine Yin counterpart to the masculine Yang
Dragon of the emperor.
The Sanzuwu is a three-legged crow said to represent the Sun. Legend
says there were once ten of these crows, which took turns circling the earth.
But one day they all appeared at once, scorching everything until the
celestial archer Hou Yi shot all of them down but one.
Finally, the Vermillion Bird is one of the four Sacred Beasts that guard
the four corners of the earth and four sections of the sky. Associated with
Fire and the Rooster, the Vermillion Bird guards the burning South. Their
section of the sky is marked by a constellation stretching from Gemini
down through Cancer, Sextans, Hydra, and Crater to Corvus.
The conflation of these mythic animals with one another, and with the
Rooster, means that despite being associated with Metal in the Zodiac, the
Rooster is also often symbolically linked with the Sun and Fire, by
association!

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL AND THE MOON

GODDESS
Also known as Zhōngqiū Jié or the Moon Festival, the Mid-Autumn
Festival falls in the middle of the Rooster’s month at the full moon, usually
around late September. For over three thousand years in China, the holiday
has celebrated a successful harvest, a fitting match for the hardworking
Rooster. The festival is related to Korea’s Chuseok and Japan’s Tsukimi,
similar celebrations of the same moon and same harvest. The appreciation
of the moon may seem surprising in combination with the solar Rooster, but
the sun and moon have close mythic ties.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is often celebrated with lanterns,
matchmaking, reunions, and mooncakes in honor of Chang’e, goddess of
the Moon and wife of Hou Yi, the sun-shooting archer. In myth, Chang’e’s
ascendance occurs when she takes her husband’s elixir of immortality. As
she becomes a goddess, her body begins to float to Heaven but before she
gets there, she chooses to stop at the Moon to remain closer to the earth. In
most versions of the story, she steals the elixir from Hou Yi, sometimes out
of jealousy, and sometimes to stop her husband after he begins to go mad
with power. But in one famous version, she is forced to take the elixir when
one of her husband’s apprentices attempts to steal it, and she chooses the
Moon to remain closer to her husband, making the story into one of lovers
tragically separated.
ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Ox, Snake, Monkey, Dragon

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Rabbit, Dog

Rooster is one of the most romantically successful Zodiac signs. Confident,

passionate, hardworking, and honest, Roosters pursue their romantic
interests with flare, intensity, and an impressive amount of effort. It is easy
to feel flattered by the amount of work a Rooster puts into winning a loved
one’s affection and managing that person’s happiness. Their natural matches
are the Ox and Snake. Rooster and Ox share a diligent work ethic while also
covering each other’s weaknesses. The Snake shares the Rooster’s sense of
style and social grace, while presenting a kind of standoffish mystery the
Rooster finds intoxicating. The Monkey is a great partner in crime, sharing
the Rooster’s natural talent and love of a challenge. The Dragon shares the
Rooster’s sense of pride, confidence, and flamboyance—and united, the
Phoenix and Dragon make for an imperial power couple.
Rabbit and Rooster are natural opposites. They guard opposite ends of
the Zodiac, the dawn and the dusk, the sun and the moon. While they are
both deeply sensual and perceptive, Roosters tend to use those abilities to
advance and claim their place in the sun, whereas Rabbits tend to use their
skills to retreat, evade, and maintain the peace. The Dog, meanwhile, is a
traditional enemy of the Rooster. To the Rooster, the Dog may seem
paranoid and reluctant to take risks. To the Dog, the Rooster may seem
impossible to keep up with.

Dog
 A shadow darts and Grandfather Dog lunges. His leash pulls free,
and he chases the intruder into the wood. His nose is still keen
enough to guide him through darkness.
In a moonlit clearing, he can see his opponent’s matted coat, his
sharp teeth, and his shrewd gaze. Coyote exudes a forgotten musk.
The smell of wildness, of freedom. They circle, bow, sniff, according
to etiquette. You could join us, Coyote suggests, be like us, return to
your roots. For a long moment Dog is tempted. What a thrill to
pursue strange scents, to run anywhere into the night.
But Grandfather Dog hears his human call, plaintive and high.
There are still evenings to be spent by a fire, still a home and friend
that need his protection. And what does he know of this stranger?
Grandfather Dog bares his teeth, and the coyote backs away. His
human calls again, and Grandfather Dog heads home.

.
PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: loyalty, boundaries, diligence,
judgment
SEASON: late autumn
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yang Earth
YEARS: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006,
2018, 2032, 2044

GUARDIAN OF THE GATE

Eleventh in the Zodiac, the Dog guards seven to nine p.m., as we transition
into night and the autumn days grow short, a time for connecting with loved
ones, settling down, and enjoying life, even as we may grow wary of the
lengthening dark. In the Dog, Yang Earth manifests as the testing and
reinforcement of boundaries, drawing strong lines that shape the space
around them. Ironically, this places them opposite the Dragon, whose Yang
Earth element appears through the disruption and transcendence of such
boundaries.

WARY AND TRUSTING

Key to the Dog’s role as a protector and border keeper are their keen senses
and perpetual wariness. As sweet as they are to friends, Dogs are naturally
suspicious of newcomers and over-predictive of disaster. They jump at
strange noises and bark at strangers, and this defensive quality allows them
to be better guardians of their space and of their loved ones. Once
confidence is earned, the Dog is an intensely loyal friend—abundantly
trusting and full of unconditional love.

BARK AND BITE

In some ways, these defensive tendencies are an extension of Dog’s
honesty. If they feel uncomfortable with someone, they are not afraid to let
that show. They are quick to make judgments, or write people off, and can
get into arguments with people who initially rub them the wrong way.
Although they are quick to jump into battle, they are also one of the more
empathic animals, always watching out for the feelings of others with a
strong sense of fair play and justice.

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

The Dog likes nothing better than to serve a cause. Given a mission, dream,
ideal, or leader, Dogs are zealous and productive workers. They work
quietly and effectively and are quick to volunteer their help. When off the
clock, they enjoy both group activity and alone time with fierceness. They
enjoy the outdoors and are drawn to vocations that involve service, chain of
command, or ironically, independence and exploration if there’s a streak of
lone wolf in them.

LOYAL TO THE END

The flip side of loyalty and dedication is that Dogs sometimes have trouble
letting go. Unconditional love can mean becoming attached to people who
don’t deserve it. Dedication to a cause or purpose can mean losing sight of
who you are when that purpose is gone. Acute senses and a watchful nature
can also make Dogs anxious as they take in too much information at once.
Well-balanced, though, this same intuition makes them decisive and
fearless.

DOG AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

WOOD brings a youthful serenity to Dogs, calming their more anxious
tendencies. They are popular, intuitive, and sincere, a natural creative who
charms with their carefree behavior. However, they can also be naive and
quick to thoughtless action.
 FIRE Dogs are skillful, forceful, and unafraid of conflict. They leap
headlong into danger and are quick to use their fangs. They are intensely
loyal and can rarely be swayed once they’ve made up their mind on a
subject. More independent than other Dogs, they love to pursue their goals
at breakneck speeds without worrying if others can keep up.
EARTH Dogs are, in their element, reliable guardians you could set your
watch by. Honest and active, they do their jobs well and are excellent at
working both up and down the chain of command. They tend to put others
before themselves and may feel anxious when moved outside their comfort
zone. They are resilient Dogs, capable of pushing through any hardship.
METAL Dogs have a keen mind and sharper senses, easily picking apart
complicated situations that might stump other Dogs. They are deeply rule
bound and have strict ideas about how both they, and the world at large,
should behave. Sometimes, this forces them to choose between their ideals
and reality.
WATER Dogs are emotionally intelligent, empathetic, and generous. They
sniff out pain easily and stop at nothing to right it. Natural heroes, some
Water Dogs bind themselves loyally to noble causes at the cost of their own
health, tackling even doomed fights with a dogged perseverance.

FAMOUS DOGS

Elvis Presley (January 1935—Wood) Lucy Liu (1968—Earth)

Freddie Mercury (1946—Fire) Mother Teresa (1910—Metal)

Steven Spielberg (1946—Fire) Stan Lee (1922—Water)

FU DOGS: CATS OR DOGS?

Often referred to as Fu Dogs in the West, these iconic protective statues that
stand outside many courtyards, temples, and homes in China aren’t really
dogs! In China, they are known as shíshī, or stone lions. Thought to have
come to China with the Buddhist vision of the lion as a mighty symbolic
protector, stone lions are often placed around doorways in pairs. One is
female and represents Yin; the other is male and represents Yang. The Yin
lion guards the inside of the structure and can be recognized by the baby
lion it nurtures, whereas the Yang lion guards the structure itself and can be
recognized by the ball it holds. Although the stone lions aren’t really dogs,
they do serve a very doglike function—the protection of the boundaries of
the home!

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

The chow chow, shar-pei, Tibetan mastiff, and pug all have roots in ancient
China stretching back millennia. Archaeological evidence suggests dogs
have been domesticated in China since at least the Neolithic era over seven
thousand years ago. There, they saw use both protecting homes and as
companions on the hunt. Strong and stocky, the ancient shar-pei (whose
name comes from the Mandarin shā pí, meaning “sand skin”) and chow
chow were well-rounded guardians, herders, sled pullers, and hunters. In
the Tang dynasty, emperors were said to keep kennels of thousands of
chows both for hunting and for their dignified look. Smaller breeds, such as
pugs, Lhasa apso, shih tzu, and Pekingese were more glamorous
companions, bred to be obedient house pets and lapdogs, particularly for
wealthy nobles.
WHAT DOES THE DOG SAY?
Every language interprets the dog’s bark in different ways. Even just within
English, we have woof, bark, ruff, yip, arf, and bow-wow. In Mandarin
Chinese, wangwang (which rhymes with “long”) is the most common
interpretation. The bark is wow-wow in Cantonese, wan-wan in Japanese,
meong-meong in Korean, aw-aw in Tagalog, gao-gao in Vietnamese, and
guk guk in Indonesian. The list goes on! Add to this that the Chinese word
for “dog,” gou, may have emerged from an onomatopoeia based on the
sound of the dog’s bark (Gou gou!).

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Tiger, Horse, Rabbit, Pig

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Dragon, Rooster

Conscientious, moral, and sincere, Dogs seek stability and honesty. They
are quick to decide whether a relationship has potential and then stick to
that impression come what may. Naturally wary and self-aware—Dogs
know they are sometimes blind in love, and so they approach love with
caution. They are deeply loyal, and once they commit to someone, they’re
willing to put up with and overlook a lot.
The Tiger and Horse are their natural partners in energy and warrior
spirit. The Tiger is always full of exciting purpose, and the Horse puts the
Dog in touch with exhilarating freedom. The Rabbit is also attractive to the
Dog, sharing the Dog’s sharp senses while presenting a kind of
vulnerability that draws out the Dog’s protective side. The Dog and Pig are
joint protectors of the home and hearth and share a love for stability. The
Dog protects the home’s borders, while the Pig maintains the cozy interior.
They share an honest streak but may disagree on how to approach the world
around them.
The natural opposite of the Dog is the Dragon. Dragons cut their own
path and transgress boundaries, whereas Dogs seek to do things properly
and by the books. Like most opposites, they can make a compelling team
with the Dog’s feet on the ground and the Dragon’s head in the clouds, but
they will need to find a middle ground where they can see eye-to-eye. The
Rooster is another difficult match for the Dog, another attention-seeking
flamboyant whose confidence clashes with the Dog’s caution.

Pig

Grandmother Pig has seen many winters. As the chill settles again in
her bones and her every breath draws tight and heavy, she settles
down in her underbrush lair, surrounded by the squealing warmth of
her family and friends. She has tasted the crisp tang of a fallen
peach, enjoyed the hot thrill of the loving season. She knows the
location of tubers, the secret places where oysters gather, and the old
magic that turns bracken and rotting fish into sweet milk for her
children and grandchildren. Grandmother Pig has known many
things, and many winters, but this moment is all she needs. The
present is peaceful and vast.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATIONS: home, comfort, honesty, release

SEASON: early winter
INHERENT ELEMENT: Yin Water
YEARS: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007,
2019, 2031, 2043
THE END AND A NEW BEGINNING
The Pig is the final animal of the Zodiac, from which the cycle begins
anew. Pigs are associated with the start of winter, with endings, release,
completion, and returns. The domestic nighttime hours of nine to eleven are
the Pig’s, when people settle into their home to indulge in the release of
sleep that paves the way for a new day. Simultaneously, it is a time of
indulgence, of food, parties, and love.

HONEST AND IN THE MOMENT

The Pig’s association with release means Pigs do not cling to false ideas.
They are honest and capable of enjoying the simple sensations of the
moment without preconception. Pigs often appear lucky, but really they are
just capable of seeing and appreciating goodness when it arrives for them.
They can live patiently and happily in any circumstances, without too much
worry about the future.

A WELL-FURNISHED HOME
Pigs are fierce supporters, maintainers, and protectors of the home, sharing
both the household wedge of the Zodiac with the Dog, and the domestic
triangle with the Rabbit and Goat. Thus, Pigs tend to enjoy well-furnished
homes and material possessions, and also harbor a fierce, loyal, and
nurturing generosity. Excellent friends and excellent hosts, hard work is
natural to Pigs as they enjoy both the fruit of labor and the ability to share
that fruit generously with others. For the Pig, wealth, nourishment, and the
well-being of the home go hand in hand.

OVERLY TRUSTING
Unfortunately, their natural honesty and generosity may leave Pigs
unprepared to handle deception and vulnerable to deceit and abuse. Their
easygoing nature allows them to find the good even in bad situations, and
this can make bad situations all the harder to escape. Their peaceable nature
makes it easier for them to avoid conflict than face it. Additionally, their
love for life and sensation may result in overindulgence if not moderated.

PIG AND THE FIVE ELEMENTS

WOOD Pigs are good-natured, easygoing, and empathetic. They are artistic
lovers of peace and simplicity. They are less concerned with material goods
than other Pigs and may prefer the freedom of nature over the restrictive
confines of city and society. Relaxed to the point of carelessness, they get
along well with others and may be naive in their generosity.
FIRE Pigs are intellectual, ambitious, and passionate. Compared to other
Pigs, they are less prone to complacency and more likely to face conflict
head-on, pushing through obstacles with tenacity. They reject mediocrity
and tend toward wealth and professional success. They are fearless but still
motivated by an intense love for those around them.
EARTH Pigs are sensible, productive, and hardworking. They are
ambitious but know their limits, creating actionable and effective plans for
success. They are happiest when at home with their families but can endure
almost anything with a great strength of will. Their realism and pursuit of
security makes them the least trusting Pigs, and the hardest to fool.
The rigidity of metal makes METAL Pigs relentless and stubborn, more
forceful, commanding, and direct than other Pigs. Metal Pigs understand the
abstract and the simple with equal facility, and are skilled at creating unity
between both. They tend to make lots of money—but sometimes spend it
even faster.
Coming at the close of the Zodiac, the Pig is already a water sign,
associated with endings and release. WATER Pigs emphasize many of the
preexisting qualities of the Pig, both good and bad. They are trusting,
honest, diplomatic, loyal, and highly skilled. However, their honesty and
willingness to compromise may make them easy to manipulate, and they
tend toward indulgence and finery, regardless of expense.

FAMOUS PIGS

Julie Andrews (1935—Wood) Jackson Pollock (January 1912—Metal)

Stephen King (1947—Fire)

Hillary Clinton (1947—Fire) Winona Ryder (1971—Metal)

Duke Ellington (1899—Earth) Donald Glover (1983—Water)

A SYMBOL OF WEALTH
Thanks to the crucial role the pig has played throughout history in feeding
and supporting households, it is to this day seen as a symbol of luck and
wealth in China and other places around the world. In Korean dream
interpretation, catching a pig in your dreams is a sure sign of coming
financial fortune. But if the pig runs away, the omen is bad!

A SYMBOL OF FAMILY
As an important source of sustenance in the ancient world, the pig stands
opposite of the goat. Whereas the goat represented a nomadic way of living,
pig farming was stationary. Thus, the adoption of pig-raising was
synonymous with laying down roots. As a result, the pig became an
important symbol of both sustenance and stability. The Chinese character
for “family,” (jiā), is created by combining the symbol for “roof,” ,
and the symbol for “pig,” In other words, it is the combination of the
pig and the home that provides the stability that makes family possible.

PIGS IN MYTH
Zhu Bajie is a hero of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Part
pig and part exiled deity, Zhu Bajie uses his immense strength and magic
nine-toothed rake to fight alongside the Monkey King. On these journeys,
Zhu Bajie demonstrates many of the strengths and vices of the Pig—he is
humble, optimistic in the face of disaster, and often merciful toward his
enemies. But he is also gluttonous, lustful, and easily fooled.

ZENGZI COOKS THE PIG

This is an old legend written by Zengzi, a student of Confucius.
One day, Zengzi’s wife needed to go to market, but her son refused to let
her go. The child wailed and screamed, and at last his mother said to him,
“If you stay here, we’ll cook the very best pig we have for you.” Mollified,
the child let her go. Overhearing their interaction, Zengzi, the boy’s father,
took the family’s best pig, slaughtered it, and prepared it for dinner.
“Why waste a pig like this?” his wife said upon returning from the
market. “I was just comforting the boy. It wasn’t meant to be taken
seriously.” Zengzi replied, “If we don’t keep our word, our son will learn
that words mean nothing. He trusted us. We cannot teach him that words are
empty.”
Zengzi’s parable is about parenting and about how to lead by example.
But it is also a story about the importance of honesty and taking things at
face value, a virtue that is very near and dear to the Pig.

ROMANCE

GOOD MATCHES: Tiger, Rabbit, Goat, Dog

DIFFICULT MATCHES: Monkey, Snake

Loyal and charming, Pigs make for stable and attentive partners. Being
easygoing and friendly makes them very easy to get close to, but they may
also suffer from being overly trusting. Their best matches are the Rabbit
and Goat, whose shared domestic attentions create happy and well-loved
households. More daring pairings include the Tiger, whose impulsive
warrior nature flourishes into a fierce protector under the love and support
of a Pig, and the Dog, who is also a strong guardian of a Pig’s precious
home.
The manipulative Monkey and covert Snake, on the other hand, tend to
make challenging matches for the naive and honest Pig. The Snake is the
Pig’s Zodiac opposite, interested in the spiritual and dismissive of the
physical. If properly balanced, the Snake and Pig can open each other’s
eyes to whole new worlds, but it is easy for them to miss each other, to each
see the other’s viewpoint as foolish, wrongheaded, or missing the point. The
Monkey can likewise be a conundrum for the Pig. Monkeys are often in
their head instead of in the moment and may seem scheming and whimsical
to the stability-seeking Pig.
 AUSPICIOUS DAYS

Once you know your Bāzì, you can begin using your Eight Words to
determine whether certain days will be auspicious or not, a practice that has
been followed in Chinese culture for over two thousand years. While the
comprehensive process for determining what times will or won’t be lucky is
complicated enough to fill a book of its own, here are some general rules to
follow:

1. LOOK FOR A COMPATIBLE ZODIAC SIGN. Years, months, days, and hours
under a Zodiac sign considered compatible with your own are typically
auspicious. Consider the four triangles, and other lucky pairs. (See here for
a refresher on compatible Zodiac pairs.) The more signs in alignment, the
luckier, although some people only consider their year sign, or the sign they
feel is most important to them. For example, in the year of the Dragon,
those with an abundance of Rooster, Monkey, Rat, or Snake signs might be
expected to have good luck. Likewise, a sign in natural opposition to the
Dragon, such as the Dog, would predict conflict—a chance to challenge
oneself and grow, perhaps, but a difficult time nonetheless.

2. LOOK FOR A COMPATIBLE ELEMENT. Generally speaking, an element that

generates or matches your own is considered empowering, whereas
elements that regulate or weaken are less preferable unless you are suffering
from overabundance. (See here for a refresher on the different elemental
cycles.) Again, you can take all Four Pillars into account for this or just the
ones you feel most connected to. For example, a Wood Rabbit day would be
considered auspicious for people looking to strengthen Wood or Fire, but
bad for someone looking to strengthen Water or Earth. Alternatively, a
person with an overabundance of Wood or Fire might need to be careful
that a Wood day doesn’t tip them into excess.

3. CONSIDER GENERAL AUSPICIOUS/INAUSPICIOUS DATES. These might follow

your own personal superstitions over the years that are based on your
intuition, or they might fall along the lines of traditional Chinese practice.
For example, the day before a solstice or equinox, or a Zodiac year that
matches your birth year, is traditionally considered a time of delicate
transition and is hence thought of as a precarious time that might require
more planning.

The most valuable thing any lucky date can give you is peace of mind. If
all this talk of luck is making you stressed, forget about it. Intuit on your
own when you feel the most energized, comfortable, and prepared. On days
when you feel off, then consult your Bāzì. Chances are there’s a celestial
reason why! The stars might not be aligned for you now, but remember that
the universe is in constant motion. Whatever you’re going through will
surely pass, just as the sun will surely set and rise again tomorrow.

The Farmers’ Almanac

When looking up the Bāzì signs of any particular period or date, the most
traditional places to check are the Hsia Calendar, which was mentioned in
the first chapter, and the Tung Shing. Also known as “The All-Knowing
Book,” the “All Victorious,” and the Farmers’ Almanac, the Tung Shing has
been used for centuries to help common people without much astrological
knowledge determine auspicious times for things like farming, marriage,
reunions, travel, haircuts, etcetera.
 In addition to converting the Gregorian date into lunar dates and solar
Bāzì dates, the Tung Shing also recommends what activities, directions, and
Zodiac signs will be lucky or unlucky on a given day based on astrological
and Feng Shui practices. While this information is general rather than
personal, it can still be an important piece in planning activities, like a
weather forecast. Versions of this book can be bought in Chinese or
English, or can be found reliably online for free by just Googling “Tung
Shing calendar.”
 TABOOS AND OMENS

As many ways of finding luck as Chinese tradition has, there are just as
many ways to lose it. Watch out for the following taboos to avoid casting a
bad omen or drawing raised eyebrows.

NUMBERS
Although the numbers 8, 9, and 6 are generally considered lucky, the
number 4 is considered deeply unlucky. Pronounced “sì,” the number is a
homophone for “death” and thus a terrible omen. The number 7 isn’t quite
so bad but is sometimes associated with guiyuè, or Ghost Month—the
Seventh Month of the lunar calendar, which occurs around late August
when ghosts are said to abound.

COLORS
While red is considered lucky, and yellow is associated with royalty and
power, white and black are dangerous omens. In China, white is the
traditional color of funerals and so is primarily associated with death and
mourning. To wear all white is seen as an invitation to death. For this
reason, Chinese brides often avoid dressing entirely in white, adding at least
some small element of color if they can. Black is less taboo but is also
associated with death, as well as with things that are secret, illicit, or
unknown.

GIFT GIVING
Gift giving is a sign of respect and good faith, a wish from the giver that the
recipient will experience happiness and good fortune. It is an important
gesture in which one must be careful not to present an ill omen by mistake.
A few items to look out for when giving or receiving a gift include

SCISSORS, KNIVES, OR ANYTHING WITH A BLADE. This gift suggests a desire to

sever your relationship.

CLOCKS. Not only do these imply one’s time is running short, the word for
clock, “zhōng,” is a homophone for “the end.” Together, receiving a clock is
an omen of an impending death.

ANYTHING IN A SET OF FOUR. As mentioned previously, the number 4 is

considered deeply unlucky.

WHITE FLOWERS. Traditionally used as gifts during funerals, using them for
any other occasion tempts fate.

HANDKERCHIEFS. Because they are used to wipe sweat and tears, as a gift
they threaten to bring that downcast fortune with them.

SHOES. The word “xié,” shoes, is also a homophone for “evil.” They are
also considered a bad omen for couples, as they may symbolize walking
away from the relationship.
MIRRORS. These are said to attract evil spirits.

A WALLET WITHOUT ANY MONEY. An empty wallet is a poor financial omen

that can be reversed by putting money inside as part of the gift, particularly
a fortunate sum. Refer to the numbers here to determine a lucky amount.

PEARS. As a homophone for “separation,” “lí,” pears are another gift that
suggest you want your relationship to end.

If a taboo gift must be given, the bad fortune can be avoided if the giver
allows the recipient to give them a small amount of money (a quarter, a
dollar) in return. This way the gift can be considered “bought” rather than
given, and the ill fortune will not be conveyed.

FENG SHUI
Another important practice in Chinese fortune finding is the tradition of
Feng Shui. Translated to “Wind Water,” this practice is about harmonizing
one’s location and living space with the natural flow of qì through the
world. If you’ve ever wondered about the best direction for a home to face
or want to know more about how qì flows through a home or through a city,
this ancient geomantic practice may be a good place to begin. Google “Feng
Shui” or acquire a book on the subject to explore how orientation and
setting affect your life’s tidings.
 LUNAR NEW YEAR

The Lunar New Year is the biggest annual exodus in the entire world, a
time when people go home to reunite with loved ones and usher in the new
year together. The traditional celebration is a multiday affair—and
considered a key time to refresh one’s luck and welcome in new fortune. In
places where it’s widely celebrated, there is often a rush leading up to it,
similar to the rush before Christmas in Western countries. Traditions and
rituals around luck are amplified and deserve extra attention if the year is to
start off right. Pay special attention to bad omens that may be lurking as
those carry extra weight as well in this transitional period.

FRESH START
In the days before Lunar New Year, families do an intense full-house
cleaning. This is believed to sweep out bad luck and bad spirits so that the
house is fresh and ready for the new year’s luck to flow inside. The same
advice should be applied in reverse—try not to clean immediately after the
New Year unless you want to sweep all that good luck back out again! Hair
should not be cut because the homophone “fà” for “hair” sounds like the
word for making money, which nobody wants cut short during such an
auspicious time.
In Taoist and Buddhist households, altars and statues are cleaned,
refreshed, and redecorated. Domestic spirit protectors, such as the Kitchen
God, are given gifts of sweet food and their paper likenesses are burned, as
this is the time when they return to Jade Emperor to report on the
household’s conduct. New clothes and repaying debts are also considered
good for procuring a fresh start.

LUCKY DECORATION
On the Lunar New Year, luck is literally hung from the walls. Houses and
doors are decorated with red paper that have auspicious wishes and
elaborate designs. Red is a symbol of joy, virtue, and life, and the word
“hóng” red is a homophone for “prosperous.” One of the most common
wishes to hang is the character (fú), which literally means “good luck.”
This character is inscribed in gold strokes upon a red paper diamond and
hung upside down on walls and doors to welcome in fortune. These lucky
papers are hung upside down because the Chinese phrase for “upside-down
fú” is fú dàole, which sounds just like the phrase “luck arrives.”
LUCKY FOOD
The most significant event of New Year’s Eve, and perhaps the entire New
Year, is the reunion feast. After the ancestors are paid their respects, the
living family shares in a bounteous dinner, often sharing foods chosen for
their lucky associations. This lucky dinner represents both the fruit of the
old year’s labor and the bounty of fortune the family hopes to consume in
the new year. In the traditionally rice-farming South, niángāo (fried rice
cakes) are featured for sounding like the phrase “raised higher every year.”
In the North, jiăozi (dumplings) are eaten as they resemble the gold ingot of
old and sound like the phrase “crossing of the midnight hour.”

Other lucky homophone dishes include:

FISH (yú—sounds like “abundance”)
SWEET RICE DUMPLINGS (tāngyuán—sounds like tuányuán, “reunion”)
ORANGES (júzi—sounds like jí, “lucky”)
APPLES (píngguo—invokes píng’ān, “safe and sound”)
UNCUT NOODLES, whose long shape represents longevity

One thing to watch out for—if you have a bowl of rice at this or any
dinner, try to avoid planting chopsticks vertically in it. The resemblance to
incense sticks, which are burned for the dead, is an invitation of ill fortune.
FIRECRACKERS, LIONS, AND RED
Starting with midnight on the eve of the New Year and lasting through the
next day, firecrackers and other noisemakers are set off. Along with
wearing the lucky color red, these noises and lights scare off any evil spirits
that might still remain—particularly the monster Nian who symbolizes the
old year.

Finally, Lion Dances may be performed to clear even the bravest of evil
spirits from the premises. On New Year’s Day, dance troops manipulate a
massive lion costume in a vibrant dance, traveling up and down the streets.
Going to see a Lion Dance at your local Chinatown parade is another great
way to chase off any unlucky spirits that may be haunting you.

RED ENVELOPES
The last iconic lucky practice of the Lunar New Year is giving well-wishes
in lucky red envelopes. In this family exchange, the younger generation
seeks out their elders. With a special bow called a kētóu (or kowtow) young
people wish parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents thanks, good luck, and
a happy new year. In exchange, older family members present the
youngsters with lucky red envelopes, called hóngbāo, which are filled with
money. These lucky envelopes are thought to bring good luck, keep away
bad spirits, and stave off old age. Ideally, the amount given should not
include the number 4 in any way (as in $4, $40, $80 given through four $20
bills, etc.). Refresh yourself on lucky and unlucky numbers (here) and
consider giving a red envelope to someone special in your life.

THROW A LUNAR NEW YEAR PARTY

The quintessential element of any Lunar New Year celebration is eating a
communal meal. The holiday is about reunion and togetherness, as much as
it is about looking forward to the fortune of a new year. If you can, gather
with friends to share a special feast. If you can supplement it with lucky
foods, decoration, and dress, so much the better! Prepare a clean house,
noisemakers, or red envelopes to give. If you’re looking for inspiration,
consider some of the lucky practices outlined in this chapter. Some people
also like to include something related to the new Zodiac animal to represent
and honor the new year.
When midnight comes, celebrate loudly. Just be careful to scare the evil
spirits, and not your neighbors. If you’re looking for New Year well-wishes,
Mandarin sayings include xīnnián kuàilè (Happy New Year), gōngxĭ fācái
(wish you happiness and wealth), and jíxiáng rúyì (may you be as fortunate
as you wish). Most important of all, try to approach the New Year with an
open heart. One cannot always expect to be lucky, but anybody can wish for
luck—for ourselves, for our loved ones. Wishing means we are active
participants in our lives, and that there are things in life worth waiting for.
As the next New Year approaches, move toward it with sure steps and clear
eyes. Don’t forget that gratitude is to the past what wishing is to the future,
an honoring of all that life has to offer. Celebrate all that you’ve
accomplished so far, as it will fortify you moving forward.
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 Conclusion

If the information in this book left you with questions, feel free to do your
own research and dip deeper. The traditions of Chinese astrology go back
overwhelmingly far, with more than a few schools of venerable thought
branching and diverging as the practice evolved over time. Chart your
Daymaster, calculate your luck cycles, and watch the stars spin from one
celestial palace to another.
Take the knowledge in this book with as much seriousness or
lightheartedness as you need. Astrology isn’t an ironclad arbiter of what
you can or cannot be. Think of it as a mirror rather, a chance to hold
something up to yourself and have what’s inside reflected back. The
universe churns and the world will keep on turning, but in your own life,
you are the constant. You are always worth looking into.
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Done, Gregory David. “The 12 Characters of Destiny.” Tiger’s Play
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Walters, Derek. The Chinese Astrology Workbook: How to Calculate and
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Walters, Derek. The Secrets of Chinese Astrology. London: Octopus
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Wu, Shelly. The Definitive Book of Chinese Astrology. Red Wheel/Weiser,
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Wu, Zhongxian. The 12 Chinese Animals: Create Harmony in Your Daily
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Yap, Joey. BaZi—The Destiny Code. JY Books Sdn Bhd, 2005.
Your Chinese Astrology. “Chinese Calendar, Tung Shing.” Accessed
November 11, 2021. https://www.yourchineseastrology.com/calendar/.