Chinese astrology

The rule for working out your Chinese sign differs from Western astrology: the year begins not on January 1 but at Chinese New Year. Based on the lunisolar calendar, this festival falls on a day between January 21 and February 20 each year. So someone born between late January and mid-February may belong to the previous year's animal. For example, someone born on February 1, 2000 is a Rabbit, not a Dragon, because Chinese New Year began on February 5 that year. If your birthday falls in this window, check the date of Chinese New Year for your birth year.

The five elements (wuxing) are added to the animals: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. The element is set by the last digit of the year: 0 and 1 are Metal, 2 and 3 Water, 4 and 5 Wood, 6 and 7 Fire, 8 and 9 Earth. Combining the twelve animals with the five elements creates a 60-year cycle. The 2008 Earth Rat and the 2020 Metal Rat are the same animal returning with different elements. The elements work in a cycle where each one feeds and balances the others: wood feeds fire, fire creates earth, earth gives birth to metal, metal gathers water, and water makes wood grow.

Each year also carries a yin or yang quality: years ending in an even digit are yang, and years ending in an odd digit are yin. The Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey and Dog are yang animals; the Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster and Pig are yin animals. Yang is described as more outgoing and assertive, yin as more inward-looking and measured. Compatibility readings traditionally use four "triangles of affinity", each made up of three animals: Rat-Dragon-Monkey, Ox-Snake-Rooster, Tiger-Horse-Dog and Rabbit-Goat-Pig. The readings on this page are based on your birth-year animal; a full Chinese chart (Bazi) also includes the animals of the month, day and hour.

Bazi (the Four Pillars), the classical form of Chinese astrology, uses one animal each for the year, month, day and hour. In popular interpretation, the animal that matches your birth hour is called your "inner animal" or "secret animal": the year animal describes how others see you, while the hour animal describes your true temperament behind closed doors. The day is divided into twelve two-hour periods: Rat 23:00-01:00, Ox 01:00-03:00, Tiger 03:00-05:00, Rabbit 05:00-07:00, Dragon 07:00-09:00, Snake 09:00-11:00, Horse 11:00-13:00, Goat 13:00-15:00, Monkey 15:00-17:00, Rooster 17:00-19:00, Dog 19:00-21:00 and Pig 21:00-23:00. When calculating, keep in mind that local solar time and daylight saving time in earlier years can shift your birth time into the previous or next period.