Birth dates, time of birth, and location are all important in determining the future. In particular, the system of Four Pillars calculation relies on this information to set out your future. With the Chinese horoscope, we look at the nature of the beast determined by the Tung Shu to calculate good and bad days and what the year has in store for you.
The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle and does not match the Julian calendar that most of the West is accustomed to.
The fact that the Chinese New Year starts on a different date each year (from the Western viewpoint – occurring in January or February), makes it somewhat tricky to determine what animal sign you were born under.
Find your Animal from the table below to determine which animal sign you were born under. If you were born in mid-January or early February it is possible your animal sign is for the previous year, check the Chinese Zodiac Sign Calculator for an accurate reading.
Chinese Zodiac Years Calendar
| 1912 – RAT 1913 – OX 1914 – TIGER 1915 – RABBIT 1916 – DRAGON 1917 – SNAKE 1918 – HORSE 1919 – SHEEP 1920 – MONKEY 1921 – ROOSTER 1922 – DOG 1923 – PIG 1924 – RAT 1925 – OX 1926- TIGER 1927 – RABBIT 1928 – DRAGON 1929 – SNAKE 1930 – HORSE 1931- SHEEP 1932 – MONKEY 1933 – ROOSTER 1934 – DOG 1935 – PIG 1936 – RAT 1937 – OX 1938 – TIGER 1939 – RABBIT 1940 – DRAGON 1941- SNAKE 1942 – HORSE 1943 – SHEEP 1944 – MONKEY 1945 – ROOSTER 1946 – DOG 1947 – PIG 1948 – RAT 1949 – OX 1950 – TIGER | 1951- RABBIT 1952 – DRAGON 1953 – SNAKE 1954 – HORSE 1955 – SHEEP 1956 – MONKEY 1957 – ROOSTER 1958 – DOG 1959 – PIG 1960 – RAT 1961 – OX 1962 – TIGER 1963 – RABBIT 1964 – DRAGON 1965 – SNAKE 1966 – HORSE 1967 – SHEEP 1968- MONKEY 1969 – ROOSTER 1970 – DOG 1971 – PIG 1972 – RAT 1973 – OX 1974 – TIGER 1975 – RABBIT 1976 – DRAGON 1977 – SNAKE 1978 – HORSE 1979 – SHEEP 1980 – MONKEY 1981 – ROOSTER 1982 – DOG 1983 – PIG 1984 – RAT 1985 – OX 1986 – TIGER 1987 – RABBIT 1988 – DRAGON 1989 – SNAKE | 1990- HORSE 1991 – SHEEP 1992 – MONKEY 1993 – ROOSTER 1994 – DOG 1995 – PIG 1996 – RAT 1997 – OX 1998 – TIGER 1999 – RABBIT 2000 – DRAGON 2001 – SNAKE 2002 – HORSE 2003 – SHEEP 2004 – MONKEY 2005 – ROOSTER 2006 – DOG 2007 – PIG 2008 – RAT 2009 – OX 2010 – TIGER 2011 – RABBIT 2012 – DRAGON 2013 – SNAKE 2014 – HORSE 2015 – SHEEP 2016 – MONKEY 2017 – ROOSTER 2018 – DOG 2019 – PIG 2020 – RAT 2021 – OX 2022 – TIGER 2023 – RABBIT 2024 – DRAGON 2025 – SNAKE 2026 – HORSE 2027 – SHEEP 2028 – MONKEY |
The Chinese New Year 2023 starts on Sunday, January 22. Rabbit is a lucky sign, and all people born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to have a few extra advantages. Discover the Chinese Horoscope 2023 for each zodiac sign.
What is the Story Behind the Chinese Zodiac?
There are many legends pertaining to the naming of the Chinese years after the animals of the world.
One such story here suggests that the great Buddha told His disciples to invite all the animals into his domain in heaven so that He could determine their places in the zodiac according to their own free will.
His disciple approached each animal with Buddha’s invitation, and it was the rat who first used his wiles to be chosen. He in turn approached his best friend the Cat and said, “Let’s wake each other up so that we shall be the first to arrive.”
The Cat willingly agreed to the Rat’s suggestion, trusting him as a friend, and went quickly to sleep. The Rat however was typically conniving and decided to sleep in the ear of the Ox, knowing full well that the Ox was used to waking up early.
At Dawn, the Ox woke as usual and started his long and unusually heavy walk to the kingdom of Heaven. Arriving at heaven’s gates, the Rat jumped out from his ear and rushed to greet the Buddha. The Buddha then named each year after the animals that arrived first – the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
The cat of course was not to be seen and never did wake up to claim his place in the Heavens. To this day a cat will always be the enemy of the Rat.
What are the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs?
The Chinese zodiac is made up of 12 animals and together they are known as 生肖 shēngxiào. The first animal in the cycle is the rat, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
The people that are born under a certain Lunar New Year animal will inherit the personality traits of that animal. Given that 2022 is the year of the Tiger, the persons born between February 1, 2022 and January 21, 2023 will have the intensity, strength, and intelligence of a Tiger.
RAT
As a person born in the Year of the Rat, you are open-minded and honest. You are friendly and expressive; cherish the company of those whom you love. Yet, you rarely confide in anyone. By nature, you are a very organized person and quick a worker. Your earnings are proportionate to your spending.
OX
Born in the Year of the Ox, you are a hard-working person who is in a strong authoritative position in the family. You possess a strong outlook and are very determined, strong, and enduring. You are a faithful, family-oriented person. You love your family the same as much you do your duty. Yet, you can successfully strike a balance between the two.
Brighter side
Tolerant, thoughtful, skillful, adroit, expressive, and industrious.
Darker side
Prejudiced, stubborn, dogmatic, highly critical, and over-demanding.
TIGER
Born under the sign of Tiger, you are very courageous and ever-ready to take risks. Running along the side is a sense of nobility and a humanitarian vision, to support your generous self.
You are a self-reliant person, capable of sanding on your own legs. You are bestowed with the tendency to take the lead. Your charisma and confidence give you the natural air of authority.
Brighter side
Passionate, romantic, hard worker, strong, fierce, independent, tenderhearted, affectionate, and lovable.
Darker side
Poor player as a team, stubborn, and over-independent.
See what the 2023 horoscope for Tiger is hiding.
RABBIT
Desirous of freedom, born in the Year of the Rabbit, you are wild creatures at heart. You thrive for freedom and are very diplomatic in your dealings. You are a highly creative person and excel in fine arts.
Although you are an easygoing person, you are very devoted and faithful in your relations. Highly refined and well-mannered, you are not only popular but are also a very sweet person, whose company is awaited by people around you.
Brighter side
A sweet person, who keeps good company. Artistically inclined, calm, sentimental, and compassionate.
Darker side
A little wild at heart. Tend to seek unnecessary freedom and become over-sentimental.
What does 2023 mean for the Rabbit?
DRAGON
The most feared of the Chinese Zodiac signs, born in the Year of the Dragon, you are healthy, outspoken, dynamic, and full of vitality, ever-ready to jump into action.
You are born leaders. By nature, you are very aggressive and persistent. Your ambition and hard work are supported by tremendous luck. You fiercely pursue what you desire, and get it. Perhaps all these are contributors to your unpredictable nature. Financially, you are fortunate.
Brighter side
Talented, generous, lively, charismatic, highly principled and disciplined, self-sufficient, discriminating, sentimental, accomplished, phenomenally shrewd, and pragmatic.
Darker side
Highly unpredictable in nature, don’t like to be challenged, pompous, demanding, opinionated, egocentric, and tend to become over-sentimental sometimes, thus overturning the whole situation.
SNAKE
Diplomatic and popular, born in the Year of the Snake, you have an interesting mixture of gregariousness and intuitive reasoning. You are a lucky person, living life to the fullest.
You are more mentally active rather than physically. You are a very cautious person and tend to analyze a situation before jumping into it. You are a hard worker and possess keen intelligence.
Brighter side
Generous, genteel, charming, dynamic, adaptable, aggressive, high on self-confidence, intuitive, smart, cautious and make great advisors.
Darker side
Persistent, irresistible, slightly dangerous, you are never a patient listener. Your work suffers the poisonous bite of anger.
HORSE
Owing to your birth in this Chinese zodiac sign, you are charming, physically active, friendly, quick-witted, independent, and very decisive. The Horse prefers to be on the move; so are you.
Born under this sign, you are high on sartorial sense. You are a gifted orator and make a good communicator. Also, you are natural leaders, idealistic and humanitarian in outlook.
Brighter side
A gifted orator, tolerant, sweet-natured, warm-hearted, enthusiastic, industrious, sociable, generous, persuasive, determined.
Darker side
Defiant, over-anxious, opportunistic, self-serving, hotheaded, many times excessively pragmatic, and selfish.
SHEEP (GOAT)
Born under the animal sign of the Sheep, you are a bundle of creativity. Charm and elegance come naturally to you. No wonder you are a popular person!
Social gatherings, artistic environments, and stimulating conversation are what you look out for. Too gentle in spirits, you desire a peaceful spot to give vent to your artistic thoughts and feelings. You would love to carry on yourself undisturbed and unpressurized.
Brighter side
Happy Sheep. Appealing, altruistic, empathetic, intuitive, generous, romantic, sensitive, acquiescent, and candid.
Darker side
Insecure, pessimistic, over-anxious, self-pitying, renegade, parasitic, vengeful, lazy, indecisive, irresponsible, contentious, and capricious.
Is 2023 a good year for Sheep?
MONKEY
The Monkey is intelligent, manipulative, and exhibits a high level of dexterity.
If the Monkey is not manually gifted, he can manipulate language and ideas with equal dexterity.
Sometimes, the Monkey can be too clever for its own good, weaving a tangled web of confusion. At its worst, the Monkey can be vain, untrustworthy, and decidedly immature.
Monkeys are extremely resourceful, full of humor, and tend to be unconventional.
While undoubtedly gifted, they often lack sufficient self-esteem to follow up on their good ideas.
In the right relationship though, the resourceful Monkey would greatly benefit from encouragement and assistance.
How is the year 2023 for Monkey?
ROOSTER
Born under the zodiac sign of the Rooster, you are known for your accuracy and observational powers. You crave social recognition. This is probably the reason why you dress more flashily in comparison to other animal signs. You are a very dreamy person.
You are a military strategist. You enjoy life in a lively and outgoing manner. This apart, you are an efficient soul; devote yourself completely to whatever you are doing. Have the ability to read tomorrow: meaning, plan ahead.
Brighter side
Brave, enthusiastic, hardworking, persistent, supple, adventurous, astute, very down-to-earth, sensible, generous, charming, and cheery.
Darker side
Reality finds no place in your dreams. Eccentric, fussy, self-involved, overzealous, hollow, materialistic, cynical, and at the same time, over-idealistic.
Rooster 2023 Chinese Horoscope Overview
DOG
Born in the Year of the Dog, you are the most dutiful of the lot. You are the most loyal and faithful person around; are extremely loyal to the people you serve and dislike dishonesty on the part of the people around you.
You are the watchful warrior of the Chinese Zodiac and the champion of the underdogs. Characterizing one side of your magnanimous personality are the qualities of loyalty and protectiveness towards loved ones. On the other side, is intense ferocity towards the enemies of your loved ones.
Brighter side
Highly loyal, protective, faithful, attentive, helpful, warm-hearted, altruistic, modest, devoted, dutiful, discrete, intelligent, and enthusiastic
Darker side
On the negative side, you are not a person who welcomes socializing, are nasty, mean-spirited, disagreeable, bad-tempered, self-righteous, judgemental, quarrelsome, accusing, nervous, anxious, and tend to get digressed by small things.
What is in store for the Dog in 2023?
PIG
The knights in the shining armors’ of the Chinese zodiac signs; pig – you are motivated by your conscience. You are highly meticulous in your dealings and in all works.
You have resigned to fate and accept life as it comes, not pushing too hard. Particularly, not at the cost of others. On the exterior, you seem to be an honest person; beneath this lays a very strong-willed person.
Brighter side
Honest, gentle, tolerant, sincere, highly intelligent, sincere, content, social, well informed like to give, yield serve, and make excellent companions.
Darker side
Slightly naive, over-generous, hot-tempered, pessimistic, mordant, snobbish, unpleasant, authoritarian, and too downright.
What does 2023 hold for the Pig?
What is My Chinese zodiac Element?
There are five elements of the Chinese zodiac: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
Each of these elements also has a Yin phase and a Yang phase. This means the qualities embraced by each element will either be Yin (hidden, muted, recessive) or Yang (asserted, aggressive, dominant).
For example, then, someone born in 1974, under the sign of the Tiger, will also have Wood qualities in their Yang phase.
This is the first step in gaining some insights into your own personality, ideal matches in romance and business, prospects for the future, your destiny, and other important information about you and your journey. (original)
Here is how to find your element and what are the Five Elements’ main meanings :
Metal
Birth years: Ending number of your birth is 0 or 1
It means: “concentration and self-discipline”
Water
Birth years: Ending number of your birth is 2 or 3
It means: “tolerance and seduction
Wood
Birth years: Ending number of your birth is 4 or 5
It means: “ingenuity and quickness”
Fire
Birth years: Ending number of your birth is 6 or 7
It means: “devotion and vitality”
Earth
Birth years: Ending number of your birth is 6 or 7
It means: “modesty and high motivation.”
What Chinese Zodiac Signs Go Well Together?
Choosing the right mate or a compatible business partner will help to eliminate a great deal of stress and contribute to overall mental, emotional physical health, and longevity.
If nothing else, it is fun to get some perspectives on what our natural tendencies are and who would be likely candidates for the kinds of relationships most of us dream about but rarely seem to manifest.
Like other such Oriental practices, Chinese Astrology rests on a firm scientific foundation proven by thousands of years of practice and observation.
Notions of Love, feelings, and intuition, while important components in making any kind of decision in life, can be quite unreliable. They tend to come and go like the wind.
Having a scientific method for checking our feelings and balancing them will much improve our ability to make good decisions about the kind of life we want to create.
Compatible and Opposite Sign Animals
| Animal | Compatible | Opposite |
|---|---|---|
| Rat | Monkey, Dragon | Horse |
| Ox | Rooster, Snake | Sheep |
| Tiger | Dog, Horse | Monkey |
| Rabbit | Pig, Sheep | Rooster |
| Dragon | Rat, Monkey | Dog |
| Snake | Rooster, Ox | Pig |
| Horse | Dog, Tiger | Rat |
| Sheep/Goat | Pig, Rabbit | Ox |
| Monkey | Rat, Dragon | Tiger |
| Rooster | Ox, Snake | Rabbit |
| Dog | Horse, Tiger | Dragon |
| Pig | Sheep, Rabbit | Snake |
Four Pillars of Destiny
The Four Pillars of Destiny is an ancient Chinese art of calculating from your time place and date of birth, the great mysteries of life. The Chinese have, for thousands of years, developed a vast knowledge of the workings of the universe and how it affects us.
By reducing our birth details into simple elements and comparing the interaction with the cyclical effects of the Universe, vast knowledge can be determined. It uses the Chinese Thousand-year calendar to determine the future career, wealth, and general fortune of the individual, and much more besides.
The Luckiest/Unluckiest Zodiac Sign
The Chinese zodiac sign reveals our main personality traits, and we know without a doubt that whether a person is lucky or not has a lot to do with how they behave when they encounter both difficulties and opportunities.
You have to know your way in life and don’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way, especially in 2022, the year of the Tiger.
In this regard, it is not so important what your zodiac sign is, because each of us has the skills to attract more luck
However, we will present below what is considered the luckiest signs according to Chinese astrology.
Dragon, Snake, Pig, Rat, Tiger, and Dog tend to be the luckiest signs as they have ideal intuitions and have enough ambition to follow them, even if they have to take a small risk
Monkeys, Roosters, and Goats aim to be the least lucky signs because most of the time, they fail or do not have the courage to take advantage of the good opportunities that arise.
Which zodiac is luckiest in 2022?
Chinese Zodiac in Other Asian Countries
It is interesting to note that there are many different variations of the Chinese Zodiac depending on which country you are in. In Vietnam, the Rabbit is replaced by the Cat.
Also, the Ox is replaced by the Water Buffalo in the Chinese Zodiac. In Japan, the Pig is replaced by the Wild Boar. In Thailand the Dragon is replaced by the Naga, which is the Sanskrit and Pali word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Differences Between the Chinese Zodiac and Western Astrology
In Western astrology, the zodiac sign symbols each enclose approximately the equal of a month’s time, while Chinese signs are branched on a year-by-year basis.
In Western Astrology, a sign of the zodiac points out to one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac that the Sun passes through.
Western astrology includes four elements (fire, earth, water, and air), while the Chinese zodiac has five (water, earth, fire, wood, and metal). The Chinese wood element it’s associated with the Western water element and its metal element harmonizes with the Western fire and earth elements.
Just like Western astrology, Chinese astrology has 12 zodiac signs—which are defined by animals.
The twelve animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac are determined based on the Chinese calendar. Unlike the solar calendar which is fixed at 365 days except for the leap years, the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon and is less than 365 days.
What is your Chinese Zodiac sign equivalent in Western Astrology?
- Rat -> Sagittarius.
- Ox -> Capricorn.
- Tiger -> Aquarius.
- Rabbit -> Pisces.
- Dragon -> Aries.
- Snake -> Taurus.
- Horse -> Gemini.
- Sheep -> Cancer.
- Monkey -> Leo.
- Rooster -> Virgo.
- Dog -> Libra.
- Pig -> Scorpio.
Western vs. Eastern Perceptions of the Animals in the Chinese Zodiac
There are three animals in the Chinese Zodiac that do not seem to be held in high regard in western countries.
The Dragon in the West is perceived as an evil creature attacking villages, burning crops, snatching princesses, and eating villagers. It took legendary knights to slay these fire-breathing creatures. However, in Asia, Dragons are thought of as helpful and friendly creatures. In China, Dragons are associated with clouds and life-sustaining rains. According to the Chinese Zodiac, Dragons are associated with luck, power, and wisdom.
Next, we have the Rat. In the West, the Rat is associated with disloyalty, cheating and spreading disease. Members of the Mafia who disclose details of the Mafia’s criminal activity to the police are deemed rats. If you are cheated or swindled by someone, you will usually call them, dirty rats. However, according to the Chinese Zodiac, Rats are held in high esteem for their sharp wits, natural charm, ability to hold on to items of value and cleverness. In Japan and China, Rats a symbol of wealth and good luck.
Finally, we have the Pig. In the West, the Pig is associated with filth, being overweight and laziness. You often hear the phrase as happy as a pig in the slop. Or, this place is as messy as a pigpen. However, according to the Chinese Zodiac, Pigs are considered the most honorable and generous Chinese Zodiac Sign. Pigs are usually surrounded by luxury and the finer things in life. Children born in the year of the Pig are predicted to have a comfortable and carefree childhood according to the Chinese Zodiac.