The 12 Chinese Horoscope Animals

Each of the 12 Chinese Horoscope animals represents a light side of positive attributes and a shadow side of negative attributes. In addition, where the Animal sits in your 4 Pillars also plays a role in how you experience those qualities.

The 4 Pillars:

+ The Year represents your overarching personality, this is your ancestral line of elder relatives such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, and further back down through the generations.

+ The Month represents your parents and older siblings, and also your personality when you are a child (leading up to your first Luck Cycle* shift). The element of the Zodiac Animal in the Month sets the Pattern for the Bazi chart.

+ The Day is specifically, personally you and the Stem element sitting atop is your element from which your entire Bazi chart is divined. This pillar also represents your lovers. Most people feel a mix of their Year and Day Animals while other people feel more aligned to one or the other.

= When calculating the 4 Pillars , each of the components, Branches (Animals on the bottom) and Stems (element on top) represent 12.5% each and total 100%.

Tiger – The Tiger represents the season of early spring and ushers in the Lunar New Year in February. The Tiger is 7.5% Yang Wood with 2.5% each of Yang Earth and Yang Fire. This is the warming earth of fertile spring and occupies the time of 3:00AM-5:00AM as the sun is just beginning to rise in the East.

~ The Tiger’s light side is someone who is magnetic, adventurous, independent, excited, positive, upbeat, energetic, a leader, child-like wonder, survivors, rule breakers, live in the now moment, and brave.

~ The Tiger’s shadow side is someone who is reckless, impulsive, impatient, defiant, temperamental, confrontational, rebellious, aggressive, and emotionally charged.

~ The Tiger in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you passion, courage, and conviction, and have hidden strengths when it comes to coping with loss or sickness.

The Rabbit – The Rabbit represents the season of spring and is the month of March. The Rabbit is 12.5% Yin Wood like flowers and grasses. This is the time of 5:00AM-7:00AM when the sun is rising more fully into the Eastern sky.

~ The Rabbit’s light side is someone who is flexible, harmonious, a negotiator, diplomatic, sensitive, stylish, observant, shy, contemplative, discreet, and are great networkers.

~ The Rabbit’s shadow side is someone who is condescending, moody, snobbish, indecisive, secretive, self-absorbed, conservative, and detached..

~ The Rabbit in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you flexibility, balance, and are peace lovers who are very tactful.

The Dragon – The Dragon is the only horoscope animal not of this world, therefore people with this animal often are magical, and otherworldly. The Dragon is the month of April in late spring and the time of 7:00AM-9:00AM when the sun is full in the South Eastern sky. The Dragon is 7.5% Yang Earth and 2.5% each of Yin Wood and Yin Water, the fertile Earth of springtime.

~ The Dragon’s light side is someone who inspires wonder, admiration, and is colorful, vibrant, actively engaged in life, lives life, big, bold, and with a free spirit. They have tons of energy, are natural leaders, visionaries, motivated, optimistic, dynamic, and move fast from one interest to another, often having many pots on the stove at once.

~ The Dragon’s shadow side is someone who is demanding, dissatisfied, excessive, opinionated, intolerant, overpowering, a bully, abrupt, egocentric, unpredictable, and a dictator (especially with multiple Dragons in your chart).

~ The Dragon in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you a magnetic personality, independence, and confidence.

The Snake – The Snake is the hotter sun of 9:00AM-11:00AM in the South/ South East sky. The Snake is the month of May and the element of 7.5% Yang Fire with 2.5% each of Yang Earth and Yang Metal.

~The Snake’s light side is someone who is admired for their beauty and wisdom. They are serene, cool under pressure, self-disciplined, traditional, and deep thinkers. Many Snakes are psychic with great perception, sensing, instinct, and intelligence. Snakes also bring sex appeal and sensuality.

~ The Snake’s shadow side is someone who is calculating, vengeful, suspicious, lazy, jealous, fickle, possessive, and over the top excessive.

~ The Snake in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you self-reflectiveness, objectivity, and wisdom. This is also a blessing of beauty and sexiness.

The Horse – The Horse is the hot sun of mid-day of 11:00AM-1:00PM during the season of summer. The Horse is 8.75% Yin Fire and 3.75% Yin Earth like the hot sands of summer.

~The Horse’s light side is someone who is a restless adventurer, energetic, active, independent, require freedom, avoid commitment, optimistic, rose colored glasses, social, the center of the crowd, and big communicators. Horses also maintain their youth longer than any other Zodiac Animal. Horses are enterprising, dreamers, doers, and brave champions of whatever cause they are fighting for.

~ The Horse’s shadow side is someone who is temperamental, explosive with temper, irresponsible, opportunistic, unscrupulous, impatient, and impulsive.

~ The Horse in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you vitality, physical strength, and you’re likely to be restless and get bored easily.

The Sheep – The Sheep is the hot Earth of late summer in the month of July; 7.5% Yin Earth with 2.5% each of Yin Wood and Yin Fire. The early afternoon warm sun of 1:00PM-3:00PM. The Sheep sits in the South/ South West

~The Sheep’s light side is someone who is a peacemaker, a pacifist, someone who avoids confrontation at all cost, friendly, adaptable, great listeners, and friends. Many artists and musicians are Sheep as they have incredible talents for writing, singing, acting, painting, playing an instrument, etc. Sheep also are compassionate, gentle, laid back, sincere, and careful.

~ The Sheep’s shadow side is someone who is eccentric, vulnerable, sensitive, naive, gullible, self-indulgent, and irresponsible.

~ The Sheep in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you an aura of peacefulness, serenity, and a light-heartedness.

The Monkey – The Monkey is the month of August and early autumn represented by the element 7.5% Yang Metal with 2.5% each of Yang Earth and Yang Water. It is late afternoon as the sun is sinking lower in the sky from 3:00PM-5:00PM. The Monkey is the South West/ West.

~The Monkey’s light side is someone who is a comic, motivated, loves a challenge, is a craftsperson, a tinkerer, a repairperson, a problem solver, test boundaries, resist routines and schedules, and are risk takers. They swing from one interest or job or project or relationship to the next because they get bored easily. They are funny, confident, inventive, clever, sexual, social, motivating ,and versatile.

~ The Monkey’s shadow side is someone who is risky to the point of dangerous, manipulative, immature, deceitful, unpredictable, and reckless.

~ The Monkey in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you mental agility and comedic skills.

The Rooster – The Rooster is the month of September in autumn represented by the element Yin Metal 12.5%. Sitting in the Western sky of early evening 5:00PM-7:00PM.

~The Rooster’s light side is someone who needs to be seen, to be heard, and to flaunt their talents with boldness. They are fashionable like no other Zodiac animal with a flair for design and color. They are fearless, entertaining, expressive, smart, meticulous, resourceful, resilient, super sensitive to criticism, love to learn, and live a vibrant life.

~ The Rooster’s shadow side is someone who is cocky, critical, proud, argumentative, impulsive, vain, selfish, pretentious, and vulnerable.

~ The Rooster in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you integrity, a sense of honor, quick to express your opinion, and very alert.

The Dog – The Dog brings the darker evening sky of 7:00PM-9:00PM in the month of October. The Dog is 7.5% Yang Earth with 2.5% each Yin Metal and Yin Fire, it is the cooling Earth of the season of late autumn. The Dog sits in the North West.

~The Dog’s light side is someone who is the fighter for those who can’t fight for themselves, they are the dutiful, the seekers of balance, the humanitarians of the Chinese Horoscope. Dogs are people who take life seriously, seeking to right the injustices of the world and will make whatever sacrifices required to help people. The yare patient, loyal, compassionate, driven, idealistic, trustworthy, concerned, protective, and know when to act and when to wait for a more timely moment.

~ The Dog’s shadow side is someone who is anxious, pessimistic, judgmental, cynical, radical, and introverted.

~ The Dog in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you principles, a moral compass, loyalty and fairness.

The Pig – The Pig is early winter when the air is colder sky sitting in the North West/ North. It is 8.75% Yang Water with 3.75% Yang Wood. in the month of November. This is the time of 9:00PM-11:00AM.

~The Pig’s light side is someone who is a friend to everyone, super laid back, lives from the lap of luxury and sumptuous delights. They are stress-free, peace-loving, and the easiest people to get along with. They are enthusiastic for life, happy, sensual, warm-hearted, generous, outgoing, social, and enjoy life to the fullest.

~ The Pig’s shadow side is someone who is a shopaholic, a spendthrift, hot-tempered, spoiled, gullible, indulgent, materialistic, and naive.

~ The Pig in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you a carefree attitude, and someone who is self-indulgent, and partiers.

The Rat – The Rat is the cold Waters of winter representing 12.5% of Yin Water in the season of December. This is the direction of the North and the time of 11:00PM-1:00AM.

~The Rat’s light side is someone who is a resourceful mastermind, highly communicative, people-loving, and collectors. The Rat is incredibly smart and skilled in all things regarding money and finances. Their drive in life is to achieve financial stability and wealth. They are very social and seek their tribe, community, sangha, and audience. They are innovative, loyal, ambitious, and loyal to those closest to them.

~ The Rat’s shadow side is someone who is secretive, calculating, critical, stingy, excessive, a pack rat, a hoarder, neurotic, and anxious.

~ The Rat in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you communication skills and social finesse.

The Ox – The Ox brings us to the end of the Lunar Year and is a time of transition as we move from one Zodiac Animal to another, allowing for a period between the full moon that ends the active year of that ruling animal to the next one. This is when we prepare for the Feng Shui Flying Stars energy, get our Baz Astrology updated so we know our forecast for the year ahead. It is a time of cleaning, preparing, and envisioning our way forward. This is late winter sitting in the North East. The Ox is cold Earth, 7.5% Yin Earth with 2.5% each of Yin Metal and Yin Water. It is the coldest part of night, 1:00AM -3:00AM.

~The Oxen’s light side is someone who is extremely hardworking, will take on tasks no one else would, has physical strength, is direct, ethical, responsible, traditional, appreciate the beauty of our world, and indulge their senses whether a sumptuous meal or a bouquet of fresh picked flowers. They are dutiful, diligent, industrious, and persevering.

~ The Oxen’s shadow side is someone who is stubborn as hell, digging their heels in, authoritative, bossy, biased, intolerant, conservative, depressed, and proud.

~ The Ox in your Hour of birth is an ascendant influence that gives you practicality, physical strength, appreciation of sensual pleasures, and determination.

*Every one goes through 10 year Luck Cycles depending on your birth data. This introduces another pillar that influences your chart. Sometimes this brings great challenges, or opportunities, or other situations in your life.