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nadia-cheung
15th February 2016

What’s it all about, Chinese astrology?

Nadia Cheung looks deep into her crystal ball and pulls out 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac one by one
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TLDR

February 8th 2016 was the end of the Sheep’s cycle and marked the start of the Year of the Fire Monkey, which, for some, will prove to be faster paced and more dramatic than the slow and emotional Year of the Sheep. Here’s a brief summary of the Chinese zodiac:

 

Rat

Photo: Lily Cheung

Jan. 28, 1960 – Feb. 14, 1961
Feb. 15, 1972 – Feb. 2, 1973
Feb. 2, 1984 – Feb. 19, 1985
Feb. 19, 1996 – Feb. 6, 1997
Feb. 6, 2008 – Jan. 25, 2009
Jan. 25, 2020 – Feb. 11, 2021

Cunning creatures. Rat people are adaptable, smart and outgoing. Rats don’t like confrontation however, and are known to be quite timid and picky so they are quite hard to get to know. Rats are best drawn to people born year of the Dragon and Monkey as well as the Rabbit. Rats are not so great with Horse and Rooster.

Famous people born Year of the Rat:
Grace Jones, Marlon Brando, Antonio Banderas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eminem, Busta Rhymes.

 

Ox

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 15, 1961 – Feb. 4, 1962
Feb. 3, 1973 – Jan. 22, 1974
Feb. 20, 1985 – Feb. 8, 1986
Feb. 7, 1997 – Jan. 27, 1998
Jan. 26, 2009 – Feb. 13, 2010
Feb. 11, 2021 – Jan.31, 2022

Ox people are hardworking, patient, and determined people. They are quiet workaholics with a talent for leadership. Because of their tendency for thinking before doing, they can be stubborn, silent and distant. It’s a good idea to keep an Ox around for advice during the Year of the Fire Monkey as they are dependable and provide great insight. Most compatible with Snake, Rooster and Monkey, and least compatible are Goat, Dragon, and Horse.

Famous people born Year of the Ox:
Lana Del Rey, Kristen Wiig, Barack Obama, Charlie Chaplin, Meryl Streep, Paul Newman.

 

Tiger

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 5, 1962 – Jan. 24, 1963
Jan. 23, 1974 – Feb. 10, 1975
Feb. 9, 1986 – Jan. 28, 1987
Jan. 28, 1998 – Feb. 15, 1999
Feb. 14, 2010 – Feb. 2, 2011
Feb. 1, 2022 –Jan. 21, 2023

Bold, brave and energetic, Tigers love a challenge and a fight. They are independent, open and confident people who like adventure. They can be stubborn, irritable and impetuous—especially when people stand in their way. Though they are likeable to most others, they are best with Horse, Dog and Pig. Monkey, Snake, Ox and other Tiger people are least compatible with this sign.

Famous people born Year of the Tiger:
Marilyn Monroe, Lady Gaga, Eartha Kitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Hefner, Drake.

 

Rabbit

Photo: Lily Cheung

Jan. 25, 1963 – Feb. 12, 1964
Feb. 11, 1975 – Jan. 30, 1976
Jan. 29, 1987 – Feb. 16, 1988
Feb. 16, 1999 – Feb. 4, 2000
Feb. 3, 2011 – Jan. 22, 2012
Jan. 22, 2023 – Feb. 9, 2024

Sensitive and modest. Those born in Rabbit are kind people who are quiet, elegant and gentle. They do have a tendency to daydream and get lost in reality because of their amorous nature, and this can make them quite distant with others when this is pointed out. Best friends are Sheep, Pig and Dog. Best to avoid Snake and Rooster.

Famous people born Year of the Rabbit:
M.I.A, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Whitney Houston, Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino.

 

Dragon

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 13, 1964 – Feb. 1, 1965
Jan. 31, 1976 – Feb. 17, 1977
Feb. 17, 1988 – Feb. 5, 1989
Feb. 5, 2000 – Jan. 23, 2001
Jan. 23, 2012 – Feb. 9, 2013
Feb. 10, 2024 – Jan. 25, 2025

Dragons know how to make a decision and stick with it. They’re ambitious and inspiring to others but like Rabbit, there is a tendency of being unrealistic which results in fiery and intolerant behaviour. There is also tendency of being stingy, Dragon people do not like to spend money. They do not get a long with Dog, Sheep and Ox but are great with Rat, Monkey and Snake.

Famous people born Year of the Dragon:
Grimes, Bruce Lee, Andy Warhol, Rihanna, Russell Crowe, Reese Witherspoon.

 

Snake

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 2, 1965 – Jan. 20, 1966
Feb. 18, 1977 – Feb. 6, 1978
Feb. 6, 1989 – Jan. 26, 1990
Jan. 24, 2001 – Feb. 11, 2002
Feb. 10, 2013 – Jan. 30, 2014
Jan. 29, 2025 – Feb. 16, 2026

Charming, sensitive and intuitive. Snake people are intelligent and have a knack for wisdom. They don’t have a lot of friends and it may be hard to get to know them because they are secretive and often keep their feelings locked up inside. Best friends for Snake are fellow Ox and Rooster. Avoid Pig.

Famous people born Year of the Snake:
Grace Kelly, Mohammed Ali, Courtney Love, Jeremy Kyle, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan.

 

Horse

Photo: Lily Cheung

Jan. 21, 1966 – Feb. 8, 1967
Feb. 7, 1978 – Jan. 27, 1979
Jan. 27, 1990 – Feb. 14, 1991
Feb. 12, 2002 – Jan. 31, 2003
Jan. 31, 2014 – Feb. 18, 2015
Feb. 17, 2026 – Feb. 5, 2027

Friendly and popular, Horse people have the gift of the gab. They are active people with high energy and a unique sense of humour. They do however, have the tendency to be self-centred and quite insecure, and often seek reassurance from others. Best friends are Tiger, Dog and Sheep. Avoid Rat at all costs.

Famous people born Year of the Horse:
Jimi Hendrix, Jennifer Lawrence, Mike Tyson, Salma Hayek, John Legend, James Franco.

 

Sheep

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 9, 1967 – Jan. 29, 1968
Jan. 28, 1979 – Feb. 15, 1980
Feb. 15, 1991 – Feb. 3, 1992
Feb. 1, 2003 – Jan. 21, 2004
Feb. 19, 2015 – Feb. 7, 2016
Feb. 6, 2027 – Jan. 25, 2028

Calm, thoughtful and romantic. Sheep people are often lone and creative thinkers. Sheep people are the best to ask for when it comes to emotional advice because of their frankness and honesty. They get along best with Rabbit, Pig, Horse and Monkey. Avoid Ox, Dragon, Snake and Dog.

Famous people born Year of the Sheep:
Kurt Cobain, Azealia Banks, Tyler the Creator, Mick Jagger, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman.

 

Monkey

Photo: Lily Cheung

Jan. 30, 1968 – Feb. 16, 1969
Feb. 16, 1980 – Feb. 4, 1981
Feb. 4, 1992 – Jan. 22, 1993
Jan. 22, 2004 – Feb. 8, 2005
Feb. 8,2016 – Jan. 27, 2017
Jan. 26, 2028 – Feb. 12, 2029

Monkey people like to entertain, socialise and have great wit, but they also have a tendency to get bored easily. When the year is of your correlating zodiac, it is found that luck won’t be as great as other years, so it is common to wear red for good luck. Best friends include Rat and Dragon. Conflicts with Dog and Rooster, but avoid Tiger.

Famous people born Year of the Monkey:
Drew Barrymore, Miley Cyrus, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Macaulay Culkin.

 

Rooster

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 17, 1969 – Feb.5, 1970
Feb. 5, 1981 – Jan.24, 1982
Jan. 23, 1993 – Feb.9, 1994
Feb. 9, 2005 – Jan. 28, 2006
Jan. 28, 2017 – Feb. 15, 2018
Feb. 13, 2029 – Feb. 2, 2030

Perfectionists at heart, Roosters are critical and can be considered nit-picky because they are so observant. Quite vain, they like to brag and love attention. Talkative, outspoken and quite humorous, Roosters are capable people who are warm-hearted and just want to be loved. Best friends are Ox and Snake. Avoid Rabbit.

Famous people born Year of the Rooster:
Justin Timberlake, Debbie Harry, Alan Rickman, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, David Lynch.

 

Dog

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 6, 1970 – Jan. 26, 1971
Jan. 25, 1982 – Feb. 12, 1983
Feb. 10, 1994 – Jan. 30, 1995
Jan. 29, 2006 – Feb. 17, 2007
Feb. 16 ,2018 – Feb. 4, 2019
Feb. 3, 2030 – Jan. 22, 2031

Loyal, sincere and responsible. Dog individuals are sensitive and emotional, with the tendency to pessimism because they worry a lot. They are however, good friends to have because they are so loyal and loving to the ones they care about. Good allies for Dog are Tiger, Horse and Rabbit. Bad ones: Dragon.

Famous people born Year of the Dog:
Madonna, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Cher, Prince, Nicki Minaj.

 

Pig

Photo: Lily Cheung

Feb. 8, 1959 – Jan. 27, 1960
Jan. 27, 1971 – Feb. 24, 1972
Feb. 13, 1983 – Feb. 1, 1984
Jan. 31, 1995 – Feb. 18, 1996
Feb. 18, 2007 – Feb. 6, 2008
Feb. 5, 2019 – Jan. 24, 2020
Jan. 23, 2031 – Feb. 10, 2032

Honest, reliable and trustworthy. Pigs also have a tendency to be naïve and too trusting to a fault. Pigs know how to have a good time and enjoy the good things in life and that often makes them appear self-indulgent and lazy. But they’re not! Best with Sheep, Rabbit and Tiger. Not great at all with Snake.

Famous people born Year of the Pig:
Snoop Dogg, Rick James, Winona Ryder, 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse, Jean Harlow.

Like Western astrology, not all signs will cater to you precisely. Other aspects to look at are the element of the year you were born, the hour (your ascendant), day and month (generally found to be your Western astrology counterpart).


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