Year of the Rat: years, element and traits
First in the cycle, the Rat is pictured as quick and resourceful: alert to opportunity, good with people and careful with what it has gathered.
- Traditionally opposite
- Horse
Tradition sees strengths in
Quick wit · Resourcefulness · Thrift
Worth watching
Sharing plans sooner rather than keeping every option open.
Years of the Rat
| Year | Starts | Ends | Element | Stem and branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Feb 5 | Jan 23, 1925 | Wood | Jia-Zi (甲子) |
| 1936 | Jan 24 | Feb 10, 1937 | Fire | Bing-Zi (丙子) |
| 1948 | Feb 10 | Jan 28, 1949 | Earth | Wu-Zi (戊子) |
| 1960 | Jan 28 | Feb 14, 1961 | Metal | Geng-Zi (庚子) |
| 1972 | Feb 15 | Feb 2, 1973 | Water | Ren-Zi (壬子) |
| 1984 | Feb 2 | Feb 19, 1985 | Wood | Jia-Zi (甲子) |
| 1996 | Feb 19 | Feb 6, 1997 | Fire | Bing-Zi (丙子) |
| 2008 | Feb 7 | Jan 25, 2009 | Earth | Wu-Zi (戊子) |
| 2020 | Jan 25 | Feb 11, 2021 | Metal | Geng-Zi (庚子) |
| 2032 | Feb 11 | Jan 30, 2033 | Water | Ren-Zi (壬子) |
A zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not 1 January, so a January or early February birthday can belong to the year before. Bazi counts from Start of Spring instead, about 4 February. In Japan the animal usually follows the calendar year, and Vietnam has the Cat in place of the Rabbit. These are cultural traditions, not scientific findings.
Keep exploring
A chart reads this date with your birth time, across twelve areas of life.
Draw my free Zi Wei chart →