生肖 · the twelve animals
The Chinese Zodiac
Twelve animals, one for each Earthly Branch of the cycle. Your year animal is set by the solar calendar — the year turns at Lìchūn (around February 4), not at Lunar New Year — and it is only the visible third of your chart: the month and hour pillars complete the picture.
shǔ · water
The quick-witted opportunist.
niú · earth
The patient force that finishes.
hǔ · wood
The brave, restless leader.
tù · wood
The gentle diplomat with steel underneath.
lóng · earth
The luminous, fated original.
shé · fire
The deep strategist who never shows the cards.
mǎ · fire
The free-running spirit that needs the open road.
yáng · earth
The tender artist with a quiet will.
hóu · metal
The clever shapeshifter who solves the unsolvable.
jī · metal
The sharp-eyed perfectionist who says the truth.
gǒu · earth
The loyal guardian with an unbreakable code.
zhū · water
The warm-hearted soul who gives without counting.
How the cycle actually works
The animals pair with the ten Heavenly Stems to form the 60-year cycle: a Fire Horse (like 2026) is a different year from a Water Horse. The stems carry the Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — which is why two people of the same animal can read so differently. JadeMirror computes all of it from your exact birth date, the way the tradition intends.
Deeper background lives on the Learn page — the astronomy of the cycle, the 24 solar terms, and what is exact versus what is interpretation. For this year’s readings, see the 2026 Fire Horse horoscope.