The Chinese zodiac, sign by sign
The Chinese zodiac is built around twelve animal signs that rotate in a fixed order, each carrying its own temperament, fixed element, and characteristic rhythm of fortune. Below is the full set — choose any sign to read its full personality, birth-year list, lucky numbers and colors, daily fortune, and compatibility profile.
Reading the cycle as a whole
The twelve signs are usually grouped into four trines of three — Rat-Dragon-Monkey, Ox-Snake-Rooster, Tiger-Horse-Dog, and Rabbit-Goat-Pig. Within each trine, signs share a deep elemental affinity and tend to understand one another instinctively. Between trines, compatibility varies: some pairings are richly complementary while others require more conscious work. The famously challenging pairings are the opposites — Rat and Horse, Ox and Goat, Tiger and Monkey, Rabbit and Rooster, Dragon and Dog, and Snake and Pig — which sit directly across from each other on the zodiac wheel.
Each sign also carries a fixed element associated with the underlying season of its position in the cycle, which is then modified each year by the ten heavenly stems. The interaction between your sign's fixed element and the year's element is what produces the year's specific weather for you. Read each sign's page for the full picture, and visit our compatibility guide for a practical introduction to the trine system.