The Chinese zodiac is a repeating cycle of 12 animal signs that has been used for thousands of years to define personality types and predict fortune. Closely tied to the zodiac is the system of five feng shui elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

In Chinese astrology, the year you were born determines your zodiac animal sign. The last digit of your birth year determines your governing feng shui element. Once you know your sign and element, you can gain insight into your primary personality traits, fortune tendencies, and best approaches for harmonizing your home and life.

Determining your Chinese zodiac animal and associated feng shui element provides a fascinating glimpse into ancient wisdom on personality and harmony. Understanding these core aspects of who you are can help guide beneficial decisions and arrangements in your life.

12 Zodiac Animals

The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animal signs in the following order:

Rat – The Rat represents wisdom and quick wit. People born in the Year of the Rat are considered intelligent and optimistic.
Ox – The Ox symbolizes hard work and positivity. Those born in the Year of the Ox are seen as honest, industrious, and strong-willed.
Tiger – The Tiger stands for bravery and passion. Individuals born in the Year of the Tiger are thought to be courageous, competitive, and charming.
Rabbit – The Rabbit represents peacefulness and vigilance. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are known to be loving, gracious, and sensitive.
Dragon – The Dragon epitomizes ambition and self-assurance. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are energetic, charismatic, and talented.
Snake – The Snake symbolizes wisdom and mysteries. Individuals born in the Year of the Snake are wise, charming, and determined.
Horse – The Horse embodies hardiness and independence. People born in the Year of the Horse are animated, active, and cheerful.
Goat – The Goat represents calmness and creativity. Those born in the Year of the Goat are gentle, easygoing, and artistic.
Monkey – The Monkey signifies quick-wit and curiosity. Individuals born in the Year of the Monkey are innovative, mischievous, and sociable.
Rooster – The Rooster represents confidence and motivation. People born in the Year of the Rooster are observant, hardworking, and courageous.
Dog – The Dog symbolizes loyalty and justice. Those born in the Year of the Dog are amicable, honest, and responsible.
Pig – The Pig represents generosity and diligence. Individuals born in the Year of the Pig are compassionate, disciplined, and giving.

Zodiac Years

The Chinese zodiac calendar follows a 12 year cycle, with each year corresponding to one of the 12 zodiac animals. The animal ruling the year you were born determines your Chinese zodiac sign.

The years of the zodiac animals are as follows:

Rat: 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
Ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Tiger: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
Rabbit: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
Dragon: 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Snake: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Goat: 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Monkey: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Dog: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Pig: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

So if you were born in any of the years listed under a particular animal, that is your zodiac sign. Check the years to see which sign you are!

Personality Traits

According to Chinese astrology, each of the 12 zodiac animals is associated with certain personality traits and attributes that influence those born under their year. Here is an overview of the key personality traits for each animal:

Rat: Intelligent, adaptable, quick-witted, charming, artistic, sociable. Can be manipulative, stubborn, anxious, gossiping.
Ox: Dependable, calm, methodical, ambitious, patient, hardworking. Can be stubborn, narrow-minded, bad communicators.
Tiger: Brave, competitive, unpredictable, self-confident, passionate. Can be aggressive, risk-taking, impatient.
Rabbit: Gentle, compassionate, loyal, timid, artistic, refined, gracious. Can be moody, superficial, indecisive, snobbish.
Dragon: Magnanimous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, ambitious. Can be arrogant, demanding, eccentric, self-centered.
Snake: Enigmatic, intelligent, wise, philosophical, calm, righteous. Can be vain, untrusting, hedonistic, selfish.
Horse: Energetic, independent, impatient, intelligent, traveling. Can be anxious, hot-blooded, stubborn nonconformists.
Goat: Calm, gentle, tender, sympathetic, flexible, artistic. Can be indecisive, pessimistic, sluggish, disorganized.
Monkey: Quick-witted, intelligent, innovative, curious, mischievous, lively. Can be arrogant, impatient, troublemaker, manipulative.
Rooster: Practical, resourceful, courageous, confident, organized, honest. Can be arrogant, attention-seeking, critical of others.
Dog: Loyal, honest, kind, defensive, smart, cautious. Can be overly-judgmental, stubborn, cold, pessimistic.
Pig: Peace-loving, generous, diligent, trusting, sincere, tolerant. Can be naive, materialistic, gullible, insecure.

5 Feng Shui Elements

In feng shui, there are five major elements – metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Each element is associated with specific attributes and areas of life:

Metal

The metal element represents strength, determination, and setting clear boundaries. It is connected to the autumn season, white and metallic colors, and the Lung organ.

Water

Water represents wisdom, calmness, and going with the flow. It is linked to winter, the color black, and the Kidney organ.

Wood

The wood element symbolizes growth, expansiveness, and new beginnings. It corresponds to springtime, the color green, and the Liver organ.

Fire

Fire embodies passion, fame, and leadership ability. It is connected to the summer, the color red, and the Heart organ.

Earth

The earth element represents stability, practicality, and balance. It is tied to the Indian summer, yellow/brown colors, and the Spleen organ.

Knowing the five feng shui elements and their attributes provides the foundation for applying feng shui principles to one’s home and life.

Determining Your Feng Shui Element

Your feng shui element is determined by the last digit of your birth year. Here is how the numbers correspond to the five elements:

0 or 1 – Metal
2 or 3 – Water
4 or 5 – Wood
6 or 7 – Fire
8 or 9 – Earth

To find your personal feng shui element, just look at the last digit of your birth year. For example, if you were born in 1984, the last digit is 4, so your element is Wood. If you were born in 1989, the last digit is 9, so your element is Earth.

Once you know the last digit of your birth year, match it to the chart above to find your feng shui element. Make a note of your element, as this will provide insight into your personality and be useful when applying feng shui principles to your home.

Element Personality

Your feng shui element reveals certain personality traits associated with each element.

Metal Element

The metal element represents strength, determination, and a sense of purpose. Those with the metal element tend to be courageous, ambitious, focused, and good at setting boundaries. However, they can also struggle with being rigid or insecure at times.

Water Element

The water element is associated with communication, intuition, and adaptability. Water element personalities are insightful, empathetic, persuasive, and highly intuitive. But they may also deal with overthinking or appearing indecisive.

Wood Element

Creative self-expression, expansiveness, and imagination characterize the wood element. These people are natural innovators – generous, unconventional, and visionary. However, wood elements risk being impractical or putting too much stock in idealism.

Fire Element

Fire represents passion, dynamism, and action. Those with the fire element have vibrant energy, infectious enthusiasm, and natural leadership skills. But they can sometimes be impatient, combative, or crave attention excessively.

Earth Element

The earth element exhibits practicality, steadiness, and organization. Earth element individuals are supportive, responsible, and good at maintaining stability. However, they may struggle with stubbornness or being overly materialistic at times.

Harmonizing Your Home

Once you’ve determined your Chinese zodiac animal and associated feng shui element, you can use this knowledge to better harmonize the energy flow in your home. Your feng shui element has corresponding colors, shapes, and directions that can strengthen it within your space.

For the Wood element:

Incorporate more green decor and accents, representing the color of trees and growth.
Add rectangular shapes and tall vertical lines to represent standing trees.
Display items in the East and Southeast areas of rooms and homes.

For the Fire element:

Use red, purple, pink and orange shades, representing the color of flames.
Add triangular and cone shapes suggesting flames.
Activate the South and Southwest areas of rooms and homes.

For the Earth element:

Bring in yellow, tan, brown, and other earthy tones.
Incorporate square shapes and horizontal, grounded lines.
Emphasize the Southwest and Northeast areas.

For the Metal element:

Display white and metallic objects like silver, gold, bronze and copper.
Add circular shapes and arches.
Focus on the West and Northwest areas.

For the Water element:

Use blue, black, and gray shades like bodies of water.
Incorporate wavy and irregular free-flowing lines.
Activate the North and East areas.

By harmonizing your home with your feng shui element, you can promote greater energy flow and balance. Consult a feng shui expert for more tailored recommendations.

Benefits

Knowing your Chinese zodiac animal sign and associated feng shui element provides several benefits:

Personality Insights – The attributes connected to your zodiac animal and element offer insights into your personality, strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. This self-awareness can help you understand and improve yourself.
Compatibility Guidance – Some signs and elements are more compatible than others. Knowing your compatibility can provide relationship and career guidance.
Home Harmony – Arranging your home to strengthen your feng shui element brings greater harmony to your living space. A balanced home supports wellbeing.
Holistic Understanding – Chinese astrology takes a holistic approach – your sign and element influence your whole life. Understanding this integration provides a bigger picture perspective.
Conversation Starter – Many people enjoy discussing Chinese zodiac signs. Knowing yours gives you something interesting to talk about socially.

Overall, determining your zodiac animal and element provides personality insights, compatibility guidance, home harmony tips, a holistic perspective, and a fun conversation topic to bring more awareness to your life.

Conclusion: Insights and Takeaways

Determining your Chinese zodiac sign and associated feng shui element provides interesting insights into your personality, as well as guidance on harmonizing your home environment.

Knowing the characteristics of your zodiac animal can help you understand your innate strengths, weaknesses, compatibilities with others, and approaches to various areas of life. While astrology should not dictate your life, it can offer a fun glimpse into your psyche.

Connecting with your feng shui element empowers you to arrange your living space in a way that energizes and balances you. Simple changes like adding your element’s colors, shapes, and materials can create a more soothing habitat.

Overall, learning these aspects of Chinese metaphysics allows you to better know yourself and create environments that support your well-being. Don’t take any of it too seriously, but do have fun exploring this fascinating philosophical system.

The key takeaway is that your Chinese zodiac sign and element provide tools for self-reflection and harmonizing your surroundings. Use these insights as signposts to guide you, not rigid labels to limit you.

What’s Your Chinese Zodiac Sign and Feng Shui Element?