The Goat: creative, gentle and calm
The Goat (also called the Sheep or Ram) is the artist of the Chinese zodiac: kind, creative and peace-loving. Discover Goat personality, love, work, friends and clashes, plus every Goat year.
The full deep dive
The story of the Goat
The Goat crossed the river in the Great Race together with the Monkey and the Rooster, who worked as a team to find a raft and clear a path through the weeds. The Goat came eighth, a reminder that it does its best work with friends around it.
Personality
Goats are gentle, imaginative and deeply kind. They have a strong sense of beauty and often a gift for music, art or making a home feel lovely. They care about how others feel and are happiest when everyone is getting along.
In love
The Goat is romantic and sensitive in love. They thrive with a protective, encouraging partner who appreciates their tenderness and gives them a sense of security.
At work
Goats are gifted in art, music, design, gardening, writing and caring professions. They do best in a supportive team rather than a cut-throat competition.
Something to watch
The Goat can worry, doubt itself and lean on others for reassurance. Trusting its own talent, which is considerable, is the Goat’s lesson.
Friends, secret friend and clash
- Friend group: the Goat shares its slate blue colour on the wheel with the Rabbit and the Pig. Together they are the Diplomats, and they understand each other easily.
- Secret friend: the Horse. This quiet, loyal bond is shown by a matching jewel on the inner ring.
- Clash: the Ox, directly opposite on the wheel. The two pull in opposite directions, which can mean friction, or real growth if both are willing to learn.
You can read more in Friend groups, secret friends and clashes.
Element and season
The Goat’s own fixed element is Earth, and it is a Yin sign. It belongs to summer on the wheel. Every Goat year also carries a year element, which changes in a ten-year cycle, so a Fire Goat and a Water Goat share the same heart but show it differently. See The five elements for how the elements work.
Lucky things
Traditionally, the Goat’s lucky numbers are 2 and 7, its lucky colours are brown, red and purple, and its lucky flowers are carnation and primrose.
Goat years
Your animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. If you were born in January or early February, check the dates below carefully: you may belong to the animal before.
| Year | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Goat | 17 February 1931 | 5 February 1932 |
| Water Goat | 5 February 1943 | 24 January 1944 |
| Wood Goat | 24 January 1955 | 11 February 1956 |
| Fire Goat | 9 February 1967 | 29 January 1968 |
| Earth Goat | 28 January 1979 | 15 February 1980 |
| Metal Goat | 15 February 1991 | 3 February 1992 |
| Water Goat | 1 February 2003 | 21 January 2004 |
| Wood Goat | 19 February 2015 | 7 February 2016 |
| Fire Goat | 6 February 2027 | 25 January 2028 |
Sources and perspectives
- Theodora Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes
- Derek Walters, The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology
- Hong Kong Observatory, the Chinese calendar