Year elements and the 60-year cycle

Two elements for every animal

Each animal has its own fixed element: the Rat is always Water at heart, the Horse always Fire. On top of that, every year has a year element that changes in a regular pattern. Your year element colours how your animal’s character comes out.

Finding the year element from the last digit

The year element follows the last digit of the zodiac year:

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

So 1990 is a Metal Horse, 2002 a Water Horse and 2026 a Fire Horse. Remember to use the zodiac year: someone born in January before Lunar New Year belongs to the year before.

How the element changes your animal

• Wood adds warmth, generosity and growth. Wood animals are idealistic and kind.
• Fire adds passion, drive and charisma. Fire animals are bold and expressive.
• Earth adds steadiness and common sense. Earth animals are practical and dependable.
• Metal adds determination and principle. Metal animals are focused and strong-willed.
• Water adds intuition and flexibility. Water animals are thoughtful and persuasive.

The great cycle of sixty

Twelve animals and five elements (each used for two years in a row, once yang and once yin) line up again only every sixty years. That is why a Fire Horse year like 2026 comes round only once in a lifetime for most people: the last was 1966 and the next will be 2086. Reaching your sixtieth birthday is traditionally celebrated as completing a full cycle.

Read more in The five elements (Wu Xing).