Chinese zodiac
The Goat in the Chinese zodiac
The Goat is the 8th animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yin sign whose fixed element is Earth. Tradition associates it with being gentle, creative and kind — also called the Sheep or Ram. Goat years include 1991 (Metal), 2003 (Water), 2015 (Wood), 2027 (Fire).
| Order | 8 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Wei 未 |
| Chinese character | 羊 |
| Fixed element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Rabbit and Pig |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Horse |
| Clash (Chong) | Ox |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Rat |
| Solar month | about 7 July – 7 August |
| Double-hour | 13:00 – 15:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Goat year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in turn and the same combination returns every sixty years. The start dates above are computed from the Sun's position: Li Chun is the moment it reaches 315° of ecliptic longitude.
A year does not begin on 1 January. The popular zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (between 21 January and 20 February); BaZi changes it at Li Chun, the start of spring, around 4 February. Anyone born in January or early February belongs to the previous year's animal.
In compatibility, the Goat forms a San He trine with the Rabbit and Pig, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Horse, clashes (Chong) with the Ox, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Rat.
The Goat is also the Wei branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 13:00 – 15:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 7 July to 7 August. In a BaZi chart it can appear in any of the four pillars — year, month, day or hour — not only the year.
| Year | Element | Begins (Li Chun, Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Yin Water | 5 Feb, 00:40 |
| 1955 | Yin Wood | 4 Feb, 22:18 |
| 1967 | Yin Fire | 4 Feb, 20:31 |
| 1979 | Yin Earth | 4 Feb, 18:12 |
| 1991 | Yin Metal | 4 Feb, 16:09 |
| 2003 | Yin Water | 4 Feb, 14:06 |
| 2015 | Yin Wood | 4 Feb, 11:59 |
| 2027 | Yin Fire | 4 Feb, 09:47 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Goat?
1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Goat most compatible with?
The Rabbit and Pig (its San He trine) and the Horse (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Ox, and it harms the Rat.
What element is the Goat?
The Goat's fixed element is Earth. Each Goat year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2027 is a Fire Goat.
What time is the hour of the Goat?
13:00 – 15:00, the Wei hour. It gives the branch of the hour pillar in BaZi; many practitioners first correct clock time to local solar time.
In Plutto
Plutto reads all four of your animals — year, month, day and hour — in your BaZi chart. Background: Chinese astrology (BaZi).
Ask it something you actually want to know.