Chinese zodiac
The Ox in the Chinese zodiac
The Ox is the 2nd animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yin sign whose fixed element is Earth. Tradition associates it with being steady, patient and dependable — strength that comes from endurance. Ox years include 1985 (Wood), 1997 (Fire), 2009 (Earth), 2021 (Metal).
| Order | 2 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Chou 丑 |
| Chinese character | 牛 |
| Fixed element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Snake and Rooster |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Rat |
| Clash (Chong) | Goat |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Horse |
| Solar month | about 6 January – 3 February |
| Double-hour | 01:00 – 03:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Ox 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 Ox forms a San He trine with the Snake and Rooster, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Rat, clashes (Chong) with the Goat, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Horse.
The Ox is also the Chou branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 01:00 – 03:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 6 January to 3 February. 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Yin Fire | 4 Feb, 13:26 |
| 1949 | Yin Earth | 4 Feb, 11:23 |
| 1961 | Yin Metal | 4 Feb, 09:23 |
| 1973 | Yin Water | 4 Feb, 07:04 |
| 1985 | Yin Wood | 4 Feb, 05:12 |
| 1997 | Yin Fire | 4 Feb, 03:02 |
| 2009 | Yin Earth | 4 Feb, 00:50 |
| 2021 | Yin Metal | 3 Feb, 22:59 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Ox?
1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Ox most compatible with?
The Snake and Rooster (its San He trine) and the Rat (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Goat, and it harms the Horse.
What element is the Ox?
The Ox's fixed element is Earth. Each Ox year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2021 is a Metal Ox.
What time is the hour of the Ox?
01:00 – 03:00, the Chou 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.