Chinese zodiac
The Snake in the Chinese zodiac
The Snake is the 6th animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yin sign whose fixed element is Fire. Tradition associates it with being wise, intuitive and composed — depth beneath a calm surface. Snake years include 1989 (Earth), 2001 (Metal), 2013 (Water), 2025 (Wood).
| Order | 6 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Si 巳 |
| Chinese character | 蛇 |
| Fixed element | Fire |
| Polarity | Yin |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Ox and Rooster |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Monkey |
| Clash (Chong) | Pig |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Tiger |
| Solar month | about 6 May – 5 June |
| Double-hour | 09:00 – 11:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Snake 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 Snake forms a San He trine with the Ox and Rooster, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Monkey, clashes (Chong) with the Pig, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Tiger.
The Snake is also the Si branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 09:00 – 11:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 6 May to 5 June. 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Yin Metal | 4 Feb, 12:50 |
| 1953 | Yin Water | 4 Feb, 10:46 |
| 1965 | Yin Wood | 4 Feb, 08:46 |
| 1977 | Yin Fire | 4 Feb, 06:34 |
| 1989 | Yin Earth | 4 Feb, 04:27 |
| 2001 | Yin Metal | 4 Feb, 02:29 |
| 2013 | Yin Water | 4 Feb, 00:13 |
| 2025 | Yin Wood | 3 Feb, 22:11 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Snake?
1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Snake most compatible with?
The Ox and Rooster (its San He trine) and the Monkey (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Pig, and it harms the Tiger.
What element is the Snake?
The Snake's fixed element is Fire. Each Snake year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2025 is a Wood Snake.
What time is the hour of the Snake?
09:00 – 11:00, the Si 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.