Rat - Chinese Calendar

In Chinese astrology, the rat comes first. It is represented by the element of water. For this reason people born in the year of the rat are great leaders, innovators and pioneers. They have a strong desire for success yet remain honest through it all. People born in this year have great personal charm and magnetism. They like hands-on tasks and are not afraid to get their hands dirty and put the work in.

Here in the West we don’t have the most positive view of rats. Being frank, most people see them as filthy vermin that have no positive attributes. However, they are seen very differently through the eyes of the Chinese Horoscope. This horoscope sees rats as intelligent, good at making money and they are also a sign of good luck.

Rats are known for looking after those close to them. They are smart and good humoured. Rats don’t tire easy and they are very resourceful. This combination can be very advantageous, particularly in business. They have a tremendous ability to get through adversity, and are adaptable to the new challenges and situations that they encounter in life.

However, rats also have a number of negative points. They are usually very scheming and calculating; they do things for a reason. There may even be a hidden agenda behind their actions. Their main priority is always number one, sometimes they have little regard for others. Rats are effective at convincing others, but they should take care to use this skill as an asset rather than in a negative way.

Rats are usually very materialistic and like to acquire material goods. They are very much motivated by their materialism and love of money. A rats mind works fast, and they can usually express themselves very well too. However, this expression is not always positive. Their remarks may be cold and cutthroat. Rats usually do well in arguments and debates. They are often cantankerous and like to be in control of a situation, and will push their agenda forward, over all others.

A rat is alert and watchful of other people. They pay close attention to what goes on around them. Rats will sometimes take a step back to watch what others are doing, storing the information in their memory so that they can use it at some point in the future. They like to keep their brains interested with new and different challenges and material.

A minor issue can become a huge problem to a rat. It is better to look at situations neutrally and logically in order to find a solution. Rats do not mix well with drinking, smoking or illegal drugs, and should do their best to keep away from all three as much as possible. As they place great importance on their own agendas, many rats do not have much loyalty. Therefore, they rarely have long friendships or relationships.

Birth years of the rat

The rat horoscope can also be broken down into different elements – metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Below are the birth years for each.

Metal Rat – 31st January 1900 to 18th February 1901 28th January 1960 to 14th February 1961

Water Rat – 18th February 1912 to 5th February 1913 15th February 1972 to 2nd February 1973

Wood Rat – 5th February 1924 to 24th January 1925 2nd February 1984 to 19th February 1985

Fire Rat – 24th January 1936 to 10th February 1937 19th February 1996 to 6th February 1997

Earth Rat – 10th February 1948 to 28th January 1949

The next year of the rat will be in 2020.