Year of the Rat
Rat: resourceful · quick-witted · observant
Basics
The Rat is the 1st sign of the cycle, a yin water branch in Korean Saju.
Traditional luck for the Rat: numbers 1 and 6, colours black and navy, direction north.
Recent Rat years: 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020. In Saju the year changes at Ipchun (around 4 February), so a January birthday in a Rat calendar year can still belong to the animal before the Rat.
Personality
People born in a Rat year are often described as resourceful, quick-witted and observant.
The Rat's growth area is letting the observant streak rest when it doesn't serve them.
2026 Outlook
2026 is a fire horse year; for the Rat, the Horse sits opposite the Rat, so expect movement and change.
2027 is a fire goat year; for the Rat, the Goat brings quiet friction, so double-check agreements.
Compatibility
The Rat pairs most easily with the Ox, Monkey and Dragon, and has to work harder with the Goat and Horse.
Your animal is only one pillar
Your Rat sign is just the year pillar; Korean Saju adds the month, day and hour, which is why two Rat people can read very differently.