The year of the Wood Dragon is upon us and with it the invitation to create ourselves in the image of the fearless, pearl-clutching creature of myth.
The Dragon is synonymous with Yang energy — vitality, vision, and vigor.
At best, dragons are action-oriented, benevolently motivated leaders who hold the good of the collective above their own needs.
The scaly, dicey underbelly of the dragon is a tendency towards bluster and dominance, tactlessness, and a hot temper.
Dragon years are defined by momentum and reaction — to add to the bonfire, the element for 2024 is wood, which fuels flames and enhances the intensity and instability of the dragon.
The Year of the Wood Dragon
According to the lore surrounding how the Chinese zodiac came to be and the race that determined its order, The dragon, with his ability to fly high, was the predicted winner — but he was delayed by a kind-hearted detour to save a village from immolation. On his way across the water, he gave the fledgling rabbit a gust of wind to help make it to shore, thereby placing himself, by merit of magnanimity, in fifth place, after the bunny, and before the snake.
A special note to all those born in the year of the Dragon: In Chinese astrology, when your zodiac sign comes back around every 12 years, you offend Tai Sui the God of Age and incur his ominous wrath. To combat the curse, you must take extra precautions and double down on driving away the baddies and generating good luck.
The belief is that layering on jade jewelry and wearing red clothing, especially underwear, bought for you by others, vastly improves your chances of survival.
History of the Chinese zodiac
Both Chinese and Western astrology are systems of divining meaning and ascribing qualities to individuals based on the time of their birth. Both systems are divided into 12 respective signs. Western astrology is connected to the Earth’s orbit around the sun, hence the term sun sign, and the twelve zodiac signs correspond to 12 constellations.
Conversely, the Chinese zodiac is composed of 12 different signs, each associated with a respective animal totem and lunar new year. These animals represent the winners circle of an ancient race held by the Jade Emperor to determine who deserved a place in the zodiac. The clever rat, who rode the coattails and the shoulders of the ox, was first to cross the finish line and is thus first in the zodiac, followed by the ox he hoodwinked. The pig rounds out the wheel, coming in last place on account of stopping en route for a snack and a nap, an honorable and deeply relatable pit stop.
DRAGON
Birth years: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
Personality:
Reckless romantics, dragons seek great escapes and doomed love affairs. Idealistic to the point of self-sabotage they live aloft on the belief that perfect is possible, and waiting for them around the next questionable corner. Short fused and long winded, they make for entertaining, albeit exhausting company.
SNAKE
Birth years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
Personality:
Sweet but suspicious, snakes are leary of BOGO deals, affable strangers, margarine and horoscopes. Their deep love of luxury items is at odds with their natural proclivity for laziness. Yet, what serpents lack in hard work and true grit, they make up for in good looks.
HORSE
Birth years: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
Personality:
Expressive and magnetic horse people easily draw friends, benefactors and glowing reviews. Suspicion tells me Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast” was horse born. Naturally inclined toward athletics and general excellence they are easy to envy but hard to hate. Their challenge is to use their popularity to question, rather than further the status quo.
GOAT
Birth years: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Personality traits:
A bit unsure of themselves, goat folk need the validation and encouragement of others to boldly go beyond the barnyard of their own limitations. Family oriented, they uphold tradition and ritual celebrations. They must master their own sensitivity, feed themselves creatively and guard against pessimism.
MONKEY
Birth years: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
Personality:
Like their animal totem, monkey people will astound you with their emotional intelligence or literally throw their s**t at you. Extreme is their modality and they are equally capable of kindness and cruelty, devotion and apathy. Quick to start and equally quick to abandon, their agile minds crave challenge and their fickle hearts fresh pain.
ROOSTER
Birth years: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
Personality:
Clairvoyant and calculating, roosters see what others can’t and accomplish what others only wistfully muse about. Their social skills include reading the minds of strangers and plotting the downfall of competitors. Adventurous and energetic, they struggle with feelings of impatience and bursts of tactless criticism.
DOG
Birth years: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
Personality:
Fact: dogs are superior to people. Theory: people born in the year of the dog are inherently kinder, truer, and yes, plain better than their constituents. Loyal to a fault and generous to their own detriment, the canine contingent trades in acts of service and promotes the advancement of their friends. Mindful of their own nature, they must learn to be less cautious and create clearer boundaries.
PIG
Birth years: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
Personality:
According to myth, the pig was more concerned with self-care than personal advancement, taking a break from the race to eat and sleep. Consequently, those born in the year of the pig are slightly indulgent and confident in the knowledge that suffering is not a prerequisite for success and the journey is indeed the destination.
RAT
Birth years: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Personality:
Patient and intelligent, the rat was able to outsmart and outrace his competition to win first place in the zodiac. Similarly, those born in the year of the rat possess great cunning and serious survival skills. Adept at staying alive, less so at sharing the wealth, Rat folk must guard against stinginess and the sharpened knife of sarcasm.
OX
Birth years: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Personality:
Ox folk may not win the race but they never fail to finish. Diligent and successful, oxen often prioritize obligation over desire. Susceptible as they are to stomach ulcers and lower back pain from caring, and carrying too much, oxen must periodically unyoke themselves from responsibility and allow for restorative abandon.
TIGER
Birth years: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Personality:
Ambitious and impulsive, tigers never fail to leave an impression. Comfortable inventing rules and imposing their will upon others, these powerful cats know what they want and are adept at getting it. They would be wise to remember that there is a fine line, nee, stripe between confidence and conceit.
RABBIT
Birth years: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Personality:
Fun fact: a group of rabbits is known as a fluffle. Fittingly, people born in the bunny year have a soft approach to life that recalls the collected works of Loggins & Messina. Tender hearted they make for loyal lovers and diplomatic friends. Rabbits must guard against their own people pleasing tendencies and the predatory intentions of others.
Elements in Chinese Astrology
In addition to 12 zodiac signs, Chinese astrology recognizes Wu Xing’s Five Elements theory based on the respective nature and interactions of metal, water, wood, fire and earth.
Within this theory all elements are considered equal, designated as yin or yang and unequivocally interconnected in chains of creation and destruction that complement one another. To determine your element, look at the last number of your birth year and consult the list below:
0 or 1, your element is metal.
2 or 3, your element is water.
4 or 5, your element is wood.
6 or 7, your element is fire.
8 or 9, your element is earth.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses?
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
