Today marks the beginning of the year of the earth rat in the Chinese calendar. Is it your year? If you were born between the following dates, then yes, it your year!

31 January 1900 – 18 February 1901: Metal Rat
18 February 1912 – 5 February 1913: Water Rat
5 February 1924 – 24 January 1925: Wood Rat
24 January 1936 – 10 February 1937: Fire Rat
10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949: Earth Rat
28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961: Metal Rat
16 February 1972 – 2 February 1973: Water Rat
2 February 1984 – 19 February 1985: Wood Rat
19 February 1996 – 7 February 1997: Fire Rat
7 February 2008 – 25 January 2009: Earth Rat
25 January 2020 – 11 February 2021: Metal Rat
11 February 2032 – 30 January 2033: Water Rat
30 January 2044 – 16 February 2045: Wood Rat
15 February 2056 – 3 February 2057: Fire Rat
3 February 2068 – 22 January 2069: Earth Rat
22 January 2080 – 8 February 2081: Metal Rat
7 February 2092 – 26 January 2093: Water Rat
(source: Wikipedia; image: Travel @ China)

Those born in the year of the rat are generally characterised as “leaders, pioneers and conquerors.”

They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat’s natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust. (source: Wikipedia)

So what is the outlook for the year? According to Suzanne White:

In this coming year, the fragile quality of the world’s financial condition will become glaringly obvious. People and governments in the western world will wake up to the fact that they cannot go on spending more money than they have and get away with it. In fact, many very rich people will barely have time to preserve existing finances. … This coming year will be about the prudent managing of finances, cost-cutting measures and trendy cheap backpacks made in China. It will also be about power.

Click here to read more.

Reading through Suzanne White’s prediction, I find that this new year will bring me — a tiger — the following:

• New opportunities. Be it a new job, new alliances and associations.
• Frustration with things. As things will always be thwarted from me.
• Bad news. A close friend or relative will suffer from chronic illness where I would need to deal with it and I will.
• Hopeless savings. Apparently, we tigers believe that money do grow on trees and as such, don’t know how to save.

Hmmm, that is quite a mix of positives and negatives. Obviously, the part where a friend or family member will have chronic illness is not quite something I do want to hear. But as I always say, take it one step at a time, do your very best and pray to God for guidance. If a new opportunity does present itself and it is good then I’ll take it. If that turns out to be the frustrating part of my rat year, then so be it.

By the way, if you live in London or heading down this way, check out China in London for information on how the Chinese New Year celebrations are happening in Londontown!

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