Rat

I AM THE RAT

The Rat’s Lunar Year according to the Western Calendar / Element

31 January 1900 – 18 February 1901 / Metal

18 February 1912 – 5 February 1913 / Water

5 February 1924 – 24 January 1925 / Wood

24 January 1936 – 10 February 1937 / Fire

10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949 / Earth

28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961 / Metal

15 February 1972 – 2 February 1973 / Fire

2 February 1984 – 19 February 1985 / Water

19 February 1996 – 6 February 1997 / Fire

7 February 2008 – 25 January 2009 / Earth

25 January 2020 – 11 February 2021 / Metal

Introductory

Within the Chinese astrology, the Rat is the first sign out of 12 animals in the cycle. In comparison with the Western Astrology, the Rat is parallel to that of Sagittarius.

The Rat sign is denoted by a masculine or the yang sign.

It rules 1 month in the season of Autumn, 22 November to 21 December, and 2 segments of the day, 11PM to 1AM.

People who are born within that segment of the day are considered to have the Rat sign as their ascendant.

Its direction is the North and fixed element is Water.

The Personality of the Rat

The Rat is the first sign in the Chinese zodiac. Legend has it that when the Jade Emperor asked all the animals in the forest to congregate, the Rat was the first to reach, therefore winning the race as it rode on the back of its friend, the Ox.

The general personality of a Rat is that they are forthright, intrusive and inquisitive people that are in a way alarmingly honest. This trait makes them excel in business, as they are great entrepreneurs. They also make good workers as they are often never short of ideas and are very observant by nature, making them good writers or journalists or in Public Relations, or in any job at all that brings them to many people.

They are also very easy to get along with but they tend to pinch the penny and are pretty much thrifty in that sense. You will find that Rats have lots of friends, as people will never stop being amused by the Rat’s ability to always have an opinion about things. However, they are easily agitated albeit knowing a thing or two about self-control.

Most Rats will appear calm and reserved but that is not really the case as they have a sharp mind that is always thinking about something. Female Rats tend to push the envelope at being thrifty and tend to recycle gifts, but are also known to be very generous to their own children and also an excellent homemaker.

Rats are fun loving, bright and sociable characters. They are often friendly and very easy to get along with. Just like actual rats, they can often be found with huge groups of friends or within the inner circle of a group. They are less comfortable being solitary, and rather be surrounded by people. They are very outgoing and like to be involved in everything.

It will not be a surprise to find a Rat working in the medical field. They do not enjoy seeing others suffer and empathizes by imagining their own family members as those in need. They will rather ignore their loved ones short-comings than to cause unnecessary trouble or inconveniences. By doing so, they will continue to take care of them till their dying days.

In general they are very well concerned about their friends or employees. They get attached to their loved ones, both to the young and the elderly, family and friends. However with that being said, one will find their Rat friends keeping lots of secrets but are apt at getting the trust and secrets of others. Rats are also very resourceful and you can rarely find a poor person born in the year of the Rat.

Their resourcefulness will also reflect on their always-prepared mentality. If in a burning building, trust the Rat to know the way out as he will have many alternatives at hand. The Rat will be able to smell the smoke coming, even if it’s a few floors away. He will both sniff and pry to see the bottom of it, or if too late, look for an exit towards safety.

Rats are very critical of others and thus they live to gossip, compare and criticize minute and unimportant issues. They also tend to be busybody. Rats are also usually hoarders: they tend to buy things they do not need and keep many gifts and things that have sentimental value attached to them even when they do not need them. A Rat’s biggest down-fall will be that they can be over ambitious. They tend to be the one to snap up “good” deals very fast, but this tendency also causes them to lose their better judgment and cause them to go for not-so-good deals.

In terms of finances, the Rat will only know when to stop spending on unnecessary pursuits after experiencing the excruciating after-effects from a bad investment. Only through pain, will the Rat learn from his mistakes. This will not dampen their pot of gold, as they will probably have another pot hidden somewhere else!

In the world of Love, Rats will be very compatible with the Ox’s strong and reliable personality as well as their natural devotion. The powerful Dragon will also be a good match for them. The Monkey’s wit and charm will prove irresistible for the Rat as well. Other compatible signs with the Rat are: Tiger, Dog, Boar, or another Rat.

Rats will conflict with Horses as they are just too independent and erratic for the Rat to handle. Roosters are too much of a dreamer to match the practicality of a Rat and there will be lots of arguments to follow. The Sheep will be too over indulgent and will end up spending up the frugal Rat’s earnings.

Five Different Types of the Rat

Metal Rat (1900, 1960) – The Metal Rat tends to be idealistic in thinking and very vivid in speech and actions, and also tend to be very emotional. He will also tend to hide his feelings and put up a cheery front. The Metal Rat loves money but will be willing to share it with others. He will be less sentimental and romantic but can be more sensual and moralistic. As compared to the other 4 Rats, the Metal rat will have a taste for the finer things in life and will like to impress his friends with decorations at home and you will also find him getting his way in influential circles.

Water Rat (1912, 1972) - The Water Rat can easily relate to people at all levels. However he can be quite shrewd and calculating. He has all it takes to get him into influential circles. He knows instinctively of other people’s likes and dislikes but trusts too easily at the same time as well. They will also prefer to swim with the current than to go against it. This person will also be quite well versed in being a leader. The Water Rat also excels in writing.

Wood Rat (1924, 1984) – Wood Rats are progressive and success oriented. They will tend to explore all avenues and will be very resourceful. The Wood Rat will also be meticulous and will also be agreeable as they tend to seek approval and admiration from the people around them even though they can be egoistic. He sticks to his principles and knows what he wants and is able to be flexible to achieve them. Wood Rats tend to work very hard and exude confidence and can present information well enough to others. This person will also be able to easily garner support for whatever business endeavors that they may be doing as they are good talkers and can promote ideas easily.

Fire Rat (1936, 1996) – The Fire Rat will be adventurous by nature and loves to travel and be fashionable. Of all the Rats, he is the most generous. He is also energetic and idealistic but lacks tact, which causes him to lack the support he needs. The Fire Rat also needs space for himself and attention when under duress. He is also very competitive and independent and will never be satisfied with the usual way of things. If this Rat is too impatient for success, they will find themselves having financial difficulties so they have to learn to take it slowly.

Earth Rat (1948, 2008) - The Earth Rat will mature early and desires security the most. They tend to develop their positive traits and tend to be less idealistic. The Earth Rat is a socialite who likes to work with close and loyal friends and is very through in his work. The downside is that they can often be too impatient; too self righteous and too focused on the goal rather than letting work take its course. The Earth Rat cares a lot for his reputation and very protective of his loved ones. They also tend to be too frugal at times. The Earth Rat is more grounded and will tend to stick to rules rather than take a chance when it comes to decisions.

Seasons of the Rat

SPRING

Rats born during the evening will be more energetic, attentive and hardworking compared to those born during the day. Spring Rats will be full of energy and vigor and above average traits of involvement, creativity and curiosity. You only need to tell a Spring Rat once what they need to do and they will get it done. They also keep up with the latest trends and have the wit and humor to liven up their surroundings.

SUMMER

The Summer Rat born during the day will have a good and comfortable existence with all the resources. They will have everything they need in life, especially if they keep close to their friends and family. However the night Rat will need to be more diligent and hardworking in getting what he needs and will never be contented with what he has. The Summer Rat is very capable and are adept at planning big and having the expertise to execute it.

AUTUMN

The Evening Autumn Rat will be good at organizing gatherings. They are also meticulous and pay extra attention to detail. With activities that require a lot of planning and organizing, they will surpass all other Rats. He will see things through from start to end, without missing anything out. They are also good with long term planning, as they tend to be very detailed and thorough. The Daytime Autumn Rat is similar to the Evening Rat, but will be less anxious and moves with less urgency and worries less. The Rats of this season tend to be very good and meticulous advisors.

WINTER

Rats of this season will always be anxious and the Night Rats will be more anxious than their daytime counterparts. Winter rats will always try to find security and resources, but they will be able to get it all from their friends and family. They will be more inclined towards studies, writing and are great communicators. The Winter rat is very intuitive, introspective and very possessive and sentimental of their loved ones.

Characteristics of the Rat Child

The Rat child will be lovingly sweet but he or she will demand attention and will be the first to learn to talk. However he will be easily jealous of attention given to others and is very possessive of his family and friends. He will want to have more of everything and will demand equal amounts of things with his siblings. He also learns fast and will be very possessive of his possessions. Everything will have its place in the Rat’s life and he will know where they are. In that sense, it’s very difficult to deceive him. He picks up things quickly, teach him a trick once – he’ll remember it for life.

He will also be a very avid reader and it’s no wonder that many historians and writers are rats.

Be aware, the Rat child may be quiet, but he will be fiercely competitive.

The Rat and His Ascendants

In Chinese horoscopes, a person born during different periods of the day will have an affect on his/her overall personality in various degrees.

For every individual, their personality has a centered “self” and many layers around it. Each layer has a different size, texture and aura, and when combined, it makes up who the person truly is.

Each period of time during the day corresponds to a different Chinese horoscope. So, although it is a person’s individual choice on which path he will take in life, there may perhaps be other “inner voices” which will influence him. These “inner voices”, “other self” or “inner struggle” comes from their conflicting ascendants.

E.g. A Rooster born in the hours of the Ox. In this case, the individual may experience both animal traits to different degrees, hence the conflict.

Your local time should be used when determining your ascendant.

If the birth hour is:

11PM - 1AM: The Rat Hours

This Rat will be very charming, perceptive and a proud person occasionally. This Rat is also openly inquisitive and loves attention. This Rat will excel in being a lawyer, writer or reporter. New things will be easily picked up by the Rat. This Rat will be famous for its dry humor and sharp wit. However this Rat can also be domineering and demanding so they will need to keep their ego in check if they don’t want to scare their friends and workmates away.

1AM - 3AM: The Ox Hours

This is a serious Rat that will like things slow and steady like the Ox. This Rat will still maintain his charisma but will be less of a risk taker. This Rat will also tend to be more homely and less adventurous than the other rats and will be very strong-minded and will go far with strength and intuition. This Rat will not be easily deterred from their pursuits and will succeed in their endeavors.

3AM - 5AM: The Tiger Hours

This Rat will be an overachiever. This Rat will be quite insatiable and will always try to strive for more. This Rat will also find it hard to hold on to its money and will be more generous compared to other Rats. They will also be a more colorful character that people will find interesting to be with. The world is a stage, especially when the spot light is on. He will like to perform and will shine in stages or films.

5AM - 7AM: The Rabbit Hours

This will be a very soft-spoken Rat with very good taste. This Rat will also be very diplomatic in approach and very calculative and ambitious but signs may not be seen until it is too late. In other words, this Rat runs deep as nobody can read their intentions yet they have many ideas in their minds.

7AM - 9AM: The Dragon Hours

This Rat will be a very big hearted one and may sometimes be overly trusting. This Rat will also be less covetous than the others and will also have leadership capabilities and will most likely gain wealth and power. This is a Rat that is generous but will be prone to making disastrous money-related decisions. Having the Dragon as your ascendant will prove to be advantageous.

9AM - 11AM: The Snake Hours

This will be a very charismatic and intelligent Rat that will be loved by many. This Rat will also be very secretive and introspective and will also value privacy and will not open up easily. This Rat will also have a lot of sex appeal thanks to the snake’s influence. This Rat will be very hard to be read by others and will always be an enigma to the people surrounding them.

11AM - 1PM: The Horse Hours

The Horse Rat will be very attractive but will also throw caution to the wind. This will also cause their love life to be turbulent but will be successful in their careers or fail in them. They must learn to exercise restraint if they want to succeed in their endeavors, in both their love life and also in their work.

1PM - 3PM: The Sheep Hours

This Rat will be a very sensitive but caring and loving Rat and will have good tastes. This Rat will also be able to make good investments and will opportunistic and can easily persuade others to do what they like. They are also very opportunistic people who will always get things done their way. However, it may be advised that the Sheep will be sentimental – perhaps a little too over sentimental.

3PM - 5PM: The Monkey Hours

This Rat will be a very crafty and resourceful one, but a less sentimental one and more inventive, creative one. They are natural problem solvers that will always have a solution for every situation. The Monkey in this means that they will find every trick in the book and the Rat in them will not hesitate to use them to achieve their means.

5PM - 7PM: The Rooster Hours

This will be a perfectionist Rat that will increase its capabilities and alertness. However the Rooster’s influence will cause this Rat to not be thrifty and they will not be able to save much money even though the Rat side will try to save up money. This Rat will also be quite generous in spending and overconfidence will be their main enemy.

7PM - 9PM: The Dog Hours

This Rat will be very fair minded and unprejudiced but will be torn between it and their lust for money and power. This Rat will be forever torn between their morals and the lust for money and power. They will also be very outspoken and critical. This Rat would most probably end up being a writer with authority, something like a book writer or journalist of sorts - any way to get your point across to the masses.

9PM - 11PM: The Boar Hours

This Rat is most easily taken advantage of and is generous and from all sides but will have lots of friends and will be envied by many people due to that. This Rat will be always surrounded by people who will love them unconditionally as they are able to give the same thing unconditionally as well.

When Moon Signs Meets Sun Signs

In addition to ascendants, there is also another additional factor, which affects an individual's personality: the sun signs. The sun signs, or the Western zodiac sign, parallels the Chinese lunar signs. Based on the month and season of the Rat, it is paired with Sagittarius and thereafter the rest of the sun signs are paired with the concurrent moon signs accordingly.

SAGITTARIUS: 22 November – 21 December

Fire + Positive Water = Sagittarian Rat

The Sagittarian Rat exudes charm and brilliance. This Rat will be very cheerful and accommodating. They will also not flounder when confronted with crisis and will always like to be with people. However, the Sagittarian Rat can be very frank if angered or when they decide to be honest.

CAPRICORN: 22 December to 20 January

Earth + Positive Water = Capricorn Rat

The Capricorn Rat is a stable and resourceful person that is also very sociable. They are wise and careful, thus being less adventurous than others. They are also faithful and would prefer to form long-lasting relationships and are less likely to take chances. Like the Rat Child, they will know where their possessions are and will not forget where they have been placed, or how many there are. Don’t attempt to trick them. To the Rat, having 1 expensive watch is not the same as having 2 – he will know when it’s missing 9.

AQUARIUS: 21 January to 19 February

Air + Positive Water = Aquarius Rat

The Aquarius Rat is a very expressive and talkative fellow, and less social compared to the other rats but values his personal relationships rather than financially-related ones. They are also impatient and can be rebellious when challenged. He can easily entice others to do his bidding but can be moody at times. They do not carry grudges and are more charitable than others.

PISCES: 20 February to 20 March

Water + Positive Water = Pisces Rat

The Pisces Rat is good at taking care of their families and interests. They will also be able to demonstrate their creativity easily and could be a good writer. They will be less aggressive and selfish that other Rats and they will be calm, resourceful, sensitive and productive people.

ARIES: 21 March to 19 April

Fire + Positive Water = Aries Rat

The Aries Rat is typically fearless and headstrong but well liked by others. He will always be in full control of the situation but has the tendency to rush into things. The Aries Rat can easily assimilate itself into the various social circles because of his love for the attention.

TAURUS: 20 April to 20 May

Earth + Positive Water = Taurean Rat

The Taurean Rat is a very practical and companionable person. They keep up with the times and do read a lot but are also very money minded. They are also less trusting of people but can easily talk their way out of situations but will refuse to pay for assistance.

GEMINI: 21 May to 21 June

Air + Positive Water = Gemini Rat

The Gemini Rat will be very good with words but will have a short attention span and will soon find themselves spreaded out too thinly on too many areas. They are exciting to be around with, but their interests will change too quickly making them unreliable.

CANCER: 22 June to 21 July

Water + Positive Water = Cancerian Rat

This is a very intuitive but secretive Rat. They are also quite moody and outgoing at the same time. But they are also the dreamer and tend to get lost in unrealistic aspirations. It is also very hard to get this Rat’s trust and they are only relaxed when in familiar surroundings. The Cancerian Rat desires family closeness and will accumulate both wealth and material possessions.

LEO: 22 July to 21 August

Fire + Positive Water = Leo Rat

This Rat will be less calculative but more aristocratic and will want to be involved in everything. The Leo Rat loves freedom but can be a trustworthy person that will keep a close watch on the financial side of things. They are also very charming individuals who will know what type of humour is necessary for different situations. He will be attractive to his peers, and not only because of his physical appearance, but for his overall charisma.

VIRGO: 22 August to 22 September

Earth + Positive Water = Virgo Rat

The Virgo Rat will be a very hardworking individual who is also an investigative perfectionist that will explore every possible option before making a move. They are also very academic and innovative and will have limitless capabilities if they can keep their sharp tongue in check.

LIBRA: 23 September to 22 October

Air + Positive Water = Libra Rat

The Libra Rat is a very exciting, charming and interesting person to be with and has a very bubbly personality. The Libra Rat is also very flexible and understanding and will also have good tastes but will also be keen on finding the best bargains.

SCORPIO: 23 October to 21 November

Water + Positive Water = Scorpio Rat

The Scorpio Rat is a very scheming, intense and very effective person. Efficiency is at its peak for this Rat. They are also hardworking and very productive and they have a very driving personality and will easily garner support wherever they are. They are silent and very deep thinkers and will not hesitate to crush their enemies if they were able to. They make good writers but are also very critical in nature.

Compatibility and Conflict

The conflict and compatibility chart helps indicate complimentary or conflicting horoscope signs. There are often 2 other complimentary signs for each horoscope and one conflicting sign for every individual sign. The way to determine this is to place each of the 12 signs in a circle and the sign that is opposite of each other are conflicting, while the signs that form a triangle within that circle are the complementary signs. Aside from these 3 signs, the rest of the signs are compatible but in varying degrees.

Rat

The Rat goes along fine with its own sign and will work very well together if they have the same aspiration. But they can be competitive and must learn not to take things too personally in order to make the partnership a success.

Ox

The Ox will go very well with the Rat as the Rat will need the stability and devotion from the Ox while the Ox needs the Rat’s expertise. They will be able to make their partnership work, as the Ox will not try to outshine the Rat. Both will try to take their roles to heart and find a way to work well with one another.

Tiger

The Tiger and the Rat will be able to work if they able to control their tempers. There will be a need for a strong attraction between both parties for any form of team work to happen. In any case, this won’t be a strong union and it would be quite tough for things to work out between them.

Rabbit

Both signs can get along fine, provided if both sides are working towards the same goal but will not put too much effort into it especially if they do not see any benefit in doing so. However it could result in both taking advantage of each other. If so, the Rabbit will gain the upper hand in the event of such a relationship.

Snake

The Rat will find the Snake’s brains and beauty attractive. However the Snake will have to take it slow. There has to be mutual understanding to make things work. The Rat will need to learn how to make commitments to the Snake if this relationship is to be successful. In terms of respect, it will be in equilibrium for the both of them.

Sheep

The Rat and The Sheep have conflicting personalities and this will cause problems in their relationship. The Sheep is in many ways the opposite of the Rat. However it may work out of the Sheep was born during the Hour of the Rat and if the Rat was born during the hour of the Sheep. The Sheep will want to be pampered with money and the Rat will be saving up every penny and on this basis, there will be a clash of personality unless both sides are willing to work things out.

Rooster

The Rat and the Rooster will have severe communication problems, as both sides like to argue and nitpick at each other’s faults. Unless they can work things out, the partnership between the Rooster and the Rat will be a very short lived one. It would be very hard for any long lasting and special relationship to happen within this tense atmosphere.

Dog

The Rat and the Dog will have mutual respect for each other as they both have different priorities. They do not have huge differences and will be able to work together just fine. The Dog will allow the Rat to be the dominant one in the relationship, there will be no problems at that part. Both sides will know their limits and boundaries with each other but if the Rat clashes with a Horse or a Tiger, the Dog will take their side instead of the Rat’s.

Boar

The Boar compliments the Rat’s need for commitment while the Rat brings in intuition and self-preservation into the union. The union will be a happy one as both sides benefit each other in various ways. The Rat needs the Boar’s luck and both sides will benefit much from their association and will come out of this as winners.

Famous Rats

Michael Chang
Tei-Fu Chen
John Cho
Steven Chu
Scott Oki
Hiro Yamagata
Alan Alda
Dave Allen
Ursula Andress
Charles Aznavour
Lauren Bacall
Shirley Bassey
Jeremy Beadle
Kenneth Branagh
Marlon Brando
Charlotte Bronte
Chris de Burgh
George Bush
Jimmy Carter
Dick Cavett
Maurice Chevalier
Barbara Dickson
Noel Edmonds
Ben Elton
Albert Finney
Clark Gable
Al Gore
Thomas Hardy
Mata Hari
Vaclav Havel
Charlton Heston
Dennis Hopper
Englebert Humperdinck
Jeremy Irons
Glenda Jackson
Jean-Michel Jarre
Gene Kelly
Kris Kristofferson
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lulu
Richard Nixon
Sean Penn
The Queen Mother
Vanesssa Redgrave
Burt Reynolds
Jonathon Ross
Emma Samms
William Shakespeare
Tommy Steele
Donna Summer
Spencer Tracey
The Prince of Wales
George Washington
Dennis Waterman
Kim Wilde
The Duke of York
Ahn Jae-Hwan