Your Chinese Horoscope 2016: What the Year of the Monkey holds in store for you

The Monkey year is one of possibility for the Earth Ox and by following through his ideas (and sharing these with others), he can achieve a great deal. There will also be an element of luck to the year. Problems can, however, still arise. If affected, it is important the Earth Ox talks to others, especially those qualified to advise. This is no time to keep his concerns to himself. Overall, though, this can be a constructive year for him. His domestic and social life and personal interests can all prove rewarding. Travel, too, can be delightful – and there could be some pleasant surprises in store as well.

Tip for the Year

Spend time enjoying and developing your interests. What you do now can not only be satisfying but often lead to other possibilities. Also, value your relations with others and be sure to share your thoughts and ideas. With the support of others, you can achieve a great deal.

Famous Oxen

Lily Allen, Hans Christian Andersen, Gemma Arterton, Johann Sebastian Bach, David Blaine, Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Camus, Jim Carrey, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, Harlan Coben, Bill Cosby, Diana, Princess of Wales, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Patrick Duffy, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Jane Fonda, Edward Fox, Michael J. Fox, Peter Gabriel, Gal Gadot, Elizabeth George, Richard Gere, Ricky Gervais, William Hague, Handel, King Harald V of Norway, Adolf Hitler, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Billy Joel, former King Juan Carlos of Spain, Tony Keith, Anna Kendrick, John Key, B. B. King, Keira Knightley, Mark Knopfler, Burt Lancaster, Bruno Mars, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Chloë Moretz, Kate Moss, Carey Mulligan, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Leslie Nielsen, Bill Nighy, Barack Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar Peterson, Lionel Richie, Wayne Rooney, Nico Rosberg, Tim Roth, Rubens, Meg Ryan, Amanda Seyfried, Jean Sibelius, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, Lady Thatcher, Scott F. Turow, Vincent van Gogh, Sigourney Weaver, the Duke of Wellington, Arsène Wenger, Pharrell Williams, W. B. Yeats.

The Tiger (#uc18453a9-841d-5614-b558-9b1961185a67)

13 February 1926 to 1 February 1927 — Fire Tiger

31 January 1938 to 18 February 1939 — Earth Tiger

17 February 1950 to 5 February 1951 — Metal Tiger

5 February 1962 to 24 January 1963 — Water Tiger

23 January 1974 to 10 February 1975 — Wood Tiger

9 February 1986 to 28 January 1987 — Fire Tiger

28 January 1998 to 15 February 1999 — Earth Tiger

14 February 2010 to 2 February 2011 — Metal Tiger

The Personality of the Tiger

It’s

the zest,

the enthusiasm,

the giving the little bit more,

that makes the difference.

And opens up so much.

The Tiger is born under the sign of courage. He is a charismatic figure and usually holds very firm views. He is strong-willed and determined and sets about most of his activities with tremendous energy and enthusiasm. He is very alert and quick-witted and his mind is forever active. He is a highly original thinker and is nearly always brimming with new ideas or full of enthusiasm for some new project or scheme.

The Tiger adores challenges and loves to get involved in anything that he thinks has an exciting future or that catches his imagination. He is prepared to take risks and does not like to be bound either by convention or the dictates of others. He likes to be free to act as he chooses and at least once during his life he will throw caution to the wind and go off and do the things he wants to do.

The Tiger does, however, have a somewhat restless nature. Even though he is often prepared to throw himself wholeheartedly into a project, his initial enthusiasm can soon wane if he sees something more appealing. He can also be rather impulsive and there will be occasions in his life when he acts in a manner he later regrets. If he were to think things through or be prepared to persevere in his various activities, he would almost certainly enjoy a greater degree of success.

Fortunately the Tiger is lucky in most of his enterprises, but should things not work out as he hoped, he is liable to suffer from severe bouts of depression and it will often take him a long time to recover. His life often consists of a series of ups and downs.

He is, however, very adaptable. He has an adventurous spirit and rarely stays in the same place for long. In the early stages of his life he is likely to try his hand at several different jobs and he will also change his residence fairly frequently.

The Tiger is very honest and open in his dealings with others. He hates any sort of hypocrisy or falsehood. He is also well known for being blunt and forthright and has no hesitation in speaking his mind. He can be rebellious at times, particularly against any form of petty authority, and while this can lead him into conflict with others, he is never one to shrink from an argument or avoid standing up for what he believes is right.

The Tiger is a natural leader and can rise to the top of his chosen profession. He does not, however, care for anything too bureaucratic or detailed, and he does not like to obey orders. He can be stubborn and obstinate and throughout his life he likes to retain a certain amount of independence in his actions and be responsible to no one but himself. He likes to consider that all his achievements are due to his own efforts and he will not ask for support from others if he can avoid it.

Ironically, despite his self-confidence and leadership qualities, he can be indecisive and will often delay making a major decision until the very last moment. He can also be sensitive to criticism.

Although the Tiger is capable of earning large sums of money, he is rather a spendthrift and does not always put his money to best use. He can also be most generous and will often shower lavish gifts on friends and relations.

The Tiger cares very much for his reputation and the image that he tries to project. He carries himself with an air of dignity and authority and enjoys being the centre of attention. He is very adept at attracting publicity, both for himself and the causes he supports.

The Tiger often marries young and he will find himself best suited to those born under the signs of the Pig, Dog, Horse and Goat. He can also get on well with the Rat, Rabbit and Rooster, but will find the Ox and Snake a bit too quiet and serious for his liking and will be highly irritated by the Monkey’s rather mischievous and inquisitive ways. He will also find it difficult to get on with another Tiger or a Dragon – both partners will want to dominate the relationship and could find it difficult to compromise on even the smallest of matters.

The Tigress is lively, witty and a marvellous hostess at parties. She takes great care over her appearance and is usually most attractive. She can be a very doting mother and while she believes in letting her children have their freedom, she makes an excellent teacher and will ensure that her children are well brought up and want for nothing. Like her male counterpart, she has numerous interests and likes to have sufficient freedom to go off and do the things she wants to do. She has a most caring and generous nature.

The Tiger has many commendable qualities. He is honest, courageous and often a source of inspiration to others. Providing he can curb the wilder excesses of his restless nature, he is almost certain to lead a fulfilling and satisfying life.

The Five Different Types of Tiger

In addition to the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac there are five elements and these have a strengthening or moderating influence on the signs. The effects of the elements on the Tiger are described below, together with the years in which they were exercising their influence. Therefore Tigers born in 1950 and 2010 are Metal Tigers, Tigers born in 1962 are Water Tigers, and so on.

Metal Tiger: 1950, 2010

The Metal Tiger has an assertive and outgoing personality. He is very ambitious, and while his aims may change from time to time, he will work relentlessly until he has obtained what he wants. He can, however, be impatient for results and become highly strung if things do not work out as he would like. He is distinctive in his appearance and is admired and respected by many.

Water Tiger: 1962

This Tiger has a wide variety of interests and is always eager to experiment with new ideas or satisfy his adventurous nature by going off to explore distant lands. He is versatile, shrewd and has a kindly nature. He tends to remain calm in a crisis, although he can be annoyingly indecisive at times. He communicates well with others and through his many capabilities and persuasive nature usually achieves what he wants in life. He is also highly imaginative and is often a gifted orator or writer.

Wood Tiger: 1974

The Wood Tiger has a friendly and pleasant personality. He is less independent than some of the other types of Tiger and more prepared to work with others to secure a desired objective. However, he does have a tendency to jump from one thing to another and can easily become distracted. He is usually very popular, has a large circle of friends and invariably leads a busy and enjoyable social life. He also has a good sense of humour.

Fire Tiger: 1926, 1986

The Fire Tiger sets about everything he does with great verve and enthusiasm. He loves action and is always ready to throw himself wholeheartedly into anything that catches his imagination. He has many leadership qualities and is capable of communicating his ideas and enthusiasm to others. He is very much an optimist and can be most generous. He has a likeable nature and can be a witty and persuasive speaker.

Earth Tiger: 1938, 1998

This Tiger is responsible and level-headed. He studies everything objectively and tries to be scrupulously fair in all his dealings. Unlike other Tigers, he is prepared to specialize in certain areas rather than get distracted by other matters, but he can become so involved in what he is doing that he does not always take into account the opinions of those around him. He has good business sense and is usually very successful in later life. He has a large circle of friends and pays great attention to both his appearance and his reputation.

Prospects for the Tiger in 2016

The Goat year (19 February 2015–7 February 2016) offers interesting prospects for the Tiger and the closing months will see a considerable amount happen.

One of the strengths of the Tiger is his ability to come up with ideas. He is resourceful, enterprising and likes to be involved in the action. Whether in his work or own interests, he will have ideas he is keen to explore. However, as the Goat year draws to a close he will need to be careful not to spread his attention too widely. Being distracted or attending to too many things at once could undermine him. Particularly in his work, it is putting in the effort that will bring the best results. October could be an especially busy and interesting month work-wise.

The closing months of the year will also bring many temptations to spend. While the Tiger will be pleased with some of the useful items and gifts he buys at this time, he needs to be careful about making too many impulse buys.