The rat has been traditionally been a highly respected rodent in the Orient. Despite his universal reputation for trickery and stealth, Asians have always tended to respect the rat for the intelligence he displays in locating, acquiring, and hoarding his booty.The sole Chinese reservation about the rat seems to be that children born in the year of rat will not become good scholars. The Chinese also think that the rat shows impartiality, he is a good businessmen in making money, but also good to thieves, robbers, and others like it. So, there may be an increase in crime in the rat’s year.
The year of the rat is considered a time of hard work and constant activity, but one that will assure abundant food for everyone. It is a year for steady gain, a little at a time, after the fashion of the rat, who is never idle, who is always seeking food, but who transports it a little at a time, after the fashion of the rat, who is never idle, who is always seeking food, but who transports it a little at a time over the course of the day, never in large bulk. The rat year also stands for timidity and humbleness, a year in which everyone works steadily and patiently but remains humble about success. Because of the rat’s proclivity for rapid multiplication of it’s species, his year also anticipates quick expansion in every fields of human activity.
People born in the year of the rat therefore exhibit these same qualities. They are active, hardworking, their lives marked by constant effort and steady accumulation, a little at a time, rather than by large strokes of fortune. They are patient, alert, persevering, and marked by deep humility. They may learn to the stingy side, with a tendency to pinch pennies, but they save and scrimp and work hard for the things they really want. And to those whom they really love, they are generous, even to the point of squandering their hard-won health.
In general, such people are quite charming in their personalities. They keep themselves in check, although underneath they are capable of a deep, though controlled, anger. They are honest, ambitious, restrained, persistent, given to self-denial, and prone to gossip.
An individual born in rat’s year is best married to someone from the years of the dragon, the monkey or the ox, since such people will be best suited to them temperamentally. Second choice would fall upon someone from the years of the rat, the tiger, the snake, the dog, or the pig. The worst possible choice of mate would be someone born in the year of the horse – especially someone born in the year of fiery horse (which comes once in every sixty years).
People born in the year of the rat therefore exhibit these same qualities. They are active, hardworking, their lives marked by constant effort and steady accumulation, a little at a time, rather than by large strokes of fortune. They are patient, alert, persevering, and marked by deep humility. They may learn to the stingy side, with a tendency to pinch pennies, but they save and scrimp and work hard for the things they really want. And to those whom they really love, they are generous, even to the point of squandering their hard-won health.
In general, such people are quite charming in their personalities. They keep themselves in check, although underneath they are capable of a deep, though controlled, anger. They are honest, ambitious, restrained, persistent, given to self-denial, and prone to gossip.
An individual born in rat’s year is best married to someone from the years of the dragon, the monkey or the ox, since such people will be best suited to them temperamentally. Second choice would fall upon someone from the years of the rat, the tiger, the snake, the dog, or the pig. The worst possible choice of mate would be someone born in the year of the horse – especially someone born in the year of fiery horse (which comes once in every sixty years).
