Year of the Snake

Personality

The Snake arrived sixth by coiling quietly around the Horse's hoof and revealing itself only at the finish, having traveled the whole way unseen. It is a story not of deception exactly, but of using the available means intelligently. Those born in the Year of the Snake understand that information is power, and that the best position is often the one others haven't noticed you've taken.

Snake people have a depth that reveals itself slowly and deliberately. You are not shallow — quite the opposite — but you guard your depths carefully. You observe, process, and understand situations that others find opaque. Your intuition is almost preternatural: you often know the truth of a person or situation before there is enough evidence to explain how. You have refined taste, strong aesthetic sensibility, and an inner life that is rich and complex.

Challenges

The Snake's depth can become a fortress that keeps everyone at a distance. Your suspicion, while often accurate, can prevent you from forming the genuine connections you secretly want. You can hold grudges with remarkable longevity, and can become possessive of people who have earned your trust — which is rare. The Snake who learns to trust, and to be trusted, is transformed.

In Life & Career

Snakes are drawn to psychology, philosophy, research, intelligence work, law, finance, art, and any field where sustained analytical thought produces advantage. You are at your best when you are investigating something that doesn't yield its secrets easily.

Compatibility

Famous Snake People

In Japanese

In Japanese, the Snake is known as the character 巳 (pronounced mi in the context of the zodiac). This is the traditional kanji used in the 干支 (eto) calendar system, which assigns an animal and element to each year in a sixty-year cycle.