Year of the Snake (巳): Personality, Compatibility & Years
Born in the Year of the Snake? Personality, love, career, compatibility, lucky tips and a full list of years, from the Japanese and Chinese zodiac.
At a glance
- Order
- 6 / 12 · Mi (巳)
- Branch element
- Fire
- Yin / Yang
- Yin
- Direction
- South-southeast
- Hours
- 09:00–11:00
Personality
The Snake stands for wisdom and renewal, because it sheds its skin. The character 巳 describes energy that has fully risen.
Strengths
Intuitive, thoughtful and elegant. You see what others miss.
Watch out for
You may keep plans secret and find it hard to let go of a grudge.
Love
Devoted and deep. You prefer one serious relationship to many light ones.
Work
Research, finance, medicine, strategy and work that needs insight.
Compatibility
Based on the classical relationships between the twelve branches: the trine (three harmonies), the six harmonies and the six clashes.
Years of the Snake
| 1929 | Yin Earth Snake (己巳) |
| 1941 | Yin Metal Snake (辛巳) |
| 1953 | Yin Water Snake (癸巳) |
| 1965 | Yin Wood Snake (乙巳) |
| 1977 | Yin Fire Snake (丁巳) |
| 1989 | Yin Earth Snake (己巳) |
| 2001 | Yin Metal Snake (辛巳) |
| 2013 | Yin Water Snake (癸巳) |
| 2025 | Yin Wood Snake (乙巳) |
Each year begins at Risshun (around 4 February), the start of spring in the solar calendar. In China and Korea the animal is popularly counted from Lunar New Year instead, so people born between January and mid-February may see a different animal elsewhere.
Lucky tips
In Japan the white snake is the messenger of Benzaiten, goddess of music, the arts and wealth. Snake days are good for visiting her shrines.