1989 Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Earth Snake

Detail	1989
Animal	Snake (蛇)
Element	Earth, yin
Stem and branch	Ji Si (己巳)
Year starts	February 6, 1989
Year ends	January 26, 1990
Year before	1988, Earth Dragon
Year after	1990, Metal Horse

Born in January or February 1989?

The Chinese year does not start on January 1. It starts at Chinese New Year, which follows the Moon and usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, somewhere between January 21 and February 20. In 1989 it fell on February 6 (China time), so the Snake starts with births on that day and everyone born before it in 1989 is still an Earth Dragon. If your birthday sits close to the line, the Chinese zodiac calculator checks the exact date for you.

The Snake in Chinese astrology

The Snake is the thinker of the zodiac in the tradition: composed, intuitive and drawn to depth. Snake people are described as private, perceptive and elegant in manner, inclined to watch a situation for a while and then act with precision. They are credited with strong instincts about people, a taste for quality over quantity, and a quiet, dry sense of humor. Others tend to experience a Snake as calm and a little mysterious.

The shadow, in the classical reading, is secrecy and possessiveness. A Snake may hold back what it feels, grow suspicious when plans are not shared, and nurse a slight long after others have forgotten it. Perfectionism can delay a decision that needed only a good answer, not a flawless one. If you are a Snake, tradition suggests that trust is your growth edge: letting people see the reasoning behind your silence usually brings the closeness you want. Those who know a Snake well often describe it as a wise and loyal friend, once the first layer of reserve has worn away.

The Earth Snake

Earth stands for stability, patience and practicality in Chinese astrology. Tradition links it to the turn between seasons, to soil and the harvest, and reads an Earth year as grounding the animal it touches. Earth people are described as reliable, nurturing and thorough, with an instinct for building something that lasts. The classical shadow is stubbornness and worry, a preference for what is known over what is new. Earth gives the animal weight, loyalty and a steady pace.

Earth slows the Snake down in a useful way. Tradition reads the most practical of the Snakes: thoughtful, patient and good with resources, with a knack for turning an idea into a durable result. It is composed and approachable, a calm, wise, dependable person with a dry sense of humor. It commits slowly and deliberately. Possessiveness, resistance to change and a habit of keeping worries private are the trouble spots. Talking things through with a trusted friend before a matter settles into silence is the usual advice. People who wait for the Earth Snake's answer generally find it worth the wait.

The same pairing of element and animal returns every sixty years, so 1929 and 2049 are Earth Snake years as well. The other earth year next to 1989 is 1988, an Earth Dragon, because each element lasts two years, one yang and one yin.

Snake compatibility

Tradition groups the twelve animals into four trines of three. The Snake shares its trine with the Ox and the Rooster, the pairings read as the easiest. Its secret friend, a second close match, is the Monkey, while the Pig, six places away on the wheel, is read as its clash. These are tendencies of the tradition, not verdicts on any couple.

Sensual, devoted and selective, the Snake takes time to choose a partner and then gives a deep and exclusive loyalty. Snakes are drawn to intelligence and to a shared inner life more than to noise. Possessiveness and quiet jealousy are the classic trouble spots, along with a habit of withholding feelings until they are certain. A Snake grows closest to someone who offers patience and does not press for answers too fast.

The Snake at work

Strategic and analytical, the Snake is read as good at research, planning, finance or any field that rewards depth over speed. Snakes are credited with sound financial instincts, a patient approach to saving and a talent for reading what others leave unsaid. Secrecy and perfectionism are the usual drawbacks, since they can slow a decision or keep colleagues in the dark about a plan.

Other Snake years

The Snake comes back every twelve years, each time with the next element: 1941 Metal Snake, 1953 Water Snake, 1965 Wood Snake, 1977 Fire Snake, 1989 Earth Snake (this page), 2001 Metal Snake, 2013 Water Snake, 2025 Wood Snake.

Your Western sign

Your Chinese sign comes from your birth year. Western astrology works from the sky on the day you were born instead: your Sun sign follows the date, and your Moon sign and rising sign also need the time and place. Two people born in 1989 share the Snake and can still have any of the twelve Western Sun signs. Draw your free birth chart to see your Sun, Moon and rising sign together, or look up your Sun sign by date with the zodiac sign dates calculator.

All twelve animals, the five elements and every year from 1930 to 2030 are listed in Chinese zodiac years.