2008 Chinese Zodiac: The Year of the Earth Rat

Detail	2008
Animal	Rat (鼠)
Element	Earth, yang
Stem and branch	Wu Zi (戊子)
Year starts	February 7, 2008
Year ends	January 25, 2009
Year before	2007, Fire Pig
Year after	2009, Earth Ox

Born in January or February 2008?

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 2008 it fell on February 7 (China time), so the Rat starts with births on that day and everyone born before it in 2008 is still a Fire Pig. If your birthday sits close to the line, the Chinese zodiac calculator checks the exact date for you.

The Rat in Chinese astrology

The Rat opens the twelve-year cycle, and the tradition gives it the quickest mind of the group. Rats are described as observant, resourceful and at ease with people, the sort who notices what a room needs before anyone says it. Charm is the usual first impression, followed by a knack for finding the opening in a tight spot and a talent for collecting useful information and useful friends. Rats are said to think best in company, trading news and favors.

The same alertness has a shadow in the old reading. A Rat may worry in advance, hold on to things (objects, favors, grudges) a little too long, and let curiosity slide into calculation. Others can find a Rat friendly but hard to know fully, since there is usually a plan held in reserve. If you are a Rat, the tradition suggests that your thrift and foresight land best when you share the reasoning behind them. People then see care in what might otherwise look like caution.

The Earth Rat

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 steadies the Rat. The classical picture is the practical, grounded member of the family: still resourceful, but more patient and more concerned with building something durable. It is careful with money and good at long-range planning. Acquaintances see a reliable, thoughtful person who prefers substance to flash. Excess worry and an attachment to security that can narrow opportunities are the usual drawbacks. Allowing the occasional measured risk, and voicing concerns before they pile up, is the standard advice. The Earth Rat's charm is quieter than other Rats', and it tends to be remembered for doing what it said it would.

The same pairing of element and animal returns every sixty years, so 1948 is Earth Rat years as well. The other earth year next to 2008 is 2009, an Earth Ox, because each element lasts two years, one yang and one yin.

Rat compatibility

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

In relationships the Rat is read as attentive and affectionate, a partner who remembers details and likes to plan small surprises. Rats give generously to the few they trust, but they take time to open up and may keep a private corner. In friendship they are lively and well connected, the one who introduces people to each other. Their challenge is to say worries aloud early, so that a quiet doubt does not turn into distance.

The Rat at work

A quick study and a natural networker, the Rat is good at spotting a gap in the market or a shortcut in a process. Thrift is part of the picture: Rats save, compare prices and keep a reserve, and they take risks only after careful research. The old weak point is hoarding and overplanning, so that a good opportunity waits while the numbers are checked once more.

Other Rat years

The Rat comes back every twelve years, each time with the next element: 1936 Fire Rat, 1948 Earth Rat, 1960 Metal Rat, 1972 Water Rat, 1984 Wood Rat, 1996 Fire Rat, 2008 Earth Rat (this page), 2020 Metal Rat.

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 2008 share the Rat 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.