Chinese zodiac
Snake — Chinese zodiac sign
The snake is sixth in the cycle, in 巳时 (09:00 to 11:00), once the sun is up and the ground is warm. Snake years are read as private, exact and patient — and are usually underestimated at the first meeting.
Where it sits in the twelve
- Position in the cycle: 6 / 12
- Branch, and its two hours: 巳 (Si) · 09:00–11:00
- Fixed element: Fire
- What 2026 asks of this sign: an unmarked year
In the river race the snake is the one that startled the horse into falling back, and took sixth place. 巳 went to the late morning, when the sun is high and a snake comes out to the warmth. Its branch is 巳 (si), its fixed element fire.
Years of the Snake
| Years | Animal | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 乙巳 | Wood |
| 2013 | 癸巳 | Water |
| 2001 | 辛巳 | Metal |
| 1989 | 己巳 | Earth |
| 1977 | 丁巳 | Fire |
| 1965 | 乙巳 | Wood |
The animal returns every twelve years; the stem in front of it changes, so the element moves with it. The next one is 2038.
Character
Private by default. A snake-year person keeps their own counsel, and what is on display is a fraction of what has been noticed.
Exact. The snake reads detail other people walk past — in a contract, in a person's tone, in the arrangement of a room.
Patient in a way that is often mistaken for passivity. The snake is not waiting to be rescued; it is waiting for the right moment, and generally knows what that looks like.
Strengths
- Notices what other people miss
- Charming with a small footprint — makes a room relax
- Careful with money that needs judgment
- Loyal once trust is given, and keeps other people's confidence
Weak points
- Understates itself, sometimes deliberately
- Withdraws instead of explaining
- Jealous of what it values
- Rarely shows the whole plan
Six harmony, three harmony, and the ones it stands off with
Six harmony (六合) is the closest pairing; three harmony (三合) is the working alliance. The rest are the classical frictions: clash (冲), punishment (刑), harm (害), break (破).
- Six harmony: Monkey
- Three harmony: Ox · Rooster
- Clash: Pig
- Punishment: Tiger · Monkey
- Harm: Tiger
- Break: Monkey
Six harmony (六合): the monkey (巳申) — quick minds, easy shorthand. Three harmony (三合): the rooster and the ox (巳酉丑, the metal frame) — patience plus exactness, and one of the most durable working alliances in the set. Standing off: the pig clashes (巳亥冲), the tiger punishes and harms (寅巳刑, 寅巳害), and the monkey also breaks (巳申破).
What 2026 asks of this sign
an unmarked year
2026 is 丙午 (fire horse) and for the snake it is an open year: nothing in the classical tables connects 巳 to 午, so there is no clash, no harm and no break. That reads as usable — and the classical caution about an untouched year is drift, because nothing pushes. Put one deliberate hard thing on the calendar and treat the absence of friction as permission to attempt it.
Questions
Which years are snake years?
Twelve years apart: 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, and 2037 next.
Are snake and monkey compatible?
Yes — 巳申 is six harmony: both read a situation quickly and neither needs it spelled out.
Is the snake the wisest sign?
That is popular phrasing rather than classical. The tables give the snake the branch 巳 and the element fire: it is read as exact, private and patient, not as an oracle.