The Rat in Chinese Astrology

You might not be happy to find out that you were born in the Year of the Rat. Rats are not exactly the most popular of animals. Hear the word rat and you probably think of dirty, disease-carrying creatures. The filthy beasts of scary, horror stories.

Actually, being born in the Year of the Rat is pretty cool. In China, people who are born in the Year of the Rat are respected. They are thought to be courageous and enterprising people.

Rats are, lets face it, pretty resourceful creatures. They can take care of themselves. The fittest of the animal signs, they can survive almost any situation. They are also able to use their powers of observation to help themselves and others around them.

People born in the Year of the Rat tend to be lively, active people. They are intelligent, curious and imaginative. Because of that, they need plenty of stimulation, both mental and physical. Although they can stay calm, sometimes those busy little rat brains get restless. They constantly crave new stimulation.

Not sure if you're a rat? Find out below. People born between the following dates were born in the Year of the Rat:

• 10 February 1912 – 5 February 1913: Water Rat
• 5 February 1924 – 24 January 1925: Wood Rat
• 24 January 1936 – 10 February 1937: Fire Rat
• 10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949: Earth Rat
• 28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961: Metal Rat
• 15 February 1972 – 2 February 1973: Water Rat
• 2 February 1984 – 19 February 1985: Wood Rat
• 19 February 1996 – 6 February 1997: Fire Rat
• 7 February 2008 – 25 January 2009: Earth Rat

• The Fire Rat - aggressive, competitive, dynamic
• The Wood Rat - adaptable, apprehensive, inquisitive
• The Earth Rat - realistic, mature, trustworthy
• The Metal Rat - idealistic, possessive, sensitive
• The Water Rat -educated, perceptive, shrewd

Cameron Diaz, Colin Firth, Bono, Samuel L Jackson, George Washington, Marlon Brando, Prince Charles, Jim Henson, Shakespeare, Ozzie Osbourne, Eminem, Louis Armstrong, Galileo, Monet, Plato.

People born in the Year of the Rat make great leaders. They are usually willing to take on responsibility and they are respected by others. Although they give good advice, they don't share their troubles with others.

Status and money are the things which motivate rats. They usually end up wealthy and in their younger days they they work for the success that will get them there.

Extremely perceptive and wise creatures, rats focus on the big picture. They possess excellent insight. They show great judgment in whatever they do. This enables them to prevent unnecessary trouble. Rats have the ability to solve problems before they arise.

Rats are cautious and meticulous, so they usually take their work very seriously. Their superior ability enables them to adapt to different environments. They need flexible jobs which allow creativity.

The fact that they can be restless and inquisitive may cause some rats to jump between too many projects. Sometimes they take on too much only to later discover that they can't meet all their commitments. Rats would do well to learn to have focus. Having focus would increase the likelihood of them becoming successful.

Good careers for people born in the Year of the Rat are administrator, director, manager, entrepreneur, broadcaster, writer, musician, stand-up comedian, politician, publicist, lawyer, researcher, sales person and racing car driver.

The best love matches for rats are dragons and monkeys. Rats welcome the dragon's dominance and dragons admire rat's intelligence. Rats and monkeys are attracted to each other because they share similar qualities: intelligence and creativity.

Rats also make good partners for oxen and pigs. However, they should steer clear of horses. Horses are likely to find it difficult to understand rats.

Rats are passionate and not scared of showing their feelings. They are active people and they enjoy a wide and flexible social circle. They like to make new friendships. Starting new romantic relationships is easy for rats. They gush emotion at the beginning of a love affair, but they can also break off a relationship easily, so this can lead to problems.

Ultimately, they want security in their lives. They will settle down later in life when they have found the right person. Since they have a natural charm, when they do eventually find that special someone they will be a great partner for that person.