Chinese Astrology
Chinese astrology reads your character and fortune from the time you were born. At its heart is the 12-animal zodiac, layered with the five elements and the balance of yin and yang — together they form 60 distinct signs that shape who you are, who you match with, and the energy of every year. Start by finding your sign, then explore every part of the system below.
Find your element sign
Enter your birth year to reveal which of the 60 signs you are.
What Is Chinese Astrology?
Chinese astrology is a tradition more than two thousand years old that maps the cycles of time onto human life. Where Western astrology reads the sun and planets, Chinese astrology reads the cycles of the Chinese calendar — a 12-year animal cycle turning inside a 60-year element cycle.
Your birth gives you three things at once. Your animal is your zodiac sign — it shapes your core character. Your element — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water — is the energy flavour running through it. And your polarity — yin or yang — sets the tone. Combined, they place you in one of 60 signs that repeat every sixty years, which is why two people born under the same animal can feel so different.
The 12 Zodiac Animals
Your birth year gives you one of twelve animals, each with its own character, strengths and rhythm. Tap your animal to read its full profile.
The Five Elements & Yin-Yang
On top of your animal sits an energy layer that is the real depth of Chinese astrology. The five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — interact in living cycles: each one generates the next (Water feeds Wood, Wood fuels Fire) and controls another (Water puts out Fire). The balance of these elements in your chart shapes your strengths, your health and your challenges.
Underneath the elements is yin and yang — the two complementary poles that describe every rhythm in nature. Read the foundations in the Five Elements guide and the Yin Yang guide.
The 60 Element Signs
Combine 12 animals with 5 elements and you get the 60 signs of the full Chinese zodiac — signs like the Yang Fire Tiger, the Yang Wood Rat or the Yin Water Snake. Each one is a more specific portrait than the animal alone.
Chinese Zodiac Compatibility
Chinese astrology is famous for matchmaking. Compatibility is read first from the relationships between the animals — the harmonies, trines, clashes and harms of the cycle — then refined by the five elements of each sign. The result tells you how two people are likely to spark, support or challenge each other.
See the full compatibility chart for every animal pairing, or use the birth-year calculator to match two people by their exact signs.
Reading Your Full Chart
Your birth year is only the first of four pillars. A complete reading takes the year, month, day and hour you were born and reads how all five elements balance across them — revealing far more than your animal sign alone about your love, career and health.
That full picture is your personal energy chart.
Explore the Full System
Chinese astrology opens into a wider system of Eastern wisdom. Go deeper into any part:
Frequently asked questions
What is Chinese astrology?
How is Chinese astrology different from Western astrology?
How do I find my Chinese zodiac sign?
Is Chinese astrology accurate?
What are the five elements in Chinese astrology?
What is the most powerful Chinese zodiac sign?
Your sign is the door, not the room
Your animal and element are where Chinese astrology begins. Your full energy chart reads all four pillars of your birth to show how every element shapes your love, career and health.