Year of the Rat: Daily and Weekly Horoscope
Every time you open this page it works out how today's day pillar relates to the Rat, based on today's date in Taiwan: harmony, clash or an ordinary day. It then lists each day of the week with its pillar and a note. Below we explain how to read it, how it is calculated, and how it differs from a full BaZi chart.
Today and this week
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How to read this page
In the Chinese almanac every day has a stem-branch pair such as Jia-Zi or Yi-Chou, repeating every sixty days; this is the day pillar. Your Chinese zodiac animal is simply the earthly branch of your birth year, and the Rat's branch is 子. Put today's branch next to yours and you can see whether they are in Six Harmony, Three Harmony, clash, punishment, harm or break, or have no particular relation.
The branches repeat every twelve days, so the same relation comes round again twelve days later. For the Rat, out of every twelve days 1 clashes, 1 is in Six Harmony, 2 are in Three Harmony, 1 in punishment, 1 in harm and 1 in break, and the other 4 have no particular relation (a single day can carry two relations).
The live section also shows how this solar month and this year relate to you; your relation to the year is what people call Tai Sui (see offending Tai Sui).
The Rat and the twelve branch days
| Day branch | Animal | With the Rat |
|---|---|---|
| 子 | Rat | Same branch: sometimes called your "own day"; good for reviewing and tidying up |
| 丑 | Ox | Six Harmony: a day of goodwill for meetings and partnerships |
| 寅 | Tiger | Neutral: no clash, harmony, punishment or harm |
| 卯 | Rabbit | Punishment: friction over rules and boundaries; leave room in what you say |
| 辰 | Dragon | Three Harmony: others pick up what you start |
| 巳 | Snake | Neutral: no clash, harmony, punishment or harm |
| 午 | Horse | Clash: the almanac's "clashes with" day; tradition advises slowing down and avoiding head-on conflict |
| 未 | Goat | Harm: hidden snags and misunderstandings; double-check |
| 申 | Monkey | Three Harmony: others pick up what you start |
| 酉 | Rooster | Break: interrupted plans or small costs; stay flexible |
| 戌 | Dog | Neutral: no clash, harmony, punishment or harm |
| 亥 | Pig | Neutral: no clash, harmony, punishment or harm |
In short: the Rat's Six Harmony partner is the Ox, its Three Harmony partners are the Monkey and the Dragon, and it clashes with the Horse.
How this page is calculated
- Day pillar: the same calendar program (lunar.js) as our BaZi charts and the daily almanac, taken at noon Taiwan time, so the question of whether the day changes at 11 p.m. (the Zi hour) does not affect this page.
- Month: solar months that change at the jie solar terms; year: changes at the Start of Spring (around February 4), as in BaZi, not at Chinese New Year.
- Relations: Six Harmony, Three Harmony, clash, harm, break and the punishments (Yin-Si-Shen, Chou-Xu-Wei, Zi-Mao, and self-punishment for Chen, Wu, You and Hai). Yin-Shen and Chou-Wei are both a clash and a punishment; we count them only as a clash, consistent with our Tai Sui tables.
- This week: Monday to Sunday, Taiwan time: each day's pillar, its relation to you, and which animal the day clashes with.
- No scores: each relation gets its traditional meaning and a practical note, never a score or a lucky/unlucky grade.
Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Each visit shows the current result.
"Clashes with" in the almanac
The Chinese almanac lists for each day an animal that it "clashes with", for example "clashes with the Horse": the day's branch is in clash with that animal's branch. When the day clashes with the Rat, tradition advises slowing down, double-checking big decisions and avoiding head-on arguments. It is a reminder, not a bad omen. For the day's full list of good and bad activities, lucky hours and clashes, see the daily almanac.
How this differs from a BaZi chart
Your zodiac animal is just one of the eight characters in a BaZi chart: the year branch. A BaZi chart has four pillars (year, month, day and hour), and the stem of the day pillar, the Day Master, represents you. A truly personal daily reading looks at how the day pillar relates to your whole chart, including the Ten Gods and favorable elements. A zodiac reading uses only the year branch, so everyone born in the Year of the Rat sees the same text; it works best as a light daily reminder. For a personal daily reading, cast your chart on the home page and see "Today's fortune".
Common misconceptions
A clash day always brings bad luck.
The Rat has 1 clash day in every twelve, about thirty a year. Tradition only suggests slowing down and double-checking; it does not mean something will go wrong.
On a harmony day everything goes smoothly.
Harmony traditionally means goodwill and easier conversations; how things go still depends on preparation and circumstances.
A zodiac reading fits everyone born in that year.
Sharing an animal only means sharing a year branch; a BaZi chart has three more pillars, and personal differences need the whole chart.
Other animals today
Zodiac readings are for reference only
This page is calculated live by a program from the Chinese calendar and then read through the traditional branch relations. Nobody writes it by hand day by day, and it is not a prediction about anyone. Make important decisions on the facts in front of you; everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
See your own daily reading
Enter your birth date for a free BaZi chart. The "Today's fortune" section on the home page compares the day with your whole chart, not just your animal.
Rat daily horoscope FAQ
How is the Rat daily horoscope calculated?
It checks whether today's day pillar branch and the Rat's branch, 子, are in Six Harmony, Three Harmony, clash, punishment, harm or break, or have no relation. The day pillar is calculated live by a calendar program in Taiwan time.
When does it update?
It recalculates every time you open the page, based on "today" in Taiwan time. The week runs Monday to Sunday.
What does "clashes with the Rat" mean in the almanac?
It means the day's branch clashes with the Rat's branch, 子. Tradition advises slowing down and double-checking big decisions that day; it is not a bad omen.
How is this different from BaZi?
Your animal is only the year branch. BaZi has four pillars and eight characters, and the Day Master represents you; a personal daily reading compares the day with the whole chart.