The Rat year will be absent the idealism necessary to spur Dogs into action. You Dogs find these years superficial and tritely material. This Rat year will not be your most productive. Why? Because you are basically unlike the Rat. Dog people are more high-minded than mercenary. It’s just the opposite with Rats. Rats seek power and stash cash. Dogs like to have some power too but for entirely different reasons. And money? Not really a priority for Pooches, except as a means to an end. Dogs only go after authority and loot if it gives them the necessary clout to effect social change. The Dog presidents or leaders of the pack in any organization want to see justice done. They rule to improve the world their way – not just to order people about. Rats rule to rule.
So in this Rat year, you Dogs may bark as stridently as you wish, but no matter how fiercely you yap, you won’t get much further than the bottom of your garden. The Rat simply doesn’t give a damn for what you care about. So be extra careful not to make mistakes or cause them to be made by others. You are borderline paranoid anyway and are normally an overly cautious person. But this year circumstances may crop up that make you feel you have slipped up or blundered. This feeling certainly doesn't help you regain lost self-confidence. But take heart. Next year will turn all of this around.
Meanwhile, keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. We learn from our mistakes. Make sure you have taken stock of those lessons. Your personal life should be carefully monitored in August. Betrayal by a family member lies in wait. As it's a family matter, this fundamental issue is probably either about money or property (or both). It might also concern a young adult child who is threatening to leave school or home. Nip this in the bud by taking the time to talk it through and offering just alternatives. Do not despair. The Rat year is not all bad for Dogs. You may not feel that you are making much progress. But at least you are learning and maintaining the status quo. In Rat years, that’s about as much as any Dog can ask for.
