Rats covet power and they often get it. Whether in relationships, in government positions or in business dealings, Rats seek dominion and go after it tooth and claw. This coming year fairly reeks of the Rat’s powerful influence. But that pungent smell doesn’t bother you Oxen too much. You were born with a keen sense of your own strength and haven’t had to struggle, as the Rat perpetually does, to gain and maintain control. In your case, control comes with the territory. Because the Rat’s drive for supremacy doesn’t threaten Ox people, you usually cruise right through Rat years without missing a beat. Beware, early this year, of developing symptoms of emotional stress.
Your private life lacks satisfaction and this dearth of sexual or romantic excitement may cause you to doubt your ability to maintain relationships. My advice? Stop listening to detractors. Clamp your front hooves over your ears and refuse to hear anything negative in your regard. Remember (when you can't sleep at night) that you are the one pulling this plow under your own steam. Listen to the force of your inner voice. That's where your self-confidence is lurking. Way deep inside. Snatch it. Gobble it up. And go back to sleep.
Rats move quickly. You tend to advance more slowly. But for you, it's constructive to march to the pokey cadence of your own inner drummer. This year, from the outset, you will be encouraged to accumulate wealth, nurture your crops and tend to your family’s harmony. In the Autumn, tension may threaten your professional life. It will no doubt come from a person born in a Dragon or Rabbit year. Keep your ears pricked up for signs of nasty backbiting and subterfuge in the wings at the workplace. Someone would like to see you fail. By November, if there is no improvement in the situation, take pains to actively discourage that person’s desire to do you in. Even if you must use force, this is one battle you do not want to lose. But be wise. And subtle. Strategize. Prepare. You are not one to enjoy playing games. But this time, the prize will be worth the departure from your usual bulldozer style.
