Neil Somerville - Your Chinese Horoscope for Each and Every Year

The Dragon year can also bring some good travel opportunities, and holidays and breaks, including some arranged at short notice and/or with a spontaneous element, can be among the year’s highlights.

Work prospects are also encouraging and Rats will often be well placed to benefit from openings and promotion opportunities. Their experience and reputation will stand them in excellent stead and their prospects can be helped by the backing they receive from senior colleagues and other influential contacts. This is a year when their abilities can come into their own.

In this favourable year, Rats desiring change or seeking a position should actively explore possibilities. This is a time when initiative, enterprise and determination will make a difference – all qualities that are very much part of the Rat make-up. Such are the aspects that those who take on new responsibilities early in the Dragon year could find these giving rise to other opportunities later on in the year.

Progress made at work will also help financially. However, while many Rats will welcome an increase in earnings, rather than spend too freely (or over-indulge!), they should set funds aside for specific plans and purchases. This is a year for good financial management.

In general, Dragon years have great potential for Rats and if they seize their opportunities, they can make some well-deserved progress. And, pleasingly, some of the Dragon’s luck can rub off on them too.

Tips for the Year

This is a year to act with determination and make the most of your strengths. Also, enjoy your good relations with those around you and value their support. With resolve and self-belief, you can make this a highly successful year.

Rat Fortunes in the Year of the Snake

A year for patience and care. Rats need to appreciate that Snakes do not like haste and prefer to proceed in measured ways. In the Snake year, they need to temper their zealous natures and let situations develop in their own time. Although this may be frustrating, they can still learn a lot from the year and their prospects will gradually improve as it wears on. Indeed, some of their efforts in the first part of the Snake year can come to fruition in the later months.

At work, rather than regarding this as a time for substantial progress, Rats should concentrate on establishing themselves in their current area of work. By learning more about their industry and familiarizing themselves with ongoing developments, as well as seizing any chances to network and add to their skills, they can help both their present situation and their future prospects. Indeed, what they can do ‘behind the scenes’ this year, be it gaining extra knowledge, showing initiative or building contacts, can be to their subsequent advantage.

Many Rats will remain with their present employer this year and for those who feel their prospects could be improved by a move elsewhere or who are seeking work, developments can be slow. These can be frustrating times. However, Rats are above all tenacious, and with persistence and self-belief, many will succeed in securing a positon which is a considerable change (and opportunity) for them. Snake years encourage Rats to broaden their capabilities and an important legacy of the year can be the knowledge and skills they now acquire.

They will need to be thorough in financial matters, however, and be wary of risk and haste. To hurry decisions or make rushed purchases could lead to regret. Also, they should exercise careful control over the purse-strings. It could be easy to overspend this year. Financial paperwork and forms also need to be attended to carefully and the terms of any agreement checked. This is a year for vigilance and good control.

More encouragingly, personal interests can prove satisfying and recreational pursuits can be a valuable outlet in this often demanding year. For creative Rats, especially those who enjoy writing, Snake years can be inspirational, and some Rats will be enthused by projects started now.

Throughout the year Rats will also be grateful for the support and advice of their loved ones. However, to benefit, they do need to be forthcoming rather than keep their thoughts or anxieties to themselves. Also, they should consult others about any domestic projects and purchases they have in mind. This is a year for combining talents and sharing ideas. Even though some decisions and plans may take longer than envisaged, the improvements that result will be much appreciated, as will some of the year’s family occasions, including the celebration of individual successes.

When possible, Rats should also aim to take a holiday over the year, as they will benefit from the rest and change of scene this brings. There could be additional travel opportunities in the closing weeks of the Snake year.

They will enjoy the year’s social opportunities as well, particularly any special events they attend. However, they do need to remain aware of what is going on around them. Another person may let them down or they may find themselves concerned by rumour or gossip. For the unattached, the path of true love could also be bumpy. The patience and personal skills of many Rats will be tested over the year. Rats are adept and can successfully overcome or avert many a difficulty, but this is a time to be alert and attentive to others.

This may not be the easiest of years for Rats, but it is often by being challenged that skills can be gained and strengths highlighted, and so it will be for them this year. By showing patience, they can not only see the results of their efforts but also gain important new insights into their capabilities. Overall a constructive year, even though results may sometimes be slow in coming through.

Tips for the Year

Be vigilant and thorough. Question anything that is unclear and liaise well with those around you. Also make the most of any chances to extend your knowledge as well as to enjoy your personal interests. You can make this a useful and instructive year.

Rat Fortunes in the Year of the Horse

Rats have commendable energy and drive. They like to be at the forefront and involved in what is going on. Unfortunately, this year their best endeavours may not get the results they desire. Horse years can be tricky and Rats will need to remain alert and on their guard. However, this is one of the values of Chinese horoscopes. By being forewarned, Rats may be able to avoid the more negative aspects of the year and emerge with gains they can build on in the future.

One area requiring particular care is finance. Throughout the year Rats will need to monitor spending, otherwise outgoings could be greater than allowed for and economies have to be made later. When making sizeable purchases, Rats should also take the time to check that their requirements are being met and that they are conversant with the terms involved. The more care they take, the better their choices will be. They should also be cautious if lending to another person and careful when dealing with financial paperwork. This is no year to be lax or trust to luck. Rats, take note and be vigilant.

Work could also be demanding, especially as some Rats may feel they are not receiving the credit they are due or have misgivings over certain developments. However, frustrating though some situations may be, they could work to their advantage over the longer term. In the meantime, it would be politic for Rats to keep a low profile and focus on what they have to do. As the year proceeds, they are likely to have the chance to further their experience and prove themselves in an often different capacity, perhaps through training, taking on additional duties or applying for a sudden vacancy.

This also applies to those currently seeking work. By keeping alert for openings and remaining determined, they may be able to secure a position with future potential. In work matters, results may be more modest or muted this year, but what is accomplished can have great value at a later stage, when more substantial opportunities arise.