favorites
food is delicacies
animal is cat
drink is Bordeaux
spice is cloves
metal is purest silver
herb is oregano
musical instrument is harp

the Pig is YIN

the Pig motto is ‘I preserve’

good
When wallowing contentedly along, Pigs are sensible, sensual and sensitive,
sweetly naive, caring, self-sacrificing, erudite, talented, open-handed, candid,
outgoing, amusing, charitable, obliging, graciously hospitable and virtuous.

bad
But when their elastic generosity has been stretched beyond its limit, out pops
Piggy’s darker side. Then, he becomes hot-tempered, pessimistic, outrageously
epicurean, earthy to a fault, sardonic, snobbish, snide, authoritarian,
competitive, know-it-all, stingy, victimized and sometimes downright criminally
mad at the world.

favorites
food is meat pie
animal is dog or sheep
drink is strong coffee
spice is clove
metal is lead
herb is marjoram
musical instrument is guitar

the Dog is YIN

the Dog motto is ‘I worry’

wagging tail
When all is well and the sheep are safely in the barn, Dogs are attentive, well
meaning, helpful, warm-hearted, altruistic, modest, devoted, philosophical,
dutiful, discreet, intelligent and enthusiastic.

barking
But when panic strikes (at least once a day) Dogs can turn nasty, mean-spirited,
disagreeable, bad-tempered, self-righteous, judgmental, quarrelsome, accusing,
nervous, anxious and impossible to live with.

favorites
food is barbecued meats
animal is wild deer
drink is cider
spice is white pepper
metal is zinc
herb is savory
musical instrument is oboe

the Rooster is YANG

the Rooster motto is ‘I know better’

when comfortable
In a comfortable barnyard setting where all the animals know who is boss, the
cocky Rooster will usually be forthright, brave, enthusiastic, loyal,
hardworking, tenacious, resilient, adventurous, meticulous, prompt, astute,
well-dressed, proficient, down-to-earth, gregarious, communicative, sensible,
generous, charming, ebullient and terminally witty.

bad days
But on bad days, when everyone ignores his presence, nobody cares a whit for his
genius or seeks his favor, the Rooster grows cranky, fussy, vain, self-involved,
blindly egotistical, over-zealous, pretentious, materialistic, grabby,
high-handed, cynical, mercurial, self-absorbed and persnickety.

favorites
food is fruit pie
animal is tiger
drink is lemonade
spice is cinnamon
metal is gold
herb is thyme
musical instrument is guitar

the Monkey is YIN

the Monkey motto is ‘I entertain’

happy go lucky
On the happy-go-lucky surface, Monkeys are reasonable, faithful, autonomous,
candid, altruistic, successful, inventive, co-operative, loving, intelligent,
individualistic and generous entertainers.

however
But behind closed doors, Monkeys can be hyperemotional, capricious, guileful,
self-indulgent, immature, insecure, indifferent, careless, gullible, petty,
grabby scene-stealers.

favorites
food is vegetables
animal is wildcat
drink is red wine
spice is cloves
metal is silver
herb is parsley
musical instrument is the human voice

the Horse is YANG

the Horse motto is ‘I control’

nice horse
The handsome Horse is at his most attractive when he manages to be productive,
enthusiastic, amusing, warm-hearted, talented, agreeable, industrious, generous,
sociable, autonomous, strong-minded, sexy, curious, persuasive and logical.

horsing about
But… when he fails to maintain control of himself, even the most delectable of
Horses can become defiant, condescending, unscrupulous, anxious, moody,
ruthlessly pragmatic, opportunistic, hard-nosed, self-serving and so obtuse as
to seem to have gone both blind and deaf at once.

favorites
food is caviar
animal is turtle dove
drink is champagne
spice is curry
metal is platinum
herb is fennel
musical instrument is violin

the Snake is YANG

the Snake motto is ‘I feel’

sweetness
When a Snake is at his most appealing he can be amiable, compromising,
fun-loving, altruistic, honorable, sympathetic, philosophical, charitable, a
paragon of fashion, intuitive, discreet, diplomatic, amusing and sexy.

bad pills
But when a Snake decides to be a pill he becomes self-righteous, imperious,
judgmental, conniving, mendacious, grabby, clinging, pessimistic, fickle,
haughty, ostentatious and a very sore loser.

favorites
food is steak au poivre
animal is monkey
drink is bloody mary
spice is cardamom
metal is hammered silver
herb is dill
musical instrument is clarinet

the Dragon is YANG

the Dragon motto is ‘I reign’

magnificent dragon
The awesome demeanor of Dragons leaves no doubt as to how vibrant, magnanimous,
charismatic, principled, self-sufficient, discriminating, compelling, thrilling,
accomplished, good-hearted, healthy and prodigiously shrewd this noble creature
can be.

flame thrower!
But one tiny glimpse of the Dragon’s scaly underbelly gives us a less enchanting
image of our mythical hero. In their worst moments Dragons can become bombastic,
dissatisfied, ruthless, demanding, opinionated, mawkishly sentimental,
egocentric, defensive, power-mad, foolhardy, willful and pompous.

favorites
food is fish
animal is squirrel
drink is Bordeaux
spice is pepper
metal is bronze
herb is tarragon
musical instrument is piano

the Cat is YIN

the Cat motto is ‘I retreat’

oh pussycat !
In pussycat mode, the Cat/Rabbit person is sensitive, tactful, home-loving,
refined, prudent, discreet, long-living, ambitious, cultured, well mannered,
artistic, considerate, scholarly, suave, graciously hospitable, modest and
unimpeachably virtuous.

but your fur rubbed the wrong way
But rub his fur the wrong way and he becomes snobbish, secretive, pedantic,
complicated, haughtily indifferent, self-indulgent, hypochondriac, punctilious,
judgmental, self-righteous, deceptive, self-centered and terminally
condescending.

favorites
food is fruit pie
animal is tiger
drink is lemonade
spice is cinnamon
metal is gold
herb is thyme
musical instrument is trumpet

the Tiger is YANG

the Tiger motto is ‘I win’

goody 4 shoes!
On their best behavior, Tigers are lovable, alluring, warm-hearted, altruistic,
honorable, hard-working, pleasant, independent, engaging, dynamic, idealistic
sweetie pies.

when you act up (which is quite often)
When they act up (which is often), Tigers are rash, hotheaded, reckless,
infatuate, quarrelsome, caustic, moody, predatory, rebellious, disobedient,
irreverent rascals.

favorites
food is beef stew
animal is bear
drink is strong tea
spice is coriander
metal is copper
herb is sage
musical instrument is tuba

the Ox is YIN

the Ox motto is ‘I persevere’

outside all is self contained
On the self-contained exterior, Oxen are patient, contemplative, skillful,
dexterous, eloquent, confident, familiar, authoritative, industrious, sure of
foot and eloquent.

but inside …
But… pierce the Ox’s thick hide and you will find prejudice, chauvinism, blind
faith, pride, tyranny, pettiness, criticism, eccentricity, bigotry,
conservatism, grumpiness – and, on occasion, violence.