2025: The Year of the Yin Wood Snake

In Chinese astrology, the zodiac year begins at 立春 (Lichun, the start of spring) — typically around February 4th of the Gregorian year. People born between January 1 and Lichun 2025 actually belong to the previous animal year. Lunar New Year (mid-Jan to mid-Feb) is the cultural new year, but Bazi practitioners use Lichun for chart calculations.

It depends on your zodiac and your full Bazi chart. Some animals find Snake energy supportive (三合 / 六合 — harmonious combinations), some find it confronting (六冲 / 三刑 — clash and friction), and most are somewhere between. The 12-animal table above gives the broad outlook; for a personalized read, your Bazi chart is the deeper layer.

The zodiac year names the animal of the earthly branch (巳 = Snake). The Bazi year-pillar names the full stem-branch (乙巳 = Yi Si), which adds the heavenly stem's element. The zodiac is one slice; the Bazi year-pillar is the full picture.

Clash years (本命年 for the same animal, 冲太岁 for the opposite animal) are traditionally seen as years of friction — change, movement, accelerated lessons. They are not "bad" years; they are years that ask you to grow on a tighter timeline. Move slowly, sign nothing impulsively, take care of your health, and lean on grounding people.

Each animal has favorable months based on the year-month branch dynamics (combine, support, clash, or deplete). The 12-month strip above links to each month's detailed horoscope where the timing for each animal is unpacked.