by Theodora Lau
Water Snake—1953, 2013
Just as Water seeps through practically any barrier, so a Snake born in the year of Water will wield an all-encompassing influence because of their profound insight. This unassailable Snake is gifted with strong charisma and an inquisitive nature. Shrewd, business-oriented, and materialistic, the Water Snake possesses great mental abilities and powers of concentration. They can block out distractions and brush aside unimportant issues to achieve effective overall planning. They never lose sight of their goals, nor do they lose touch with reality.
Artistic and well-read, the intellectual Water Snake is also practical. They are as adept at reading and managing people as at handling finances. While they may assume a calm and serene demeanor, in actuality this particular personality has a long memory and harbors lifetime grudges. They could have the patience of Job combined with the bite of a king cobra.
Wood Snake—1905, 1965, 2025
This earnest Snake possesses a store of kindly wisdom and a prophetic understanding of what will prevail in the course of events. They need complete intellectual freedom, but they will be constant and enduring in their affections. They seek emotional stability as well as financial security. Wood Snakes express themselves well and could be forceful, eloquent speakers.
The Wood element in conjunction with the fixed element of positive Fire will make them very magnetic and interesting. They will shine like a beacon, attracting the objects and people they desire instead of pursuing them. They are likely to have expensive taste and habits and could be vain about their personal appearance. Because they crave admiration and public approval, they will do their utmost to achieve lasting, large-scale success.
The Wood Snake is well-informed, but they gather knowledge not for its own sake but to put such information to everyday use. Don’t be surprised if this Snake keeps a file on everyone and cross-references all the data. Good judgment, detective work, discretion, and a sharp sense of values will make them superb investors and appreciators of the finer things in life. Here is an amiable Snake who will be awash in art, music, theater, and all the beautiful things in life that material success has to offer.
Fire Snake—1917, 1977, 2037
An intense and masterful Snake, active in mind and body, the Fire Snake performs energetically. However, Fire added to the already imposing Snake personality can give this person too much passion and ambition. Armed with popular appeal and a charisma that could melt down the steeliest resistance, they exude self-confidence and have the ability to lead. If Fire Snakes choose to go into politics, people will vote for them.
Although they may hold open forums to solicit or assess the views of the majority, Fire Snakes are terribly suspicious by nature and have total faith only in themselves. They are too quick to censure and condemn. Sometimes they insulate themselves within a closed circle of friends and advisors, thereby isolating themselves without knowing it. Their strong, almost maniacal desire for fame, money, and power will make them insist on concrete results. Persevering and uncompromising, they set their sights on the highest goals. Once they get to the top, they will cling to power indefinitely.
The Fire Snake is the most sensual, fervent, jealous kind of Snake. They will display excessive love or hate and can be very preoccupied with themselves and their desires. Always in the thick of things, they will make their presence felt wherever they go.
Earth Snake—1929, 1989, 2049
This is a warm and spontaneous variety of Snake who will slowly form correct opinions of people and situations. More principled, persistent, and reliable than the other Snakes, the Earth Snake will be able to communicate with the public and function effectively in group activities.
Armed with good peripheral vision and basic Snake ambition, Earth Snakes can take control and bridge gaps during times of confusion and panic. They will not be easy to intimidate and may refuse to be influenced by public opinion. These Snakes are constant in their convictions and reserve the right to pass judgment. They will locate and identify new trends and opportunities before others realize they are happening.
By and large, this will be the most graceful and enchanting of all the Snakes. Cool, collected, and immensely charming, they will be loyal to their friends and will have an army of supporters. Conservative and frugal with money, the hard-working and systematic Earth Snake will succeed in banking, insurance, and real-estate investments and can learn to reconcile their needs with the resources at hand. These are Snakes who know their limits and who will be careful not to overextend themselves.
Compatibility and Conflict for the Snake
The Snake is part of the Second Triangle of Affinity, a group made up of the most purposeful and steadfast signs of the lunar twelve. The Ox, Snake, and Rooster are the dutiful and dedicated fighters who strive to achieve great heights and conquer by their constancy and unfailing determination. These three are fixed in their views and are given to thought and systematic planning. They are the most intellectual signs of the cycle. They depend on their own assessment of facts and figures and give little credence to hearsay evidence. They are the signs most likely to comply with the dictates of their heads rather than their hearts. Slow and sure in their movements, they like to act independently. They will invariably seek each other out and can intermarry and intermingle most successfully.
Snakes will encounter their most serious clashes of personality with people born in the year of the Boar. Anyone whose ascendant is the Boar will also come into conflict with the Snake native. In the Circle of Conflict, the Snake and the Boar are 180 degrees apart and thus total opposites. The Snake has Fire as its fixed element, whereas the Boar has Water. In their ways of thinking and philosophical outlook, these two lunar signs are worlds apart. Like Fire and Water, they do not mix well. They can form relationships only through intermediaries or if they happen to share the same ascendant, as in the Boar being born during the Snake’s hours or the Snake person being born during the Boar’s time.
Aside from the most compatible signs for the Snake, the Ox and the Rooster, and the least compatible, the Boar, the other nine lunar signs are compatible with the Snake to varying degrees.
Triangle of Affinity for the Snake
Circle of Conflict
Rat
There is a good degree of attraction and interaction here, and a relationship will be satisfactory provided both the Snake and the Rat realize the usefulness of the other partner. These signs are success oriented and are drawn to power and recognition. The Rat will admire the Snake’s wisdom, and the Snake will appreciate the Rat’s resourcefulness and intelligence. The one danger could come from the fact that they both have a tendency to take big risks. One of them must learn to put on the brakes and draw the line where and when they will stop.
Ox
The Snake finds a loyal and trustworthy friend in the Ox. The two animals understand each other and mutually respect their shared methodical ways. The Snake will be more likely to set the direction for the two of them. The Ox will have few complaints with the Snake’s leadership because the Snake’s instincts are typically very accurate. The Snake and the Ox will feel comfortable entrusting each other with big responsibilities and guarded secrets because they both share the same high standards for friendship. A Snake and an Ox often have lifelong friendships.
Tiger
A mutually suspicious partnership at best is the result when the Snake teams up with the Tiger. They do not relate well unless one has the other’s sign as an ascendant because they tend to be competitive and unsympathetic when their interests are opposed. Tigers can be outspoken and openly aggressive in order to get their way, while the Snake will resist to the death. Conflicts and ill feelings also develop when they fail to communicate or misinterpret each other’s motives. Snakes usually have the upper hand because they can hide their true feelings under a mask of inscrutability, while Tigers can’t help throwing a temper tantrum to show their displeasure to the whole world.
Rabbit
The
re are no great animosities between these two refined and elegant personalities, but they are so self-contained that they will only form a lukewarm tie unless they find something special to bind them together. Civil and congenial relationships are likely because neither will openly declare war when it is not to his or her benefit. A mutual ascendant could be very beneficial for long-term unions between these two art-loving personalities. Sharing mutual goals and accomplishments will encourage the Snake and Rabbit to realize that they each need the other’s skills.
Dragon
The Snake will find the Dragon’s courage and affinity for success very attractive and will have no difficulty teaming up with the Dragon to achieve mutual aims. These powerful signs can develop sympathetic and compatible relationships when they need each other’s talents. Snakes can be practical and ruthlessly focused when they are after something, so they will appreciate the Dragon’s philosophy of never giving up. Ambition will be the key word in their partnership. They will reap many rewards if each plays his or her part well.
Snake
Snakes hold little animosity for one another and can usually cohabit amicably if there is no big struggle for power. Because they understand each other so well, they may coexist even when they have distinctly different goals. Two snakes will intertwine or intermingle when it comes to areas of common interest, then go their separate ways without regret. They could form strong bonds of friendship when they feel unity is needed to achieve their mutual ambition. Otherwise, you won’t find them clashing unless there is an object they both desire and their overwhelming jealousy and possessive natures do not permit any resolution.
Horse
The Snake and the Horse will have cool to distant relationships, as they are both fixed Fire signs who dance to different drummers. The Horse is quick to sense new vibrations and responds to them energetically and with passion. The Snake is intuitive and sensuous in a totally different way. Unless they have the same ascendant and share a common perspective, they may selfishly refuse to cooperate and will instead go their separate ways unless the gains far outweigh the losses. The Snake could also be too withdrawn and pensive for the hyperactive Horse. The Horse’s feelings are always on the surface, while the Snake’s are hidden far beneath a serene exterior.
Sheep
The lovable, compassionate Sheep can sometimes prove frustrating to the intensely intellectual Snake personality. The Sheep has much to offer but often demands too much and can be very unreasonable and sentimental. The Snake will not like to make long-term commitments or give in to the Sheep’s whims unless it will benefit the Snake. The Sheep needs the Snake’s direction and constancy of purpose, and the Snake could benefit from the Sheep’s expansive talents and sweet nature. But, then again, the Sheep’s best friend, the Boar, will be at odds with the Snake and will point out all the Snake’s negative traits to the easily influenced and docile Sheep. In such a contest, the Sheep will side with the Boar every time and will move away from the ambitious and tenacious Serpent.
Monkey
These two resolute and calculating personalities cannot compromise much unless they share a common ascendant and common ambitions. Monkeys find it hard to trust or like enigmatic Snakes, who tend to keep their thoughts to themselves. The Snake sizes up the clever Monkey and is fearful of the masterful Monkey’s capacity to pull a fast one. They will watch each other’s moves intently and will be unable to relax in each other’s company for too long. Sometimes we might even find them having a contest to see who will blink first. The stakes must be high and the potential gains enormous for these two to cooperate and pool their resources.
Rooster
The Snake and the Rooster appreciate each other’s strengths. The Rooster quickly zeroes in on the Rooster’s keen sense of direction, and the Snake appreciates the Rooster’s impressive attention to detail. Together they can accomplish highly ambitious projects with great success. The Snake will gravitate to the role of the strategist, and the Rooster will carry out any plan to the letter. Each party respects the other’s ability to carry out a given task, so their union is very efficient and peaceful.
Dog
The Dog and the Snake have mutual respect for each other and do not want confrontation if they can avoid it. They will be compatible and amicable to a good degree, as the Dog is trustworthy, and the Snake’s ambitiousness does not disturb the Dog, who can be loyal to the steadfast and persevering Snake. The Snake is able to convince the Dog of the validity of his or her ideas and philosophies and will share the Dog’s often idealistic outlook on life. The Dog is not prone to jealousy or possessiveness and will understand the Snake’s need for dominance and privacy when the Snake tends to become introspective.
Boar
The Snake and the Boar do not appreciate each other’s strengths because their personalities are such polar opposites. The Snake is slow to trust others and is a consummate planner when it comes to moves both big and small in life. On the other side, the Boar has an outgoing nature that embraces new things with spontaneity and optimism. The Snake finds many of the Boar’s actions too adventurous and can be unfairly skeptical of the Boar’s generous nature.
The Snake and Its Ascendant Relationships
We all have a shadow that follows us throughout life. Sometimes it grows bigger than life, and at other times it shrinks until it disappears into the soles of our feet. Sometimes it walks tall before us, and on other occasions it lags behind like a sulking friend. In Chinese horoscopes, this constant partner, manifest or not, is our ascendant, the animal sign that rules the hour of our birth and becomes a comrade in our journey through life. We may view it as friend or foe, or even a little of both. It surfaces when we least expect and shows a better or worse side of our nature. We can often be confounded by the way we listen to our “other self,” and we can feel resentful of the significant influence it can exert on us. Actually, a personality has many rings around the center of the self, and each ring can have a different size, texture, and aura. When all these factors combine, they bring forth the unique individual that the person truly is.
Hence, a Dragon with an incompatible ascendant, like the Dog, has perhaps a more difficult inner struggle than a Snake born during the hours of the Snake. The double intensity of the Snake person will be easily understood by horoscope readers, while the more intricate Dragon/Dog may exhibit the contrary Dog and Dragon traits to varying degrees. There are many voices within each person, but in the end, only the individual determines which course he or she will follow, which choices he or she will make.
Following are the time periods governing the twelve ascendants, with descriptions of each ascendant’s effect on the Snake born during that period. The time of birth used to determine the ascendant is always the local time in the place of birth.
11 p.m. to 1 a.m. = Hours of the Rat
You are an affable, charming Snake who will know how to hustle and cultivate powerful friends who could influence your rise to power. You can be possessive and sentimental about everything, including your money; but you love your family and parents and will be very generous to them. A veritable storehouse of information, you will have informants and confidants all over town, and your network of friends will be formidable.
1 a.m. to 3 a.m. = Hours of the Ox
Your Ox stubbornness is masked by the Snake’s elusiveness and charm. You could be twice as difficult to deal with if you have the Ox’s stamina and willpower. But the Ox is good for your Snake’s love of ease, and you will learn to be more self-sacrificing to duty and responsibility, even where there is no gain. The Ox is patient but far more rational and less prejudiced than the Snake and will work unfailingly for the good of all. You could be a less selfish Snake who does not feel superior to others.
3 a.m. to 5 a.m. = Hours of the Tiger
With the Tiger’s sizzling personality, you could be a warm and versatile Snake who dazzles crowds. Both of these signs are neurotic and suspicious, however, so unhappiness will cause you to go on an
emotional rollercoaster ride. People feel that you can be temperamental and distrustful when you are in a negative mood, but it would be best for them not to take your outbursts seriously. After all, your colorful personality is basically a generous and giving one. They are bound to benefit greatly from their association with you, whether romantically or commercially.
5 a.m. to 7 a.m. = Hours of the Rabbit
The Rabbit’s ascendant gives you a tranquil, collected, self-confident demeanor, although you may be inclined to narcissism and indulgence. You could be a mellow, noncombative Snake who knows how to wield power through suave political maneuvering and intelligent negotiations. Beneath your outward elegance, however, your bite could be just as poisonous when your ambitions are stifled or you feel betrayed. An astute judge of situations and people, you rarely make a bad deal in anything.
7 a.m. to 9 a.m. = Hours of the Dragon
The Dragon’s ascendant brings you a touch of egalitarianism and philanthropy. With the combination of the Snake’s wisdom and the Dragon’s power, you could instigate real and lasting reforms—especially because you tend to espouse mainly noble causes that benefit all humanity. Whatever happens, your commitment is always total—whether for good or bad. A natural leader and an inspirational speaker, you will never lack for believers.