Gentle, artistic and home-loving
The Goat is the softest-hearted animal of the cycle in folk tradition. It is associated with kindness, creativity, good taste and a deep need for a peaceful, beautiful home.
Goat people are described as caring friends who notice how others feel and would rather help than compete. Tradition also names the downside of so much sensitivity: worry, indecision, moodiness and a wish to be looked after when life gets hard.
The Goat hour runs from 1 pm to 3 pm, the slow, warm part of the afternoon, which fits the sign's relaxed image.
Sharing a raft across the river
In the race legend the Goat did not try to cross alone. It teamed up with the Monkey and the Rooster: the Rooster found a raft, the Monkey and the Goat cleared the weeds from it, and the three paddled over together.
The Emperor was pleased with their teamwork and gave them eighth, ninth and tenth places, with the Goat first of the three. The tale reflects the Goat's reputation for cooperation and its preference for working with others.
Five kinds of Goat
Wood Goat (as in the year starting in 2015): described as generous, kind and trusting, with strong loyalty to friends and family.
Fire Goat (2027, and 60 years before that, 1967): the warmest and most expressive Goat, linked with courage and creative flair. Fire also feeds Earth, the Goat's fixed element, in the generating cycle.
Earth Goat (1979): Earth doubled, so tradition reads it as the most practical, careful and dependable Goat.
Metal Goat (1991): pictured as the most determined Goat, with a firm inner core under a gentle surface and a strong sense of style.
Water Goat (2003): the most adaptable version, described as diplomatic, perceptive and well liked.
Harmony, friendship and the Ox clash
The Goat belongs to the harmony group with the Rabbit and the Pig. These three are associated with kindness, creativity and peace, and tradition sees them as comfortable together.
The Horse is the Goat's secret friend, an energetic partner for a calm sign. The Ox is its clash sign, across the wheel; folk astrology contrasts the Goat's dreamy side with the Ox's practicality. Compare any two animals with our compatibility calculator.
Goat years on the calendar
The site lists every Goat year with its exact first and last day, worked out from Lunar New Year. The next Goat year runs from February 6, 2027 to January 25, 2028; details are on the 2027 Chinese zodiac page.
January births are the usual trap. Anyone born before the Goat year's Lunar New Year belongs to the Horse, the sign before it. Use the Chinese zodiac calculator to check an exact date.